Acmlm's Board - I2 Archive - Game Creation Center - What do big game companies use?
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spiroth10
Posts: 19/21 |
Ok, I know this is a bit old, but I know a TON about this stuff... Im involved with teh homebrew communities, so I know (never made anything for a game console, though)...
ok, so what do they use? simple. as said above it's C/C++ and ASM. As for how this works, GCC and GPP (GNU C/C++ compilers) are built to specifically cross compile from a PC to the archetecture of the processor on the game system in it's own dialect... I built a GBA and a DC compiler on my slackware box.
there are compilers for:
PSX, Xbox, Genesis (although its just as complex to use C as it is ASM... so dont bother...), PS2, DC, GBC, GBA, and PLENTY of other systems, if you look hard enough...
as for scripting languages, the dreamcast is the only one to have a bunch of interpreters ported to it... so no, games usually are NOT written in scripting languages... This would utterly slow down the process of game creation, make the game 100x bigger, and slow it down. However, PCs are powerful enough to handle scripts better, so they are handled differently.
anyway, as for how the compilers work (in simpler words...)
basically you write the code on a PC as you would regular software. However, there are usually a specific set of libraries dedicated to that systems functions (i.e. the control pad). If not, your stuck using ASM only. These compilers are NOT the official SDKs, and are totally free. they then compile the code into the other systems ASM code (object code), as Dcahrakos said, and assemble them into a native binary to run on that specific system.
So now you have an extremely long, complex, description of how games are built, what builds them, and why most games do NOT use scripting languages. I couold drag this on forever to try and simplify it, but it can be broken down any more... |
setrodox
Posts: 238/238 |
i think you would need the official SDK for that. |
Sokarhacd
Posts: 1021/1757 |
not necessarily...what about the compilers that compile C++ into the right asm language, like the psx one, or gba one, and im sure theres more then that. |
Book Keeper
Posts: 91/160 |
Console games can be made with c++ but then you'd need a ASM script that o'll translate it for the console. |
||bass
Posts: 174/817 |
Originally posted by i_love_marching_band
ok, maybe a little more detail might get me a comprahendible answer. It's a fighting game for PS2 format.
What do you mean by "for PS2 format"?
You want to know how to write a PS2 game?
The processor used for the PS2 is a MIPS R3000. You can find some useful information here: http://www.cs.unibo.it/mps/. This page has information about cross-compiling GNU C to the MIPS R3000 platformn. |
Sokarhacd
Posts: 973/1757 |
that wouldnt help any....fighting games arent really any different then most other types of games, except they would be a little simpler, and not require as much programming, wouldnt change the programming language, so the answer is, ASM, or C++... |
i_love_marching_band
Posts: 11/11 |
ok, maybe a little more detail might get me a comprahendible answer. It's a fighting game for PS2 format. |
Kefka
Posts: 2433/3392 |
As far as the console games go, I'm very sure that they have programmers that create editors for specific games for them, and then the designers use the editors to make the games. |
Squash Monster
Posts: 498/677 |
(note: I'll be using scripting to refer to languages used to allow user customization -- games that don't support customization through scripts will typically do scripting tasks with something almost completely merged with their normal code, or at the very least game-specific.)
For PC, as has been said, it's usually C or C++ (C++ only recently though, really). Consoles are usually programmed in one of those or assembly. Console games will typically have their own scripting languages so they can use the bare minimum number of features to save space and improve performance. On PC, scripting tends to be done with specialized varients of C++ on some of the more computer-intensive games, with Java being the main choice otherwise. Python will probably come into prominence for scripting soon, but nothing will be replacing C, C++, and assembly any time soon. The only language I can think of that could compete with C and C++ is Forth, but nobody likes Forth.
If you'd like to ease yourself into what the big guys use, I'd recomend starting with Java. It's almost identical to C++, but it's friendlier (though it does run a little slower). Using Java means not having to learn the Windows API, which eats small children (this is only if you want your game to run on Windows, other APIs are a lot easier. There is also SDL and other cross-platform libraries that make things easier, but they're not always too easy to set up). |
Sokarhacd
Posts: 962/1757 |
for scripting they may even create, or use a specific scripting language, depending on their situation. for programming, like dark slaya said, ASM probably for console, and if they wanted to maybe a little c++....for pc would most likely be the same, but probably more C,C++ with some asm enhancements for speed, |
DarkSlaya
Posts: 3173/4249 |
For PC games, I guess they use High Level Programming Languages.
For Console games, they need the knowledge of ASM specific to the console's. |
i_love_marching_band
Posts: 6/11 |
Does anyone know what those big game companies like konami and such use to script and code thier games? |
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