John Comes, CTO, tinyBuild Navigating the design, technical, and production challenges for doing games on both consoles and PC can be a daunting task. We’ll explore the differences, give examples, and talk about strategies for success.

1. Cross Platform Juggling
John Comes

2. John Comes – CTO
Westwood Studios 2001 - 2003
Electronic Arts LA 2003 - 2004
Gas Powered Games 2005 - 2008
Uber Entertainment 2008 - 2017
tinyBuild 2017+

3. Why ship a game on different platforms?
• Money
• Exposure
• Future relationships

4. Platforms
These platforms will
account for over 95% of
your total sales

5. Platforms – Not Covering
• Great platforms
• Have unique benefits
• No company specific
platforms

6. TECHNICAL

7. Engines
The Promise
1. Build game
2. Push to any platform
3. Profit

8. Hardware – PS4
PS4, PS4 Slim, PS4 Pro
• High performance
• Play on TV
• PS4 Pro - 4k & HDR
• Controller light
• Touch Pad

9. Hardware – Xbox One
Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X
• High performance
• Play on TV
• Xbox One X - 4k & HDR
• Xbox One X Enhanced

10. Hardware – Switch
Nintendo Switch
• Lower performance
• Play on TV and handheld
• Joy Con’s have multiple
configurations
• IL2CPP Recommended

11. Hardware – Windows PC
Windows PCs
• Any performance, min-spec
• Play on 1+ Monitors, TV
• Steam is leading digital
platform
• Various hardware vendors
add in unique features

12. Technical Solution Example
• Abstract Code Layers for
• Achievements
• Networking
• User Handling
• Input Handling
• Others
• Build or buy tools

13. PRODUCTION

14. Working With
• 4 different work developer relations, reporting, and
management: SIEA, SIEE, SCEJ, SCEK
• Dev portals: SCEDev, TPRNet
• Global Product Proposal must be submitted
• Request for a title ID
• Allow 30 days for certification
• Need certified ratings for all regions
• Whitelisted IP to gain access

15. Working With
• One point of contact to work with - Microsoft
• Dev Portals: XDP, UDC
• Universal Windows Platform
• Request for a title ID
• Allow 30 days for certification
• Need certified ratings for all regions
• Unique user handling

16. Working With
• Nintendo has 3 different developer systems: NOA, NOE, NCL
• Developer portal has 10 different sites
• Must be careful about support of Joy Con
• Create products directly on their site
• Allow 30 days for certification
• No Achievement system
• Will work with IARC ratings

17. Working With
• Single point of contact - Valve
• Developer portal has two sites
• Can purchase a new product ID directly
• Can manage entire game through developer portal
• No certification, direct upload
• Ratings optional

18. Marketing & Exposure
• Store landing page is everything
• Work with platform holder to support their initiatives
• Make it easy on them to promote your game – Be proactive
• Leave schedule room for attending events and doing pre-ship
promotions
• A ready game can be marketed by your partners
• Use their trademarks correctly

19. Working with Sony
• Use the light bar
• Use the touchpad
• Use PS4 Pro enhancements
• Can it go PSVr?

20. Working with Microsoft
• Make it “Xbox One X Enhanced”
• Integrate Mixer Interaction

21. Working with Nintendo
• Same experience in handheld or
TV configuration
• Make use of the Joy Con in all
configurations
• Multiplayer on single screen and
handheld

22. Working with Valve
• Include Steam Works integration
• Use the Steam Workshop
• Incorporate User Generated
Content (UGC)
• Don’t update with broken builds
• Be fair across other PC Digital
Stores
• Steam Marketplace

23. Store Fronts – Common Features
• Various images needed for store pages
• Some platform branded
• Marketing copy for name, descriptions, feature set, etc
• Copy translated
• Do EFIGS as minimum
• Trailer videos
• Price
• Rating info
• Distributed countries

24. Store Fronts – Unique Features
• Sony & Nintendo have separate sites to add store data
• Xbox requires an excel file and a zip for art assets, other
stores have direct upload
• Steam does not require any certification
• Xbox, Sony, & Nintendo require certification per update
• Nintendo can use IARC ratings, Sony & Xbox need individual
• Steam offers crowd sourced translations

25. DESIGN

26. Design Considerations
• Design to the strengths of the platform
• Virtual thumbpads
• Radial Menu vs List Menus
• Non-traditional button layouts
• Keyboard Remapping for PC
• Consider different balance per platform
• Shooters need help on Console

27. Monday Night Combat
VIEW
FRICTION
VIEW
ADHESION
AIM
ATTRACTION
SNIPER
MAGAZINE
TANK
CHARGE DMG
FIREBASE
ARMOR
JUMP JET
RECHARGE
4
10

28. CONCLUSION
• Know the technical strengths of each platform
• Don’t underestimate the effort, nuance, and time it takes to port your game
• Cultivate good relationships with platform holders
• Work with the platforms to integrate their needs into your game
• Understand that platforms are global and deal with it
• Make design changes that best suit each platform
• Publishers can be a huge help with every challenge

29. CONTACT
JOHN COMES – CTO
john@tinybuild.com
@JohnComes
@tinyBuild
www.tinybuild.com