Game Delvopment

evil wasabi

The Jongmaster
20 Year Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2000
Posts
60,434
Originally posted by Blaine:
<strong>Could you be a little more descriptive?</strong><hr></blockquote>

How much more?

Well I'd most like to work in 2d.
I've seen blank Rom Carts for the GBA I guess that's where I'll start.

Unless I home brew some Neo Stuff.
 

cgun

Fio's Quartermaster
Joined
Mar 25, 2002
Posts
493
If someone is going to start making games for the neo, as roms. I'll be there to help as much as i can. I'm very interrested in programming but i have no spare time... =(
 

evil wasabi

The Jongmaster
20 Year Member
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60,434
My movie is essentally begging for it's own game.
and the way it's written a 2d Fighter is a perfect complement.
 

Zenki

n00b
Joined
Dec 6, 2001
Posts
40
Practically any standard pc today would be more than decent. Heck, any pc from the last year would be more than sufficient.

Just make sure the pc you get is
  • On good hardware. Nothing sucks more than getting a pc with a crappy mobo that results in random crashes.
  • Has enough horsepower to emulate the platform you intend to develop for. You'll find that doing quick and dirty testing of your program on an emulator is key. Having to burn and test on hardware is pretty hard. Plus some good emulators come equipped with debugging features which is key to ironing out problems. A lot easier than building a debug cable to stick into your hardware. :D
  • Comfortable for you to work on for extended periods of time.

Chances are, since you're posting on the internet, the computer you have is more than sufficient.
 

sha-v

Crossed Swords Squire
Joined
May 15, 2002
Posts
191
And also very important to choos a OS that is good for developing -> Linux :)
 

Blaine

Hinako's Cook
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Jul 16, 2001
Posts
3,113
Well 'Game Development' is a profoundly vague concept.

It could qualify, just within the realm of video games, to a large cross-section of possible game types. It could be an old 2D sprite-based game, it could be a new 3D high poly game. It could be just using a game creation kit or a pre-existing engine, it could be writing your own engine in any number of languages which would also have a bearing on what kind of computer you should get. It could be for a PC, cross-platform computer or a pre-existing console. It could be a current or newer console or it could be an older or vintage console which, again, may factor in. That's the only reason I asked :) .

So if you're looking at, what would amount to 2D sprite games than there are a couple things to think about.

First, even if you're going to be doing the graphics and audio yourself, the most processor demanding part of the design process, arguably, you still won't need a Kung-Fu computer. Hell, something in the PII or PIII range would be more than enough for the purposes. If you were doing 3D work then you'd definately want to start at the high PIII range with as much RAM as you could dump in it and a passable 3D card if you have to do this with shallow pockets all the way to a pre-built $4000 Boxx monster with ultra-fast RAM, evil hard drives and professional 3D cards. But in your case you really don't need raw horsepower, so odds are if your computer is even remotely current you're fine on that end.

I do most of my game design work, as in scripts, ARNs, and treatments on an antique laptop. It's like a 486DX with 4MB of RAM. It's more than suitable for word processing and occasional sketches in Paint. The big benefit to it is I can take it anywhere, which is really nice if I have an idea I want to get down.

So from the design and production end of a 2D game you really don't need a whole hell of a lot.

If you made me give you a spec sheet I'd say:

• Operating System: Windows® 98SE/2000, Windows NT® 4.0 (Service Pack 6 or later)
• Processor: 233 MHz Intel® Pentium® II (or higher)
• Memory: 128 MB RAM
• Hard drive space: 400 MB of free space, plus space for user projects and source codes
• CD-ROM drive

Only because that's the requirements for the CodeWarrior Devkit for GBA, even if you didn't use that set of tools it's still obviously a decent benchmark.
 

Nightmare Tony

*Account control passed, on to Tony's family.Ex Ro
Joined
Sep 19, 2001
Posts
1,029
For game development, my particular weapons of choice are an Apple 2 GS at 10 MHz, a Sluggo 3 Eprom Emulator and a Needham Electronics Eprom Programmer. Software is Roger Wagner's Merlin.
 

Blaine

Hinako's Cook
Joined
Jul 16, 2001
Posts
3,113
Originally posted by eggplant_casserole:
<strong>SGIs are generally favoured by the pros ;)
</strong><hr></blockquote>

Not so much any more. SGI's are mostly for scientific work and some 3D houses use it. Most game development takes place on a Windows box, could be an SGI running NT but never Irix.

Therefore it's just as well to use any Windows computer with the appropriate hardware, as SGI's are very expensive.

Particularly since he wants to do 2D games for the GBA and Neo it'd be the equivelant of opening a refridgerator with a two-ton comealong.

A new SGI would be too expensive and unnecessarily powerful, and buying an old one isn't a smart idea either.

Most older video game devkits were dedicated hardware themselves, not so much SDK kits.

Odds are the original Neo programers used NEC's as they've always been very popular in Japan.
 

evil wasabi

The Jongmaster
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Aug 20, 2000
Posts
60,434
Not just the GBA but also the GP32 which from what I understand is easy to delvop for.
 

Blaine

Hinako's Cook
Joined
Jul 16, 2001
Posts
3,113
Originally posted by bemanisuperstar:
<strong>Not just the GBA but also the GP32 which from what I understand is easy to delvop for.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Easy is a very subjective concept. 'Easy' could simply be in reference to the availability of the SDK, which they actively support, that and a real homebrew and,unfortunately, pirate friendly* media.

For someone who is familiar with game design and architecture as well as programing and asset creation, then yeah it's fairly easy.

But if someone can barely program in BASIC then, no it won't be easy. It'll be EASIER than making a game in ASM and you'll probably find a good amount of support from the website and community.

So compared to developing for the Neo•Geo...yeah it's easy; you'll be using a higher-level programing language, one which will be easier to learn and understand as well as using a supported official SDK.

*I personally don't have the slightest bit of sympathy for the companies that develop for the GP32, when it comes to the issue of Piracy. They're putting games on an exceedingly simple to pirate console and it has to be something they're aware of.
 
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