ps3 prediction Options

[SsJVasto]

We have to go through both SCEA and SCEE. One is down, so only one more to go. Then it gets assigned a release date...

Any new development on the side of SCEA / SCEE / SNEA / SNEE?

Stupid side note: I hole there will be a nice Easter Egg in the PS3 version, since we've been patiently waiting? (if you call raging and asking for updates every 2 days "patiently")

[Andres Bordeu]

I hole there will be a nice Easter Egg in the PS3 version

There will be more compelling content than just an easter egg to make up for the delay...

[SsJVasto]

There will be more compelling content than just an easter egg to make up for the delay...

Cool! Still can't wait, but you've made me more anxious for the release >.<

Also, the cube seen in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O9ucNdqsQg
I hope it's not an April Fools joke, that looked like a wicked cool mode

PS: hole --> hope

[Andres Bordeu]

Also, the cube seen in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O9ucNdqsQg
I hope it's not an April Fools joke, that looked like a wicked cool mode

The cube was released for April Fool's, but it is playable (exclusive for PC though).

[LordOfThePies]

There's a girl called Raquel who used to work at my local ASDA, real pain in the arse.
Last time I had to deal with her I was buying a bottle of rum and some toffee doughnuts (bit of a keep fitness fanatic you see).
As I placed my items on her counter she began to talk to someone called Tracy on her mobile, apparently Tracy's boyfriend isn't living up to his early promise in the bedroom.
After ten minutes the conversation was finally over and I got all excited about my chances of finally being served, at this point she began to do her makeup.
Obviously I was growing very impatient by now. I mean, rum and doughnuts, who wouldn't?!
I wanted nothing more than to raise my voice enough so everyone in the store knew what a lazy, ignorant, selfish git Raquel was.
But all along I knew this would not help me in anyway.
Raquel has gone now, she has taken a job in the Sony QA department.
You have my sympathies guys.

[Andres Bordeu]

You have my sympathies guys.

Ha ha. Is that story true? I hope not!

Brief update: We had to make a little adjustment for the SCEE build (a minor tweak), so now the game is back in the cert process and again we're hoping for a approval. Keeping all fingers crossed...

[SsJVasto]

We have to go through both SCEA and SCEE. One is down, so only one more to go. Then it gets assigned a release date...

Brief update: We had to make a little adjustment for the SCEE build (a minor tweak), [...]

Wait, wait, wait. It reads like the US (SCEA) version is ok, but unreleased due to a bug in the Europe (SCEE) version. Is this true?

[LordOfThePies]

Brief update: We had to make a little adjustment for the SCEE build (a minor tweak), so now the game is back in the cert process and again we're hoping for a approval. Keeping all fingers crossed...

Thanks for the update Andres. I hope it all runs smoothly for you guys.
And a top job on your block of ages video. The honesty of it was hilarious.
It was very reminiscent of my own playing time. The front room is like a PS3 controller graveyard I tell thee!

[Andres Bordeu]

Wait, wait, wait. It reads like the US (SCEA) version is ok, but unreleased due to a bug in the Europe (SCEE) version. Is this true?

Not a bug, but something that needed to be changed nevertheless. We want a sim release on the PlayStation Network, so all builds have to go through cert before getting a date assigned.

[Andres Bordeu]

Thanks for the update Andres. I hope it all runs smoothly for you guys.
And a top job on your block of ages video. The honesty of it was hilarious.
It was very reminiscent of my own playing time. The front room is like a PS3 controller graveyard I tell thee!

Thanks! Keeping our fingers crossed.

BTW, the Block of Ages was an actual update, not just a video. The block avatar is playable (only in the PC version though). Many people thought it was just a prank when they saw the videos circulating post April 1st, but we even added an achievement for beating someone with the block.

[SsJVasto]

[...] but we even added an achievement for beating someone with the block.

TROPHIES! *drools*

I'd pay to get the Block of ages... Like 10$ for this single avatar, no missions, nothing but the cube. I still can't wait! I know it's not your fault, ACE Team, it's Sony who's being too anal, IMHO... They're more afraid of exploits than they are of their financial position...

[Andres Bordeu]

TROPHIES! *drools*

I'd pay to get the Block of ages... Like 10$ for this single avatar, no missions, nothing but the cube. I

Unfortunately the Block is going to be only on the PC for now (we developed the content after we had already submitted for cert).

Still, the PSN version is bringing some new goodies not available on the other platforms. More on this soon (I hope ).

I know it's not your fault, ACE Team,

Unfortunately it is our fault for the most part. This is our first PlayStation 3 game so the development was quite more difficult than expected. I expect future titles we develop will be ported much faster to the platform now that we're past the learning curve.

[SsJVasto]

Unfortunately it is our fault for the most part.

Not from my point of view. Yes, the bugs are created by you XD, but it just takes SOOOOOO LONG for Sony to test your bugfixes.

This is our first PlayStation 3 game so the development was quite more difficult than expected. I expect future titles we develop will be ported much faster to the platform now that we're past the learning curve.

Well, isn't that the problem, the fact that the game is being ported? I'm nobody to talk, but I believe game developpers should write games in C/C++, instead of C# (for X360 and PC). I have no idea what code you're running behind, but from what I know (learned at school) XBox360 and PC get Awesome performance from XNA-Game-Studio, using C# and DirectX, and AFAIK the PS3 only had a C/C++ SDK (basing this guess on the leaked PSP SDK a couple years back).

