"but Zune is a wireless music and video player first and foremost." - Cesar Menendez, ZuneInsider

While games are currently under development, they aren't being developed by Microsoft.  The announcement yesterday was about the availability of TOOLS to develop games (called XNA Game Studio 3.0), which give developers 'opportunites' to create games for the Zune device.  But if and when that happens, remains to be seen.  Cesar goes on in a response to a poster on his blog asking about functionality of games, "way way, way way, way too soon to be talking about that. Again, this is developer announcement :)"

And only a preview of the XNA Game Studio 3.0 will be available in the Spring so, any hopes of full games support on Zune in the very near future is misdirected.  The full version of XNA Game Studio 3.0 isn't planning to be available until the end of 2008.  And, even if games were to be developed tomorrow, it would be up to the Zune Team to come up with a firmware upgrade to allow for users to load those games.

It's interesting, however, that at the GDS convention, they were able to show off a fully functioning Zune prototype playing games - as if either 1) they had a hacked version of the Zune firmware or 2) the firmware already exists in full or preliminary stages.

A word to Microsoft - Do eeet!  Cesar's insistance that Zune is a 'music and video player first and foremost' is keeping Zune in a box, and for Zune to continue to innovate they need to look to further develop its functionality.  Let's face it, personal media players are a dying breed.  With the advent of cell phones and personal video game systems that offer the ability to play media as well as do other functions, if Microsoft wants to remain in step with growing trends, adding games to the Zune would instantly enhance its attractiveness as an alternative to the iPod and other media players.

And with the wi-fi functionality, there would be tons of co-op possibilities!

Those are some of my thoughts, what about yours? 

Comments

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gr   | 68.185.75.xxx | 2008-02-21 11:32:07 keewl!!! Reply | Quote 0   7

lol   | 68.185.75.xxx | 2008-02-21 11:32:32 omg i cant wait till the end of the year now lol Reply | Quote 2   3

BrianLikesZune   | 216.188.212.xxx | 2008-02-21 12:19:41 Only a proto-type? oh well. Pity is close to hacking the firmware right? Buffering an overflow with .tif images right? I'll pull on that until the end of the year I guess.... *sigh* Reply | Quote 6   1

Marketing w Internecie - Marketing w Internecie     | 80.50.34.xxx | 2008-02-21 12:21:08 Hey, make an internet browser first WiFi is great, but imho completely useless without internet browsing capatibility. Reply | Quote 5   3

Anonymous   | 24.241.158.xxx | 2008-02-21 13:45:17 MS should have thought of this a while ago, with the popularity of social networking and online gaming why wouldn't you have games on a device with the power to play and wifi?! All anger and impatience aside, this will be cool. Another note: If we will have online multiplayer (saw it in another article)and the ability to play some decent games, why not a web browser? If you can pack more features into a device it becomes cooler, cooler yet if they are decent. Either way, gaming and web browsing should be priorities in the development of the Zune. Reply | Quote 3   0

TheBigP     | 69.209.127.xxx | 2008-02-23 14:23:25 I don't think it has enough memory for a web browser. They announced in the last one the zune had 16 megs right? Well, with the browser (which would probably be a lite ie, which isn't the best on memory,) would take up most of that, only leaving little web pages/mobile pages available before you run out of memory. Ever used a PSP for internet browsing? Yeah, a Zune would fill up more than twice that fast. And forget playing music whilst browsing- that could get ugly. Some things I would find more realistic is a simple- and I stress simple- email client, or a text messaging (wi-fi sms/im would be tight) or a simple, controlled marketplace (think the youtube thing on the ipod touch- it's half a website, half firmware.) Reply | Quote 1   0

Anonymous   | 71.175.22.xxx | 2008-02-21 14:19:16 XNA is what they use to make Xbox live arcade games! Reply | Quote 3   2

Quackers - Update   | 82.2.54.xxx | 2008-02-21 14:28:43 Most of this information has now been confirmed by David Weller, MSFT at http://forums.xna.com/ShowThread.aspx?PostID=46553 Reply | Quote 2   0

John   | 24.34.14.xxx | 2008-02-21 14:58:28 When they say multiplayer over wifi, I think they mean connect to people close to you, not over the internet, so the zune still wouldn't connect to the internet to play w/ people Reply | Quote 2   0

Diazari   | 72.189.36.xxx | 2008-02-21 15:18:00 Internet browsing would be gimped without a keyboard. Reply | Quote 3   1

TheBigP     | 69.209.127.xxx | 2008-02-23 14:25:01 Typing anything would be a bitch, they'd have to do a psp-type osk that made you click around on the d-pad... ewww. Reply | Quote 1   0

Jaxim   | 66.234.39.xxx | 2008-02-21 15:59:33 Do eeet! I totally agree! They need to integrate the Zune, Xbox, and Media Center more. If they do this, then the Zune will surely eat into iPods marketshare. Reply | Quote 1   0

