THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE APE IS NOW LIVE!

Finally!

The campaign for the Asset Pipeline Editor is live at http://igg.me/at/theape

Hope you guys find it attractive and decide to contribute either financially and or by helping me spread the word.

Cheers!
~Pete

NO MORE GAME DISCS, PLEASE !!!

Today, prices and availability dates have been unveiled for the upcoming Wii U console.

Among its specs it is mentioned that game discs for this console will have a 25GB capacity while the internal HDD storage will be either 8GB or 32GB.

I don’t know whether you think the same, but I believe it is time for the game industry to move away from CDs and DVDs.

In spite of the improvements some consoles have introduced in order to avoid scratches (like the XBox 360), it’s really annoying and frustrating when a game disc gets eventually scratched on a relevant area for the game to properly run.

So, as we wait for a full switch to the Cloud nirvana, why not replacing discs by other hardware like flash drives? Nowadays, a memory stick can have large capacities.

I’m not talking here of empty flash drives that you can buy to then plug it into the console to save downloadable games, but drives already prepared and commercialized by publishers containing the game.

Imagine a flash drive with one read-only memory area (where the first version of the game is stored) and a protected memory area for patches (I will leave game content out of this picture, for now). It would be like going back to the cartridge era with a modern twist.

Smaller box-art and more portability for games not commercialized through the Cloud are some of the additional benefits.

So let’s hope devs of next-gen consoles -like the XBox 720- embrace this thought …

Cheers!
~Pete

[Btw, this could be also applied on laptops, notebooks, ultrabooks and so on so forth]

DBP 2012: WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Microsoft has published the list of winners for this year’s Dream.Build.Play contest.

Winners for the XBox360 console:

https://www.dreambuildplay.com/main/winners.aspx#winnersXbox-tab

Winners for the WinPhone device:

https://www.dreambuildplay.com/main/winners.aspx#winnersWinphone-tab

Congrats to all winners!

Cheers!
~Pete

IMPORTANT NEWS ABOUT WINDOWS PHONE 8

In the last few days there have been tons of news regarding the upcoming Windows Phone 8.

I am thrilled with two of them, especially:

• The addition of new markets, and
• Marketplace pre-compilation of apps.

New Markets

For years I have been sending comments and suggestions to Microsofties (including TPTB), so as to open the AppHub (both WP7 and XBLIG) to devs in countries outside the list of supported ones. Ditto for XBLive services and marketplaces.

As a dev living in one of the unsupported countries, it was quite frustrating that the only two ways to get your app/game to the AppHub were either opening a company in, say, the US, and or talking to a publisher. Being both solutions, cumbersome.

Recently, MSFT announced that for Windows Phone 8, this is finally becoming a reality. So, at launch, over 180 countries will be added to the WinPhone8´s Marketplace (consumers) and its related AppHub (developers).

Please, allow me getting it off my chest: FINALLY!!!

Marketplace Pre-Compilation

On March, 2010, I had submitted a suggestion to the XNA Team through the Connect site entitled “Native Image On-The-Fly” (edit: I am afraid it got lost in the last database purge, so the provided link won´t work).

My suggestion was pre-compiling all approved apps/games to be published on the XBLIG channel to native images. Given the similar architecture of the XBox 360 consoles, this should be a straightforward process to be done once per app/game on the server side, with low-to-none chances of image corruption as target hardware would not change, saving the customer from waits stemming from Jittering during execution.

The benefit, simple: faster start-up and running times of games since the console would be executing native images of assemblies instead of the (MS) intermediate-language versions of them (please note that memory would still be “managed”).

As a result of one of the new features introduced to WinPhone8 devices (that is, support of native code), there was no reason why the above-mentioned rationale would be kept away from the upcoming product.

Well, … MSFT also announced that the Apphub will introduce a new service: pre-compilation of assemblies.

So, if you build with managed code, the assemblies you submit to the AppHub will be compiled by the servers to native code before they make it into the marketplace.

Please, allow me again getting it off my chest: FINALLY!!!

Both news are a huge step forward. Let us hope MSFT eventually extend them to the XBox360’s AppHub …

Cheers!
~Pete

WINDOWS PHONE 8 … YOU MEAN 7.8? NOPE …

Microsoft is letting a very interesting group of cats out the bag these days. First the news of its tablets (Surface) and now the news related to a new phone: Windows Phone 8.

