gamecube dev equipment
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does anyone know how/when i can get my hands on gamecube dev stuff? are there any compilers that i can get w/o being a licensed developer? and if there isn''t a way to get that material, should i just make my game (demo) for pc and show that to a publisher? i''ve seen nintendo''s official site for developers and it seems to be tightly locked down unless you can snag a publisher deal.
thanx for your time,
better start your hax0ring now. compilers... Gekko processor is based on the IBM PowerPC chip. i''m sure you can get a compiler for it. then you need to start searching for information on the custom chips in the GameCube. if you feel brave enough to open it up, i''m sure you can find tons of info. on the web. also, try a google search.
To the vast majority of mankind, nothing is more agreeable than to escape the need for mental exertion... To most people, nothing is more troublesome than the effort of thinking.
To the vast majority of mankind, nothing is more agreeable than to escape the need for mental exertion... To most people, nothing is more troublesome than the effort of thinking.
The only problem is GameCubes format. Since gamecube uses a mini DVD-ROM, I am not sure if recordable mini DVD-ROM''s are purchasable in stores yet, and GameCube does not have a harddrive(yet) to boot software off of. So even if you could get GameCube dev tools to develope gamecube software on, you could not readily purchase mini-DVD-RW''s yet. I know there are some new sony CD Cybershot digital cameras that use recordable mini CD-RW''s, but not mini DVD-RW''s. Their might be a new video camera by either Sony or Hitachi that uses mini DVD-RW''s. Not raelly sure of anything out there yet that uses mini DVD-RW''s, so they probably aren''t even sold yet.
By the way jenova, I am still waiting for my PS2 Linux kit. Are you still going to that PS2dev section or IRC? Ahh, when will SCEA release it in the US? They confirmed it, but without a data. I hope it is at the end of January or somewhere in February. I don''t want to mod my PS2 to develope for it. Also, I want the PS2 Linux kit so that I could use my Playstation 2 as a Linux workstation. Also, the documentation on the PS2 architechture with the PS2 Linux kit his really good, since it is from Sony Computer Entertainment themselves. I want to set up another partition on my Laptop''s hard drive to run one of the BSD''s(not Linux) along side Windows XP.
Edem Attiogbe
By the way jenova, I am still waiting for my PS2 Linux kit. Are you still going to that PS2dev section or IRC? Ahh, when will SCEA release it in the US? They confirmed it, but without a data. I hope it is at the end of January or somewhere in February. I don''t want to mod my PS2 to develope for it. Also, I want the PS2 Linux kit so that I could use my Playstation 2 as a Linux workstation. Also, the documentation on the PS2 architechture with the PS2 Linux kit his really good, since it is from Sony Computer Entertainment themselves. I want to set up another partition on my Laptop''s hard drive to run one of the BSD''s(not Linux) along side Windows XP.
Edem Attiogbe
I'd say almost definately do a demo on a PC and take that round to publishers.
1. Its the game and your team and your skill which count to the publisher, not what you have running on console hardware.
2. An interested publisher is likely to want your game on multiple platforms. And may actually prefer to release your game solely on a different platform!.
3. Pre-release GameCube games are not sent to publishers/Nintendo on mini-DVD - instead, they're put onto a special DVD emulator cartridge. (The Hudson devkit has a slot in the front which takes these cartridges). So even if you were able to write a mini DVD in the correct format, its unlikely the publisher would try running it (especially if it only worked in a "chipped" system).
As for hacking it - the GameCube architecture is a lot simpler than say that of the PS2 - its even easier to program than a PC, and quite surprising in that you program it at a much higher level than other consoles. With a bit of knowledge of C/C++ and OpenGL its a doddle to get going with (apart from usual console things which PC programmers sometimes have trouble getting to grips with such as lack of virtual memory, control over DMA/FIFO, asyncronous I/O, the need for manual cache flushing etc).
Edited by - S1CA on January 23, 2002 5:51:27 AM
1. Its the game and your team and your skill which count to the publisher, not what you have running on console hardware.
2. An interested publisher is likely to want your game on multiple platforms. And may actually prefer to release your game solely on a different platform!.
3. Pre-release GameCube games are not sent to publishers/Nintendo on mini-DVD - instead, they're put onto a special DVD emulator cartridge. (The Hudson devkit has a slot in the front which takes these cartridges). So even if you were able to write a mini DVD in the correct format, its unlikely the publisher would try running it (especially if it only worked in a "chipped" system).
As for hacking it - the GameCube architecture is a lot simpler than say that of the PS2 - its even easier to program than a PC, and quite surprising in that you program it at a much higher level than other consoles. With a bit of knowledge of C/C++ and OpenGL its a doddle to get going with (apart from usual console things which PC programmers sometimes have trouble getting to grips with such as lack of virtual memory, control over DMA/FIFO, asyncronous I/O, the need for manual cache flushing etc).
Edited by - S1CA on January 23, 2002 5:51:27 AM
The GCN''s disc isn''t a mini-dvd, it''s just derived from them - so a mini-dvd recorder will be of no help.
The developer doesn''t necessarily need the cartridges to take to the publisher (especially judging by their costs!), they can use a special dev-format that is close to the production discs.
Marc.
The developer doesn''t necessarily need the cartridges to take to the publisher (especially judging by their costs!), they can use a special dev-format that is close to the production discs.
Marc.
mlamblert:
By the term "mini-dvd" I was talking purely about the physical form. The format of course being a different matter private to Nintendo.
Three possible ways of getting playable code to a publisher:
1. Use the NR writer to write a mini umm "disc" (which is what I suppose you mean...).
2. Lend them a NPDP cartridge. (although getting them to understand the meaning of ''lend'' may be tricky
)
3. Send them your NPDP/DDH dvdroot - then again you''d probably have to so send someone along to show them how to use it too
But at the end of the day, it still stands that unless you have the official Nintendo tools and kit, you can''t get playable GC code to a publisher.
By the term "mini-dvd" I was talking purely about the physical form. The format of course being a different matter private to Nintendo.
Three possible ways of getting playable code to a publisher:
1. Use the NR writer to write a mini umm "disc" (which is what I suppose you mean...).
2. Lend them a NPDP cartridge. (although getting them to understand the meaning of ''lend'' may be tricky
)3. Send them your NPDP/DDH dvdroot - then again you''d probably have to so send someone along to show them how to use it too
But at the end of the day, it still stands that unless you have the official Nintendo tools and kit, you can''t get playable GC code to a publisher.
S1CA, the mini-dvd part was a reply to an earlier post 
As for the dev kits, you are right with what you say, however I wouldn''t pay such a large amount of money for cartridges to send them out (not to mention the gang-writer to copy to them in the first place!).
We will use them for demonstrations at E3 and such, but not to send out (as it hits the problem you rightly pointed out of the ''lend'' scenario).
Marc Lambert
marc@darkhex.com
Programmer - DigiGuys:
www.digi-guys.com
Amateur PSone programming:
www.yarozescene.co.uk
As for the dev kits, you are right with what you say, however I wouldn''t pay such a large amount of money for cartridges to send them out (not to mention the gang-writer to copy to them in the first place!).
We will use them for demonstrations at E3 and such, but not to send out (as it hits the problem you rightly pointed out of the ''lend'' scenario).
Marc Lambert
marc@darkhex.com
Programmer - DigiGuys:
www.digi-guys.com
Amateur PSone programming:
www.yarozescene.co.uk
This topic is closed to new replies.
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