Leif902 - Perhaps...     | 98.18.121.xxx | 2008-02-21 18:15:47 Games could be a nice feature, but I'm looking forward to the applications that can be made with this technology more... provided developers are granted full access to the Zune's wireless capabilities (not just a pre-designed ad-hoc networking protocol we will see many interesting applications develop, RSS readers, rudimentary browsers, etc. And if we're given access to the Zune's USB port (though I doubt it as this would give developers the freedom to unlock the Zune for use with their own software) I can only imagine the third party devices that would pop up... Zune Camera attachment anyone? Not in the near future of course... and probably not at all. One can dream. Reply | Quote 2   1

TraJiK - XBOX Integration   | 205.250.50.xxx | 2008-02-21 19:52:54 I think having the ability to create games and apps (hopefully) for the Zune will lead to more XBOX 360 integration. I would love to see the ability to have the Zune run an application where my music and video could be streamed wirelessly from it to my console, or even use it as a media remote to control the streamed/stored media on my 360. Hopefully these capabilities are even an option. Look forward to seeing what the XNA Game Studio will be able to do for the Zune community. Reply | Quote 0   0

Mark   | 24.176.168.xxx | 2008-02-22 00:01:38 @Leif, I think there's a better chance of MS making their own attatchments akin to the xbox camera and such. Also, they could use the wifi to communicate with said devices, thus wireless headphones/keyboard. I honestly have to wonder why on earth the wireless headphones bit hasn't been made already, since that was the first thing I thought of when I heard it has wifi. Reply | Quote 1   0

Koty - Web Browser   | 206.109.60.xxx | 2008-02-22 12:29:15 For all those people who say we need a web browser, think about who this is.... multiplayer games, music, video.... XBOX 360 has all that, and it doesn't even have a web browser... games will most likely come to the zune... but web browser will go to the 360 first Reply | Quote 1   0

Antiapplekid - Wait   | 75.73.113.xxx | 2008-02-22 12:55:30 Finaly I could find something about this I been searching the web. It sucks that we have to wait that long. Anti-Apple Go Windows Reply | Quote 1   0

xXDecoyXx - Early zune photos   | 71.87.35.xxx | 2008-02-22 13:36:39 I remember seeing pictures on bungie.net of what was to become the zune (this was before it was officially unveiled I believe) with a screenshot of halo 1 on the screen. Obviously this was just someone having fun with photoshop but that was the first image I thought of when I heard this announcement. Reply | Quote 0   0

Anonymous   | 76.106.210.xxx | 2008-02-22 18:06:51 http://kotaku.com/359516/zune-xna-gaming-is-surprisingly-fluid check that sweetness out Reply | Quote 1   0

bman22 - knowing microsoft   | 76.113.4.xxx | 2008-02-22 18:50:18 Knowing microsoft, there is a rather larger chance that 1. this doesn't happen, and 2. if it does the ability to add your own games is not allowed. Imagine the kind of hacking that could take place if we could program our own software for the zune. I have a feeling microsoft is going to be very carefull in this area. The last thing they want is there stuff getting hacked. Reply | Quote 2   3

Anonymous   | 74.74.219.xxx | 2008-02-23 11:17:47 microsoft is just plain stupid, like i said before many man times! Now i hate MS even more! I'm gonna trade in my Zune for an ipod touch. Reply | Quote 0   7

Anonymous - r u serious   | 76.2.176.xxx | 2008-02-23 16:00:50 dude r u freakin kidding me u go and say crap like that on zuneboards go tell that to a freakin ipod fan site we dont care if u get an ipod touch but dont go and trade it in for that trash. If u didnt like microsoft then why did u get a zune in the first place just go and get your stupid ipod and then maybe a year you will think well i should have kept the zune because you dropped your ipod and it shattered to peices and thats what happens to all apples products so seriously. Reply | Quote 3   0

Anonymous   | 72.175.136.xxx | 2008-02-26 17:03:11 Nicely said Reply | Quote 2   0

MyDingo21   | 76.16.160.xxx | 2008-02-23 11:23:16 well i like the fact that this might actually be added it would be nice to kill time while you listen to your zune on the plane to play some games hahaahh. If this is really going to happen i'm starting to belive that the ipod will die out just because just like zunes, ipods are fad and let's me honest the ipod has had it's time even with the itouch and everything. People are going to find something new to try(ZUNE) i can't wait for this then i can get games like tetris and metal slug on here muahahahah Reply | Quote 2   0

Natee   | 208.66.240.xxx | 2008-02-23 18:33:05 I really think the idea of games on the Zune is pretty cool, but it would be difficult with the limited movements you have. Hopefully someone out there is getting to the point where they have a hack for us to play them. A prototype would definately be excellent, just to try them out. Reply | Quote 0   0

sweeetness   | 76.0.218.xxx | 2008-02-24 18:16:06 coop on pacman..that would be awesome Reply | Quote 2   0

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