DS to 360 – Secrets of Successful Multi-Console Development Kevin McIntosh & Stuart Cameron Torus Games for Game Connect: Asia Pacific 2008

What we’re talking about…. Quick history of the company Why we’re able to give the talk today Advantages for your customers Advantages for your studio Production perspective and a splash about art / audio / design The juicy part, programmer’s perspective and detail

Quick history of the company

Why we’re able to give the talk today

Advantages for your customers

Advantages for your studio

Production perspective and a splash about art / audio / design

The juicy part, programmer’s perspective and detail

A brief history of Torus Started in 1994 with 3 staff Developed more than 90 titles Worked with a wide variety of publishers Developed on a wide variety of target platforms Approved developer on all consoles Many staff coming up to 10 years at the company

Started in 1994 with 3 staff

Developed more than 90 titles

Worked with a wide variety of publishers

Developed on a wide variety of target platforms

Approved developer on all consoles

Many staff coming up to 10 years at the company

Torus’ Games & Platforms Game Boy – 6 Game Gear – 1 PC – 6 Playstation – 1 Sega Saturn – 1 Game Boy Color – 11 Game Boy Advance – 23 Playstation 2 – 8 Xbox – 2 N-Gage – 3 TOTAL – 94 titles LMAX – 5 Leapster – 2 PSP – 2 DS – 10 Gamecube – 1 Leapster 2 – 4 Roadrunner – 1 Didj – 1 Wii – 5 Xbox 360 – 1

Game Boy – 6

Game Gear – 1

PC – 6

Playstation – 1

Sega Saturn – 1

Game Boy Color – 11

Game Boy Advance – 23

Playstation 2 – 8

Xbox – 2

N-Gage – 3

TOTAL – 94 titles

LMAX – 5

Leapster – 2

PSP – 2

DS – 10

Gamecube – 1

Leapster 2 – 4

Roadrunner – 1

Didj – 1

Wii – 5

Xbox 360 – 1

The beginning…

Shrek Smash n’ Crash Racing Nintendo Gamecube Sony Playstation 2 Nintendo DS Nintendo Game Boy Advance Sony PSP 9 month development

Nintendo Gamecube

Sony Playstation 2

Nintendo DS

Nintendo Game Boy Advance

Sony PSP

9 month development

Recent multi-platform titles Shrek Smash N’ Crash Racing PS2, PSP, Gamecube, DS, GBA Legends of the Indy 500 Wii, PS2, DS Monster Jam 360, PC, Wii, PS2, DS Zoo Hospital DS, Wii Monster Jam: Urban Assault Wii, PS2, PSP, DS Current big platformer Wii, PS2, DS Next big title 360, PS3, Wii, DS

Shrek Smash N’ Crash Racing

PS2, PSP, Gamecube, DS, GBA

Legends of the Indy 500

Wii, PS2, DS

Monster Jam

360, PC, Wii, PS2, DS

Zoo Hospital

DS, Wii

Monster Jam: Urban Assault

Wii, PS2, PSP, DS

Current big platformer

Wii, PS2, DS

Next big title

360, PS3, Wii, DS

Banding Customers Production Design Audio creation Art creation Xbox 360 / Sony PS3 / PC Sony PS2 / Nintendo Wii / Sony PSP Nintendo DS

Customers

Production

Design

Audio creation

Art creation

Audio perspective Assets created in 48kHz, regardless of the platform Wii / 360 – 44.1kHz assets for sound and music DS – 11kHz music, 8kHz SFX What to stream? Platform RAM? Platform cartridge space? How to cut in the right places? Create assets for particular platforms if necessary – DS Concessions – subtitles rather than voice over moments

Assets created in 48kHz, regardless of the platform

Wii / 360 – 44.1kHz assets for sound and music

DS – 11kHz music, 8kHz SFX

What to stream? Platform RAM? Platform cartridge space?

How to cut in the right places?

Create assets for particular platforms if necessary – DS

Concessions – subtitles rather than voice over moments

Wii Wii ~200,000 tris 256x256 textures Vertex colour Lighting ~140,000 tris of grass.

PS2 PS2 ~50,000 tris 128x128 textures Vertex colour Lighting No grass.

Xbox 360 / PC Xbox 360 ~400,000 tris 512x512 textures Normal Maps Specular Maps Realtime sperical harmonic lighting system via FX shaders. No game lighting shown.

