Remember that the .ccgame file must come from an Xbox 360 project in XNA Game Studio, and must be a completed game with no errors.

After you’ve located your .ccgame file, sign into your account at the XNA Creators Club Online Web site and select the Games menu option, and then click Submit Game. From there, click Add Project. A new project box will appear in your Game Projects list.

Type in the title of your game, click Done, and your game project will be saved.

Now that you have created a project, it’s time to add a release of your game.

General Information: Select the genre that closest resembles your game from the drop-down box provided. Under the Gameplay Capabilities section, indicate the amount of players that can play the game according to each indicated game type. Set the maximum resolution that your game supports next to the Maximum HDTV Mode setting, and select whether or not your game supports using custom soundtracks as a replacement for in-game music. The Xbox LIVE Capabilities section indicates how many players can play in a session, and if cooperative play is supported. Set these values accordingly.

Game Descriptions: These are the descriptions that will be visible to anyone who downloads or plays your game. Only one description is required, but it is a good idea to have a translated description for every language that your game supports.

Classification: This set of controls enables you to identify the types of mature content in your game. It is very important that you classify your game accurately. Others will review your game and verify your ratings. According to their evaluations, they will either approve or reject your game from Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Roll over the slider controls to understand what each category means. Set the sliders based on the content in your game.

Media: In this section, you must upload images to represent your game on the Xbox Live Marketplace and Xbox.com. Additionally, you are given the option of providing a video trailer for your game. Click here for more information about video trailers. All screenshots and video trailers must be safe for all ages, and they must abide by the XNA Creators Club Terms of Use.

All games must have a trial mode that showcases the actual game experience. If you fail to do so or use this method to provide your game for free your game will be failed in the Peer Review process. Games are NOT available for free currently on the system. This system is NOT a video hosting service and should not be used as such.

Game Upload: Click the Browse link, browse to the place where you placed your .ccgame package, and then select the .ccgame package. Make sure this is the package that corresponds to the descriptions you wrote, the media you provided, and the classifications you gave.

Select Done at the bottom of the page to proceed to the Playtest/Release page where you will set your game price, upload your binary file, and enter information about your release.

Game Information: This section is a composite of all the information entered on the previous page. By clicking the edit game information link, you will return to the previous page and will be able to edit any game information.

Game Binary: This section lists all information related to your .ccgame package. You can upload a new game binary by clicking the upload new game binary link.

Game Price: Select a price for your game from the provided drop-down box. If your .ccgame package is over 50MB the lowest price-point will not be available. Once the price for a release has been set and the game passes Peer Review, the price cannot be changed, so ensure that you consider this carefully.

Countries: This section includes a listing of countries in which your game will be made available for purchase. Once you have decided to support a country, future releases of a title will automatically be published to that country however, new countries may be added. Adding a release to additional countries enables Peer Review in those countries.

Forum Comments: This section contains a text box where you can enter any details, comments, or instructions about your game that you wish to display to the community. When your game is submitted, a forum thread will automatically be created for your game, and this message will appear as the first post.

Playtest/Release: In this section, you select if you wish your game to be submitted as a Playtest or a release. If submitted as a playtest, the game will be downloadable on the XNA CCO Website by Premium Members of the XNA Creators Club Onlne for a period of one week. After the Playtest has concluded, the game may be resubmitted. If submitted as a Release, the game will enter the Peer Review process. If it passes Peer Review, it will become available for purchase on the Xbox Live Marketplace and Xbox.com.

Once a game is submitted for review, you can’t modify it until the review process is done. Therefore, make sure all your information is correct before you select this option.

The game enters review as soon as you submit it. Other creators will notice the game and will start to review it. From here, there are two possibilities:

• Your peers verify that your classification is accurate, that no prohibited content or errors exist in your game, and that your description and media for your game is truthful. Your game is approved.

• Your peers identify errors, prohibited content, mismatches between your game and the media or description you provided, or mismatches between the classification you provided and the classification they found. Your game is rejected.

If your game is approved, it appears on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. If it is rejected, you can edit the classification, submit a new package, and try again. Once the status of your game changes, an e-mail will notify you of the change. While you are waiting for your game to be reviewed, try reviewing games that others have made!

Click Submit when you are finished, to submit your release.

Next: Reviewing Games