Released to minimal fanfare last year as a set of templates upon which people could build games with little or no programming experience, Popfly never really caught on. Which is why, come August 24, it'll be shut down, with users asked to direct their efforts towards XNA or, for those with less time for coding, Kodu.

During the Game Developers Conference, I had a chance to try Kodu, a programming tool created by Microsoft to help give children the experience of writing programming code and seeing that code make things happen.

I was impressed with the demo, especially once I suggested a game idea and the Kodu people at the demo made that game, iterated on it and let us all play it in under 10 minutes. I wrote about the experience at my old site.

My requested Kodu idea was to have a horde of shootable enemies that, when they died, would transfer their health to the remaining enemies. That would continue until one enemy would be left. That lone enemy would have as much health energy as a boss.

Ten minutes later, the proof was in the gameplay. Nope, it wasn't fun.

Still beats giving up a job writing about games and learning a real programming language. (No thanks!)

For those who've downloaded Kodu, let us know what game design ideas you've tried. And which, if any, have proven to be fun.

Kodu is available on the Xbox Live Marketplace for 400 Microsoft points ($5 USD)

It's only $5, which considering that it lets you create many different types of game, is a pretty good deal.

Kodu comes with some basic single and multiplayer game modes includes, as well as a world builder, along with some simple tools to create AI and programming commands.

Sure, it's not as pretty or as stylish as LittleBigPlanet, but then, it's only $5.

The development team's official blog has announced that the title/service/thing will be out at the end of June, with final content passes currently under way at Microsoft.

While comparisons with LBP are inevitable - and understandable on a conceptual level - one look at Kodu shows that it's looking to be an entirely different beast, acting more as a colourful (though basic) toolkit for many game types, rather than an artistic (and more detailed) slant on just one.

So Busy, So Here's a Screenshot [Kodu, via IGN]

Renamed "Kodu", the game admittedly looks nothing like LittleBigPlanet. In fact, it's not even really as much a game as LBP is, it's more a fluffy, colourful tool to help people design games. But still, given LittleBigPlanet's popularity and potential, this increased (Boku's been around since 2007, but not as part of major keynote addresses) emphasis on a create-your-own title is hardly a coincidence.

Kodu comes with 200 "game-creation building blocks" packed in, meaning that while it may lack LBP's style (and Stephen Fry), it should allow for more variety in the types of game you can create.

Full announcement press release (and an older clip from when it was still called "Boku") follows:

Unleash Your Inner Creator with Microsoft's New Xbox LIVE Community Game "Kodu"

Microsoft announced today that it will turn Xbox 360 players into creators with the release of their new game, “Kodu”. Launching on the Xbox LIVE Community Games Channel, “Kodu’s” easy to use game creation techniques will make building personal playgrounds simple for anyone, with the help of an Xbox 360 controller. During a keynote speech at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, 12-year-old student, Sparrow joined Microsoft’s President of the Entertainment and Devices Division, Robbie Bach on stage to demonstrate the intuitive game that lets players choose from a variety of visual building blocks in order to develop their own unique creation.

This spring, “Kodu” will find its home among some of the freshest, most diverse and creatively independent games showcased on the Xbox LIVE Community Games Channel. “Kodu” is a pick-up-and-create game where anyone can build their own unique world in just minutes using a simple image-based creator menu that makes game creation simple for anyone, from ages seven to 70. “Kodu” created playgrounds are expressed in physical action-reaction terms, using basic concepts like vision, hearing and time to control your character’s behavior. Players can start their own unique “Kodu” created playgrounds from scratch or, if they aren’t in the mood to create, they can choose from several pre-loaded levels for quick play. With almost 200 different game-creation building blocks to choose from, the opportunities are endless.

“We’ve done everything possible to make sure that creating a “Kodu” playground is not only easy, but that it is also fun and engaging for people of all ages and backgrounds,” principal program manager for Microsoft Research and lead “Kodu” designer, Matt MacLaurin said. “Since ‘Kodu's’ interface is intuitive and prevents common programming mistakes, we’re making it easy for everyone to enjoy the magic of game creation.”

Originally designed by Microsoft Research as a learning tool for young kids, “Kodu” is the newest game to keep minds of all ages sharp by developing logic, problem-solving and creative thinking skills. In fact, in 2006, Microsoft Research teamed up with Girls Inc. and the University of Santa Barbara to create an after school “Kodu” program to accurately measure the influence educational games have in the fields of math, science, and comprehension. The team logged hundreds of hours of “Kodu” research with creators from ages five to 45 to ensure that it is easy for beginners, but maintains a depth of content for those who are more advanced.

“What I love about “Kodu” is that I can do everything myself,” Sparrow, who demoed the game, said. “It’s fast to build and different from the other games I play. I can do cool, silly things in it!”

“Kodu” will join a host of family-friendly and casual games already on the Xbox LIVE Community Games Channel. Since its launch in November, the Xbox LIVE Community Games Channel has seen a lot of enthusiasm from both game-makers and consumers, where there are currently more than 100 independent, community-created games available for download.

More detailed information about “Kodu” and Community Games can be found by visiting http://creators.xna.com.