Zune Games Faq:
Q. I see that it's possible to put games on my Zune, but are there any risks?
A. Because this is only the preview edition of the Zune games, there is a possibilty it seems. However, this is a seemingly small possibility and there have been no definite reports of any permanent damage done to a Zune. The most that has happened is a Zune has locked up and the solution was to let the battery die and then recharge it. Of course, try this at your own risk. More information can be found here:
http://www.zuneboards.com/forums/zun...ames-zune.html
Someone has said that viruses would be very hard to program into a game, so for now you don't have to worry.
Q. I've decided to go ahead and put the games on my Zune, how will I go about doing this?
A. There is an excellent tutorial by runtohell121 complete with pictures here:
http://www.zuneboards.com/forums/tut...your-zune.html
Q. How long does this process take?
A. The software part of the process takes less than 20 minutes for most people. The deployment (actually putting games on the Zune) takes less than 5 minutes per game.
Q. What kind of games can I put on my Zune? Do they all work on all of the Zunes?
A. There's a growing variety of games which you can pick. There is even a set of clocks now. There are a few classics such as tetris and pong, a few space games, and other games such as Marblets. Find them here:
http://www.zuneboards.com/forums/dow...ted-games-174/
Because the Zune games are a new thing, there are some bugs with some of the games. If a game is really buggy, check back the next day for a new version as these games are always being updated. Also, new games are being added daily right now, so enjoy the productivity. But, this doesn't mean that all of the games work on all of the Zunes. They all have the potential to, but if you have a
Z30 or
Z80, the game might work better on one instead of the other. Scroll down the page and listen to what people say about the game to find out whether it's compatible before downloading if you wish, or download and try it for yourself and post the news in the game's thread.
Q. Why does my Zune restart everytime the game ends or I exit out?
A. There is a bug in most games that doesn't give you the option to restart after you've lost or won, though some allow you to do this and I believe this option will become more common as games are developed. However, the Zune WILL restart everytime you exit a game. This is just how it works for now, but that should change when the official XNA Games stuff launches.
Q. The software won't recognize my Zune.
A. Make sure you've added your Zune, follow the tutorial mentioned earlier to the word. Then try unplugging your Zune and trying again. If this still doesn't work, follow ChrisV1's advice:
"1.) Connect your zune to XNA (if not done already)
2.) Press exit from XNA (on zune device)
3.) Close C#. (if open)
4.) Now open up a visual project game From its file. Example (open sirtet folder and double click sirtet)
5.) Make sure "Zune" is selected in the drop down box in the upper-left not "Default"
6.) Go to Build-> Deploy sirtet (or whatever game it is)
7.) Click cancel when the window appears, the game should sync to your zune within a minute and you should see it syncing on the zune itself."
Q. On some games, I don't see an option for "deploy". What do I do?
A. Hit F5 or go to the top menu in Microsoft Visual C# 2008 and click "Debug", then "Start Debugging". After doing this, the game will deploy.
Q. I am receiving errors about complications with the fonts. What do I do now?
A. This problem comes from the fact that you don't have the font the game uses on your computer. While this problem isn't too terribly common, it does happen. First, check the .zip or .rar for the font because some developers put the font there for you. Otherwise you'll have to search google for the font and download it. The file goes into your C:/WINDOWS/Fonts folder. You may have to restart Micrsoft Visual C# 2008 for the changes to take effect. If this doesn't work, restart your computer and everything should run smoothly.
Q. I don't want this game (or any games)! How to I remove it (them)?
A. When you click the games menu on your Zune, and select the game, you'll have a delete option under the play option. Select this. I believe it is unclear whether the game menu itself is removed from the Zune if you delete ALL of your games, but if it doesn't, reloading the firmware should fix this.
Q. I didn't see any games I like. Will someone make one for me?
A. You can always request a game in this subforum:
http://www.zuneboards.com/forums/game-requests-173/
Q. What about music? Can't I listen to it while I play games?
A. Yes of course. Start playing music before opening your game to play. The unfortunate part of this is that you can't control the music from inside of a game so it's not a bad idea to use playlists full of songs you like. Make sure the volume isn't annoyingly loud or soft. Keep in mind that the Zune restarts upon exiting a game so the music will stop playing after this.
Post other questions and answers should you have them, and I'll add them to this post. This should cut down on the number of people asking (well, I doubt it).
Games and C# FAQ
