Microsoft has been developing a game construction tool called Boku that was in development by a research team within Microsoft. The tool allows users to develop their own games using only an Xbox 360 controller.

While the games that can be developed using the tool are simple in nature, it does bridge the gap for those who don’t want to develop games using Microsoft’s XNA Game Studio. The product is still in the early stages of development, but it is targeted for a release sometime during 2009.

According to reports, the accessibility of Boku for development will be all icon driven with programs that are saved in logical lists of instructions. Of course, Boku’s complex set of rules will dictate what can be developed using the environment, but most typical gaming concepts will be supported.

Judging by the initial reception of the XNA Gaming Development Studio on the Xbox 360, it is easy to see how Boku could be very well received. Microsoft is getting ready to launch the XNA community portal that will start to offer user developed XNA project to an even wider audience.

Boku reminds us of some of the old school titles that were developed on computing platforms such as the Apple II, Atari 400/800, and the Commodore 64. In that era several products attempted to bring game creation to the masses with tools such as the Pinball Construction Set, Garry Kitchen’s GameMaker, and Adventure Construction Set and all of these productions met with various degrees of success.

With the wider acceptance of the Xbox 360 and PC platforms along with the advancements in programming and design it just might be possible that this is an idea that could become quite popular and successful this time around.