The Zune HD and Games

It seems that almost every time there is a story about the Zune HD one of the things asked is if there will be apps for it. Mostly this is due to comparisons to the iPod Touch. What I also usually see is that XNA Studio does not get mentioned. What does XNA Studio have to do with it? In version 3.0 Microsoft added the ability to target the Zune, thats what. The same free development environment for making games for the Xbox and PCs can also make games to play on a Zune.

Now XNA Game Studio is most definitely aimed at making games. You're not going to be making productivity apps with it. But Microsoft has the infrastructure in place for a Zune app store. The Zune Marketplace already sells music, video, podcasts, etc. Add another section for games and apps and they are all set to go.

We already know that Microsoft is putting together an app store for WinMo. Apps for the Zune could possibly come from there as well.

I just find it frustrating to see so many people willfully ignore so many pieces of the puzzle when trying to determine what is going on.