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PSP Update and Future Game Maker Features

YoYo Games have done another interview with GMIndie.  If you want your voice to be heard on the future of Game Maker it seems to be the place to be.  To be fair Landon Podbielski did a good job asking questions of Mike Dailly and Russell Kay.

The podcast provide the following progress update on Game Maker games running on PSP and on the future development of the Game Maker software.

[audio:http://gamemakerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/GMIndiePodcastIV.mp3]
Direct MP3 link

Game Maker games on PSP:

Lots of work has been done on the runner streamlining its processes.  This has resulted in a dramatic reduction in the loading for PSP games.  An example is given of Skydiver which initially took 40 seconds to load on the PSP and is now down to just 6 seconds.

Game Maker 8 features are currently being added to the PSP runner however no networking features are currently allowed.

Proposed or planned Game Maker changes.

  • Runner: Improve performance of games running on PC using what has been learnt whilst working on PSP.  GML can be compiled to virtual machine code which is then interpreted.
  • IDE: Russell said that a docking interface (Visual Studio) is better than the current interface based on MDI.  There was also a desire to enable easier switching between editing various elements.  But would need to discuss any changes with the community.  Wouldn’t want to take away accessibility for new users.  Problem finding suitable Delphi coders to work on this.
  • Documentation: A re-written and extended help file and video tutorials.
  • Resource editors: Modular structure including a “way of making music” which is “quite exciting”.  An understanding that  people will use external tools for creation of graphics so YoYo Games shouldn’t try and make a fully-featured editor in the IDE.  Improving sprite animation tools.
  • Cross platform:  Want Game Maker features to be supported across all platforms. Instant Play to work across PC and Mac.  Will be able to export games in Mac and PC format.  Suggestion of an emulator for games designed for hand-held devices so they can be easily tested.
  • Room editor: Usability needs to be improved.  Object selection for replacing.  Zoom in and zoom out.  Multiple layers in room editor.
  • 3D: Importation of models.  Making Isometric 3D easier.  Will take time.  Long term plan to completely revise 3D maths and library with objects for cameras and actions for rotations etc.
  • GML changes: New data types such as integers and single-precision numbers rather than just ‘numbers’.
  • Particles: Rewritten particle system with a preview of generated particles.
  • Debug: Script level debugging including the ability to step through code.
  • General development: Large proportions of work will continue to be outsourced.  Cross platform online highscores. Not like we’ve ever heard this before… (first suggested by Mark in October 2007).

What do you think?

18 Comments

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  1. 40 seconds of loading down to 6 seconds? And we have to wait until Game Maker 9 for a streamlined runner to be on Windows?!

    Screw Game Maker 9, get a Game Maker 8.1 ready with that runner!

  2. Philip, in the future please provide a download link for podcasts. I don’t like having to rely on embedded Flash players or sleuthing the URL myself, especially if I’m away from my personal computer.

  3. exporting to java and flash and shockwave would be nice. But I think why not have tags so we can give commands to not all the units of one kind but a group of then this would make tag changing to create 2 or more objects in a row get picked up and erased.

  4. They need to improve the multi player functions because it don’t work very well, I only can do multi player games if I use 39dll.

  5. The features look great. To be honest, most of these look a lot like the features suggested so many times you aren’t allowed to suggest them anymore.

  6. I wanted to post a topic on the GMC to gather more questions to ask Mike and Russell, but unfortunately Brian insisted the question topic stayed on the GMIndie forums :(. Wish I could have got more questions to ask from you guys, I feel like we could have covered a lot more ground.

    Thanks for mentioning the podcast on the blog Phil, I appreciate it :).

  7. This looks great; if GML becomes JIT compiled and adds static types I will be very happy (and lets not forget proper debugging).

    I’d still like to see GML become less integrated with the IDE though.

  8. I’m waiting for them to give devs the option to scale in fullscreen without the blur. (And without having to do workarounds that only work for 50% of players)

    Oh, and I like the fact they’re going to make a ‘particle editor’. I suppose that means particles are going to become a resource then. *thumbs up*

  9. I think making resources their own types would be much more useful than adding integers, which would just be more complicated.

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