C++ may be harder to use (unmanaged, lack of libraries, too open, easy to make mistakes), but a good old C application with OpenGL instead of DirectX will run almost unchanged on lots and lots of platforms.

I'm not trying to lecture, or even give advice... Just stating my opinion... I'm guessing that Rock of Ages (in its planning stages) started off as a PC game, so it was started in XNA-Game Studio (or some similar flavor). Since you can just map alternative controls and compile it for XBox, that's probably what was done. But to not look like a Microsoft-exclusive company, decided to release for PS3 as well, but lacking the C# and DirectX libraries, it's almost a complete game remake, which is why it's taking 6+ months (If it was written in C, it would have worked out-of-the-box on all 3 platforms ).

I've seen that the PSVita has many DLL files, and it's very strange how the UI is called "Live" Area. I also heard that the hole PSVita SDK is in c#... Maybe Sony got tired of not having games ported for similar issues to what you're having?

[tschumann]

Well, isn't that the problem, the fact that the game is being ported? I'm nobody to talk, but I believe game developpers should write games in C/C++, instead of C# (for X360 and PC). I have no idea what code you're running behind, but from what I know (learned at school) XBox360 and PC get Awesome performance from XNA-Game-Studio, using C# and DirectX, and AFAIK the PS3 only had a C/C++ SDK (basing this guess on the leaked PSP SDK a couple years back).

C++ may be harder to use (unmanaged, lack of libraries, too open, easy to make mistakes), but a good old C application with OpenGL instead of DirectX will run almost unchanged on lots and lots of platforms.

I'm not trying to lecture, or even give advice... Just stating my opinion... I'm guessing that Rock of Ages (in its planning stages) started off as a PC game, so it was started in XNA-Game Studio (or some similar flavor). Since you can just map alternative controls and compile it for XBox, that's probably what was done. But to not look like a Microsoft-exclusive company, decided to release for PS3 as well, but lacking the C# and DirectX libraries, it's almost a complete game remake, which is why it's taking 6+ months (If it was written in C, it would have worked out-of-the-box on all 3 platforms ).

I've seen that the PSVita has many DLL files, and it's very strange how the UI is called "Live" Area. I also heard that the hole PSVita SDK is in c#... Maybe Sony got tired of not having games ported for similar issues to what you're having?

I don't think ACE Team had to port the game; the Unreal engine which Rock of Ages is built with comes with PlayStation 3 support: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unreal_Engine_3
As I understand it, to get your game sold on consoles you need to meet performance criteria as well as have a stable product (among other things). If your products doesn't meet the criteria, you can fix it up, but everything will need to be tested again, so what takes no time at all for a PC game takes weeks for a console game.

[David C]

I don't think ACE Team had to port the game; the Unreal engine which Rock of Ages is built with comes with PlayStation 3 support: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unreal_Engine_3
As I understand it, to get your game sold on consoles you need to meet performance criteria as well as have a stable product (among other things). If your products doesn't meet the criteria, you can fix it up, but everything will need to be tested again, so what takes no time at all for a PC game takes weeks for a console game.

That's right. The game ran fine in the PS3 console since we were using the Unreal 3 engine.
What took us some time was to program the matchmaking/online system (matchmaking, invitations, etc...) and all the small requirements related with the console itself, not the game (in game purchase, handling of errors and small requirements that all games in the console must comply with).

And yes, Unreal Engine is written in C++.

[SsJVasto]

[...] the Unreal engine which Rock of Ages is built with [...]

Cool, I didn't know it was rendered by the Unreal Engine, nice.

What took us some time was to program the matchmaking/online system (matchmaking, invitations, etc...) and all the small requirements related with the console itself, not the game.

Does that mean you're working on fully using the PSN API? Will we be able to log in as 2 PSN users for split-screen play? Will there be online split-screen? Voice Chat? Or is it tweaks like "Sony demands you encrypt on a 256-bit SHA key the username when you want to connect"?

[David C]

Does that mean you're working on fully using the PSN API? Will we be able to log in as 2 PSN users for split-screen play? Will there be online split-screen? Voice Chat? Or is it tweaks like "Sony demands you encrypt on a 256-bit SHA key the username when you want to connect"?

• We are using the PSN API.
• We support splitscreen (but multilogin is not supported).
• No online splitscreen (since the game is 1vs1).
• There is voice chat (PSN voicechat).

PS: The PS3 version is about the same as the other versions regarding functionality (except for the new goodies not available on the other platforms that Andres teased before).

[BurkusCat]

Can you tell us a bit more about the submission process for Xbox? I'm curious to find out why it isn't easy to do an update for the Xbox. Is it a problem with the Xbox Live or is it how the game was designed? Plenty of other arcade games I have get patches and DLC all the time. Even Xbox Live Indie Games can submit an update every week and it is accepted after a few peer developers review it.

Is there any chance of updating the Xbox version and if not will your future games have the ability to update with ease? Thanks for your time! I love your game, surprising how it was only £10 considering it provides so much more gameplay time than most £45 games

[Andres Bordeu]

Unfortunately I cannot talk much about the submission processes, since it is confidential, but basically the big difference between PC and other platforms is that for PC we can add updates without having to go through any external processes and for the consoles the new content has to go through a certification once again.

[Andres Bordeu]

Update: We got a tad of extra work still to do on the European version... Bummer.