How to develop and localize Xbox 360 Titles. 강상진 XBOX Program Manager 한국마이크로소프트소프트웨어연구소

Transcription

1 How to develop and localize Xbox 360 Titles 강상진 XBOX Program Manager 한국마이크로소프트소프트웨어연구소

2 Agenda Xbox Title DEV Team Xbox Software Architecture Overview XTL(Xbox Title Library) XDK(Xbox Development Kit) Creating an Xbox Project What is Localization? Q&A

3 Xbox Title DEV Team Producer/Program Manager Programmers Artists Designers Sound Designers/Composers Testers Writers Marketing

4 Producer/Program Manager Hub of communication Specifications Team meetings Resolving design conflicts Communication to management Responsible for budget In many companies responsible for hiring team. Usually one main producer with associate or executive producer

5 Programmers Lead programmer acts as architect of the game, managers other developers, sets up build processes etc. Graphics programmers Rendering engine. Usually at least 2. AI programmers artificial intelligence. Used to be smaller team. Now is increasing to 2-3. Network programmer at least one. UI programmer - usually 1 newer programmer or is scripted. Audio programmer almost always combined with another function. Tools programmers depends on what tools the team is using. Usually most of the team is dedicated to tools at one point in the process. Focus is typically art/level design tool work. Some studios will use middleware for engine reducing this work. Some studios will have an internal shared tools team.

6 Artists Art director/lead artists Responsible for visual look and feel of game Reviews art by team and sets direction Concept artist shared resource Used early during design time to describe look and feel

7 Crimson Skies

8 Xbox Concept Art

9 Artists (cont.) Modelers All 3D modeling depending on game can be anywhere from 2-5 Animators Responsible for all animations Anywhere from 2-3 2D artists not as common as they once were UI/setup UI, splash screen, manuals Sometimes these artists will do some script or mock up for UI functionality. Typically one or two of these on a project Texture artists All texturing in game. Up to 2 people in this role Terrain artists. They typically both model and texture. For outdoor games like Crimson or Mech terrain resources creation can represent a large percentage of overall art staff duties Effects artist Responsible for all particle effects/explosions etc. Usually a shared role between teams or combined with another role Cinema/cut scenes/photographs

10 Designers Lead Designer Owns overall vision of the game. Works with team to incorporate best ideas The more technical the better the designer Level designers Responsible for individual levels or areas in the game. Depending on abilities and toolset, handle layout as well as scripting of levels. Sometimes programmer handles scripting Can be 2-6 depending on game Multiplayer designer Teams will sometimes have designer just dedicated to this area given its importance, balance issues etc.

11 Sound Designers/Composers Sound designers Responsible for designing the audio for the game. Utilize many sound libraries and create from scratch. Composers Design the music track for the game. Not on every project. Particularly important for period games.

12 Testers Game testers Testers focused on the game play Core team members Usability testing Focuses on ease of use in particular UI Often a shared team. Use one to lead with external people testing Gameplay balancing/playtesting External to the team. Gives feedback on balance of game and first user experience Both internal testers and external Often a shared team Beta program All external testers Usually most important in PC games where you have many configurations Configuration testing Shared team with hardware lab. More common with PC

13 Story writers Writers Can take an overall story idea and make it cohesive and ensure it fits into the universe (ala MechWarrior) Usually a shared service or contracted team Script writers Script the dialogue of the game. Example: Crimson Skies set in 30 s. Needed dialogue consistent with the time Usually a shared service or contracted team Manual writers More common in PC where manuals can be large Usually a shared service. Sometimes this is done by the designers

14 Marketing Responsible for developing the messaging, box, advertisements, pricing, promotions. Usually a shared service. In small development shops this role is mainly interfacing with Publisher marketing.

15 Scheduling Milestones 1-12 each adds more functionality Content Complete Code Complete (should be 3 months prior to ship) time to spend those advertising dollars

16 Alpha Precert Typical Milestones 100% hand off to localization ZBR 4-6 weeks before ship RC0 4 weeks before ship RC1 2 weeks before ship RTX Release to Xbox/Publisher (Cert #2) RTM Shelf 3-6 weeks after RTM

17 You ve Shipped Unfortunately you are not done.. Marketing Patch Localized versions Next version Another job Postmortem

18 What typically goes wrong in game development We needed more resources We needed a better schedule The specs were inadequate Marketing didn t know what it wanted We should communicate better Your group doesn t understand My group isn t valued Didn t build tools soon enough Group conflict Poor performers

19 Xbox S/W Architecture Overview Design goal: Helping developers create awesome games. System software is not Windows. It s not designed to be a platform. System software be small, fast, close to the hardware, and predictable.

20 The Big Picture The Kernel, the Xbox Title Library (XTL), game titles and Xbox dashboard.

21 XTL (Xbox Title Library) A collection of static libraries containing functions that game titles link to and call. A highly optimized version of DirectX written specifically for the Xbox. Music and sound libraries. Networking. System link play and the Xbox Live.

