GDC: Developers Beware

This week is GDC in San Fran and yes, I would love to be there. Not to play games but to geek out on the cool tech demos, and development conferences, etc.  A couple of things that have happened thus far:

Microsoft: XNA Creators Club. Microsoft unveiled that they will allow the XNA developing community to share games with 360 owners. Developers will be able to create XBL accounts to distribute their games, and be rated from their audience. A few games will be promoted to XBLA status in which Microsoft will work something out with the developers to ensure the game stays exclusive to their platform.  You can check more out with the Microsoft Dreamspark if you want to get started developing your own download-able game. Even if you don’t and you are a student, you can download some pretty sweet utilities for FREE from Microsoft!

Sony: PhyreEngine was presented as a discussion at GDC. It is an open set of libraries and special tools for developing on the PS3. Some games to note as being related to the “SDK” is Flow, Gripshift, and DiRT.

Insomniac:  Well, marked as my favorite developer and know for their sense of giving back, Insomniac today announced the launch of FREE PS3 tools, scripts, and more for the developer community. Nocturnal is the project name. Like their R&D Tech Page, Insomniac hopes to help other developers developing for the PS3 by providing tools to help them overcome the challenges they face.  Sony is known for sharing engine tech between it’s various 1st and 2nd party studios, but it is glad to see Insomniac, who is independent, share this with the community because there are some studios that REALLY NEED IT!

Hey Pata Pata Pata

Pata Pata Pata Pon demo will be on the PC Playstation Store for you to download this Thursday! Originally the demo was a pre-order from game stop BUT after cries on the official Playstation Blog, they will be offering it as a download from the PSP Store AND the PS3 store. This demo isn’t just any demo. Once you complete the demo, you will load from that saved file on the full game and after you complete the game, you will get a rare weapon!  Why some developers don’t do more of this with their demo’s is beyond me. I like playing demo’s but if it is a game I absolutely know I am going to purchase no matter what, I don’t want to waste my time on the demo only to replay it later….kinda ruins that moment for me you know? Now, if they offered special items upon game completion, or gave you quicker power ups in the full game, special weapons, or something worthwhile if you were to purchase the game, then it would be all the better.

Also, God of War: COO has gone GOLD!!!!!!!!!! I CAN’T WAIT FOR IT TO RELEASE. I NEED KRATOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOS. Thank you Ready At Dawn. You guys rock!!!!!!!

Also, David Jaffe, you rock! Fuck the haters. Right?

Console Manufacturing

People whine about wanting PS2 BC, but they choose not to buy the machines with PS2 BC. Most won’t even purchase a PS2 game but I guess they want that option. Which is fitting because people always want what they won’t use. It is getting annoying. There are 120+ million PS2’s out there but for some reason no one owns any. When I picked up the PS3, I didn’t care about PS2 BC because I had a PS2. I have NO PROBLEM keeping the PS2 hooked up if I ever needed to use it. Oh but the space. Well, I have a 1080p Up-scaling DVD player, the PS3 is great at playing movies so, I could always just swap those two items out. I will get better playability on the PS2 than I would on the PS3, but then you will have people start crying about wanting their games up-scaled.

Listen, you asked that your console make you bacon, it does, you bitch about the price. You ask Sony to fix the price, they did, you bitched. You tell Sony you want PS2 BC, they offer it, you bitch. There are 2 PS3 SKU’s people. One with and without PS2 BC. PS2’s are priced at $129.99 and are rumored to drop to $99. They are the slim models with built-in power supply and are TINY! I guess no matter what, people will always bitch, they just like to find something new to complain about when the previous complaint is resolved…

Which reminds me. IBM plans to switch over to 45nm Cell architecture pretty soon. When thinking about the PS2 and where it is at now in its life, I am reminded that Sony is incredible with its hardware manufacturing. Seeing that they made a profit in 07 and that they are now breaking profit on the PS3, it is just crazy. I will compare the PS3 to the 360 for a bit:

360 Manufacturing

• 05-released
• 06-err
• 07-65nm
• 08-45nm???

PS3 Manufacturing

• 06-released
• 07-65nm
• 08-45nm???

Now, I cannot remember what the processor shrink is for, cpu or gpu, so I won’t say. I just find it very interesting to say the least. Of course I am talking out my ass so I could very well be off on everything…well not everything but I don’t feel like researching the details right now. I was just impressed with what I have seen thus far in Sony’s manufacturing process.

Oh My Pata

I decided to downloaded the Patapon demo from the PC Japan Store and all I can say is….that was a horrible idea. Absolutely horrible!!!!!