Here''s a blurb from the X-box press release:

quote:
Familiar tools such as the Microsoft® DirectX® API will inspire movie-quality rendering, enhanced Internet gaming, and superior audio in future-generation games. X-Box will catapult gameplay quality to new heights....

Combining the power of PC technology with the accessibility of its cutting-edge DirectX development tools, Microsoft is providing game developers with a maximum-performance creative medium to deliver better games.

As far as I am aware the OS platform is Win2000 as has already been stated, using the DirectX 8 API.

From what I was told at the GDC, the X-Box will use an Intel processor, video card co-produced by Microsoft and nVidia, will use an OS built on the Win2K core (so it won''t be Win2K exactly, but a stripped down version), and use DirectX. So, as far as developer kits go, I''m not sure that you''re going to need one.

If you''re really serious about developing for the Xbox then it was suggested (on the Dxdev mailing list) that you join the Dx8 beta (if you haven''t already), and mail xbox@microsoft.com for details about a development kit.

One thing that should be noted is that MS probably won''t be allowing much (if any) amature development for this machine. They''re going to be charging licensing fees for just about everything.

Josh

>MS probably won''t be allowing much (if any) amateur development for this machine. They''re going to be charging licensing fees for just about everything.

That sounds bad. If this is true, then it is same as "closed" platform of Playstation and Nintendo. i.e., Japanese discriminatory style.

I believe anybody should be allowed for development, and publication should be decided based only on its product.
Not based on developers'' past.

James

According to well positioned friends:

The X-Box development kit is available in preview form. The final hardware is not finished, but it will be neccesary to get a devkit if you intend to make X-Box games for the consumer market. Otherwise, how can you ensure the quality of the games. Also, according to Bill Gates (yes I was there) and his DirectX team, the X-Box will have different hardware capabilty and limitations than the crop of 3D accelerators to appear on the PC before its release, and the fact that the graphics pipeline is microprogrammable means that you have to have the machine in order to fully expose its capability in your code.

As for "is it out yet", Im not sure what you mean, but the devkit is gonna cost some serious cash. Bill Gates himself said they would be going with a "traditional console business and licensing model". Look for the price of the kit to be between $15,000 - $30,000. Plus site insurance. And a lenghty application process.
If this sounds like crazy bullshit to you, try to get a Dreamcast devkit from Sega, or a PS@ devkit from Sony. The PS2 devkit costs $20,000, plus you have to carry site insurance. No bullshittin''.

--Purposely Anonymous