[April Fool] AGS announces partnership with Microsoft, Valve

[CaptainBinky]

From now on, I will take a more hands-off approach, but still provide guidance to the new team in Bangalore who will be developing XNA Adventure Studio further.

I really like the sound of this "XNA Adventure Studio further".

Is that, like, a new buzz-word instead of 'deluxe' or something? I think it'll catch on - I'll have to upgrade to '3D Studio Further' to create all the graphics for it, mind, and Lemmy will need to get hold of 'Visual Studio 2000 and Further' in order to move AGX across.

Nice one Chris Jones, and send my regards to the sweat shop in Bangalore!

[lemmy101]

Wooo congrats CJ! Rewriting the whole of AGS for XNA huh? Shouldn't take long! Woooooo etc!!!

I take it from this that your C64 port has been cancelled though? :'(

[Killsringman]

I was quite suprised to see the home page of this site today, but a few seconds later I got excited, because I was reading that this freeware program has fused with Microsoft, to provide better connections, technical solutions and updates in the future.

Before this happened though, I had downloaded AGS 3.0 just a few days before. Can I keep using this version, or will there be differences in this XNA AGS and AGS 3.0? Should I start creating a new adventure game right now, or wait until it has become more clear about XNA AGS?

[Le Woltaire]

I'm not really convinced if it's a good idea...

[rock_chick]

I'm not really convinced if it's a good idea...

Is Bill Gates wearing contact lenses in that picture?

[scalad]

I think it's a great opportunity for AGS but on the front page you could click full games, medium games, and all that but I can't do that now. How do I get to the downloads section once the front page has loaded without having to go in to the forum?

[m0ds]

I never knew MillsJRoss (back row 4th), Radiant (middle row 3rd), Helm (bottom row 3rd), Boyd (middle row 4th), Edmundo (middle row 2nd) & Grundislav (middle row 1st) were also part of the team :O

[Le Woltaire]

Is Bill Gates wearing contact lenses in that picture?

Who the heck is Bill Gates in that picture...
I can just see a lot of hairs and beards...

[rbaleksandar]

Cool for you, but ... will AGS 3.0 still be available for free?

Here is the answer:

Pricing and availability of XNA Adventure Studio has not yet been determined, but will be announced prior to the release of the product later this month.

So there is a GREAT possibility that AGS won't be for free (as expected from Microsoft ).

[Ishmael]

AGS may just aswell remain free, but the XNA Adventure Studio will, as expected, be monies to pay probably...

[zabnat]

This is great news! Now we can easily go commercial with our games using steam.
Also, will there be a fully featured version of AGS for commercial developers that unleashes the true power of the Xbox 360. Can't wait to see those AGS classics in fully featured 3D graphics with brown textures and bloom!

[Akatosh]

Great news. Now to figure out how to port Me Go Store to the XBox...  :

[paolo]

Looks like I've missed the UK deadline by just over an hour. Damn! I was looking forward to paying for this exciting new Microsoft product.

I think I'm still in time to buy the US version though.

[Gamer_V]

I prefered the Sony deal.

[Le Woltaire]

I never knew MillsJRoss (back row 4th), Radiant (middle row 3rd), Helm (bottom row 3rd), Boyd (middle row 4th), Edmundo (middle row 2nd) & Grundislav (middle row 1st) were also part of the team :O

Oh come on mods...
YOU are part of that globalisation stuff as well!
I can see your hand and that pink shirt!
And even that Yahtzee guy is there!
You all planed this from the beginning...
And we will all have to pay a LOT of money for THAT:

[Gilbert]

Why the fuss? As we all know, CJ was working for M$ long long time ago.

[Dualnames]

Wondering CJ.. can i still make my stupid games without me giving a penny and without you asking for one?

[Minimi]

Congratulations CJ, you really deserved it! Adventure games on my STEAM! Yay! Sound like lots of fun!

[rock_chick]

The main thing I want to know is once this new, renamed engine, has been officially released can people still use AGS 3(the previous version apparently so I assume it'd stay free, the last free version of this program I assume) to make games and because it is a previous version and was made before the merger can it still be available for download for free? Can we still use it to make games for free and freely distribute them within the original licence agreements that came with that version?

At the moment some of you will know I am making a game with that version and since I don't plan to charge for my game I want to use a free program to make it. Also the restrictions Steam has placed on approving games for being distributed would not work for my game. I just hope I didn't spend a lot of time and the others in my team on making a game that will no longer be able to made with the version I'm using.

[CaptainBinky]

I'd have thought that the only sensible approach for CJ to take now that he's all XNA'ed up is to destroy all previous versions of the codebase, and issue cease and desist instructions to anyone distributing his older code in any form including compiled game EXEs.