You may be probably thinking that is not a new phone after all but a whole rebrand of an existing phone packed with a future update. If that is the case, you would be wrong. So wrong in fact, that you missed the lines that explain/claim that:

1. The phone will be bundled with a new OS, which require a more powerful hardware than the one existing on WP7 devices,
2. Windows Phone 7 devices will NOT be receiving this new OS but an update (to version 7.8), which will help to reduce the UX-gap between phones, and
3. The new devices will allow devs to use native code and do native calls. Yes, C/C++ …

Let us talk about each of these points for a moment. Shall we?

(I) The new OS

To keep the story short: if Windows 8 will be out soon, what else could you expect?

Now, the long explanation …

Microsoft is trying to extend the success around the XBox 360 console –yes, despite the RROD problem- to other platforms in order to unify the user experience on the multimedia front to compete with others big players for their marketshare, like Apple and Google. And the new OS is a step in that front.

A broad set of hardware will be powered by the Windows 8 OS in the near future (PCs, tablets, …, consoles?), which in turn will help MSFT to position as a strong provider of a unified multimedia experience. So, providing a new OS branded with the number “8” for window phones is something one could have been expecting some time ago.

Will its strategy succeed? Well, that leads me to the discussion of the second point.

(II) The “Old” Phones

In my previous post, I briefly mentioned the doom of a device that seemed promising by the time it came out: the Zune HD.

Let me be clear here. The first Zune devices had nothing to offer against their “i” counterparts. But that was not the case for the Zune HD: neither in hardware, nor in software.

The Zune HD device opened the door for the Windows Phone and also influenced, to some extent, the look’n’feel of both, the current 360’s dashboard and the UI of the “8-based” OS. And yet, it was left behind in the dust …

Now, if the “old” 7 phones will be receiving an update in order to let users experience a taste of what the new OS will offer, why mentioning what happened to the Zune, then?

Because users (customers and devs) could deem this behavior as a tendency, as if the were treated as mere beta testers of MSFT’s experiments with mobile hardware: Zune, Zune HD, the infamous Kin, developer WP7 devices, and eventually retail WP7 devices.

Not to mention that this may represent a slap in the face to one of its newest and major partners, Nokia, which recently released into the market a new line of WP7 devices!

One can understand that a new OS may require new hardware to enjoy the full set of features it might offer, but rushing and or pushing things into the market this way, in a track-record of “no-more-support” deeds in a short period of time, could only become eventually a winning move if MSFT shows a strong commitment from now on to support its upcoming devices, for a reasonable minimum number of years.

Make no mistake, I am a MSFT supporter, but it does not prevent me to chime in and do a wake-up call when I see a warning signal.

As usual in life, time will tell …

(III) Native Code

“Developers, developers, developers …”

Allowing native code on a Windows Phone is a fantastic move!!!

But stating that by allowing native code it would be easier to port existing frameworks to the windows-phone environment is, imho, vague. It depends on a combination of factors: how many platforms you want to support, the techonologies you use to develop apps, and or how sensitive you are to fragmentation of code (since this feature will not be available to WP7 apps), to mention just a few.

Now, does this mean that you must use native languages for WP8? The answer is “No”. You can still use managed ones like C# (specially if you want to create apps and games for both, WinPhone 7 and 8 devices).

Does this mean you can still use XNA to produce games for WP8 devices? In spite of the fact that more and more it seems that XNA will be no longer updated –and no other official managed solution would take its place, the answer is “Yes”.

However, the answer for XNA-based games seems to be “No” for other platforms like the new “Surface” tablet and Windows 8 on ARM (on desktop mode you could still use it), unless you switch to unofficial solutions like Monogame or ANX.

Personally, I do not care whichever languages/techs a dev picks to develop apps and or games. But I do care about using the same languages/tech for the most amount of target platforms out there to economize resources. That is why solutions like Unity3D are so popular these days …

So I hope MSFT eventually returns to the dream of “The N Screens”, allowing for all its devices with the less amount of key differences (that is, on what can be used/called/consumed), both, native languages and also native calls from managed code, so that devs can pick the right combination for their needs and or preferences …

To wrap it up, some may be in favor, some may argue about pros and cons, and some may complain, but let us be honest and recognize that interesting times lay ahead.

The only news left behind –at least, for now- is related to the rumored XBox 720. But who knows? Maybe we will receiving some official words from MSFT sooner than we expect …

Cheers!
~Pete

SURFACE: THE NEW TABLET FROM MICROSOFT

Microsoft has recently presented its own line of tablets powered with the soon-to-come Windows RT and 8 Pro operative systems: the Microsoft Surface –branded with the new logo.

Two major hardware specs will be available, which will depend on the OS flavor that comes with the tablet, but on the overall the product looks promising.

