Learning XNA 3.0

Resolution and Gameplay Issues

There are a couple of other things worth mentioning in relation to Zune game development. First is the screen resolution. I don't know if you've noticed, but the Zune's screen is smaller than your PC's, and it's probably (hopefully!) smaller than the screen of the television to which you've hooked up your Xbox 360. Even though the Zune can be connected to video output, there is no support for video output for games. Thus, for game development on the Zune, you're limited to the size of the Zune screen.

The Zune screen runs at a resolution of 240 × 320. Normally, you'd say that's the screen width × height, but you're not limited to thinking in those dimensions when working on a Zune. Remember that the Zune is a portable device, so unlike a bulky piece of equipment such as a monitor or television screen, it is extremely easy for a user to flip the Zune horizontally and play a game in 320 × 240 instead of vertically in 240 × 320. The drawback is that the controls are then on the right instead of below the screen. But is that necessarily a drawback? Maybe that's exactly what you want. That's why game development is so fun—this is your world, and you can do whatever you want with it.

Resolution isn't the only screen size-related issue, though. For example, your objects may seem to be moving excessively fast when you port your game from a PC to a Zune, simply because the screen is so small. You may need to adjust the speed of play as well as your collision ...