Windows® and Xbox 360™ System Programming
Graphics
Quality Assurance and Certification
Producer and Business Development
Audio
LIVE
XNA Game Studio
Games for
Everyone
Visual Arts
Back to top
WINDOWS AND
XBOX 360 SYSTEM PROGRAMMING
Making today’s
multi-core architectures work effectively is becoming more interesting
with each generation. This track focuses on getting the most out of
profiling and performance tools, exciting new features of the Xbox
360 SDK, lessons we’ve learned over the last two years of real world
title development for Xbox 360, and tips and tricks for making sure
your Windows Vista title is ready for prime time.
Back to top
GRAPHICS
Are you dedicated
to taking full advantage of the graphics processing power available
on Xbox 360 and/or Windows/D3D10? Would you like to know more about
how to squeeze every last ounce of performance out of your graphics
engine? Are you interested in hearing war stories about real-world
development on both Xbox 360 and Windows Vista (D3D10) – and finding
out what really works (and of course what doesn’t)? Learn
all this and more in graphics talks running the full range from deep
exploration of platform technologies to real-world experience from
other graphics experts in the field.
Back to top
QUALITY ASSURANCE AND CERTIFICATION
As the complexity of games increases, so does
the complexity of game testing and certification. Quality Assurance
professionals, it’s time to arm yourself for the next generation!
Learn about a variety of advanced technologies and testing
techniques that will improve game quality and reduce the
certification costs of both Xbox 360 and Windows game titles.
Explore unique approaches to address the significant challenges
teams face today in TCR compliance, security testing, test
automation, and more.
Back to top
PRODUCER AND BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT
Learn everything a
producer or business development attendee needs to know for
Microsoft gaming platforms. Learn about recent developments in the
Games for Windows and Games for Windows – LIVE program. Hear
about our marketing and retail efforts. Get updates on Xbox LIVE,
DirectX 10, Marketplace, Dashboard updates, in-game advertising, and
much more! You’ll leave the conference with a solid understanding of
how to be successful building games for all Microsoft gaming platforms.
Back to top
AUDIO
Making noise on
Microsoft platforms is more dynamic and powerful than ever!
Presentations will cover the array of tools, libraries, and services
provided for adding sound to your title, including the Microsoft
Cross-Platform Audio Creation Tool (XACT) for Windows, Xbox 360, and
XNA Game Studio Express. Other topics include case studies of titles
that have pushed the envelope for audio innovations, audio
middleware technologies, programming the native low-level audio
layer, developing cross-platform audio strategies, using real-time
effects and audio compression formats, and working with
multi-channel audio. This track is intended for audio programmers,
composers, sound designers, and audio directors, and will offer
applicable content for both expert and novice game developers.
Back to top
LIVE
The Xbox LIVE
service has continued to grow and evolve, from Xbox to Xbox 360, and
now Games for Windows – LIVE. With new features ranging from party-based
matchmaking
and host migration, to XLSP and server-based gaming, the LIVE
service is
more committed than ever to enabling the most dynamic platform for
online gaming. Get the latest details on integrating LIVE with your
Xbox 360 and Windows games, learn how to use these technologies to
drive innovation and excitement in your games and online player
communities, and have a peek at what's coming next.
Back to top
XNA GAME STUDIO
XNA Game Studio
continues to lower the barrier to entry for a new generation of Xbox
360 and Windows developers. Presentations in this track cover
exciting new XNA Game Studio Express features that enable developers
to create games faster and on a smaller budget than ever before. The XNA Game Studio line of products and services are covered in
both high- and low-level detail with focus on new APIs, managed
runtime performance, and partners.
Back to top
GAMES FOR EVERYONE
The core gaming
audience that drove the initial growth of the games industry
represents only a fragment of the worldwide consumer audience for
games. Learn about Microsoft Casual Gaming services, including MSN
Games, Xbox LIVE Arcade and Windows LIVE Messenger, as
well as lessons that casual games teach us about making big budget
games accessible to a much broader audience. Hear about Microsoft’s
upcoming efforts to broaden the audience for Xbox 360, and for games
across all platforms, and what these efforts mean to developers who want to
drive the next growth of the entire games industry to include
“Everyone Else.”
Back to top
VISUAL ARTS
The demand for
talented technical artists in the game industry is greater than ever
before. The visual fidelity expected in the current generation of
Xbox 360 and Windows titles demands even more sophisticated
techniques, requiring wider and deeper usage of the key tools
available to artists. Hear about the latest and greatest from some
of the best companies in the industry you know best, and learn how to
boost the power of your art pipeline.
Back to top
Click here to access 2006 Conference Details
Click here to access the 2006 conference slide presentations and
audio recordings
