DIY Xbox Games

Microsoft has announced it will offer software that will allow the average player to develop their own games.

Amateur developers can then share their games with others via the Xbox Live online service.

The software, which Microsoft has dubbed ‘YouTube for video games’, is called XNA Game Studio Express and will be available in trial form from August 20 at a cost of $US99 for an annual subscription.

Users will need a computer that is running Windows XP or Vista, Microsoft says.

YouTube has become an Internet phenomenon in recent years, allowing users to share their own video clips, many of which are self-developed.