Guerrilla's dev team answers questions

[Titanio]

Regards cooperation, I thought there were Sony+MS+Ninty developer networks anyway. What is a SCEx network providing above and beyond that? Also, how does SCEE, SCEA and SCEJ (or whatever it was) work conceptually within SCEW? Are the regional divisions only referenced as such internally out of habit? Are the resources like SCEE ATG also shared around the US and Asian studios, and likewise you have access to the research of SCEA and SCEJ, or are these resources localised to continental districts and the SCEW partnership is more one of distribution at the moment?

I might be wrong, but I think when Deano refers to "SCEx", the x simply denotes A, or E, or J. So they see stuff from ATG, and also the others. But I also wonder how broad the co-operation is. Does a SCEE dev have access to everything a SCEA or SCEJ dev has, and vice versa?

With shared forums - are they global, or local to a region? Guerrilla suggests contact with SCEA devs, but I wonder if it's as close as with SCEE devs.

 

[Carl B]

I guess only Deano or another dev can answer those questions, but wasn't part of the reason the SCE studios were all brought under one ubmbrella in part to facilitate the sharing of 'advancements' across the formerly seperate divisions?

 

[DeanoC]

The main source of sharing for us is a big portal that hosts lots of project by various teams in SCEE and SCEA. SCEE ATG for example have a big bit on there. We don't have access to everything but if we would like to use some tech we can ask to have access and then if allowed, can download it, share bug fixes, use its forums, emails, IM etc.

There is also the normal PS3 forums which connect all PS3 devs across the world.

Don't know how it works for Guerilla etc. but simple proximity (we are in the some physical building as SCEE Cambridge) and personal friendships, mean NT virtually always bug ATG about everything, as poor ol' DeanA knows only too well

The other non-physical aspect, is a fairly open forum via visits, emails etc. to dicuss ideas etc. We can (and have) chatted to various game teams as well as the shared source bits, which is very handy as we are often tackling the same non-technical problems as well.

 

[Karamazov]

DeanoC do you know when developpers will have the authorization to show pictures and videos of their ps3 games ?

 

[Shifty Geezer]

How do you know what tech people are working on and whether you'd like a look? eg. Did NT host up or broadcast somewhere the NAO32 HDR solution for other parties to look at nad, if they want, ask for more info? Or is it just a case of having to force yourself to attend lots of Sony funded parties and all-expense meetings in expensive hotels to network and find out what everyone else is up to?

 

[DeanoC]

DeanoC do you know when developpers will have the authorization to show pictures and videos of their ps3 games ?

Thats PR stuff... not a place for a nice innocent boy like me

If I understood PR I'd probably drive a much faster car and have a model hanging off my arm

 

[DeanoC]

How do you know what tech people are working on and whether you'd like a look? eg. Did NT host up or broadcast somewhere the NAO32 HDR solution for other parties to look at nad, if they want, ask for more info? Or is it just a case of having to force yourself to attend lots of Sony funded parties and all-expense meetings in expensive hotels to network and find out what everyone else is up to?

At the moment it reallys on word and mouth mainly (though usually not at expensive hotels unfortanately).

 

[slider]

Thats PR stuff... not a place for a nice innocent boy like me

If I understood PR I'd probably drive a much faster car and have a model hanging off my arm

You gotta wonder about these Sony NDA's (I'm ignoring the leaky MS). The dev chaps on this board, fine upstanding individuals that they are, do however seem intensely discrete (and discrete for that matter). I wonder what kind of power Sony wields? It's gotto be more than just legal....

Kind of reminds me of that Stephen King adaptation: Cat's Eye where the dude tries to give up smoking.

 

[DeanA]

NT virtually always bug ATG about everything, as poor ol' DeanA knows only too well

Yeah, you can say that again!

 

[Titanio]

I wonder what kind of power Sony wields? It's gotto be more than just legal....

Like legal obligation ain't enough?

Think of it this way. Break a contract => get fired? That's power.

