SN-DBS tools now free for developers
- Posted October 12th, 2007 at 13:14 EDT by
- 3,812 views
- 25 Comments
Ever since before the release of the PlayStation 2, many companies have made it known that developing for Sony platforms has been a bit on the difficult side.
Indeed, with the PlayStation 2, there was a steep learning curve that developers had to overcome, thus leading to the most successful gaming console ever.
Similarly with its successor, PlayStation 3, developers announce on many occasion how difficult it is to work on the platform, thus resulting in many delays and project cancellations. To overcome this, however, Sony has made a few moves to insure that developers no longer have to feel as if they are going through an obstacle course to get a project complete.
SN Systems, a developing tool available for all licensed companies, can now be acquired free of charge for all developers. The main focus of this news, however, is the announcement of the SN-DBS 2.0; this latest version is now able to reduce the compile times by distributing source code builds between cooperating PCs over a network.
Furthermore, it should also be noted that it is able to build assets via command line. Additional improvements allow building of multiple projects in parallel, faster builds, an improved GUI with project view and finally improved support for asset builds.
This is positive news for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable platforms, as the developing process just got easier and more assessable. With the free access and newer version, developers should feel more open to develop their projects onto the PS3 and PSP without any complications.
Stay tuned to PSU for more updates regarding the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation 2 platforms.
Comments
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DeadOnArrival06 |
DeadOnArrival06- 1:26pm BST - October 12th, 2007
- 1
Good. Hopefully it'll help devs make better games for PS systems.
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Mecha_Daddy |
mecha_daddy- 3:35pm BST - October 12th, 2007
- 5
The "free" part should really help us see some more original games. Hopefully some smaller developers take advantage.
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Radha |
siriguillo- 3:45pm BST - October 12th, 2007
- 6
this is great but miscrosoft is way ahead, they have too much expirience in creating compilers and dealing with software, look a visual studio, is very stable, and fast and now amateurs can create games in the xna studio and there is the xna studio for profesional developers. im just saying this part of the race belongs to M$, sony needs to take an advantage with the hardware.
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The Cleaner
- 3:58pm BST - October 12th, 2007
- 7
Two things:
(1) "Indeed, with the PlayStation 2, there was a steep learning curve that developers had to overcome, thus leading to the most successful gaming console ever".... Please explain why "being difficult to program" equates to a succesful gaming console - whilst your explaining it to me can you also explain that reasoning to Sega (maker of the Saturn).
(2) "now able to reduce the compile times by distributing source code builds between cooperating PCs over a network" .... So Playstation games are developed on PC's...Can you tell us which is the best CPU - AMD or Intel?
P.S: Can Sony please offer registered PS3 users (lacking proper backwards compatibility) free access to the tools necessary to play their legitamately purchased PSX & PS2 games in emulation on a PC ? I'd for one really appreciate it.
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alchemyuser1 |
alchemyuser1- 5:09pm BST - October 12th, 2007
- 11
well thats good but came a little late dont ya think
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davin_g
- 6:39pm BST - October 12th, 2007
- 16
sony simply made this tool free. it has been available for quite some time. this isn't newsworthy except for small independent developers. as for the big wigs such as ubisoft and ea....this changes nothing. they already have access to this...it will change nothing.
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PS3-The Ultimate Machine
- 7:10pm BST - October 12th, 2007
- 17
I wonder if the devs will finally stop their whining and develop a decent game now.But thats probably just my wishful thinking.lol
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MatrixSixaxis
- 9:55am BST - October 13th, 2007
- 24
Why is it that developers can't figure out what Sony has created? Are programmers great at understanding complex programs? Don't they like to be challenged? I may not be a programmer, but can't some of these developers get creative and use their great programming minds???
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YamatoKei
- 11:09am BST - October 13th, 2007
- 25
Don't be so happy and anxious. The developers still need to have the PS2 SDK and PS2 DevKit, which are expensive and require licensing and agreements with Sony. Oh! And if the article is correct, "SN-DBS for free".... then it means the developers still need to buy the main product of that company (ProDG tools)! As this SN-DBS is not compatible with the regular GCC tools that come with the PS2 SDK.
Keeping the platform closed is a way to keep the completely incompetent/newbie developers from staining the platform. Total opposite of the PC game market, and with flaws imho. Though this is just my speculation, my experience is only in planning, developing and selling 2D/3D games on PDA/Smartphone devices. (where the devkit is free - manufacturers give a device and full docs for free if you're a known company, as in my case).
PSP and PS2 unofficial SDKs for modded consoles exist for quite some time already, but no homebrew looks any good - that's what I mean by "staining a platform". Or, it's possible that two or three PS2/PSP games have started-off as homebrew and were adopted by Sony.
At least Microsoft isn't any better. Their public XNA is load of crap, seems to me it's developed to get in the way of real game development :S . Nothing like they announced it to be, or what MS would like people to believe. At least their real licensed SDK is good.... but that SDK is simply DX9c plus extras. Thus it's just all about converting your level-data to big-endian (swap bytes around)... use the same DX9-based PC engine and librariess.... and you get an x360 game.
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