Long story short I've been using XNA for 6 years now just playing around with code, not actually producing anything. It helped me get to where I am today; a professional coder using C#. Well, apparently XNA is dead. After 2 hours of despair I decided that I'd try going to C++ and Direct X (I used them at school so I have some idea of what I'm doing). From what I've ready I can't do that with the new version of VSE; I have to pay to upgrade which I refuse to do unless I started actually making money from my hobby.

So where to now? I've been looking at Unity, which apparently uses C#, however I've never been able to get into it, like at all. I install it, see what looks like a map editor, and decide it's not for me because I'm not looking for a game engine I'm looking for a game library. I'm not really sure if there is anything like XNA out there.

I can say I'm pretty pissed off at Microsoft; all this talk about supporting Indie development then they just yank out the carpet for no reason. I honestly don't know why they did it, especially with them trying to get people developing cross system apps for Windows 8 and especially with them having C# as a primary app language. It just made sense to me that they would expand on XNA to work with all versions of Win 8, straight PC, 360, and the new 720, but instead they slammed the door shut. Don't know where to go from here.

Any thoughts?

My thoughts are that whenever you buy into a companies proprietary tech then you're at their mercy. Now I know that XNA is not just a Microsoft proprietary tech, since you can still use it through other means, but the point is that it's Microsoft's deal. You somehow bought into XNA and felt entitled to it, and are now upset because MS did what MS is entitled to do... which is to stop supporting it. Sorry, you need to deal with it.

If you want to stop being at the mercy of companies and their pet languages like XNA and C#, or Objective-C for Apple, then go with C++. Not sure why you think that you cant use C++ and DirectX with Visual Studio Express, but you're wrong.

Personally I really dislike what MS did with XNA/C# and Xbox 360 indie development... which is to say that they mandated that you have to use it and excluded C++/native development. I have games that I'd have loved to port to the 360, but basically MS said that they didnt want me to. The wanted only amateurs developing for their indie games section, and that's what they got. Now they wonder why it was a miserable failure?? All my code, engine, tools, and games are in C++. I was not about to rewrite everything to C# just because MS and their XNA group decided to push it. If it was really so great why is their SDK for professional development in C++? Answer: because if they tried that game developers would rebel and jump ship like it was on fire. I'm glad MS is getting rid of XNA.

Long story short I've been using XNA for 6 years now just playing around with code, not actually producing anything. It helped me get to where I am today; a professional coder using C#. Well, apparently XNA is dead. After 2 hours of despair I decided that I'd try going to C++ and Direct X (I used them at school so I have some idea of what I'm doing). From what I've ready I can't do that with the new version of VSE; I have to pay to upgrade which I refuse to do unless I started actually making money from my hobby.

So where to now? I've been looking at Unity, which apparently uses C#, however I've never been able to get into it, like at all. I install it, see what looks like a map editor, and decide it's not for me because I'm not looking for a game engine I'm looking for a game library. I'm not really sure if there is anything like XNA out there.

I can say I'm pretty pissed off at Microsoft; all this talk about supporting Indie development then they just yank out the carpet for no reason. I honestly don't know why they did it, especially with them trying to get people developing cross system apps for Windows 8 and especially with them having C# as a primary app language. It just made sense to me that they would expand on XNA to work with all versions of Win 8, straight PC, 360, and the new 720, but instead they slammed the door shut. Don't know where to go from here.

Any thoughts?

If you want to stop being at the mercy of companies and their pet languages like XNA and C#, or Objective-C for Apple, then go with C++. Not sure why you think that you cant use C++ and DirectX with Visual Studio Express, but you're wrong.

Just saying, C# is not a "pet" language of Microsoft. From what I understand the language definition is under control by the ECMA. It won't disappear.

Though to answer the OP question, I also would say to look into MonoGame. Though I'm not sure what you saw or read that can you can't use DirectX with Visual Studio Express?

ust saying, C# is not a "pet" language of Microsoft. From what I understand the language definition is under control by the ECMA.

C# was created by Microsoft and they pushed it along with XNA. So yes, it was their pet language... at least for the XNA group. If it wasnt for that I doubt many people would be using it today.

Now that MS is no longer supporting it, actually yes, it probably will disappear.

actually MS is actively supporting and upgrading C#. A recent study shows how C# still is the most used language to develop Win8 applications.

I have no idea if that's true or not, but it's irrelevant. Just because something is widely used now doesnt mean it'll be widely used in the future.

And I should have clarified, I meant that MS isnt supporting XNA, which I think was one of the main reasons C# gained traction. It might very well continue to be used in Win8 applications, but since this is a game development forum I'm thinking mostly of... game development. As far as game development, c++ will continue to be the standard.

XNA, which I think was one of the main reasons C# gained traction

I hope you meant to add "in the game development community". Because if you are suggesting that C# is popular in general development BECAUSE of XNA then please, share the good stuff you're smoking.

It helps when you read the ENTIRE post.

And I should have clarified, I meant that MS isnt supporting XNA, which I think was one of the main reasons C# gained traction. It might very well continue to be used in Win8 applications, but since this is a game development forum I'm thinking mostly of... game development. As far as game development, c++ will continue to be the standard.

There were already Managed DirectX tutorial threads and managed vs non-managed flame wars here on Gamedev and other forums a few years before Microsoft even announced XNA. There were also several .NET games programming blogs around that simply updated their content to be XNA specific. Also the C++ DirectX SDK also had a couple of examples using C# as a scripting language from within a native C++ game. So I think it already had traction in the game dev comunity before XNA.

Mind you you only have to remmember what happened to managed DirectX and then it isn't really a suprise that microsoft dropped XNA.

As for worrying about it ... DON'T. You can still write games in C# as long as there is still a C# compiler available and that will be a very long time. Monogame has already been mentioned and I'm suprised more people didn't dump XNA and move to monogame a long time ago. It supports more platforms and the platforms it does support make it a lot easier to make money out of than the XBOX Indie crapware market.

And I should have clarified, I meant that MS isnt supporting XNA, which I think was one of the main reasons C# gained traction. It might very well continue to be used in Win8 applications, but since this is a game development forum I'm thinking mostly of... game development. As far as game development, c++ will continue to be the standard.

C++ isn't really used on its own, I like the language and use it but it isn't as super powerful as people claim it to be nor is C# another stupid slow managed language.

Majority aren't always right, I don't know about the game industry but I know of other major industries and typically following the bandwagon is rarely to do with productivity, it is more to do with shareholders / business managers lacking balls, and lets be honest here considering every other game released in the last few years is an ''upgrade' of some other game, I doubt the game industry are any different from other industries.

Besides you already said

"Just because something is widely used now doesnt mean it'll be widely used in the future."

Surely this must also apply to your C++ comment too then ;)

I say all of this as someone who uses both C# and C++ heavily and daily. Personally I always thought C# gained popularity because of how easy and efficient .NET was to make applications, work with databases and make websites.