Microsoft develops '' X-Engine '' tools for first party developers

[bagofsuck]

You may not know it, but Microsoft shipped a new Xbox 360 development kit to studios earlier in the year. One striking difference was the inclusion of one-gigabytes of RAM. No, this does not mean that Microsoft will be releasing a new Xbox 360 with more memory; the new kit instead makes development a little easier.

...

So that's Microsoft's first initiative. Something else might have surprised developers when they received their new Xbox 360 development kit; a new set of tools, or more accurately a new engine. According to our insider source, Microsoft has been on working a new internal Xbox 360 engine, which has been nick-named the X-Engine.

...

Our source explains that Sony's PlayStation 3 tools (named Edge) have been picking up steam, and are now taking true advantage of the platform's make-up, especially the consoles CPU, Kutaragi-san's infamous Cell. As for the Xbox 360, it was lacking an engine that took advantage of it in the same way; a hole Microsoft hopes to plug with their new X-Engine. We're told that the engine isn't just a new set of special effects; it's actually a whole new way to develop for the system: a new first party engine design.

http://www.gamezine.co.uk/news/form...e-truth-about-xbox-360-relaunch--$1305320.htm

sorry if is old.


mod: do not post whole articles!, other sites want revenue too.

 

[liolio]

It not old news and I'm actually willing to hear about it (X-Engine). For a while I've been wandering if as Ms seems reluctant to invest in first party studios they may consider become a engine/middle ware provider to secure and give a competitive advantage to theirs second tiers studio.

Between you should edit your post and include some quote as most parts of your post are indeed part of article

 

[AlNom]

I'd wonder if Epic has a stronger tie relating to this. FWIW, the Natal demos during the E3 press conference were UE3 (according to Mark Rein in a video interview).

 

[Rangers]

Sounds promising. For a long while I''ve felt the 360 isn't being "pushed" like the PS3 especially by first party, and maybe this will help rectify it.

 

[betan]

Where does it say "for first party developers", if I may ask?

 

[ultragpu]

An improved XNA tool?

 

[deepbrown]

An improved XNA tool?

"We're told that the engine isn't just a new set of special effects; it's actually a whole new way to develop for the system: a new first party engine design."

 

[deepbrown]

Where does it say "for first party developers", if I may ask?

Nowhere - for all developers.

 

[obonicus]

Sounds promising. For a long while I''ve felt the 360 isn't being "pushed" like the PS3 especially by first party, and maybe this will help rectify it.

But isn't part of the whole appeal of Edge tools essentially that they're used by Naughty Dog? Is X-Engine being used by any first parties of note? To what results? It's not like devs couldn't already get the tech that pushes one of the 360's most graphically impressive games -- lots of people license UE3 already (at a cost, naturally -- but 'free' doesn't seem to be a touted selling point of this X-engine).

P.S. 'Kutaragi-san's infamous Cell' -- really, Gamezine?

 

[deepbrown]

But isn't part of the whole appeal of Edge tools essentially that they're used by Naughty Dog? Is X-Engine being used by any first parties of note? To what results? It's not like devs couldn't already get the tech that pushes one of the 360's most graphically impressive games -- lots of people license UE3 already (at a cost, naturally -- but 'free' doesn't seem to be a touted selling point of this X-engine).

P.S. 'Kutaragi-san's infamous Cell' -- really, Gamezine?

Naughty Dog contributed to the Edge Tools, as did GG etc. Edge tools are available to all PS3 developers. The whole point is we don't yet know which devs are using it. At a guess I'd say it's being used for Forza 3.

PS. What's wrong with that? It was Kutaragi's brain child.

 

[obonicus]

Naughty Dog contributed to the Edge Tools, as did GG etc. Edge tools are available to all PS3 developers. The whole point is we don't yet know which devs are using it. At a guess I'd say it's being used for Forza 3.

True, I had actually forgotten about Forza.

But on Edge, this is part of the sales pitch for it:

There’s a set of tools called Edge that were developed on the Naughty Dog premises, actually, by a group of very, very senior games programmer, some from Naughty Dog and some from elsewhere. I think it’s tremendously visionary of Sony to make these tools, which are largely low-level libraries.