A flood of comments and opinions has covered the Internet since then, but personally, I believe it is a very interesting product. All I hope is that this time, MSFT gives this line of products a very different fate than the one the Zune (HD) devices had …

Enough words, so here’s the presentation video:

Something tells me that the mouse era –and the keyboard´s, as we know it- is coming to an end.

Enjoy!
~Pete

> Link to Spanish version.

NETFLIX NOW AVAILABLE IN THE REGION!

First was Brazil, and now Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay will count on Netflix providing its multimedia services.

This is a huge leap on the region and many cable providers are starting to worry.

Uruguay has recently finished the work of laying a fiber-optics cable beneath the sea, thus before year-end uruguayan homes will be enjoying speeds around 100Mbs (hopefully sync). Finally!

Now all we need, and personally hope, is that Microsoft opens the XBox Live Arcade channel for the region (and Live services).

C´mon Microsoft! Show some love …

~Pete

> Link to Spanish version.

“LONG TIME NO SEE”

For the last few months I have been immersed in a code rush to get my first commercial game published on iTunes’ App Store. And finally, I’m proud to say that it made it into the market!

http://itunes.apple.com/app/just-survive/id424392950

The name says a lot about the game: Just Survive!

I had originally started working on it on 1998 and published it on the web during 1999. At that time there was just one enemy and scores were saved locally. The game didn’t get noticed but many people because everything was much different from the globalization we are experiencing now, but I remember having received an email message from someone who wrote something like:

Nice game. I have been playing it for 45 minutes and I want to know how much longer I have to play it to get to the first boss; btw, highscores aren’t been saved on your server …

That message helped me to decide –a few years after- whether to jump into the indie Industry. And today, here I am …

The game has gone through lots of modifications since then, 90% of them happening during 2010/2011, so I can now say the you’ll get to fight many types of enemies, more than one boss and there’s global leaderboards!

Here’s the trailer on Youtube:

Just Survive! First Trailer

This is one of the four games I have in production for different platforms, so in the following months expect some news about them.

Hope you like it … and buy it!
~Pete

> Link to Spanish version.

OFFICIAL WP7 VIDEO AD: “REALLY?”

As you may know, the set of Windows Phone 7 devices has been recently presented to the world during an event in NY city.

Now, the first official video advertisement –entitled “Really?"- is out:

Enjoy!
~Pete

> Link to Spanish version.

XNA GS 4.0 FINAL IS NOW OUT

Today is a great day for us, XNAers, since the final version of XNA Game Studio 4.0 is now up for grabs!

Please check Aaron Stebner’s blog for installation details.

Enjoy!
~Pete

> Link to Spanish version.

IT’S OFFICIAL: KINECT PRICE CONFIRMED!

You all know this: lately, there has been plenty of speculation around the price of the upcoming new device for the XBox 360 console, originally known as “Project Natal” and recently renamed as Kinect.

Well, the time for speculation is over since MSFT has confirmed prices for standalone and bundled options.

Interested? Then find out more here.

Cannot wait to get “kinected” :)
~Pete

> Link to Spanish version.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

The “final six” and the cash-prize winners for this year Dream.Build.Play competition have been recently announced.

As you may know, the compo had been split in two flavors: the standard one and the Old-Spice challenge.

Well, the name of the game and dev team that won the latter has been also published.

Congrats to all the winners and finalists!
~Pete

> Link to Spanish version.

WATCHING THE SUN BURN - PART 3

A little while ago I wrote a couple of tech-oriented posts regarding the rendering engine -for XNA GS- known as “Sunburn”.

This time, I’ll skip the technical side of things to share some great news about the latest version of it, which has been just released: it fully supports lighting and shadowing for Avatars!!!

Is it a soft shadow what I’m seeing projected in there? Cool … gotta download v1.3.1 right now!

Enjoy!
~Pete

> Link to Spanish version.

RAIMI WANTS A “PANIC ATTACK”

Do you guys remember how Montevideo was attacked by an horde of giant robots and high-tech fighters?

Well, according to many news that have been recently posted around the globe, Sam Raimi’s contacted the authors of this amazing short-film in order to convert it into a whole movie.

Well done, guys! You really deserve it …

Cheers!
~Pete

> Link to Spanish version.

WATCH OUT THE XBOX 360 YOU BUY!

It’s been a little while since my last post; well … there’s a wonderful reason for that: last week my first son was born! So, I had little-to-none time left for blogging.

Ok, down to business now …

In the past few weeks you may have heard and or witnessed that a new update for the XBox 360 was recently released, bringing a bunch of new exciting features like Twitter, Facebook and Last.fm support.

You may have also heard that Microsoft banned unofficial memory units.

Well, that is not what I’m going to blog about today!

