Hi Bryan, Actually, I'd say cross-platform development of games is more a matter of finding comprable cross-platform game programming APIs rather than how hard or easy it is. Oh, if I want to use SDL for cross-platform development then it is easy enough to create Mac, Linux, and Windows games, but you lose a good deal of features available in a pro game API like DirectX in the process. Something like SDL is for all intents and purposes a case of choosing the lowest common denominator verses platform specific tools and APIs that can give your game product truly outstanding performance and special features. Mac and Linux game APIs are a good generation behind what's available for the Windows platform that is a huge disadvantage for those platforms. There are commercial APIs such as FMOD Ex that closes the gap between Windows and Mac rather nicely, but then again it is a commercial third-party product. As I am all to aware there are licenses involved with something like FMOD that aren't really well suited for a small game studio like USA Games. It is expensive enough to license FMOD for one platform, but if you license it for multiple platforms the price goes up dramatically making it not financially feasable. There has to be a large enough Mac or Linux market out there for accessible games to make the use of FMOD and other commercial cross-platform APIs finantially viable alternatives to the free native APIs. So in the end you might have to settle on something decent like OpenAL that is good, but not particularly over the top. However, as the past couple of days has shown XAudio2 is emerging as a rather revolutionary and powerful API for Windows and the XBox. So I think as XAudio2 continues to be developed creating games with XAudio2 may offer me, the game developer, more advanced features and render some truly amazing audio environments. With something like OpenAL it will just offer me somewhat basic and rather generic audio support. In a feature by feature run down XAudio2 probably is the superior and more logical choice for future audio games. So cross-platform games, using cross-platform APIs, will only hold the games back from obtaining their maximum potential. At least that's how I see things currently. Now, I do know Draconis Entertainment is working on porting their games to Mac, but our situations are slightly different. Currently Draconis Entertainment's games such as Aliens in the Outback don't require a lot of high end features. For audio basically all they need to do is have some simple stereo panning and the ability to change the pitch of the starships as they land. Joystick support in Aliens in the Outback was always pretty generic so SDL probably could handle similar joystick support as the existing game now. Basically, what I am saying is Draconis can slide by on Mac's existing APIs because they aren't looking for or particularly need cutting edge audio and input support for a majority of their existing titles. However, I'm trying to create the next generation of audio games with highly professional 3d audio, support special game controllers, and basically pull out all the stops. Mac APIs don't really impress me, and aren't up to handling the kinds of games I want to begin creating in the next couple of years. For that reason cross-platform development isn't necessarily feasable in all cases.
Cheers! On 3/20/10, Bryan Peterson <bpeterson2...@cableone.net> wrote: > At least not right at first. Apparently there's no easy way to do this. > Homer: Hey, uh, could you go across the street and get me a slice of pizza? > Vender: No pizza. Only Khlav Kalash. --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gam...@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