Nintendo DS DS ~6,000 tris 64x64 textures Vertex colour Lighting “ Faceme” Trees

Xbox 360 Xbox 360 ~20,000 tris 9x 1024x1024 textures 9x 512x512 textures

Trucks - Wii / PS2 Wii / PS2 ~5000 tris Wii 2x 512x512 textures x 256x256 textures PS2 2x 256x256 textures 1x 128x128 textures

Wii / PS2

~5000 tris

Wii

2x 512x512 textures

x 256x256 textures

PS2

2x 256x256 textures

1x 128x128 textures

Trucks - DS DS ~350 tris 1x 128x128 texture 2x 64x64 textures

Texture Pipeline Created at 1024 for Xbox360, made with Spec / Norm as standard Render from Maya with spec & normal map to add detail for low-end diffuse Batch reduced to suit the size and colour depth of other platforms

Created at 1024 for Xbox360,

made with Spec / Norm as standard

Render from Maya with spec & normal map

to add detail for low-end diffuse

Batch reduced to suit the size and colour depth

of other platforms

Texture Pipeline Maya Render Combines… 360 Diffuse Final Wii/PS2 Diffuse Output

Maya Render

Combines…

360 Diffuse

Final Wii/PS2 Diffuse

Output

Advantages to you… More valuable to publishers Original? More potential for sales More variety for team, more knowledge More efficient asset creation Quicker prototyping Avoid any console lulls

More valuable to publishers

Original? More potential for sales

More variety for team, more knowledge

More efficient asset creation

Quicker prototyping

Avoid any console lulls

Target Consoles Lots of target platforms: Nintendo DS Nintendo Wii PlayStation 2 PlayStation 3 PSP Xbox 360 PC … and others

Lots of target platforms:

Nintendo DS

Nintendo Wii

PlayStation 2

PlayStation 3

PSP

Xbox 360

PC

… and others

How? How do we target all those platforms and: Minimise overall development time Minimise reworking of existing code and assets Minimise risk (!) Maximise quality and quantity of game content Don’t restrict what we can do on high-end by also supporting low-end

How do we target all those platforms and:

Minimise overall development time

Minimise reworking of existing code and assets

Minimise risk (!)

Maximise quality and quantity of game content

Don’t restrict what we can do on high-end by also supporting low-end

Code Sharing (1) We share the same core libraries across ALL platforms, even Nintendo DS The PC and Xbox 360 run the same core engine as the Nintendo DS

We share the same core libraries across ALL platforms, even Nintendo DS

The PC and Xbox 360 run the same core engine as the Nintendo DS

Code Sharing (2) The secret: Shared header files, platform-specific implementations where necessary We share headers for all our core systems, including: Input File system Asset management & streaming Save games Sound system Networking Renderer Physics (common interface, subset of functionality on low-end) Math etc.

The secret:

Shared header files, platform-specific implementations where necessary

We share headers for all our core systems, including:

Input

File system

Asset management & streaming

Save games

Sound system

Networking

Renderer

Physics (common interface, subset of functionality on low-end)

Math

etc.

Code Sharing (3) All active projects run off a shared set of core libraries. Branching is delayed until games near completion. New projects always switch to the current trunk. Advantages: Less code to maintain (less bugs!) More efficient, cleaner code Consistency Code sharing Minimal learning curve across projects

All active projects run off a shared set of core libraries.

Branching is delayed until games near completion.

New projects always switch to the current trunk.

Advantages:

Less code to maintain (less bugs!)

More efficient, cleaner code

Consistency

Code sharing

Minimal learning curve across projects

Architectural Overview TSE Libraries Libcontent Game content Memory card Physics Audio Graphics Input Networking XML Movie Player TSE Core Types Math File System Memory Mgmt Asset System Debug Support Containers Entity System UI Common Entities Entity Space LiteScript Particle Effects Localisation Support

Fixed Point vs Floating Point (1) A simple typedef called fp32, either: a float, or a signed integer containing a 20.12 fixed point value Add & subtract use identical syntax Macros are used for multiply & divide Yes, precision can be an issue! less then you’d expect 20.12 is a good balance All our 2D & 3D vector, matrix, quaternion types share identical headers for ALL platforms, different per-platform implementations.

A simple typedef called fp32, either:

a float, or

a signed integer containing a 20.12 fixed point value

Add & subtract use identical syntax

Macros are used for multiply & divide

Yes, precision can be an issue!

less then you’d expect

20.12 is a good balance

All our 2D & 3D vector, matrix, quaternion types share identical headers for ALL platforms, different per-platform implementations.

