Sony launches Worldwide Distribution Initiative

[Arnaud_M]

A new site is open here:

http://us.playstation.com/beyond/

It allows anyone to register as a developper (I already did) for a worldwide distribution network of games (platforms not specified, maybe PSP, maybe PS3). Apparently, it is open to anyone, but it says that developpers will be chosen according to individual study of their profiles (past experience, etc.). Have a look at it, it seems very interesting, probably built to offer small game companies a chance to sell smaller games on Sony future network. All good is you ask me !

Arnaud

PS: this news is from http://ps3.qj.net/

[EvilTaru]

I wonder if they managed to get people signed up for e-distribution at Devstation.

[Saibo]

Arnaud,

what game are you making?!

I would sign up as a developer but i dont own a company Its not like i can put "Home" down as my company ..rofl.

[yoshaw]

Uhhh arnaud, this website was revealed at the Phil Harrison Keynote at GDC last month. So I assume you must have been sleeping back then, eh?

Old stuff mate.

[Flaming_Gamer]

Arnaud,

what game are you making?!

I would sign up as a developer but i dont own a company Its not like i can put "Home" down as my company ..rofl.

haha

[Arnaud_M]

Uhhh arnaud, this website was revealed at the Phil Harrison Keynote at GDC last month. So I assume you must have been sleeping back then, eh?

Old stuff mate.

Ouups, sorry, I was not aware of that ! Well, maybe it will still be useful for the other sleeping people

Arnaud

[Arnaud_M]

Arnaud,

what game are you making?!

I would sign up as a developer but i dont own a company Its not like i can put "Home" down as my company ..rofl.

I am not an employee of a game company, but I woud like to be able to developp on PS3 at home My current interest is on parallel A.I.

Arnaud

[xbdestroya]

Arnaud's an AI researcher for those that don't know him from PSINext last year, so take his words on AI seriously when he speaks!

StanDarsh even did an interview with him on Cell's expected AI performance viewable here: Interview

(Hey if you've got some new thoughts on thr subject Arnaud, maybe we can do a part two)

But yeah Arnaud, unfortunately this sign-up info's been posted before.

[yoshaw]

Ouups, sorry, I was not aware of that ! Well, maybe it will still be useful for the other sleeping people

Arnaud

Now that I know you through Xboxdestroya's introduction. I don't mind this staying at all. AI research, I could respect that, for it's worth a lot more than me bickering about old news n such.

Keep us updated if you're accepted within this new developer platform launched by Sony.

[LaLiLuLeLo]

you could start a company. Make a company name.

[Arnaud_M]

Now that I know you through Xboxdestroya's introduction. I don't mind this staying at all. AI research, I could respect that, for it's worth a lot more than me bickering about old news n such.

Keep us updated if you're accepted within this new developer platform launched by Sony.

Well, I received an automated email this morning from Sony saying they are happy to now have my email in their database, but that's it. I don't expect anything new for some time, because I honestly declared in my registration that I never worked on any game for any game company But hey, they did a homebrew-friendly kit for PS2 so, I have still some hope

Arnaud

[Fats]

Did you toy around with the PS2's homebrew kit much Arnaud? Any projects that you've previously worked on you'd like to tell us about?

[Saibo]

you could start a company. Make a company name.

Thats easier said than done! when i think about company name, my mind goes blank...


how about "LaLiLuLeLo Soft"?lol, MGS joke.

Well, I received an automated email this morning from Sony saying they are happy to now have my email in their database, but that's it. I don't expect anything new for some time, because I honestly declared in my registration that I never worked on any game for any game company But hey, they did a homebrew-friendly kit for PS2 so, I have still some hope

Arnaud

So true, i think they'll do the same thing for the PS3. I think this E-Distribution well be for indy developers of the PSP/PS3. Since your focusing on AI, what type of game genre did you have in mind for the AI or is this just sticky AI?

What did you put down for "company" in the form, dont tell me "home"? Im thinking about signing up now....I have nothing to lose.

[Sephiroth_VII]

The company should be called PSiNext, duh!

[Saibo]

The company should be called PSiNext, duh!

no...!, but its funny, because Stan's got a great idea for a game, i got the 3D modeling skill and CPI got the programming skill..we could form a PSINEXT indy development team.

Its really up to Sony, they need to release some sort of PS3 Linux Kit for indy developers.

[Arnaud_M]

Did you toy around with the PS2's homebrew kit much Arnaud? Any projects that you've previously worked on you'd like to tell us about?

Unfortunately, I never owned the Net Yarooze (wanted to, though ). I have worked on and off for a year, mostly on my free time and partly on my job time, on a real time AI engine for RTS-like games. Currently, there is a shamefully incomplete demo version which partially supports only two types of units (collectors and warriors) and that's about it. And it is not even bug-free The architecture though is more advanced (but not implemented yet), and the goal is to support a strategical AI, both on the player and on the opponent side, instead of the standard more tactical AI found in WC III and similar games. My goal is to provide the AI with the means to understand the opponent long-term (say, 15 minutes to half an hour) objectives, and plan accordingly for the next half-hour to adapt to it. In parallel with the AI engine, I have also worked on a very high level scripting langage for AI developpers that will one day allow one to express, with only a few lines in this langage strategies like: "as soon as the energy production of the AI exceed *this* threshold, build a reconnaissance plane, launch it in the enemy base and if no anti-nuke is found then launch the building of a nuke silo." Another example would be "As soon as our robot factory is complete, build 5 fast explorers, send them in each corner of the map to find the enemy base, explore both flanks of the base when found, locate the weakest one, evaluate the threat level (=defenses) on this flank and build accordingly five successives squadrons of level 1 robot to harass the enemy, send them one by one"
The idea of this langage is to help games developpers on the IA side by providing all the necessary routines for such developpment, and also to allow the creation of a new kind of RTS in which the player is not controlling UNITS anymore (or at least, is not doing it all of the time) but building, developping and directing the high level STRATEGY in real time. But hey, given my current rate of progress on this (mostly on my free time ), do not expect anything before 2 or 3 years. Unless I move to another job since then

Arnaud