BUILD | ESSENTIAL ENGINES GUIDE MARAMALADE
CREATOR: IDEAWORKS 3D PLATFORMS: IOS, ANDROID, SYMBIAN, BADA, BLACKBERRY, LG SMART TV GAMES: PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER (IOS AND ANDROID), LARA CROFT AND THE GUARDIAN OF LIGHT (IOS AND ANDROID)
WWW.MADEWITHMARMALADE.COM
Smartphone and smart TV platform Marmalade abstracts the mobile OS at a low level, enabling cross-platform mobile game creation to look like vanilla C++ game development. “Any pre-existing C/C++
code can be re-used with little or no changes – that includes
open source or proprietary code modules, including physics engines like Box2D/Bullet, and database engines like sqlite – or large parts of pre-existing games engines or games,” explains Ideaworks CTO Tim Closs. Marmalade has been used for games such as Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer on IOS and Android, as
APP GAME KIT
CREATOR: THE GAME CREATORS PLATFORMS: IOS, ANDROID, MAC, PC, BADA, BLACKBERRY SEEN IN: SNAKE SNACKER, JUMPING JACK, CANNONBALL
WWW.APPGAMEKIT.COM
The Game Creators’ App Game Kit was released as a ‘Community Edition’ through the company’s website in August of last year. The tool enables users to
translate code written in AGK BASIC to multiple platforms such as iOS and Android, without the need for the programmer to re-write code to
make their title compatible with different systems. The Game Creators financial director Richard
Vanner says that the app is targeted mainly towards hobbyists and indie developers, making simplicity in the development experience crucial. Despite this
GAMEMAKER
CREATOR: YOYO GAMES PLATFORMS: PC, IOS, HTML5, OSX, ANDROID, SYMBIAN, PSP GAMES: STEALTH BASTARD, CINDERS, SIMPLY SOLITAIRE
WWW.YOYOGAMES.COM
Through the 2D focused engine GameMaker, developers can create games for mobile, PC and HTML5, whilst its creator YoYo Games is also currently working on enabling support for Frontier Development’s tiny computer Raspberry Pi. Like many of its
contemporaries, one of the
engine’s most important features is its ability to work with a single code base whilst also being able to target multiple devices. Yoyo Games claims that its in-development title, GraveMaker, takes just 20 seconds to export to various platforms. The company’s head of development Mike Dailly says the tool has been used to develop more than
54 |MARCH 2012
127,000 games, which includes titles such as MoaCube’s Cinders, Curve Studios’ Stealth Bastard and the company’s own Simply Solitaire. Dailly also reveals that with the focus on creating
a tool that suits a developer’s budgetary constraints and time restrictions, YoYo Games is readying to release GameMaker Studio and version 9 to make the process of development and porting an even smoother experience, whilst also improving the power of the engine. “We will soon be launching GameMaker: Studio
to bring our one-button export to the public and the games industry, and everyone will be able to do exactly what we’ve been doing in the last year in terms of cheaper games creation and easy-as-it-gets exporting to multiple platforms,” says Dailly. “We’re certain this will maximise returns for both professional studios and indie developers.”
He adds that GameMaker 9 is a complete rewrite of the platform. The language will be modernised, whilst the IDE will undergo a resdisgn to “increase power and flexibility to the designer”. He says that these changes will mean the latest version will “redefine” games creation for the casual games sector.
though, he says that provisions for more experienced developers have also been made, with the platform also compatible with C++ coding for those looking to get more from the engine. As well as a simplified coding experience, Vanner
says that says issues such as device resolution and coding languages are made easier to allow programmers to concentrate on game creation. “AGK is designed to abstract issues such as player
input system – mouse, touch, keyboard, buttons – and device resolution – form factor, aspect ratio, orientation – thus allowing the game developer to focus on their app creation instead of how it will work across each device,” he explains. “The upshot is a truly write once solution. By
providing both a BASIC and C++ variant, programmers
can choose the language they are most comfortable with, and our extensive documentation and active community ensure you have help when you need it.” Vanner adds that in future TGC will be incorporating
“all the key features” devs might expect from a complete platform, whilst also making AGK compatible with Web Player, HTML5 and smart TVs.
well as Hotgen’s runner-up Apple Game of the Year To-Fu. Games ported for wider development also include PopCap’s Plants Vs Zombies, and Electron Arts’ Sim City Deluxe. Closs says that with modern developers needing
to realise maximum performance of their apps whilst also targeting a wide variety of platforms, Marmalade was created to help alleviate these issues and provide a smooth solution. “Our approach has always been to provide as open and flexible an environment as possible; hence the emphasis on standards such as C/C++ standard libraries and OpenGL ES,” says Closs. “Other engines focus on providing drag-and drop
tools, but force the developer to lock themselves into an entirely proprietary environment. That’s our
differentiation, and one that many games developers understand and value.” As well as providing support for current mobile
OS’s and smart TV’s such as iOS, Android and LG Smart TV, Closs says Ideaworks is currently working on support for other TV platforms and devices that the it believes will see success within the next year.
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