Always wanted to give game developing a try? Afraid you're too green to go out and join the highly competitive silicon valley workforce? Do I sound like Saturday morning paid programming? Well, regardless, Microsoft is currently offering its XNA Game Studio Express for download, giving amateur designers the chance to fulfill their very nerdy dreams.

Although the release is pretty cool, for now aspiring game creators should stay calm. At the moment Microsoft is only offering its Game Studio Express as a downloadable beta, meaning you'll only be able to build Windows binaries with the system available. Still, it's a start, and Microsoft is promising that by the "holiday season" you'll be able to migrate those programs you've so lovingly raised to the powerful Xbox 360 console.

With that said, the program is for those at least remotely serious about learning the tricks of the development trade. A full year subscription to the service costs $99 USD, with a four month trial running $49 USD. It's the first time, we're told, that game development wares have been made a retail product. (Source: wired.com)

For those confident enough in their talent to take their creations to market, next spring Microsoft is promising an XNA Game Studio Professional. Although not yet announced, expect a much higher price tag for that development program intended exclusively for intermediate game creators.

Microsoft first made the announcement that XNA Game Studio would hit the beta market earlier this month. It has called the encouragement from the public "overwhelming." (Source: gamespot.com)

Good, now will some Joe Schmoe please make me a next-gen Road Rash game?