Hamled wrote:

Massif wrote: What's all this "sixs months development time" I keep hearing? Does that just apply to XNA Game Studio?

I only ask because I have a copy of Edge dated May 2004 which has on the front: "XNA Microsoft ends the console war"


What probably happened was that they announced it at GDC 2004, and then spent the next year and a half figuring out what XNA actually was.

Once they came upon that insight, it only took 6 months to... "enact their vision."


Whilst this could be the case, I suspect that the real reason is because the article in Edge related to XNA Build rather than XNA Game Studio Express.  XNA Build is a different product aimed at professional game studios and focuses more on managing the different tools and processes involved in commercial game development. 

Also, whilst changing the subject a little, I'd like to pose the following question:

Should XNA be used for non-gaming related 3D development?

To provide a bit of background to my question, my day job involves developing engineering software that implements 3D visualization using Managed Direct X 1.1.  In addition, I understand that version 2 of Managed Direct X has been shelved/replaced by XNA. 

So, whilst I've enjoyed toying with XNA over the Crimbo holidays, I wondered if XNA is the sensible replacement for MDX1.1 or should we be looking elsewhere when developing non-gaming applications that require 3D?