How to install Zune games on your player

[Zunerama Ed.]

Zune Games are now available..!!

Update Jun 2, 2008: Here's a link to a great set of instructions, with screenshots, from the always useful forum PreGameLobby: http://www.pregamelobby.com/forum/listening-lounge/13152-how-install-zune-games-apps.html


Update June 14, 2008: Here's a video walking through the installation steps:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=aZDz4mEAZcQ



HOW TO INSTALL
    Thanks to Vipralion for the instructions.

Please realize that games are available through a community technical preview of XNA Game Studio 3.0.

I suggest waiting until later this year when the process is streamlined for non-technical users if you do not understand what you are doing after reading the instructions on how to do so.

However, if you absolutely must, the following are my instructions for installing games on your Zune device:

First make sure of the following:

A. You are using either Windows Vista 32-bit (x86) or Windows XP 32-bit (x86). x64 is not currently supported in this technical preview.

B. You have uninstalled any Windows Live Redistributables.


If you meet the above conditions then you can continue with these steps:

1. Install Visual C# 2008 Express Edition using the Web Install here: http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/ (The green block)

2. After you have that installed the above in full, download and run XNA Game Studio 3.0 CTP from here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=DF4AF56A-58A7-474C-BFD0-7CF8ED3036A3&displaylang=en

3. Download the code for the game or application you'd like to deploy to your Zune device. Here's a working link to the list of Games and Applications that have been developed thus far for Zune: http://zunerama.com/forum/index.php?topic=9811.0

4. Next, plug in your Zune device via USB sync cable and close Zune software if it starts up.

5. Start up Visual C#. Under the Tools menu, select 'Add a new device' and choose the appropriate options for your Zune. Make sure your Zune displays XNA Connect on it after you do this to ensure it is connected properly.

6. Under the File menu choose 'Open Project' and then navigate to where you extracted the .zip files and open that up until you see a <filename>.sln file; this is the file you choose to open.

7. Under the Build menu, choose 'Deploy <app/game>' where <app/game> is the name of the game or application you downloaded in step 3. This will deploy the code to your Zune. Wait until Visual Studio reports success in the output window and your Zune goes back to displaying 'Connected'. At this point you may now disconnect your Zune and launch the game/application in the newly added 'games' option from your Zune menu below 'podcasts' and above 'settings'.


List of Games and Applications Thread Link:
http://zunerama.com/forum/index.php?topic=9811.0

[scoutflyer]

ok ive done everything right so far, i got to the point where i downloaded the game, but you haven't provided any information on how to put the game on the zune??

[scoutflyer]

uhrrhhm... i think i figured it out...

[exmachina08]

awesome I got all of them to work except the tetris on my zune 80

[Xer0]

Will this work on the 30?

[Xer0]

uhrrhhm... i think i figured it out...

What did you do???

[scoutflyer]

I only tried two, alien aggressors and tetris. I could not get tetris to work. What you do, assuming you are passed having the zune linked and it should say on the zune screen 'waiting for computer' or whatever, you open up Visual Studio and go 'open project' then browse to your unzipped game, and open one of the files that has the extension.... I can't remember.. its like .aln or .l something, regardless, you do not have to go digging in the files, it is one of the surface ones. Load it into visual studio, and on one of the menu bars drops down after you select the ZUNE version on the right hand side, one of the menu bars says DEPLOY TO ZUNE, and you click that and it should try to deploy. Good luck, and let me know if it needs further explanation.

[lenny]

the directions to load this suck. i gotta figure it out for myself now. here comes a wasted hour of my life.

[Darkblade]

Will this work on the 30?

Yes indeed.

Pretty much all of the current games are 30 compatible, however, in the future, there may be a few games that require the second gen touchpad. I think the vast majority of the future works to come, will also be Zune 30 compatible.

[Gaurdian]

with some games i try to deploy i get the error message "Error   1   The font family "Segoe UI" could not be found. Please ensure the requested font is installed, and is a TrueType or OpenType font.   C:\Documents and Settings\Wilma Kox\Mijn documenten\My Games\zune\ZBClockRelease\ZBClock\Content\Segoe UI.spritefont   ZBClockRunner
". I'm trying to fix this by looking for the segoe ttf file but i haven't had any luck so far... Could anyone please help me?

[hassan_fro]

Zune Games are now available..!!
Now times to make some games project!

Thanks for news

[Kempatsu]

How come I cant view the page with the games on it? It says its not available or unavailable to me =(

[derek320]

Does anyone know when this will be supported by Vista X64. Right now I can't get it to work with Vista Home Premium 64-bit and after looking around I found that its not supported by X64 Windows. Is there a way to get it to work in Vista X64, or when will it be supported by Vista X64? If no is the answer, I guess I'll have to install Windows XP or Vista 32-bit. Unless, is there a way to make it work with Ubuntu?

[Vipralion]

Please realize that games are available through a community technical preview of XNA Game Studio 3.0.

I suggest waiting until later this year when the process is streamlined for non-technical users if you do not understand what you are doing after reading the instructions on how to do so.

However, if you absolutely must, the following are my instructions for installing games on your Zune device:




First make sure of the following:
A. You are using either Windows Vista 32-bit (x86) or Windows XP 32-bit (x86). x64 is not currently supported in this technical preview.
B. You have uninstalled any Windows Live Redistributables.

If you meet the above conditions then you can continue with these steps:
1. Install Visual C# 2008 Express Edition using the Web Install here: http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/ (The green block)

2. After you have that installed the above in full, download and run XNA Game Studio 3.0 CTP from here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=DF4AF56A-58A7-474C-BFD0-7CF8ED3036A3&displaylang=en

3. Download the code for the game or application you'd like to deploy to your Zune device. Here's a working link to the list of Games and Applications that have been developed thus far for Zune: http://zunerama.com/forum/index.php?topic=9811.0

4. Next, plug in your Zune device via USB sync cable and close Zune software if it starts up.

5. Start up Visual C#. Under the Tools menu, select 'Add a new device' and choose the appropriate options for your Zune. Make sure your Zune displays XNA Connect on it after you do this to ensure it is connected properly.

6. Under the File menu choose 'Open Project' and then navigate to where you extracted the .zip files and open that up until you see a <filename>.sln file; this is the file you choose to open.

7. Under the Build menu, choose 'Deploy <app/game>' where <app/game> is the name of the game or application you downloaded in step 3. This will deploy the code to your Zune. Wait until Visual Studio reports success in the output window and your Zune goes back to displaying 'Connected'. At this point you may now disconnect your Zune and launch the game/application in the newly added 'games' option from your Zune menu below 'podcasts' and above 'settings'.


List of Games and Applications Thread Link:
http://zunerama.com/forum/index.php?topic=9811.0

[Lupo]

it is not recognizing my zune when it is connected