Fixed Point vs Floating Point (2) The result: Shared game content code between fixed point and floating point platforms (eg. DS and Wii) Sounds like madness… Works incredibly well in practise! Used often for: character states missions game state camera control interactive game objects etc. Some selective #ifdefs where appropriate, but not many

The result:

Shared game content code between fixed point and floating point platforms (eg. DS and Wii)

Sounds like madness… Works incredibly well in practise!

Used often for:

character states

missions

game state

camera control

interactive game objects

etc.

Some selective #ifdefs where appropriate, but not many

Single-Core vs Multi-Core (1) Traditionally: Active game entities update themselves, their components and make expensive blocking calls to query game state Why is this bad? Regardless of concurrency issues, it’s bad for cache!

Traditionally:

Active game entities update themselves, their components and make expensive blocking calls to query game state

Why is this bad?

Regardless of concurrency issues, it’s bad for cache!

Single-Core vs Multi-Core (2) Solution: Move updating from entities to batch updated components owned by dedicated systems Break requests into discrete work units eg. Individual particle effects Physics islands Cloths Path finding Visibility checks Raycasts Spatial queries Assume jobs will take time to execute, possibly across frames

Solution:

Move updating from entities to batch updated components owned by dedicated systems

Break requests into discrete work units eg.

Individual particle effects

Physics islands

Cloths

Path finding

Visibility checks

Raycasts

Spatial queries

Assume jobs will take time to execute, possibly across frames

Single-Core vs Multi-Core (3) Your game entities then become: Simple state machines Submit jobs, poll them for completion Make decisions based on results and change state On multi-core systems: Run each job in parallel No synchronisation to worry about between them other than dispatching of the job On single-core systems: Great data & instruction cache utilisation It works just as well on low-end as on high-end A win across the board!

Your game entities then become:

Simple state machines

Submit jobs, poll them for completion

Make decisions based on results and change state

On multi-core systems:

Run each job in parallel

No synchronisation to worry about between them other than dispatching of the job

On single-core systems:

Great data & instruction cache utilisation

It works just as well on low-end as on high-end

A win across the board!

Endianness We take a simple approach to this: BAKE IT OFFLINE Why do something at runtime (eg. endian fixups) when you can do it offline when compiling the asset? Put the complexity into the tool, not your runtime code.

We take a simple approach to this:

BAKE IT OFFLINE

Why do something at runtime (eg. endian fixups) when you can do it offline when compiling the asset?

Put the complexity into the tool, not your runtime code.

TSEDataBuilder We use TSEDataBuilder to build almost all our binary assets. It manages: Memory usage across regions and alignment Endian fixups Pointer fixups Fixed point conversions Output: Another library is used to write out assets built using the TSEDataBuilder to our standard asset file format.

We use TSEDataBuilder to build almost all our binary assets.

It manages:

Memory usage across regions and alignment

Endian fixups

Pointer fixups

Fixed point conversions

Output:

Another library is used to write out assets built using the TSEDataBuilder to our standard asset file format.

Code Compilation We use Visual Studio .NET as our IDE, using: native vcproj file settings for Microsoft platforms Makefile targets executed from IDE for other platforms Standard makefiles across platforms with per-platform includes for compiler settings.

We use Visual Studio .NET as our IDE, using:

native vcproj file settings for Microsoft platforms

Makefile targets executed from IDE for other platforms

Standard makefiles across platforms with per-platform includes for compiler settings.

Art Pipeline Modelling, texturing, animation and collision done in Maya “ Scene” files: Maya exporter generates cross-platform text file format for models, animation & collision Can be compiled to native model format on any platform Simple material system: Mapping of materials to per-platform shaders

Modelling, texturing, animation and collision done in Maya

“ Scene” files:

Maya exporter generates cross-platform text file format for models, animation & collision

Can be compiled to native model format on any platform

Simple material system:

Mapping of materials to per-platform shaders

Overall Asset Management Goals Allow sharing of assets across appropriate target platforms (eg. Wii / PS2, Xbox 360 / PS3 / PC) Allow complete automation of CD/DVD image creation from source code and assets for all platforms. Stream everything! Textures, models, samples, scripts, entity placements, collision, strings… EVERYTHING . Fast load times Minimise RAM usage and fragmentation

Allow sharing of assets across appropriate target platforms (eg. Wii / PS2, Xbox 360 / PS3 / PC)

Allow complete automation of CD/DVD image creation from source code and assets for all platforms.

