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Publish your game!! (for newbes :))

Last post 4/18/2008 11:00 AM by The ZMan. 16 replies.
  • 8/17/2007 12:50 AM

    Publish your game!! (for newbes :))

    I`m posting this cause I`m also a newbe in all of this, so I find that publishin my game was a problem so I spend hours trying to diluse what that the advanced programers try to say in their post and what I have to do, so here is the way that I found more easy for walk by.

    Step One: Build your game in relase mode, find in your game forders the release folder( it is on; bin/x86/release), copy all  the files into a new folder where ever you want but remember were it is, from those files delet the MANIFEST and the APLICATION MANIFEST ( you dont need It*)

    Step Two: Open Visual Studio 2005 pro or over,(if you don`t have it try to look if some friend had it),folow this                  New Project>Other ProjectTypes>Setup and deployment>Setup project>[Name it**]>OK.

    Step Three:In the left panel you will find tree folders, select "Aplication Folder", you will find that the right panel gets clean, in the right panel make an right click; Add>File>[Browse your folder*]>Add all the files.

    Step Four:In the "User´s desktop" forlder you can add a short cut, right click; create New Short Cut> related it with the .exe file that is i tne "Aplication Folder".

    Setp Five:In the "User´s Programs Menu" forlder you can add a short cut, right click; create New Short Cut> related it with the .exe file that is i tne "Aplication Folder".( here is good to add the read-me short cut but put the file in the aplication folder)

    Step Six:Build your setup in relase mode in the Solution explores selcet the setup solution, go to the main menu; file>save setup, find the setup folders and go to the "release" folder, those are the ""complete Setup""!!! put the int were ever you want.

    ___________________

    Optional Steps: This is optional but it make your solution much pulish, because you make a retriction to only instal it if they have the XNA frameworke redistributable.

    ( this goes before Step Two)

    First make to XML(open eany notes block and save the file as .xml) files with this:

    Call this One as: Product.xml

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
    <!-- Specifies a unique ID for the package.-->
    <Product xmlns="
    http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/2004/01/bootstrapper"
            ProductCode="Microsoft.XNARuntime.1.0">

      <RelatedProducts>
        <DependsOnProduct Code="Microsoft.Net.Framework.2.0" />
      </RelatedProducts>

      <!-- Provides a list of all the files in the redistributable.-->
      <PackageFiles CopyAllPackageFiles="false">
        <PackageFile Name="xnafx_redist.msi" HomeSite="xnafx_redistmsi"
                    PublicKey="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"
        />
      </PackageFiles>

      <!-- Contains all of the detection logic that the Bootstrapper
           should run prior to downloading and installing the component.-->
      <InstallChecks>
        <MsiProductCheck Property="XNARuntimeInstalled"
                        Product="{E7A2604C-0131-4415-9D0A-717E1BB1EDD2}"/>
        <MsiProductCheck Property="XNAGSEInstalled"
                        Product="{26DBF096-6283-43E2-B7A3-4C36785C635C}"/>
      </InstallChecks>

      <!-- Actions the Bootstrapper should perform while installing the component.-->
      <Commands Reboot="Defer">
        <!-- Specific action to take during the installation process.-->
        <Command PackageFile="xnafx_redist.msi"
                 Arguments=""
                 EstimatedInstalledBytes="10000000"
                 EstimatedTempBytes="10000000"
                 EstimatedInstallSeconds="60">
         
          <!-- Conditions under which the Bootstrapper should install, bypass, or fail the component installation.-->
          <InstallConditions>
            <BypassIf Property="XNARuntimeInstalled" Compare="ValueGreaterThanOrEqualTo" Value="3" />
            <BypassIf Property="XNAGSEInstalled" Compare="ValueGreaterThanOrEqualTo" Value="3" />
          </InstallConditions>

          <!-- How to interpret the various codes that dotnetfx.exe might return after executing.-->
          <ExitCodes>
            <ExitCode Value="0" Result="Success" />
            <DefaultExitCode Result="Fail" FormatMessageFromSystem="true" String="GeneralFailure" />
          </ExitCodes>
         
        </Command>
      </Commands>

    </Product>

    Call this One as: Package.xml

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
    <Package
     xmlns="
    http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/2004/01/bootstrapper"
     Name="DisplayName"
     Culture="Culture">
     
      <!-- Defines a localizable string table for error messages.-->
      <Strings>
        <String Name="DisplayName">Microsoft XNA Framework</String>
        <String Name="Culture">en</String>

        <!-- Exception messages.-->
        <String Name="GeneralFailure">
          A failure occurred attempting to install the XNA Framework Redist.
        </String>
        <String Name="xnafx_redistmsi">http://download.microsoft.com/download/e/9/e/e9ef6d37-ae65-48fd-aa0e-e9a8129c9868/xnafx_redist.msi</String>

      </Strings>

    </Package>

    Go to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\SDK\v2.0\Bootstrapper\Packages, Add a new folder call it "XNAframework", go inside it and paste the  Product.xml , in the same forlder add a folde call "en" go inside of it and paste the Package.xml.

