Game development

SDKs and more

The XO Laptops need a true Game SDK but the bigger mission goes beyond that.

We actually need multiple elements delivered over the course of the year as follows:

1. A True Game SDK that involves low-level open-source tools stitched together properly to provide a clear means for building and running games on the XO. Essentially DirectX for the laptops is a good analogy. This should include a proper graphics, sound, input API as well as other specialized things like camera API, support for b/w mode, etc.

2. A Flash Based solution (using GNASH) which we can certify and support as being compatible in some form for various games that push flash. We need to take some flash games and throw them against GNASH on XO and derive what works and what doesn't and essentially create two documents - one for the GNASH team to use to improve compatibility and one for developers to use to inform changes on their end.

3. We need tools and any level of game middleware we can help create. Be it PyGame, a tiled scrolling engine, etc. but this would be a second layer on top of core libraries that developers would use. This also includes content creation tools that let people create graphics, sounds, etc. In that regard it may just be proper documentation but we may also want graphical drawing tools right on the laptop to help as well. Some of these tools might end up formulating on-laptop tools for kids.

4. We need a true emulation capability for the PC/Mac. An emulator would simulate the entirety of the laptop not just an OS port. It would simulate speed, it would simulate keyboard layout, buttons, camera, etc. We need to figure out also how to deliver on a means of compiling to the laptop in such a way to integrate an IDE with the tools we build.

5. We need on-laptop tools to help kids build their own games. Ideally this might be two or more environments -- one programmatic in nature and another that is more likely a visual system for building games. It might even be a suite of tools that let you build different types of games like adventure games, tiled scrollers, etc.

--Ben Sawyer

Meetings

March 18

• What big picture decisions can we make about each of the above needs? How can

we get them properly developed in unison?

• What do developers really need and by when?

  What names do we need to reach out to? why? where? etc.

  What sorts of deadlines can we set?

  What process and structure needs to drive the next 12 weeks forward? (deadlines, updates)

• Where should development be centered and how do we create a means for making

tough decisions?

• Who houses this work? Who makes sure builds are working and certified?

• Who does documentation?

• How do we link this work into the core XO OS design group / get involved with that development?

• What should a developer program look like?

  Specifically what should we be able to tell developers now, in a few months, in the future, and what do we want them to make, to build?

specific platforms

• SDL: It needs to start working nicely on the XO.
  • 1200x900 is too big for most 2D SDL games to render quickly on, so if we can find some way to activate hardware scaling for SDL applications (although Mitch says that the particular flavour of Geode in the XO can only handle hardware scaling for "video", not "graphics". I'm not sure, but I think "video" simply means you don't have access to any other 2D hardware acceleration primitives.)
  • SDL doesn't seem to play nicely with matchbox. You have to kill it

and start twm.

• We need to schedule another meeting to go over specifics, with devs from related projects.

Portable platforms

Some notes on game development for various portable platforms. Quotes below from Wikipedia unless otherwise noted.

Palm OS

• Interface: touchscreen

• Development tools include "CASL, AppForge Crossfire (which uses C#) and Handheld Basic or HB++ (which uses Visual Basic)... A Java Run time Environment is also available for the Palm OS platform, however it isn't shipped as standard on non-Treo[s]" and Plua, which requires an additional runtime to be installed.
  • Garnet, Cobalt

  "Palm OS Garnet applications are primarily coded in C/C++. There's an open source compiler tool chain prc-tools, based on an old gcc. PRC-Tools lacks several of CodeWarrior's features... a version is included in the Palm OS Developer Suite (PODS). OnBoardC is a C compiler that runs on the Palm itself." Wikipedia 1

  "Palm OS Cobalt applications are coded in a variation of gcc, but the compilers have fewer limitations."

Treo

Interface: keyboard, touchscreen, arrow key/wheel

PSP

Released by Sony in America in march in 2005 and in september 2005 in Europe and Australasia. The PSP has a large screen and the is a directional pad, analog stick and the playstation face buttons. There are also two shoulder buttons and interface control buttons (start, select and volume control).

There are also peripherals to add different inputs to the PSP

• microphone
• camera
• gps unit

See Also

• Games
• Game controller
• End-user application software / Game Console Emulators
• Pygame