TGEA and xbox?
by Laurence Grant · in Torque Game Engine Advanced · 12/12/2006 (11:53 am) · 9 replies
I apologize if this has been covered already, but can someone point me to docs or explain the process of taking at TGE or TGEA application and compiling it for XBOX? I'm not concerned on the business issues, I just want to know from a development perspective how complex the process is?
If I build a game and it turns out to be of high quality, and I find a publisher, wanting to publish it on XBOX and MS approves it, how much additional work is involved in making it work on XBOX, or is it just a licensing issue? If the latter, and I think I read something that TGE supports XBOX with a separate license, is this a Torque license or a MS license?
Let's also assume I'm not customizing the engine code at all.
Thanks
If I build a game and it turns out to be of high quality, and I find a publisher, wanting to publish it on XBOX and MS approves it, how much additional work is involved in making it work on XBOX, or is it just a licensing issue? If the latter, and I think I read something that TGE supports XBOX with a separate license, is this a Torque license or a MS license?
Let's also assume I'm not customizing the engine code at all.
Thanks
#2
Also, why would one have to complete re-architect if the engine is supposed to handle all the particulars?
12/12/2006 (12:24 pm)
Licensed as a MS xbox developer? MS doesn't provide indie license for xbox, right? Therefore, is TGBX the only option? Currently, that's only 2D :-(Also, why would one have to complete re-architect if the engine is supposed to handle all the particulars?
#3
If you are not a licensed developer, you would have to:
1) Modify/create a new Torque platform layer (C++) to access homebrew XBox API's.
2) Test via homebrew hacking methods.
If you are a licensed developer, you would have to:
1) license Torque for the XBox/XBox 360 (depending on your flavor, though since you mentioned XNA, I'm thinking 360 is your target when I was originally thinking XBox since you did not clarify).
2) Tweak, tweak, tweak, and program, program, program for your specific game to be the best it can be on the hardware.
12/12/2006 (1:05 pm)
Because if you ported the engine yourself (as a non-licensed developer) using a homebrew solution, you would need to re-architect how you interact with the platform layer and the official API as a licensed developer. The default Torque engine, out of the box, does not support the XBox or XB360 platform layer or hook into the official API's.If you are not a licensed developer, you would have to:
1) Modify/create a new Torque platform layer (C++) to access homebrew XBox API's.
2) Test via homebrew hacking methods.
If you are a licensed developer, you would have to:
1) license Torque for the XBox/XBox 360 (depending on your flavor, though since you mentioned XNA, I'm thinking 360 is your target when I was originally thinking XBox since you did not clarify).
2) Tweak, tweak, tweak, and program, program, program for your specific game to be the best it can be on the hardware.
#5
Just to step in here, this option violates the EULA for all Torque licenses. To develop and distribute for XBox360, you must purchase a special license from us.
12/12/2006 (10:42 pm)
Quote:
Because if you ported the engine yourself (as a non-licensed developer) using a homebrew solution, you would need to re-architect how you interact with the platform layer and the official API as a licensed developer. The default Torque engine, out of the box, does not support the XBox or XB360 platform layer or hook into the official API's.
If you are not a licensed developer, you would have to:
1) Modify/create a new Torque platform layer (C++) to access homebrew XBox API's.
2) Test via homebrew hacking methods.
Just to step in here, this option violates the EULA for all Torque licenses. To develop and distribute for XBox360, you must purchase a special license from us.
#6
Larry
12/13/2006 (7:36 am)
Thank you Stephen, that's what I was trying to find out. Where do I get more information on this? I'm putting together a business plan and will need to understand the details.Larry
#7
Yup, but if one was using homebrew API's versus the official licensed API's, little things like the GG license doesn't matter much. Or Microsoft licensing.
I should have added:
1) ignore any semblance of legality in licensing with Torque or Microsoft.
12/13/2006 (7:52 am)
@StephenYup, but if one was using homebrew API's versus the official licensed API's, little things like the GG license doesn't matter much. Or Microsoft licensing.
I should have added:
1) ignore any semblance of legality in licensing with Torque or Microsoft.
#8
12/13/2006 (8:46 am)
Lol. Beat me to it David. I was about to say "Keyword: homebrew"
#9
So your only problem is making a game a publisher will want, though id like to see how much that seperate license is for xbox platform, its not listed, so one may find Torque may not be as good license as it seems, for PC its brilliant, but as its license for xbox is not listed so I cannot say, I hope devs don't make a nice PC game and find that the license for torque xbox is very expensive, you may find yourself losing your publisher deal if that is so, small publishers like having as many platforms as possible, at the minimum they like to be able to port to a console, if that license is expensive you may lose the deal due to the cost of the license of the tech, that has happened to me before more than once, they will want as many platforms as possible to recoup costs and they prefer consoles, small publishers are not exactly flash with the money in my experience, I think developers self publishing is a great idea, and I say good luck to those that do, I hope this is the future of game development.
03/29/2007 (5:49 am)
This is over complicating things, its much more simple, make a game, get a publisher, you can then apply to be a licensed developer, if you have a publisher it wont be a problem, if the engine does port to xbox then it should just be a click of a button, export to xbox, it will compile and their you have it, or that's what happens with engines I have looked at, perhaps there is more to it in torque.So your only problem is making a game a publisher will want, though id like to see how much that seperate license is for xbox platform, its not listed, so one may find Torque may not be as good license as it seems, for PC its brilliant, but as its license for xbox is not listed so I cannot say, I hope devs don't make a nice PC game and find that the license for torque xbox is very expensive, you may find yourself losing your publisher deal if that is so, small publishers like having as many platforms as possible, at the minimum they like to be able to port to a console, if that license is expensive you may lose the deal due to the cost of the license of the tech, that has happened to me before more than once, they will want as many platforms as possible to recoup costs and they prefer consoles, small publishers are not exactly flash with the money in my experience, I think developers self publishing is a great idea, and I say good luck to those that do, I hope this is the future of game development.
Associate David Montgomery-Blake
David MontgomeryBlake