Book excerpt: Essential XNA Game Studio 2.0 Programming provides both hobbyists and experienced programmers with the information they need to take advantage of Microsoft’s powerful XNA Framework and XNA Game Studio to produce professional-level games for both the PC and the Xbox 360. Beginners learn the fundamentals of 2D game development, creating a complete top-down shooter. Intermediate and advanced users can jump right into 3D game development and create a version of the 3D game that takes advantage of hardware acceleration using High-Level Shader Language (HLSL). Learn how to build an input system to receive events from devices; use the Microsoft Cross-Platform Audio Creation Tool (XACT) to integrate sounds and music into your game; design difficulty systems to tailor your game to players with different skill levels; create a multiplayer game using the networking features of the XNA Framework; implement an achievement system to provide incentive for continued play of your game.