    ( this goes before Step Six)

    On the solution Explorer rght click on the "setup solution" icon Select; Properties, in the window that pop up select restriction and you will find our new XNA rectriction select it and continue the steps.

    ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

    I hope this would be helpfull for some one.

    For those that are alitle bit clever find out that the DirectX 9.0 was not set but I don´t find the code and I don´t know how to make something like this or what it does I yous copy and paste it, but if you find them post them ;)

     

     

     

  • 8/17/2007 12:57 AM In reply to

    Re: Publish your game!! (for newbes :))

    Answer
    Reply Quote

    Thanks, I added a link to your post from the installer FAQ http://forums.xna.com/thread/9927.aspx

    This has been documented once before too and as we pointed out at the time hard linking to the runtime on MS.com will cause your customers grief as Microsoft has already changed the URL once when they released the GSE 1.0 refresh.

    Play Kissy Poo - a game for 4 year olds on Xbox and windows
    The ZBuffer
    News and information for XNA
      Follow The Zman on twitter, Email me
        Please read the forum FAQs - Bug/Feature reporting
          Don't forget to mark good answers and good playtest feedback when you see it!!!
  • 8/17/2007 3:40 AM In reply to

    Re: Publish your game!! (for newbes :))

    I can't believe it requires that much effort. I'd have to ask a teammate of mine, we created an installer package (from an open source installer) in couple hours. Once we figured it out it only took about 5 minutes to build the installer. You can simply download and run the installer package whether you have XNA or not. I know we built in release mode, but I don't remember him having to do anything else with the build. I could be wrong I guess.

    XNA QuickStart Engine (3D Game Engine for XNA) | My site
    "I'll be whatever I want to do!", Philip J. Fry
  • 8/17/2007 10:44 AM In reply to

    Re: Publish your game!! (for newbes :))

    It would be great if you and your coworker would document it (in a post if its not too long otherwise we can find a place to host it - drop me a email zman@thezbuffer.com - or enter it into ziggys competition and win games). There is little installer expertise round here and lots of demand for it.

     

    Play Kissy Poo - a game for 4 year olds on Xbox and windows
    The ZBuffer
    News and information for XNA
      Follow The Zman on twitter, Email me
        Please read the forum FAQs - Bug/Feature reporting
          Don't forget to mark good answers and good playtest feedback when you see it!!!
  • 8/17/2007 11:47 AM In reply to

    Re: Publish your game!! (for newbes :))

    What would really help is if there was a Merge Module for XNA and DirectX (ideally a single merge module, but 2 would be ok)
    Bill Reiss - Dr. Popper currently in peer review

    XNA Tutorials for Beginners
  • 8/17/2007 3:35 PM In reply to

    Re: Publish your game!! (for newbes :))

    It takes less than 10 minutes It look`s long because I write it step by step and paste the .xml codes.
  • 8/17/2007 6:22 PM In reply to

    Re: Publish your game!! (for newbes :))

    I'd love to take credit for it, but I believe we actually found the installer details here on the XNA forums. I'll post the link if I find it, if not I'll try and post some details.
    XNA QuickStart Engine (3D Game Engine for XNA) | My site
    "I'll be whatever I want to do!", Philip J. Fry
  • 8/17/2007 6:26 PM In reply to

    Re: Publish your game!! (for newbes :))

    I'd love to take credit for it, but I believe we actually found the installer details here on the XNA forums. I'll post the link if I find it, if not I'll try and post some details.

    Edit:
    Here ya go.
    http://forums.xna.com/thread/4033.aspx

    XNA QuickStart Engine (3D Game Engine for XNA) | My site
    "I'll be whatever I want to do!", Philip J. Fry
  • 8/17/2007 6:51 PM In reply to

    Re: Publish your game!! (for newbes :))

    Bill Reiss:
    What would really help is if there was a Merge Module for XNA and DirectX (ideally a single merge module, but 2 would be ok)

    It would only help to increase (the cynics would say bloat :]) the downloads. A bootstrapper checking the requirements (.NET/XNA FX/DX9) and which would download the missing pieces on demand only would be far better. In the end you need the stuff only once and downloading it with each and every XNA FX based game would be overkill for both sides.

