"Josh Simmons" <simmons...@gmail.com> wrote in message news:mailman.2922.1316246434.14074.digitalmar...@puremagic.com... > On Sat, Sep 17, 2011 at 5:30 PM, Nick Sabalausky <a@a.a> wrote: >> >> Keep in mind, most of a AAA game's codebase is externally-developed >> middleware these days. I think the middleware development sector would be >> willing to fix those issues if it meant being able to provide a more >> competitive offering (ie, their customers can use an easier to use/learn >> language, and don't need as many C++ gurus, etc). >> > > You need high performance code gurus, the need for C++ people in > non-performance critical code is already alleviated by the scripting > world. >
Hmm, perhaps. Although I kinda have to agree with Carmack on game scripting not being such a great idea in the first place (Not that I feel that way because he said it). He also said said something in his last keynote that caught my attention, something about all that game scripting actually being more costly to performance than most people think. I don't know/remember the details, though. Although, coming from a guy who's idea of high-performace seems to have turned into "require a super-computer with expensive game-dedicated hardware" these days, I'm not sure how much I can still trust his stance on what code is/isn't fast anymore...But I guess I'm just being cynical... > I disagree with your middleware statement too, most middleware at this > level is created by in house teams and then sold on for other titles. > For example CryEngine, Unreal Engine, id tech, source engine. Renderware, Gamebryo, Unity, Vision Engine, and none-engine stuff like Havok, Although I admit I wouldn't know anything about maketshare. > Other > AAA engines are used entirely in-studio for example IW's engine(s) for > the CoD series games and Frostbite for the newer battlefield games. > The other problem with this idea is that the middleware needs to play > nice with other middleware like physics libraries, ai libraries and > other specialised bits of software like speedtree, which typically are > written in C++. > Yea, I suppose engine would be the key one. > All of these layers need to be highly tuned for performance across > many platforms including the console world. > > At this level the switch to C# provides much more than a 5% > performance hit too, it makes the whole thing unfeasible. My feeling > is that the same is true of D due mostly to immature tooling. > With D it's not an intractable issue, though. > The indie world however, is much more accommodating, the budgets are > lower and programmer productivity more important. Their performance > requirements are much lower and their willingness to play with new > tools is much greater. Make these guys happy and then down the track > the rest of the gaming world might follow. Oh, absolutely. Totally agree. In fact that's where I am...Or...would be...if I wasn't stuck in this perpetual web-dev hell...
