- XNA - Intro :
- XNA Setup :
- The Game Loop :
- State Machines :
- 2D Starter - part 1 :
- 2D Starter - part 2 :
- 2D Starter - part 3 :
- 2D Starter - part 4 :
XNA Development - Setup
Visual C# Express
First up is the install of C#. Head over to the Visual Studio Express site and grab Visual C# Express. Run the installer. Now you'll need to register it. Run it and click: Help -> Register Product. After selling just a tiny bit of your soul, you're all set.
XNA Game Studio
Once you've got C# running, grab the XNA Game Studio installer. You'll need XP SP2 or Vista in one of it's flavors. You'll also need a DirectX 9 video card (check the ReadMe for additional / new requirements) This will install the XNA framework as well as the XACT Audio tool.
Content Tools
To help make your own shaders, you'll want either Fx Composer from NVidia, or Render Monkey from ATI. Also, check out the Introduction to DirectX9 High Level Shading Language at ATI's site. Riemer also has a sweet tutorial on them.
If you're looking to work in 3D, a modeling program to create models is a must. I'm a big fan of Blender, but the interface can be daunting. Anim8or is another good choice.
An audio editor is a must for sound assets. Audacity fits the bill nicely.
Lastly, you'll need an image editor. I use the Gimp. Others like Paint.Net.