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http://www.gametrailers.com/viewnews.php?id=3513

Microsoft is trying to expand the development base for its 360 platform and Windows Vista

So they will help you the novice developer if you spend a $99 to join XNA.

With XNA Microsoft is try to help spend the base of console developers into territories that have never been thought of outside of the PC Mod Market. This is big news and true revolutionary! People for the first time into gaming who said "You Know what would be cool if....." Can do it with out a million lying around

Not quite. Actual Dev Kits can cost upwards of a grand each, which is why people don't generally buy them. 100 dollars is nothing.

Meh, I'm cheap.

$2000 for a wii dev kit

$15000 for PS3

Originally the PS2 was rumored to have its first dev kits priced at $20000

So Wii is cheap but still a professional system, XNA for the 360 is $100 for novice developers

Then I'm clearly misinformed. I thought they were lower than that.

Though that's still an all around good price for a dev kit. Just not compared to XNA.