Game Maker creator Mark Overmars has revealed some details about the next version of Game Maker, Game Maker 8, which he has stated is planned be be released “during or after the summer”. Details emerged in a post about a search for a (paid) graphics creator to produce suitable free-to-use sprites for distribution with Game Maker 8.
“In the next version 8.0 of Game Maker an important new feature is the full support for PNG images with alpha (transparency) information. This will involve an improved image editor, sprite editor, room editor and new options in the background and sprite property forms (for example related to collision checking). This will make it possible to create much better looking games.”
– Mark Overmars, YoYo Games.com
Wow. Alpha support.
I have tried GM before and although I love it I couldn’t create exactly what I wanted because I needed transparency… .PNG support. it looks like it’s finally about to arrive.
Mr Overmars, you will have yet another customer as soon as it’s released.
Hello;
Me I don’t vote for python programmtion language because I dont want to have to learn another programmation language and I don’t already now it and just want a more easier GML LOL … but the new features of GM8 are very nice!! i can’t wait more and I hope it will be more easy to create complete cool games .
YYG said that if we have GM6 registred we can update free to 7 … but they said :
you was able to update the GM5 to 6 and the to 7 for free but if microsoft allowed to the originial windows98 to be updated for Me or Xp and vista and all the other versions for FREE they will never win money … and they decided that the GM8 won’t be update with the GM7 pro ! and there are some hacked GM7 pro … if you can update it with the hacked one it won’t be good for YYG .
and they removed the softwarp system .
well I am from Algeria :p and I can’t buy it easily … that’s why I am using the GM7 lite then I hope for GM8 lite :).
if somebody want to talk with me he has to email me on : [email protected]
or : [email protected] .
I thank Mark overmars a lot for making GM 😀 it’s the best game developping tool I have never seen 😀
and I hope for some GM8 programs to be uploaded on GM like the GM sprite editors if there are others ;).
GOODBYE and sorry for my english .
i cant wait for it
will we be able to update gm8 to pro if we have gm7 pro? i don’t want to pay again.
As yet unannounced, but I don’t think you should expect to get a free copy simply for buying the previous one. Yes I know this was done for GM5 to 6 to 7 but if there are significant changes there will be larger development costs.
PNG about time! It should of been surported in 6.1! PNG is one of the best image image formats…..
“That’s why I vote Python for GM8s scripting language.”
This has been debated before on the GMC, and I’d love for it to turn out this way. However, it just doesn’t sound like it is happening, unfortunately.
Well I’m glad that GM finally will allow alpha channels without using them as external resources. My only wish is, is that the entire Gui be re-designed, the way it currently is it just reminds you of a C++ like library. I really hope Game Maker will pick up python because ‘GML’ imo is a terrible language, sure it’ll help you learn programming but people should learn a programming language to begin with. That’s why I vote Python for GM8s scripting language.
Screw VALVe time. I’m doing YYG time now!
I understand that people are excited for such a new release of Game Maker, but let’s be honest here. With the exception of a few specific components being updated (Game Maker 6: 3D, 6.1: Particles, 7: Extensions), Game Maker has not really seen that many new features for several years now. I am not saying that a lack of actual code base developments (added functions, the like) won’t happen, I am just looking at past releases to analyze the likelihood of such a thing happening in Game Maker 8.
My personal wishes? A revised interface, one that not only uses some native user interface elements, but a UI that can be ported and matched on Game Maker for Mac (as well as any other platform ports YoYo decides to try out in the future). In terms of actual game development, I hope YoYo expands and transitions to OpenGL for 3D rendering for several reasons, the main being a cross-platform level of compatibility that isn’t possible now. Finally, I would like to see a condensed version of the Object Editor, one that removes all of the worthless tabs, and instead focuses on GML-based game development. Adding a code snippet or script should still be actions, but it should all fit in one tab. Obviously, YoYo would keep an option to revert back to the standard view with all of the tabs (actually, make the full tab view the default with the “condensed” being an option).
It would be sooo muh nice if 3D objects can be direct utilized properly in the GAME MAKER 8. Although i heard about using different softwares to convert but it would be good enough if it supports 3ds file or other related file filters..
They will likely have a full set of images and music as a seperate package with a limited set distributed with the program, as they have done with previous versions.
@Sirtopeia
You know this is already possible, with the use of of other functions or external images.
@EneilShade
Same price they keep saying
FTW =]
Can’t wait.
Does anyone know how much it will cost?
Game Maker users are too worried about file size 😛 Some of the development tools I download off the internet are 500Mb+ and most of the time you get what you download.
“i have been waiting for this for over a year!!!”
Ditto.
But this is just a required update to the whole thing. They still haven’t released any news on how Mac version will work and will Windows users simply be able to generate Mac builds as well?
Also, what about asset protection? The “having the whole game in one exe” approach is retarded. No one is patient enough to wait for thousands of MB’s worth of data to unpack, they should shed more light on what they are about to do with the next update.
Support for common formats like PNG, TGA and even TIFF with full alpha/transparency ability is a must.
FINALLY THE TRANSPARENT SPRITES FOR PNG’S!!!!
i have been waiting for this for over a year!!!
@$pecter
Incorrect, $pecter. If you read the entire post made by Mark, he addressed the issue. If you are under the legal age of entering a contract (18 in the US, UK, and Canada I believe), you cannot sign it. But, a legal guardian can, as long as you agree to abide by the terms that your guardian signed.
Fantastic news, but I’m doubting that YoYo will hit their predictions. I predict very late 2009 release, now.
I hope that, this time around, people will understand that Mark cannot hire you if you are under 18 (even if you will work for free); I remember there was quite some confusion last time this happened…
A large, good-quality sprite (and perhaps music and SFX) pack will certainly make GM look more modern, the current ones are quite dated. Despite the praise, I am somewhat worried about the download file size with the addition of all these resources, hopefully YYG will not let it bloat too much. 🙂
Exciting! Like the rest of the GM community, I can’t wait either!
I’m looking forward to it, although I was just getting the hang of external resources.
-Elmernite
I cant wait ’till Game Maker 8 😀
Grtz,
Max.