GDC 2008: Microsoft to bring XNA games to Zune

One of the most interesting things to come out of the Microsoft presence at this year’s Game Developers Conference is their announcement about plans to bring XNA gaming to their Zune media player.

What is XNA, you might ask? Well, for you code-heads out there, “XNA is a completely managed (.NET 2.0 based) API that targets Direct3D 9.0 (for its Graphics functionality) under the covers that provides a seamless programming experience for Windows and the XBOX 360.” But for the rest of us, it is sufficient to note that this platform allows developers to create impressive, cross-platform games for various systems (now including the Zune).

There was some question during the Microsoft keynote about whether these new games would work exclusively with the newer model of Zune player due to differences in button input. Fear not, first-gen owners (all 5 of you zing!), because Microsoft has made it clear that games will be available for “the entire family of Zune media devices”.

Despite our earlier hypothesizing that Microsoft might enter the portable gaming space in a more serious manner, this announcement actually makes pretty good sense. It will allow them to leverage an existing product line, by adding functionality that will set their player apart from competitors (ahem, iPod Touch). What are your thoughts on this announcement? Do you think that the games will be interesting enough to warrant a second look at the Zune?