How to develop and localize Xbox 360 Titles

강상진 (sjkang@microsoft.com)XBOX Program Manager

한국마이크로소프트 소프트웨어 연구소

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

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Xbox Title DEV Team

Producer/Program Manager

Programmers

Artists

Designers

Sound Designers/Composers

Testers

Writers

Marketing

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Producer/Program ManagerHub 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

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ProgrammersLead 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.

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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

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Crimson Skies

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Xbox Concept Art

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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

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DesignersLead Designer

Owns overall vision of the game.

Works with team to incorporate best ideas

The more technical the better the designer

Level designersResponsible 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.

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Sound Designers/ComposersSound 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.

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Testers

Game testersTesters focused on the game play

Core team members

Usability testingFocuses on ease of use in particular UI

Often a shared team. Use one to lead with external people testing

Gameplay balancing/playtestingExternal to the team. Gives feedback on balance of game and first user experience

Both internal testers and external

Often a shared team

Beta programAll external testers

Usually most important in PC games where you have many configurations

Configuration testingShared team with hardware lab. More common with PC

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WritersStory 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 writersScript 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 writersMore common in PC where manuals can be large

Usually a shared service. Sometimes this is done by the designers

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MarketingResponsible for developing the messaging, box, advertisements, pricing, promotions.

Usually a shared service. In small development shops this role is mainly interfacing with Publisher marketing.

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SchedulingMilestones – 1- 12 – each adds more functionality

Content Complete

Code Complete (should be 3 months prior to ship) – time to spend those advertising dollars

Typical MilestonesAlpha

Precert

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

You’ve ShippedUnfortunately you are not done..

Marketing

Patch

Localized versions

Next version

Another job

Postmortem

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

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Xbox S/WArchitecture 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.

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The Big Picture

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

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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.

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XTL (Xbox Title Library) - cont.Peripherals

Thin layer for interfacing with Xbox peripherals such as controllers, memory units, and voice units.

StorageSave games, Save Game Signing, Soundtracks, and Nicknames.

CRTMicrosoft C Run-time libraries.

Display and Other DriversThe bulk of the display driver for the GPU is contained in the XTL.

Kernel contains minimum amount of display driver code.

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DashboardCan 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

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PC to XboxNo 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

https://xds.xbox.com

For more information

http://www.xbox.com/dev

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XDK

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

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Creating an Xbox Project

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Build Project Menu

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Direct3D Support

Support added to tool-tips and watch window for Direct3D variable expansion,

View render states and texture states, e.g. @D3DRS_ZBIAS

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Pipeline, Developer’s View

XboxPC

Deep

ExplorationArt Browser and

Translator

.xdx Resource

Compiler

xbrc

Compiled

Resources

.xbr

Preview

Client

xbview

Content Tool(Maya, Max,

Softimage, Lightwave,

etc.)

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

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Deep Exploration

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Art Translation

MAX, Maya, Lightwave, SoftImageSDK 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-directionalXDX native Xbox format can be output to graphic tools

Game = Art, Cultural Content

Localization = Globalization + Translation

Local market에 맞는 Local content로둔갑시키는 작업

SMART한 Global code design은 최소한의개발자의 노력으로 세계 각국의 언어로 짧은시갂내에 발표 가능하게 하는 원동력

What is Localization?

WW Sim-Launch with High quality Titles

Target 지역, 문화적 특성, 게이머 성향을 고려한 디자인

International/Localization을 고려한 코드 디자인

한국의 경우, Xbox 360 타이틀은 적어도 “자막 한글화” 이상의버젂을 출시할 수 있도록 노력

여러 특화된 팀이 각 지역에서 유기적으로 연계해서 작업

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

Localization Strategy

Requirements

- 사용자 요구사항/시나리오체크

- Feature list 결정

Design

- 기능적인 측면

- 로컬리제이션 측면

- 테스팅 측면

Implementation

- 코딩

- 테스팅

- 매뉴얼/도움말

- 로컬라이징

Verification

- 모든 작업 완료

- 전반적인 최종 품질 검사

Release

- 보안검사

- 라이선스 검사

- GeOPS

Development Cycle

Localization System소스 관리 시스템

버그 추적 시스템

Multiple Language 빌드 개발 시스템

UI 번역/관리 시스템

Postmortem Scorecard 시스템

Network infra

코드의 라이브러리화 !

리소스의 데이터베이스화 !

Techincal Requirements

Unicode 기반

게임 실행 코드와 리소스 파일의 철저한분리

Multilingual 지원

언어별로 구분된 리소스 파일 – UI 텍스트, 오디오/비디오, 그래픽 이미지

Language specific setting 파일 –Default 게임 언어, 정렬 값 등

Techincal Requirements

Word wrap

EA character: Character-base break

Alpha/Numeric character: Space-base break

Hotkey

각 나라의 등급 시스템 요구 조건 고려

예) 일본의 경우, 4 손가락의 캐릭터는허용되지 않음

World-wide 라이선스

Techincal Requirements

UI layout은 긴 문장의 경우 30%의 버퍼를,짧은 단어의 경우 200% 정도의 버퍼를가지고 디자인

UI 각각의 스트링은 중복해서 여러 굮데사용하지 말 것

UI 텍스트

변수값의 순서는 변동이 가능하게디자인

조사 처리 (한국어)

Techincal Requirements

폰트

기준 폰트 크기: 12px (9pt) – PC 타이틀

폰트 – 3가지 set 이상 존재

Alpha/Numeric/Latin , East-European, Asian

폰트 속성, 크기, 위치 및 줄갂격을 조정할수 있도록 코드 디자인

Technical Requirements

UI 리소스 파일은 20~30개 정도가관리하기에 수월

Localization이 필요한 Art 파일은 30개미맊으로 구성

리소스 파일의 기본 구조: Identifier = string

A/V

립싱크 자동 보정

보이스 오디오 길이에 대한 유연성

자막

Questions?