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Superpig
- saving pigs from untimely fates
- sleeps in a ham-mock at www.thebinaryrefinery.cjb.net
DirectX on the XBox
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So, while M$ are sitting around ''evaluating and improving'' their XBox IGDP, I figured I''d get my DX up to scratch.
Is anyone here developing for XBox, and if so is the DirectX offered there much different for that on PC?
(In fact, if there''s anyone at all out there with an XDK I''d like to know if it''s really worth waiting for... )
Superpig
- saving pigs from untimely fates
- sleeps in a ham-mock at www.thebinaryrefinery.cjb.net
)
Superpig
- saving pigs from untimely fates
- sleeps in a ham-mock at www.thebinaryrefinery.cjb.net
Developing games for the XBox is almost identical to developing them for the PC. You use visual C++ and DirectX 8.0 or 8.1. You can have a developers kit sent to you for free, but you will have to sign a non disclosure agreement (mailed to you by fax)
Goto http://dev.xbox.com
you will like what you see there
XBox runs under windows CE so as long as your game is WinCE compatible, it will also be XBox compatible.
If you''ve never developed for WinCE before, dont worry. Its pretty much the same thing as developing for normal Windows. A couple things are missing, but nothing major. Just make sure all your strings are unicode. There is an article on how to make your code WinCE compatible, here on GameDev
Goto http://dev.xbox.com
you will like what you see there
XBox runs under windows CE so as long as your game is WinCE compatible, it will also be XBox compatible.
If you''ve never developed for WinCE before, dont worry. Its pretty much the same thing as developing for normal Windows. A couple things are missing, but nothing major. Just make sure all your strings are unicode. There is an article on how to make your code WinCE compatible, here on GameDev
quote:Original post by PSioNiC
You can have a developers kit sent to you for free, but you will have to sign a non disclosure agreement (mailed to you by fax)
Not that simple! According to the link you provided (i''m quoting here, emphasis is mine) :
"Interested developers should be able to self-fund a prototype development effort and to pay for the necessary development kits."
"Following review of an initial application, selected applicants will be invited to submit a fully developed game concept and supporting materials"
"Incubation Program developers will have six months to either place their product with a publisher, come back to Xbox for re-authorization for additional time, or to exit the program and return all materials with no refund."
So if you''ve to pay, to convince M$ that your project is worthy AND find a publisher within 6 months. Thanks M$. Well, I guess it isn''t worse than what the other console manufacturers are doing but it''s hardly as simple as getting a free dev kit.
No, you read the wrong program
You are looking at the incubator program, when you should have looked at the Independant Developer Program.
However now I see that they are ending the Independant Developer Program, no new people are allowed to sign up. I was there a few days ago and it was still running. Actually I understand why Microsoft would end the independant developer program. No point in pumping money into a bunch of cowboy coders with no money
You are looking at the incubator program, when you should have looked at the Independant Developer Program.
However now I see that they are ending the Independant Developer Program, no new people are allowed to sign up. I was there a few days ago and it was still running. Actually I understand why Microsoft would end the independant developer program. No point in pumping money into a bunch of cowboy coders with no money
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I really hope they aren''t ending it. I''ll be extremely pissed if I missed my chance.
As far as I can tell, M$ don''t really cost themselves anything with the Independant program. The pack doesn''t contain an XBox - merely instructions for how to set up a PC to work like one. (In other words, a slip of paper saying ''Buy Windows 2000, DX8, and make a game'').
I tried to sign up in early October, but they said it would be down until early November. They didn''t actually reflect this on the site until late November, of course...
I really meant, does anyone know for example what is stripped-down about the W2000 it''s running, and if DX is still working in the same way...? I don''t know if the XBox has a keyboard, for example.
Superpig
- saving pigs from untimely fates
- sleeps in a ham-mock at www.thebinaryrefinery.cjb.net
As far as I can tell, M$ don''t really cost themselves anything with the Independant program. The pack doesn''t contain an XBox - merely instructions for how to set up a PC to work like one. (In other words, a slip of paper saying ''Buy Windows 2000, DX8, and make a game'').
I tried to sign up in early October, but they said it would be down until early November. They didn''t actually reflect this on the site until late November, of course...
I really meant, does anyone know for example what is stripped-down about the W2000 it''s running, and if DX is still working in the same way...? I don''t know if the XBox has a keyboard, for example.
Superpig
- saving pigs from untimely fates
- sleeps in a ham-mock at www.thebinaryrefinery.cjb.net
I think you are forgetting what is in the XBox. Its a Geforce3 Ti500. It would be kinda dumb for nVidia and Microsoft (oh and spelling Microsoft like M$ is really burning my balls) to develop a whole new system of development when there is a perfectly good system sitting right there.
The XBox is not much different from a PC. Its got a motherboard, a processor (733 MHz intel), a video card (nVidia Geforce3 Ti 500), a sound card (probably an SB Live), and everything else. Don't let the fact that its marketed as a console throw you off. All Microsoft is doing is just raming an unmodified Ti500 in there, which is why it would probably be possible to have an XBox game running under OpenGL (anybody who would actually do that needs a life, but thats beside the point)
If it helps, think of an XBox as a Pocket PC PDA with an a$$-kicker of a video card.
Edited by - Psionic on November 17, 2001 9:51:51 PM
The XBox is not much different from a PC. Its got a motherboard, a processor (733 MHz intel), a video card (nVidia Geforce3 Ti 500), a sound card (probably an SB Live), and everything else. Don't let the fact that its marketed as a console throw you off. All Microsoft is doing is just raming an unmodified Ti500 in there, which is why it would probably be possible to have an XBox game running under OpenGL (anybody who would actually do that needs a life, but thats beside the point)
If it helps, think of an XBox as a Pocket PC PDA with an a$$-kicker of a video card.
Edited by - Psionic on November 17, 2001 9:51:51 PM
quote:Original post by PSioNiC
All Microsoft is doing is just raming an unmodified Ti500 in there, which is why it would probably be possible to have an XBox game running under OpenGL (anybody who would actually do that needs a life, but thats beside the point)
Why?
[Resist Windows XP''s Invasive Production Activation Technology!]
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quote:Original post by PSioNiC
It would be kinda dumb for nVidia and Microsoft (oh and spelling Microsoft like M$ is really burning my balls) to develop a whole new system of development when there is a perfectly good system sitting right there.
Given that Windows is a general environment - designed to cope with both games (well, with some help from DX) and high-power database systems. I would expect that large parts of Windows are therefore rendered irrelevant when porting to a game console.
Although, of course, if I''m a game developer, what do I care?
The fact is that Windows isn''t perfectly good. It can''t even do simple full-screen graphics without DirectX helping it (and don''t even think of mentioning the GDI). In fact, the GDI''s a pretty good example - because I don''t expect we''ll see many plain old windows, are they going to improve the GDI, speed-wise? Now that there''s no device-independance required, loads of things should be sped up.
Superpig
- saving pigs from untimely fates
- sleeps in a ham-mock at www.thebinaryrefinery.cjb.net
What is wrong with programming for the XBox with OpenGL? I''me a hobbiest on a Linux machine, so naturally i choose OpenGL. I could emulate averything i need in a windows just fine and code for an XBox (if i decide to buy one). Why is doing DirectX instead having a life? Why isn''t OpenGL a life? What''s so bad about OpenGL? Please tell me as i''m very curiuos.
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