Starting with XNA 4.0

It's quite simple really, it's when you get to certain game mechanics where it get's really, complex. In my honest opinion once you have the programming skill, it's all down to math. Showing what's on the screen is separate from the game mechanics. Simply program the users input, example


if(user presses D)
{
move player right
}

Some pseudo code.

Some thoughts:

You could dissect one of the examples over on the AppHub (for example, Here is a platformer game framework), but for a beginner it may be difficult to follow. You could also try going through the 2D tutorial on Riemers. I'm sure there are some good beginning game programming books, which would be much more comprehensive, but I don't really have any suggestions.

General advice is to start small with a very simple game - so simple that no one would ever want to play it, just as a learning exercise. What is "simple" for you will depend on your other programming experience. Or you could concentrate on one game related aspect, such as implementing a simple tile map engine, or coming up with a sprite animation class.

Another suggestion is to try out something like GameMaker - there isn't much in the way of actual programming, but it would give you an idea of how a game can be structured, which would translate over to writing your own.

Good luck!