    We are boki. The rest is known.

    The not so known part of the rest: It is Björn or Bjoern, but never Bjorn.

    Twitter ~ Bnoerj ~ SharpSteer ~ SgtConker.com
  • 8/17/2007 8:17 PM In reply to

    Re: Publish your game!! (for newbes :))

    I agree. That would be nice. The best thing for now I think is to have a full install and an install for people that already have XNA.
    XNA QuickStart Engine (3D Game Engine for XNA) | My site
    "I'll be whatever I want to do!", Philip J. Fry
  • 3/11/2008 6:46 PM In reply to

    Re: Publish your game!! (for newbes :))

    I know this thread is old, but I have been looking around all day trying to figure out how to get the Setup and Deployment templates.  My Visual Studio 2005 and 2008 only has the XNA 2.0 and Visual C# project types.  Should they have installed with the program??  I can find them on the website when I go to "Search Online Templates", but all they do it tell me about them, I can't find where to get them.

    How do I get these things??

  • 3/11/2008 7:06 PM In reply to

    Re: Publish your game!! (for newbes :))

    There are no templates for XNa applications... see the installer FAQ http://forums.xna.com/thread/9927.aspx I recommedn the XNA installer project on codeplex right now as its the most complete community project out there and there is nothing official from Microsoft.
    Play Kissy Poo - a game for 4 year olds on Xbox and windows
    The ZBuffer
    News and information for XNA
      Follow The Zman on twitter, Email me
        Please read the forum FAQs - Bug/Feature reporting
          Don't forget to mark good answers and good playtest feedback when you see it!!!
  • 3/11/2008 8:21 PM In reply to

    Re: Publish your game!! (for newbes :))

    This is pure speculation, but I would guess that we might see something official later this year, since the core .Net Framework team has taken it upon themselves as one of their most important tasks to improve their install process, so hopefully the XNA team will be able to benefit from some of this work.
    Bill Reiss - Dr. Popper currently in peer review

    XNA Tutorials for Beginners
  • 3/11/2008 8:36 PM In reply to

    Re: Publish your game!! (for newbes :))

    It will be nice to see the .Net team improve their side of the process but its very obvious that the DirectX team really don't care about these scenarios and the XNA team have prioritized this sort of thing pretty low down so far. It will of course be high on my list of things to talk about at the MVP summit this year but you all saw where that got us last year ;-)
    Play Kissy Poo - a game for 4 year olds on Xbox and windows
    The ZBuffer
    News and information for XNA
      Follow The Zman on twitter, Email me
        Please read the forum FAQs - Bug/Feature reporting
          Don't forget to mark good answers and good playtest feedback when you see it!!!
  • 3/11/2008 9:27 PM In reply to

    Re: Publish your game!! (for newbes :))

    So reading this all again my true problem here is because I don't have C# Pro, and didn't notice that was required.  The missing templates I was talking about are mentioned in Step 2 in the first post of this thread.
  • 4/17/2008 8:34 PM In reply to

    Re: Publish your game!! (for newbes :))

    i have a bit of a setup build connundrum going on here   ...   any help ?

    built this in visual studio 2k5 C# express
    following instructions on MSDN and using 2k5 pro to build setup installer

    following thread on XNA forums

    the installer doesn't wanna play for me.  any suggestions??

    PLEASE HELP GET THIS .EXE RUNNING...?

    ALL FILES ARE HERE:

    ftp://psyreal.com/apps/win/xna/

    user/pass:

    outta

    quarters
    play on!
  • 4/18/2008 11:00 AM In reply to

    Re: Publish your game!! (for newbes :))

    Writing installers is hard to get right... see this FAQ http://forums.xna.com/thread/9927.aspx - the installer wizard with VS doesn't get all the dependencies.

    See this FAQ http://forums.xna.com/thread/9924.aspx for the list of things you need.

    Play Kissy Poo - a game for 4 year olds on Xbox and windows
    The ZBuffer
    News and information for XNA
      Follow The Zman on twitter, Email me
        Please read the forum FAQs - Bug/Feature reporting
          Don't forget to mark good answers and good playtest feedback when you see it!!!
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