I just got out of the XNA session that is part of the Microsoft tutorial day here at GDC. Nothing major announced but some things we've not heard before and lots of vague stuff:

• They had a goal of 95% shared code between Xbox and Windows for the XNA libraries - in the end they were over 99%
• The next XNA release will be '..in a couple of months...'
• Next release will include a deployment mechanism that will allow packaged compiled games to be sent to the xbox without using GSE express. You will still need the creators club membership.
• Frank said, when demoing on the xbox, that they are hoping for a better place than 'demos and more' in the dashboard
• The racing game is 'coming soon'
• XNAField - the terrain generation sample that you may have seen at the launch events will be provided with source
• Finally lots of vague speculation about what we *might* see by 'the end of the year'. Take these things as stuff that they are thinking about.
  • Sharing with people who are not in creators club. Lots of problems here - ESRB rating, certification, how to stop you spamming live servers, objectionable content, IP issues if people 'borrow' graphics
  • Community stuff - how best to share assets and games - this is the YouTube of games that has been talked about
  • Running on more platforms that windows and xbox - they mentioned in IE and on mobile devices.
  • This is all clarified with 'its all pie in the sky ideas' - so don't hold me or them to anything !!

Oh and please don't just cut and paste this onto your own blog... that’s why they invented hyperlinks !!!

Updates may be sporadic because my hotel can't apparently cope with every room having a laptop and the internet connection keeps collapsing. The one at the conference center isn't much better!