 

[TTP]

Thats PR stuff... not a place for a nice innocent boy like me

If I understood PR I'd probably drive a much faster car and have a model hanging off my arm

One can bet on February tho

All the publishers NDAs' embargoes I'm aware of end around February. That's the EA one about the PS3 version of Medal of Honor for example, and Midway has a next gen press meeting in LA (which I'm invited to ) planned for the end of Feb.

It wouldn't surprise me if our local Sony guy calls me tomorrow to arrange a trip to Japan for that month too.

I think Feb is gonna be HAWT.

 

[MrWibble]

You gotta wonder about these Sony NDA's (I'm ignoring the leaky MS). The dev chaps on this board, fine upstanding individuals that they are, do however seem intensely discrete (and discrete for that matter). I wonder what kind of power Sony wields? It's gotto be more than just legal....

Ninjas.


Seriously though, when you sign an NDA, you take it seriously. The legal ramifications would be very serious for a company if one were broken.

Bottom line though is that an NDA is only as effective as the people you let sign it - a well paid engineer has a lot to lose, especially if their company depends on releasing on a given platform to survive. On the other hand if you just water the plants or pack boxes you won't care too much and if makes you the center of attention to let a few things slip, what the hell. Sony do almost everything in house, and when they give us access to a new platform, only select people get let in on the act for a while. They run a tight ship. If other companies have a lot of sub contractors and aren't so careful, stuff will get out into the wild.

 

[mistan]

I think something's up....DeanA and DeanoC on at the same time....around CES.
Hmmmmm, what ever happened to the "Epic Unfold"ing?
*looks around in wonder*

Me being optimistic? maybe...
hehehehe, just causing a little mischief

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I imagine it has quite an impact on future employability too. Would you want to hire a guy who broke his NDA's?

 

[slider]

Like legal obligation ain't enough?

Think of it this way. Break a contract => get fired? That's power.

Yeah, it was kind of a joke hence the film comparison, but thanks anyway!

 

[mckmas8808]

At the moment it reallys on word and mouth mainly (though usually not at expensive hotels unfortanately).

Do you see a Sony developer's world where it begins to be less word of month and more combo engines? For example (to better clearify my point) there was a rumor that the Santa Monica team (I think they made God of War), the Naughty Dog team, and the Insomniac team were creating a powerful engine.

Do you see things like that actually be coming true in the near or far future?

 

[Titanio]

All the publishers NDAs' embargos I'm aware of end on February. That's the EA one about the PS3 version of Medal of Honor

Sure it's the PS3 version? Sweet, if so. (I'd be happy to see it on any platform, but sweet simply because of the implication for general new PS3 game info!)

They run a tight ship. If other companies have a lot of sub contractors and aren't so careful, stuff will get out into the wild.

Sounds like MS. Lots and lots of temps and contractors, at least that's the impression I've had.

 

[Carl B]

Well and NDA's have more going for them than just employment prospects. If a breach can be proven to have a 'material' effect on the company's possible revenues/marketing strategy/etc.. the breacher could be the target of quite the troublesome lawsuit.

That's the *real* power of NDA's, the job stuff is extra.

 

[MrWibble]

I imagine it has quite an impact on future employability too. Would you want to hire a guy who broke his NDA's?

I know of at least one person who broke an NDA, and subsequently not only lost their job, but struggled to find one so much they had to leave both the country and the industry. I'm not sure that happens too often, but breaking an NDA is a serious business and many companies don't really have a sense of humours about such things.

 

[ERP]

Sounds like MS. Lots and lots of temps and contractors, at least that's the impression I've had.

MS just shipped a lot more Devkits and docs a lot earlier.
The more people sign the more likely it is to leak.

Sony were really anal about who could sign initially, we had a programmer here who was lead programmer on a would be PS3 title who wasn't allowed access to the docs because his nationality wasn't on the list.

MS are in a different position they need to be as dev friendly as possible, and they are friendly with a lot of PC devs who seem to take NDA's a lot less seriously.