There is one more thing you may have heard (and I hope you haven’t experienced yourself): MSFT has banned a plethora of (modified) consoles (the buzz is that the number of bans is close to one million consoles).

The reason? Simple: fighting against piracy.

Thus, if -for whatever reason- you hacked the disc drive, installed unauthorized software, created a modded version of the console, and –maybe in some cases- repaired it yourself from the RROD with a custom solution, then you are likely to lay within the unlucky number!

What does a banned 360 mean? Simply put: the XBox Live service is not available any longer to that console. The owner can still play offline, but forget about Arcade and Indie games.

And since the gamertag/account is not banned, just the console, that gamer can purchase a new console to regain access to those channels. What brings me to the main topic of this post:

WATCH OUT THE XBOX 360 CONSOLE YOU BUY!!!

As a result of the massive banning process, many owners of banned 360s are trying to sell those consoles through popular online auction sites, claiming that they never experienced technical problems, offering a bunch of (pirated) games, and not even mentioning that console is “modded” in the first place.

Always remember: the ban is on the console itself, so if you happen to buy a banned 360, it doesn’t matter that you have a valid gamertag / account, the ban on the console won’t disappear.

So, be careful on the 360 you pick: verify it’s a brand new one on a sealed (never opened) pack before closing any deal.

And don’t install pirate software: is illegal, and eventually -as this wave of bans prove, it turns to be more expensive than doing things right in the first place!

Play safe,
~Pete

> Link to Spanish version.

RULES FOR MULTIPLE LANGUAGES IN XBLIG

Recently, there’s been some fuss regarding the use of (symbols from) unsupported languages in Xbox Live Indie Games (in particular, traditional Mah-jong symbols).

This discussion led the XNA Team to post the following two messages to clarify things:

• Indie Games May Not Include Unsupported Languages, and
• Amendment to Rules Regarding Mixed Language Games.

Read both messages carefully and if you still have questions post them in or browse the forums to get the answers.

‘till next time,
~Pete

 

> Link to Spanish version.

NEW XBLIG BARGAINS!

As of today and on, the only prices available for XBox Live Indie Games will be 80, 240 and 400 points (that is in American dollars: one, three and five, respectively).

As a result of this mandatory switch, all games that were offered for 200 points are now selling at the bargain price of 80 points … 1 dollar!

On Gamerbytes, you can find info about some of the games selling at $1 and or you can also visit XBLA & XBLIG Ratings for a complete list of the games being offered for this price.

Time to get lots of bargains!!!

Enjoy!
~Pete

 

> Link to Spanish version.

SNEAK PEEK: 360’S DASHBOARD UPDATE

1UP has published a video showing off the features coming next with the dashboard update of the XBox 360 console; that is:

• Twitter,
• Facebook,
• Last.fm, and
• Zune Marketplace.

But that’s not it! Major Nelson has posted info on how to sign up for the update preview so as to start enjoying the upcoming features right now.

So, do you have a Xbox 360? And, is the XBox Live service available for the country where you live?

If the answer to both questions is “yes”, then what the heck are you waiting for?!!!

Enjoy,
~Pete

 

> Link to Spanish version.

NEW XBOX CONSOLE FOR 2012 ?

Lately, there’s been some buzz regarding the near future of MSFT’s main gaming console.

Words like “XBox 720”, “X-Engine” and “Project Phoenix” have been used. But what do they mean, exactly?

According to this article, “Project Phoenix” is the name internally given by MSFT for what some people outside the Company have called “XBox 720”.

Now, a more recent article states that the new console would hit the markets on 2012, with a new gfx card from ATI so as to maintain backward compatibility as well as boost performance.

Regarding the latter (performance), a new “X” engine would have been recently released, not only including a new set of tools but also “a whole new way to develop for the system” -as this third article says).

I don’t know whether all these “news” are true or not, but it’s an interesting read, though.

Plus, imvho, there’s a lot of “360” yet to enjoy, specially when Project Natal gets out; don’t you think?

Stay tuned,
~Pete

 

> Link to Spanish version.

VIRTUAL EVENT: “THE NEW EFFICIENCY”

There’s a very interesting virtual event to be held today. If you either speak and or understand the Spanish language you cannot miss it!

Read on …

Today, Microsoft will present with experts live and demonstrations the new concept of efficiency!

Some of the topics being addressed during the event cover the following technologies/products:

• Windows 7,
• Windows Server 2008 R2,
• Exchange Server 2010, and
• Fore Front.

So, what are you waiting for? Just go and register for the event a.s.a.p.:

http://www.lanuevaeficiencia.com/

Enjoy!
~Pete

 

> Link to Spanish version.