Microsoft is coming out with a set of developer tools that will allow hobbyists, students, and just about any gamer interested to develop their own games.

The software, called XNA Game Studio Express, gives gamers the opportunity to create games for Xbox 360 and/or their PC. Unfortunately, at first, the games will only be able to be played by either the creator or other coders in what the company has dubbed the Creators Club.

To be a part of the club you have to shell out $99 for a membership.The tools will soon be available in Beta form, while the final version will be ready to go sometime around the holidays. Microsoft does plan to go further with the software in the future.

They hope to have a better set of tool by next spring that will allow for the games to be sold through Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade online. The company will control what games are published, and they will also get a cut of the revenue that is brought in.

They are also looking ahead a bit, too. Microsoft hopes that, in 3-5 years, they will have a more open approach that gives anyone the chance to publish games.