Infogrames has announced it is to use RenderWare across 12 new titles in the coming year, signing a deal with UK-based Criterion yesterday.
The RenderWare set of libraries is an out-of-the-box development suite, primarily built to help developers code for the notoriously stubborn PlayStation 2. However, since the arrival of next-gen machines from Microsoft and Nintendo, Criterion has incorporated a set of tools designed to easily shift code between the PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC and GameCube.
Scott Walker, Vice President of Development, Infogrames explains, "Having used RenderWare in the past, we've seen the positive impact of this technology on our ability to efficiently create quality games across multiple platforms. We believe this new deal will ensure that those benefits are now channelled across the organisation at a global level."
However, this isn’t necessarily the best news for gamers. The shameless porting across platforms is becoming an industry-wide blight, with some predicting that price-taggery may ultimately lead to the demise of the GameCube as a credible platform.
It’s always, without question, better to have a game built from the ground up for the system upon which you intend to play it. Second hand code, especially code that begins life on the PS2, is never as solid as when it is tailored from scratch for a specific machine.
Let’s hope that Infogrames can resist the appeal of bringing sub-standard rushed ports to a starved GameCube market.
The RenderWare set of libraries is an out-of-the-box development suite, primarily built to help developers code for the notoriously stubborn PlayStation 2. However, since the arrival of next-gen machines from Microsoft and Nintendo, Criterion has incorporated a set of tools designed to easily shift code between the PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC and GameCube.
Scott Walker, Vice President of Development, Infogrames explains, "Having used RenderWare in the past, we've seen the positive impact of this technology on our ability to efficiently create quality games across multiple platforms. We believe this new deal will ensure that those benefits are now channelled across the organisation at a global level."
However, this isn’t necessarily the best news for gamers. The shameless porting across platforms is becoming an industry-wide blight, with some predicting that price-taggery may ultimately lead to the demise of the GameCube as a credible platform.
It’s always, without question, better to have a game built from the ground up for the system upon which you intend to play it. Second hand code, especially code that begins life on the PS2, is never as solid as when it is tailored from scratch for a specific machine.
Let’s hope that Infogrames can resist the appeal of bringing sub-standard rushed ports to a starved GameCube market.
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