Learning XNA 3.0

Chapter 8. Deploying to the Microsoft Zune

One of the most exciting changes in XNA 3.0 is the ability to develop games for Microsoft's Zune media players. Just as the ability to develop games for the Xbox 360 represented a landmark opportunity for hobbyist game developers, the ability to develop games for a next-gen media player such as the Zune is also an opportunity that has not been readily available to nonprofessional developers. One of the huge advantages of developing in XNA 3.0 is that developers can now target the PC, the Xbox 360, and the Zune wih one unified development framework, with very few, if any, coding changes required.

This chapter will focus on issues specific to developing games for the Zune. While it is true that most of your game's code will port without changes from PC to Xbox 360 to Zune, there are some issues that it's important to consider when developing specifically for the Zune.

Setting Up Your Zune Device Connection

The first thing you'll need to do in order to develop for the Zune is to create a connection between your Zune and your development PC. The XNA Game Studio Device Center application is used to connect devices such as the Zune and the Xbox 360 to your PC for XNA development.

The application is installed with Game Studio 3.0 and is located under Start → All Programs → Microsoft XNA Game Studio 3.0 → XNA Game Studio Device Center (you can also run the XNA Game Studio Device Center from within Visual Studio by selecting Tools → Launch ...