22 XTL (Xbox Title Library) - cont. Peripherals Thin layer for interfacing with Xbox peripherals such as controllers, memory units, and voice units. Storage CRT Save games, Save Game Signing, Soundtracks, and Nicknames. C Run-time libraries. Display and Other Drivers The bulk of the display driver for the GPU is contained in the XTL. Kernel contains minimum amount of display driver code.

23 Dashboard Can be thought of as another game title. Allowing interaction with the Xbox when no game disc is inserted. Provides a DVD movie player with standard movie viewing features and controls. User can manage the storage space. Online Dash : Xbox Live

24 PC to Xbox No mouse and PC Keyboard Except Xbox input devices like controller TV output Low resolution, Safe Area Certification Pre Cert and Final Cert Registration and download latest XDK For more information

25 XDK The Xbox Development Kit (XDK) for Visual Studio.NET provides many new features that make development easier and faster for the Xbox video game system from.

26 Creating an Xbox Project

27 Build Project Menu

28 Direct3D Support Support added to tool-tips and watch window for Direct3D variable expansion, View render states and texture states,

29 Pipeline, Developer s View PC Content Tool (Maya, Max, Softimage, Lightwave, etc.) Deep Exploration Art Browser and Translator.xdx Resource Compiler xbrc Xbox Compiled Resources.xbr Preview Client xbview Deep Exploration outputs XDX file XDX file is checked into source tree, with source textures (and source models, if desired) Compile from XDX to Xbox resources XDX is import format, too

30 Deep Exploration

31 Art Translation MAX, Maya, Lightwave, SoftImage SDK allows for creation of other converters Techniques common to multiple 3D packages and often supported by translators Simple animation Meshes Textures Standard materials Custom materials Bi-directional XDX native Xbox format can be output to graphic tools

32 What is Localization? Game = Art, Cultural Content Localization = Globalization + Translation Local market 에맞는 Local content 로둔갑시키는작업 SMART 한 Global code design 은최소한의개발자의노력으로세계각국의언어로짧은시갂내에발표가능하게하는원동력

33 Localization Strategy WW Sim-Launch with High quality Titles Target 지역, 문화적특성, 게이머성향을고려한디자인 International/Localization 을고려한코드디자인 한국의경우, Xbox 360 타이틀은적어도 자막한글화 이상의버젂을출시할수있도록노력 여러특화된팀이각지역에서유기적으로연계해서작업 Scenario Editor, Game Design Engineer, Art Engineer, Audio/Sound Engineer Program Manager, Developing Engineer, Testing Engineer, Localization Engineer Licensing Specialist, Legal Specialist Globalization Support Engineer Geopolitical Intelligence Specialist

34 Development Cycle Requirements - 사용자요구사항 / 시나리오체크 - Feature list 결정 Design - 기능적인측면 - 로컬리제이션측면 - 테스팅측면 Implementation - 코딩 - 테스팅 - 매뉴얼 / 도움말 - 로컬라이징 Release Verification - 보안검사 - 모든작업완료 - 라이선스검사 - 전반적인최종품질검사 - GeOPS

35 Localization System 소스관리시스템버그추적시스템 Multiple Language 빌드개발시스템 UI 번역 / 관리시스템 Postmortem Scorecard 시스템 Network infra 코드의라이브러리화! 리소스의데이터베이스화!

36 Techincal Requirements Unicode 기반 게임실행코드와리소스파일의철저한분리 Multilingual 지원 언어별로구분된리소스파일 UI 텍스트, 오디오 / 비디오, 그래픽이미지 Language specific setting 파일 Default 게임언어, 정렬값등

37 Techincal Requirements Word wrap EA character: Character-base break Alpha/Numeric character: Spacebase break Hotkey 각나라의등급시스템요구조건고려 예 ) 일본의경우, 4 손가락의캐릭터는허용되지않음 World-wide 라이선스

38 Techincal Requirements UI layout 은긴문장의경우 30% 의버퍼를, 짧은단어의경우 200% 정도의버퍼를가지고디자인 UI 각각의스트링은중복해서여러굮데사용하지말것 UI 텍스트 변수값의순서는변동이가능하게디자인 조사처리 ( 한국어 )

39 Techincal Requirements 폰트 기준폰트크기 : 12px (9pt) PC 타이틀 폰트 3 가지 set 이상존재 Alpha/Numeric/Latin, East-European, Asian 폰트속성, 크기, 위치및줄갂격을조정할수있도록코드디자인

40 Technical Requirements UI 리소스파일은 20~30 개정도가관리하기에수월 Localization 이필요한 Art 파일은 30 개미맊으로구성 리소스파일의기본구조 : Identifier = string A/V 립싱크자동보정 보이스오디오길이에대한유연성 자막

41 Questions?