Got 8 Minutes? Get Games On Your Zune

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.zunerama.com/articles_032.php#080513_zune2_story' target='_blank'>http://www.zunerama.com/articles_03...513_zune2_story</a><br /><br /></div><em>&quot;Uncertain how to get games loaded on your Zune player? Games are in beta, so at present it's a quasi-technical exercise. But if you're willing to do it, Spidermonkey6719 has posted a video tutorial. In eight minutes, he walks you real-time through the steps involved in installing games on your Zune player. Click the vid below to see the steps.&quot;</em><br /><br /><embed width="425" height="355" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_IqjA2V3ZDU&amp;hl=en"></embed><br /><br />Not surprisingly, there's a lot of buzz about games on the Zune - but because it's essentially all still in the developer's preview phase, the steps involved are a bit convoluted. Any Zune Thoughts readers tried this yet? I haven't, frankly because I don't need/want games on my Zune enough to jump through all the hoops. But surely some of you are more adventurous than I am - share your stories!

[priesmeyer]

I did- it was a little complicated and buggy and the games weren't what you'd call "fun".

However, this is for developers and the important thing is that it works and soon we should have some real options for some small, mindless games that we can do on our Zunes.

We're just not there yet.

As a proof of concept, I'm excited about this. As a reality... not so much.

[Jason Dunn]

However, this is for developers and the important thing is that it works and soon we should have some real options for some small, mindless games that we can do on our Zunes.

Yeah, this really is for developers at this point. What I'm afraid of though is that a year will pass and we'll still be sitting here talking about how it's a cool "preview". I really hope that by the end of this year, we still this thing take off.

[Covert]

This doesn't appear to work for 64-bit systems, for those couple of people who are thinking about trying it. I tried to do it on my 64-bit Vista Home Premium and ended up having to run system restore.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if we're at this same stage by the end of the year, knowing Microsoft's pacing. But I'd love to be wrong.

[cohoman]

If it's possible to write games, could a person (novice developer) also write programs for the Zune? Say, a clock program or contacts program, or calendar program?

[Jason Dunn]

If it's possible to write games, could a person (novice developer) also write programs for the Zune? Say, a clock program or contacts program, or calendar program?

Yup, someone's already done it:

http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=89021

[Adam Krebs]

This doesn't appear to work for 64-bit systems, for those couple of people who are thinking about trying it. I tried to do it on my 64-bit Vista Home Premium and ended up having to run system restore.

Read the relese notes! Neither 64-bit Windows nor Xbox game creation are supported in this release.

[d_trade]

Yeah... I got the games to work! After getting the first couple games on there, it was pretty easy. Just remember NOT TO RUN THE ZUNE SOFTWARE AT ALL DURING INSTALLATION OR DEPLOYMENT OF GAMES!!! Yep, the games/apps are pretty "alpha-y", but what can you expect? The only thing I found bad about them were that they weren't smooth and that whenever it tried to quit a game/app i restarted my zune. I'm just waitin for pac-man to come through. Only then, will this be officially AWESOME.

[Jason Dunn]

I'm just waitin for pac-man to come through. Only then, will this be officially AWESOME.

I think that as Microsoft is preparing to launch this, they'll be approaching the same partners that make Xbox Live games - and hopefully we'll have a nice selection of games at launch time.

[Covert]

Read the relese notes! Neither 64-bit Windows nor Xbox game creation are supported in this release.
Yep, I should have. I had just followed directions posted on some other Zune site, and was sharing for anyone else who just checked out this post and didn't bother to read release notes. :o

[Jason Dunn]

...and was sharing for anyone else who just checked out this post and didn't bother to read release notes. :o

That's a good thing to share - I don't read release notes either. :D