Porting a TGE game from PC to console
by Vijay Myneni · in Hardware Issues · 07/21/2005 (10:46 am) · 8 replies
Hello,
What, in general, would be involved with taking a finished Torque game for PC and porting it to the PS2 or PSP? DS? GBA? What hardware/software would I need? What about the actual code conversion? Is it fairly straightforward, or would major chunks of TGE code have to be rewritten entirely?
Thanks,
Vijay
What, in general, would be involved with taking a finished Torque game for PC and porting it to the PS2 or PSP? DS? GBA? What hardware/software would I need? What about the actual code conversion? Is it fairly straightforward, or would major chunks of TGE code have to be rewritten entirely?
Thanks,
Vijay
About the author
#2
09/27/2005 (12:26 pm)
I believe to get a proper liscense from GarageGames you need to be setup as a valid developer for one of those consoles too, this is to ensure that you have approval, the kits, information and most importantly NDAs and other proper legal agreements signed.
#3
01/24/2006 (1:19 pm)
This is what makes me wonder... I know you can't release it, but are you allowed to do it for yourself only for educational purposes? or just because you would like to play your own made game on an xbox? There's no way gg can check on that...
#4
01/24/2006 (7:27 pm)
Even if you just wanted to play your game on a console for fun, you would have to find a way to make it avoid the copy protection.
#5
This is all conjuncture, i've never done it, nor had experiance with it.
01/24/2006 (8:08 pm)
Copy protection isn't that big of a deal, theres tons of mods for consoles (Donno about Xbox 360). However, if you wanted to convert to a console, your first step would probably be creating a new platform. (Theres Linux, Win32, Beos, and others, including mac) So, create a new platform, then run a new "ifdef _XBOX360_" around your Xbox 360 code, and only define that when compiling xbox 360.This is all conjuncture, i've never done it, nor had experiance with it.
#6
Ds could be possible, but the graphics have to be slim, but still look good, to be accepted.
Most portable game system you can try by purchasing a memory pak so you can put the game file, from your computer into it and play it. There is no copy protection whatsoever (no enough room), so if you can get it into the format, bind the controls, and transfer it, you have ported it over. The graphics specs have to be within a certain range for handhelds or it will stop at the beginng of your game, and give an error.
Xbox's format is similar to a computer but is encrypted, i know the format but i don't want to release it in case someone could pirate games, or mod with that information.
Xbox 360's format is not even close to xbox, they re-made it and put a failsafe so if you try to mod your xbox 360, it could damage it.
Ps-1 and Ps-2 is basically the same, but it is different on how it is handled and optimized by the playstation (1 or 2)
Dreamcast is quite old, and their system is very easy to crack, and it is slower than newer consoles.
To make a game you have to have a disc "sealer" or something that can do that. It is not a labeler, but it makes the disc that they write to -ROM and not -R. (Rom is read only memory, R is recordable)
Getting a disc "sealer" is not worth the hassle, it is expensive, and is kept secure, there is only a certain amount of them made for each studio...
I would bind the controls of the console controller you want your game to be on, emulate you console on pc and have an adapter so you can connect the controller, and then mail your game when it is inspected for bugs and improved.
They only put good games through that will make them money. So make sure your games looks good, not alot of bugs, is "addictive" and is fun to play.
THIS INFORMATION SHOULD BE UP-TO DATES- AND I HAVE TRIED THESE STEPS
;) ~~I am not responsible for the information that has been released, use at own risk!~~ ;)
:) (TO AVOID LEGAL TROUBLE) :)
07/02/2006 (5:39 pm)
GBA will never support torque, it still uses a special pixel system. To make a console games you would have to know it's file formats, a console is basically a computer when you insert a game. A computers cd format image is usually an .iso, but it is opened automatically so it does not show it well. Ds could be possible, but the graphics have to be slim, but still look good, to be accepted.
Most portable game system you can try by purchasing a memory pak so you can put the game file, from your computer into it and play it. There is no copy protection whatsoever (no enough room), so if you can get it into the format, bind the controls, and transfer it, you have ported it over. The graphics specs have to be within a certain range for handhelds or it will stop at the beginng of your game, and give an error.
Xbox's format is similar to a computer but is encrypted, i know the format but i don't want to release it in case someone could pirate games, or mod with that information.
Xbox 360's format is not even close to xbox, they re-made it and put a failsafe so if you try to mod your xbox 360, it could damage it.
Ps-1 and Ps-2 is basically the same, but it is different on how it is handled and optimized by the playstation (1 or 2)
Dreamcast is quite old, and their system is very easy to crack, and it is slower than newer consoles.
To make a game you have to have a disc "sealer" or something that can do that. It is not a labeler, but it makes the disc that they write to -ROM and not -R. (Rom is read only memory, R is recordable)
Getting a disc "sealer" is not worth the hassle, it is expensive, and is kept secure, there is only a certain amount of them made for each studio...
I would bind the controls of the console controller you want your game to be on, emulate you console on pc and have an adapter so you can connect the controller, and then mail your game when it is inspected for bugs and improved.
They only put good games through that will make them money. So make sure your games looks good, not alot of bugs, is "addictive" and is fun to play.
THIS INFORMATION SHOULD BE UP-TO DATES- AND I HAVE TRIED THESE STEPS
;) ~~I am not responsible for the information that has been released, use at own risk!~~ ;)
:) (TO AVOID LEGAL TROUBLE) :)
#7
07/02/2006 (5:40 pm)
WOW, YOU MUST THINK I'M A GEEK NOW...!! ;)
#8
@Richard, most original Xbox mods were done using the hard drive. Now that the hard drives are detachable couldn't you rip data and possibly do various mods with ease? I have yet to try this but for original Xbox modding all you needed was a screw driver and a computer.
07/02/2006 (6:06 pm)
You also need to take into account that a lot of systems have special graphics APIs. I know the Gamecube uses GX which is somewhat similar to openGL and I believe the Xbox 360 uses directX (logically I'd assume it would) though if you wanted to port to the 360 you'd need to make sure you have everything optimized for the Xenon sysem and Microsoft wouldn't even accept your game without shaders. PlayStation2 porting is apparently in development by a 3rd party I think, but that would also be a massive setback as the PlayStation2 is not very powerful and uses a lot of assembly line rendering code. I believe the PSP has a decent video card and there are a lot of resources for it around the web. Your first part would be aquiring a license. If you're unable to do that I suppose you could attempt to port it with some of the documentation on the web though you couldn't legally release it to the public. Basically indies can port to very few systems as of current without some nice funding.@Richard, most original Xbox mods were done using the hard drive. Now that the hard drives are detachable couldn't you rip data and possibly do various mods with ease? I have yet to try this but for original Xbox modding all you needed was a screw driver and a computer.
Torque Owner Kevin Johnson
(e) Licensee may not release Products intended for operation on Game Console Systems including the Microsoft XBox, Sony Playstation 2, Nintendo GameCube, or their successors without first obtaining a separate Torque Game Engine Console License from GarageGames.
so your first step would be aquiring the proper license.