XNA isn't working anymore on the 360? When did that happen?

...I've been learning C# for awhile now, and from a developer standpoint, this is an investment. I don't have time or resources to doubt myself and reverse all the time I've spent on it now in favor of C++...

Luckily programming skill isn't language specific. There is no reason to "reverse all the time" to switch over from C#/XNA to C++/DX/OGL since most of the actual knowledge transfers over (protip: syntax and api aren't the hard part about programming :p).

On the other hand, XNA is/was THE ONLY WAY to port a game over to 360. Smoke that chiba for a minute. I really could care less about XNA framework for PC, but again, there is/was no other way to get your game on 360. Furthermore, I work on a graphics chip that isn't supported by XNA 4.0, therefor not supported by Monogame.

If you're working on something now there's no reason why you can't continue. Microsoft didn't pull a magic switch that instantly made XNA stop working. XNA still works, they're just not updating it going forward.

Seriously, what is wrong with you people? Major platform reaches end of life and no longer gets updates does not mean that it's now impossible to use that platform. Shake off the negativity - you can still use XNA.

And despite that you can still create a new Windows Forms app in Visual Studio today, go to References, Add Reference, pick ".NET" and all of the "Microsoft.DirectX" stuff is still available for use.

That's a cautionary lesson in the whole "WAAAHH!!! MICROSOFT KILLED XNA AND NOW I CAN DO NOTHING!!!!" drama. Despite the fact that Managed DirectX was killed years ago, it is still available for use. What is it that is causing people to think that the situation would be otherwise with XNA?

I guess I should weigh in. This is, after all, my drama in more ways than one.

Microsoft has a long tradition of deprecating but preserving technology. That's an important part of how they run their business and their commitment to it is a large part of what has made an investment in the various Windows technologies safe. Things that worked on Windows X are nearly guaranteed to be fine on Windows X+1, X+2, X+3, even more sometimes. MDX, XNA, SL are all in this category. The trouble is that most of us live in a world where technology moves on and so "will work" is a necessary but not sufficient guarantee for us to run our affairs in a productive way. That's where the split in this thread comes in.

Yes, XNA will continue to work and do what it does. That doesn't make it a good idea.

D3D 10 arrived, along with the new driver model, in Windows Vista. That was in 2007, six years ago. It's true that D3D 9 has enjoyed a particular level of stability (for various reasons), but it's time to face the music. To commit any serious resources to 9 now are strictly a function of legacy support. XNA cuts it even finer, especially with the introduction of the quirky profiles in 4 which were very, extremely poorly thought out and implemented. (Sorry Shawn.) It's an open question about where you go from there, but it's only a question of where, not if. And frankly it's well past due by now. C#/SlimDX, C#/SharpDX, C#/MonoGame, C++/D3D11, even C++/GL are all productive angles with their own pros and cons.

Obviously for indie Xbox there's only two choices: XNA or don't play. I'll leave it at that.

More generally speaking, a lot of us are growing irritated with the sheer rate that MS is deprecating, transitioning, or just plain forgetting about some of their newer technologies. That's a much different and longer conversation, but I'll say the same thing I've said before: it's no longer a Microsoft-only world of consumer computing. There's an awful lot of consumer-facing devices that aren't Windows, and that's got serious implications for how developers choose their tech. Somehow I'm not in a hurry to jump on the Metro train.

Somehow I'm not in a hurry to jump on the Metro train

Heh, I'm glad I'm not the only paranoid one who thinks twice before jumping on yet-another-soon-to-be-killed bandwaggon...

Unfortunately, I gotta totally agree also with the rest your Inconvenient Truth (TM).

XNA is mature and not dead, which actually makes developing with it easier than if it were still growing. Just like in human relationships, mature is better !

Monogame is really the way to go, but either way, games made with XNA or Monogame will run for years in people's devices.

Enjoy the development environment for years to come, stop complaining, and start making money with games soon! Construction on the doorway has practically stopped, but the Door is still open!

Clinton