I have based my game on the NetworkStateManagement sample. I am writing a Sound Engine that handles background music and sound effects. Since this engine needed an Update method to be called at all times, I decided to implement it as a GameComponent.

I know that for game service there is a

Services.GetService(typeof(XXX))

But for game components I have not found an elegant way of doing it. Since I had to reference it from the GamePlay screen, I had to do this:

soundEngine = (SoundEngine)ScreenManager.Game.Components[3];

Which I don't like.

So my question is, is there a nice way of getting a reference to a GameComponent without passing the reference all the way across different screens? I would have used a Game Service but I really need the Update(GameTime) method to be constantly called.

The fact that it is a GameComponent doesn't preclude it from being a service too.

Just make an interface ISoundEngine (that has the methods you want to call from various places), have it implement that interface, and register it as a service under that interface.