Stream everything! Textures, models, samples, scripts, entity placements, collision, strings… EVERYTHING .

Fast load times

Minimise RAM usage and fragmentation

The Answer: Compilation Just as we build code, we also build assets The same source assets are built to each of the target platforms

Just as we build code, we also build assets

The same source assets are built to each of the target platforms

Asset Compilation (1) Assets are compiled for each target platform Compiled from a mixture of cross-platform and platform-specific source assets Tools resolve dependencies between assets eg. Models reference textures including normal maps etc on some platforms only Placed entities reference script functions Script functions reference individual sounds and other assets Placed entities referencing script functions referencing other script functions referencing sound assets… and so forth.

Assets are compiled for each target platform

Compiled from a mixture of cross-platform and platform-specific source assets

Tools resolve dependencies between assets eg.

Models reference textures including normal maps etc on some platforms only

Placed entities reference script functions

Script functions reference individual sounds and other assets

Placed entities referencing script functions referencing other script functions referencing sound assets… and so forth.

Asset Compilation (2) Tools determines asset requirements for every load region of every level and game state offline . The naïve approach is for game entities to load the assets they require as they require them – our assets are loaded up-front before our game entities look for them. We fully automate disc image generation, from code compilation, asset compilation and bundling of assets.

Tools determines asset requirements for every load region of every level and game state offline .

The naïve approach is for game entities to load the assets they require as they require them – our assets are loaded up-front before our game entities look for them.

We fully automate disc image generation, from code compilation, asset compilation and bundling of assets.

Asset Compilation (3) All assets are written using a standard chunked file format, regardless of platform. RAM Layout: Each chunk in an asset can load into a different area of memory, including temporary allocations for upload to VRAM, sound RAM etc. Fixups: Helper library provides simple, uniform handling of pointer, float point / fixed point and endian fixups. Standard fixup chunk generated by asset compilation from helper library.

All assets are written using a standard chunked file format, regardless of platform.

RAM Layout:

Each chunk in an asset can load into a different area of memory, including temporary allocations for upload to VRAM, sound RAM etc.

Fixups:

Helper library provides simple, uniform handling of pointer, float point / fixed point and endian fixups.

Standard fixup chunk generated by asset compilation from helper library.

Asset Loading Runtime asset system does all file I/O and memory management Unified and straight-forward streaming Game systems simply register callbacks to trigger on completion of loading of their assets Game content requests loading of a hunkfile and polls for completion Internally load jobs are queued to avoid thrashing the disc

Runtime asset system does all file I/O and memory management

Unified and straight-forward streaming

Game systems simply register callbacks to trigger on completion of loading of their assets

Game content requests loading of a hunkfile and polls for completion

Internally load jobs are queued to avoid thrashing the disc

Network Gameplay Both local and wide area network gameplay are becoming more and more important Our single-player games are built as multi-player games with one player Allows us to easily support multiplayer on individual platforms as required

Both local and wide area network gameplay are becoming more and more important

Our single-player games are built as multi-player games with one player

Allows us to easily support multiplayer on individual platforms as required

Resolutions & Aspect Ratios All game consoles, PC and hand-helds are different! Target highest resolution the game needs to support Use the orthographic projection to scale & stretch display to native resolution & aspect ratio eg. 1600x1200 -> 640x480 4:3 1920x1200 -> 640x480 16:10 Assume fixed vertical resolution, horizontal can increase/decrease with aspect ratio Use vertical FOV as it’s aspect ratio independent, not horizontal

All game consoles, PC and hand-helds are different!

Target highest resolution the game needs to support

Use the orthographic projection to scale & stretch display to native resolution & aspect ratio eg.

1600x1200 -> 640x480 4:3

1920x1200 -> 640x480 16:10

Assume fixed vertical resolution, horizontal can increase/decrease with aspect ratio

Use vertical FOV as it’s aspect ratio independent, not horizontal

Safe Regions All consoles have different “safe regions” ie. a border around the display you’re not allowed to draw critical information into Position everything relative to edges your viewport, clamped to the edges of the safe region.

All consoles have different “safe regions” ie. a border around the display you’re not allowed to draw critical information into

Position everything relative to edges your viewport, clamped to the edges of the safe region.

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