Guest post by Microsoft Research has been working on a new gimmick for XBox Live subscribers, something called “Kodu” that allows kids (and parents, perhaps?) to design their own games without prior knowledge of programming, and all done on the XBox console.
Though definitely a tad simple for those itching to build a Halo-wannabe or a Command and Conquer-esque derivative, it has already proved to be a success in testing both in marketing terms as well as a learning tool. Children will be able to design simple games using a pre-made set of characters and objects and then implement those into worlds they create from templates or completely from scratch.
This game is supposedly based off of learning rather than entertainment, but will prove that learning can be entertaining if it is a widespread success at its release. Microsoft Research began two years ago testing Kudo with the non-profit organizations Girls, Inc. and the University of Santa Barbara “to see how the Kodu program helped youngsters progress in science, math, logic and problem solving,” and the children who used it loved the creative freedom that they were empowered with to create their own games.
It is hoped that parents will join in the fun with their children “and actually engage in this simple programming model that is fun, in and of itself,” and create something “a little bit magical.”
Kudo is slated for a Spring of 2009 release, but pricing is still unknown.
I wish I had something like this when I was a kid. I remember my buddy had something similar to this on the Super Nintendo that enabled one to create his or her own RPG using predefined characters and tilesets– a sort of RPG Maker for the console back when it was unavailable (rather unknown to us youngsters) for use on the computer. All in all, I believe it’s a good move on Microsoft’s part to create a game for children that will promote learning and creative expression more than most other video games in history, and if they make money off it (as is Microsoft’s trend), so be it.
Klik & Play for Xbox?
Seems more like Mario Paint to me…
My thoughts exactly. Reading the article I was thinking “I’ve seen all this before… Several years ago… It came from a PC Gamer cover disc!”
Sounds like Little Big Planet for the ps3. Trying to copy the success of that game.
Which was in turn trying to copy Second Life, which was in turn trying to copy Furcadia.
Everything’s a copy of a copy of a copy.
Indeed. Those bastards at Microsoft Research, just few weeks after phenomenal success of Little Big Planet, traveled back couple of years in time ( http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/03/techfest_demo_b.html ) and copied all of it into Kodu.
Edited 2009-01-14 21:14 UTC
More information can be found here: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/kodu/
as well as a good review on Ars: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20090108-microsoft-trains-next…
overall I think this is something that is really cool. I am all about finding new ways to interact with the machine. I am tired of real programming anyways
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Yeah, why can’t real programming be like this? Why on earth are we still hand-editing text files to produce code? When I first started to learn programming I sort of assumed that syntax errors would be a thing of the past by now.
If one aspect of computers has advanced over the last twenty years, it’s the interface. Yet we’re not making use of these advances to improve the experience of programming. Give me something like this for building web apps and I’ll be a happy man.
Try Tersus:
http://www.tersus.com/
beome –> become
I wonder if it will allow you to make a mountain out of twisted Clippies.
hey this would get me to actually use the Xbox! Currently only my brother plays games on it…I prefer the Wii for games…when I’m not playing Risk or Reversi on the PC.
Klik & Play was great – one of the few software programs I bought for the Macintosh. It would be great if Kodu was as easy-to-use, and even better if Kodu was more stable and less crash-prone than K&P 🙂
Microsoft needs to remove some of the barriers to XLA development. From what I hear, you need a playable demo of your XLA game on the PC before Microsoft will give you a development kit; Nintendo don’t require anywhere near as much time and money investment to let you at their Wiiware development kit.