And the point I was trying to make is: when Naughty Dog says 'a group of 5th Dan ND ninja coders (among others) worked on it' they're throwing their own technical reputation behind the toolset. You know what that is. Microsoft might have similar talent, but the point is we don't know; what authority does MS have when it comes to building game engines? You'd think they'd advertise whether Turn10 has had its fingers in this X-engine (which I imagine they probably had).

Edit: I'm not saying it's bad, or worthless, just questioning the idea that this will push the 360 hardest. Mind you, I don't think the Edge tools do that either for the PS3 but I understand why someone could think that -- it's the 'ND and GG, wow!' response.

PS. What's wrong with that? It was Kutaragi's brain child.

The word 'infamous'.

 

[deepbrown]

True, I had actually forgotten about Forza.

But on Edge, this is part of the sales pitch for it:



And the point I was trying to make is: when Naughty Dog says 'a group of 5th Dan ND ninja coders (among others) worked on it' they're throwing their own technical reputation behind the toolset. You know what that is. Microsoft might have similar talent, but the point is we don't know; what authority does MS have when it comes to building game engines? You'd think they'd advertise whether Turn10 has had its fingers in this X-engine (which I imagine they probably had).

Edit: I'm not saying it's bad, or worthless, just questioning the idea that this will push the 360 hardest. Mind you, I don't think the Edge tools do that either for the PS3 but I understand why someone could think that -- it's the 'ND and GG, wow!' response.



The word 'infamous'.

Well yes, that's the ICE team. But lots of other devs contributed. I expect it's the same for the X-Engine. Though it's still a rumour remember.

Well I think it's pretty "infamous"

 

[liolio]

I think MS may work in a different way than Sony and its army of studios.
Every year Ms show stuff about optimizations, profiling, their growing library for WMX, their concurrent to Intel TBB, etc. A lot of stuff that are not directly used by dev.
They may have decided with some help (actual developper) to put pieces together, Ms has huge "human working power". They may have start something from quake ...

But anyway I'll wait for more proper informations as it stands I feel like some parts of the article could missleading.

 

[grandmaster]

The story doesn't have much basis in reality from what I've been told today.

 

[deepbrown]

The story doesn't have much basis in reality from what I've been told today.

What were you told today?

 

[Fafalada]

But isn't part of the whole appeal of Edge tools essentially that they're used by Naughty Dog?

The appeal of Edge is that it's a set of tools/components rather then an "engine".

 

[deepbrown]

The appeal of Edge is that it's a set of tools/components rather then an "engine".

Perhaps this is the same then. Would be just as big news wouldn't it?

 

[Shifty Geezer]

The appeal of Edge is that it's a set of tools/components rather then an "engine".

Yes. Bear in mind an engine is only really going to be suited to one type of game or other. You may not want a complete engine, but may want help getting a particular game component running efficiently. For those wanting less performance and more ease, there's PhyreEngine. I'm not sure what level X-Engine (lame name BTW! What's with MS and all these X's? They're so 1980s!) is gunning for. A straightforward engine built around XNA may aid indie developers more than a complex highly-optimised one. And it's not like XB360 has been looking bad next to PS3 to warrant a large investment in efficiency

 

[deepbrown]

Yes. Bear in mind an engine is only really going to be suited to one type of game or other. You may not want a complete engine, but may want help getting a particular game component running efficiently. For those wanting less performance and more ease, there's PhyreEngine. I'm not sure what level X-Engine (lame name BTW! What's with MS and all these X's? They're so 1980s!) is gunning for. A straightforward engine built around XNA may aid indie developers more than a complex highly-optimised one. And it's not like XB360 has been looking bad next to PS3 to warrant a large investment in efficiency

Yeah, but they do need some games to really push it. It's prob a set of development tools (and not just tools to measure efficiency)

 

[ultragpu]

MS should offer a central HUB for tech sharing for all their 1st party devs just like what Sony is doing atm. We've seen beautiful things came out of that approach didn't we? One master engine for all games sounds ridiculous.