Console (360) Development Tools

[betan]

It is well accepted that 360 development tools are superior even compared to PC, but I don't see much info on tools themselves.

So, what are those tools everbody speaks of and why are they superior?
Better compilers, debuggers, profilers?
What about libraries or debug units?

 

[Graham]

I think you will find that any concrete info you seek is probably under NDA.

 

[iceberg187]

http://ati.amd.com/developer/brighton/07 Coding for Multiple Cores.pdf

 

[betan]

If you want a brief overview, I would suggest you seek out last years Gamefest audio and slides. Start there and see where the path takes you, I'm not sure with what you plan on contrasting the tools. If your actual intention is to prove that they are not "superior" keep in mind that for many superior == familiar. That's my pocket change for the day.

Well, I have no such intention as I genuinely believe 360 dev tool superiority is more than familiarity.

I was reading 360 being lead platform for Fallout 3, before that Carmack, before that all the other games, before that Carmack, ...

All of those mentioning better tools with no specific information naturally only stimulated my curiosity.

For example, we know PIX was a great asset, but is it still big advantage with GCMreplay out?

 

[iceberg187]

Well, I have no such intention as I genuinely believe 360 dev tool superiority is more than familiarity.

I was reading 360 being lead platform for Fallout 3, before that Carmack, before that all the other games, before that Carmack, ...

All of those mentioning better tools with no specific information naturally only stimulated my curiosity.

For example, we know PIX was a great asset, but is it still big advantage with GCMreplay out?

I don't think it is so much the tools, as I'm sure they help, but it's the people and the logistics as well. IIRC, Microsoft updates the Direct X SDK every two months. I'm not a developers so I don't know if the gains are substantial or incremental, but I know that it helps them. Take what Joker said once about Microsoft having his game and they are messing with code for a few days. In contrast he said that Sony left them in the dark for a while. He did say that they have gotten a lot better. SN Systems is paying off it seems. However, that can't be all when Carmack did say at one point in time that the 360 was better than the PC development platform. However, Microsoft is a software company, the biggest in this world. I would expect them to have a better environment.

 

[assen]

Well, I have no such intention as I genuinely believe 360 dev tool superiority is more than familiarity.

All of those mentioning better tools with no specific information naturally only stimulated my curiosity.

For example, we know PIX was a great asset, but is it still big advantage with GCMreplay out?

You have no intention to listen to the answers of your question because you already all the answers, namely that Xbox tools are nothing special and only lazy developers see any advantage in them?

The answers to your question is under NDA, along with the entire Xbox SDK. I don't think anyone will go out of their way to breach their NDA just to spite a fanboi.

 

[betan]

However, that can't be all when Carmack did say at one point in time that the 360 was better than the PC development platform. However, Microsoft is a software company, the biggest in this world. I would expect them to have a better environment.

I agree with that part.
I don't know how much MS is helping developers compared to Sony, but the easier development environment is generally attributed to tools and having fixed hardware, latter being true for all consoles.
That said, I think there are some disadvantages of console development possibly things like slower compiling and testing.

You have no intention to listen to the answers of your question because you already all the answers, namely that Xbox tools are nothing special and only lazy developers see any advantage in them?

No, I believe tools are superior and the only lazy developer I know is myself.

The answers to your question is under NDA, along with the entire Xbox SDK. I don't think anyone will go out of their way to breach their NDA just to spite a fanboi.

Please check my post history, check yours, find out what fanboy and troll mean, and hopefully stay out of technical threads.