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ND: Entire Uncharted source code available to Sony's first parties

Naughty Dog's co-president has revealed that the company is not only happy to work with other developers, but that the entire source code for their first PS3 game is available to all of first-party developers.
nautyd0g - contributor
Published: 166 days 2 hours ago | Article | PlayStation 3 | Dev News
 
 

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xabmol - 166 days 4 hours ago
1 - First party is where the real party is.
I wonder if they will share with the 2nd party crew?
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heroicjanitor - 166 days 2 hours ago
1.1 - Maybe they should change their name to Good Dog :)
The first party titles are very diverse though so maybe it doesn't help some studios much, say Polyphony digital or zipper.

If I worked for Team Ico I would borrow quite heavily :)

Edit: Yeah you're right actually just thinking about if everybody could get rid of loading times and installs(I don't mind installs though). If that could become standard it would be cool
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Raf1k1 - 166 days 2 hours ago
1.2 - heroicjanitor
True but I'd be willing to bet the other devs will definitely be checking it out to see how they made use of the PS3s architecture.

You never know what you can learn from something like that until you check it out for yourself.
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FamilyGuy - 166 days 2 hours ago
1.3 - Awesome
Sharing is caring and every 1st party sony dev should be happy about this.

Sonys 1st party games will remain in a league of their own.
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Raf1k1 - 166 days 1 hour ago
1.4 - FamilyGuy
I agree. I hope other 1st party devs do the same with their previous games.
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BattleAxe - 166 days 1 hour ago
1.5 -
Maybe Slant 6 should use the Uncharted Source Code for the next Socom, thats if Slant 6 is still going to be doing Socom after Socom: Confrontation.
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ChozenWoan - 166 days ago
1.6 -
Between Incognito and Naughty Dog sharing code, First party devs are going to be bringing some major heat in the next couple of years. Can't wait to see what Zipper adds to the collection after MAG is released, not to mention if SCE Santa Monica shares their GOW3 code. That would be an epic symphony of code just smacking ppl all over the place.
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menoyou - 166 days ago
1.7 -
Wow, Naughty Dog is amazing. Please support this company! They are helping us get better games from all developers!
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Microsoft Xbox 360 - 166 days ago
1.8 -
BattleAxe, I wholeheartedly agree with you. Socom running the Uncharted engine? Damn that would turn heads.
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x__JL__X - 165 days 22 hours ago
1.9 -
@meno

I agree man. ND is awesome and I definitely support them whenever I can. UC2 is day one for me, they can definitely have my full $60. That being said, all Sony's first party are awesome. And I just love and admire the way they work together and always willing to help out to further gaming the way they do. Those are some real developers there.
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el zorro - 165 days 16 hours ago
1.10 -
I'll say one thing guys, Sony has a great first party.
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hay - 165 days 15 hours ago
1.11 -
It's like they're giving the complete blueprints of their super awesome rig. In every source code there are solutions. Solutions to problems some devs can have, solutions to improve their engine, solutions to squeeze a bit, solutions to improve engine.
I work with programming and I analyze open source apps if needed. If I would work on a PS3 game and someone would would say: "hey, you can check Uncharted code if you want" I would cry with happiness.
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shawnsl65 - 165 days 15 hours ago
1.12 -
Developer's wet dream.
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ultimolu - 165 days 13 hours ago
1.13 -
Yeppers.
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Alvadr - 165 days 7 hours ago
1.14 -
That is awesome news. Good stuff ND
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JsonHenry - 165 days 5 hours ago
1.15 -
That is nice.

What about their current code? The new game looks head and shoulders better than the first. Shouldn't they be sharing the current code?
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deep - 165 days 4 hours ago
1.16 -
"and we plan on doing the same thing when Uncharted 2 ships"
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gambare - 165 days 2 hours ago
1.17 -
You gotta see the source code, I hope I can upload the screen of it, is amazing and after the optimizations easy to use, they need to share this code to the second party devs, and send a free copy to valve, heck.... that's why valve is talking about rising a team for the PS3 versions, because they SAW this code.
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Foxgod - 166 days 2 hours ago
2 -
what are other developers going to do with the source code ?
Having a source code is only good for making additions to the game, or for porting it.

It would be more useful if they share the engine that game is developed in.
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DeathroW22 - 166 days 2 hours ago
2.1 -
"It would be more useful if they share the engine that game is developed in. "

That is what they are doing... do you even know what they mean when they say "source code" ?

Its helpful because they do get to see how they created their technology in their game engine.
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Greywulf - 166 days 2 hours ago
2.2 - i dont even think you know what a source code is.
Nor do I think you know what an engine is. I think you're going to wiki it though now.

Other developers could make a game. With the s.. nevermind.
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Obama - 166 days 2 hours ago
2.3 -
I think Foxgod should be ashamed for what he just said.
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Rob0g0rilla - 166 days 2 hours ago
2.4 -
http://searchsoa.techtarget...

"We're very fortunate to have a great group of first party developers within Sony that we're able to collaborate with. We're frequently exchanging technical ideas and even share some code from time to time,"

"We've even posted the entire source code of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune to Sony's internal severs so that any first party developer can look through it, or borrow from it...and we plan on doing the same thing when Uncharted 2 ships."
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Foxgod - 166 days 2 hours ago
2.5 -
no you cant, a source code is needed to lets say, port a game from windows to linux.
Or to build a package that can run on a computer, like a setup file.

Or, to look at how someone coded something using a particular engine, but if you dont have the engine, what good is the source code ?

When it comes to the programming in the source code, i dont see why other company's need that either, first party developers generally already have the inhouse knowledge to program games.

And you write graphical effects in your game engines, because those contain the needed info to communicate with the software layers that produce the graphic effects....
Again, a source code is a software product, and you cant make new products with a software product, you need software tools for that, and development kits.

@rob0gorrila,
thank you for posting that, it proofs my point that source code is a product, and not something that can be used to develop.
Unless ofcourse you want to make mods for uncharted.

Do you people really think if someone produces a game in the unreal engine, and then shares the source code to someone that uses the quake engine, that the source code from the unreal engine game will be any use ?
Ofcourse not, the source code from the unreal game can only communicate with the unreal engine, every engine got their own statements...
Source codes are for compiling....
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Greywulf - 166 days 1 hour ago
2.6 - Fox,
You dont know what you're talking about..... Which is clear. You have no programming background. But maybe you can just use deductive logic here...

Why on earth would a developer give someone the "source code"(I quote it as to mean your definition), if all they could do.. is.. make a ...mod.... or porting.. it... to FIRST PARTY developers who would be making their own games, for the PLAYSTATION3?

The source code is UNCHARTED as we know it. The shaders, the animation blending, the streaming, the rendering, spu management, everything. And its open source so to the first party so they can see exactly how Naughty Dog is pulling off its second to none visuals/performance.

You're just.. over here.. ----------->

We need you right here *.

Foxgod,

Unreal engine is open source(wrong).. you can make a game in it right now.. but to license it costs $$$$$$$$$$$$$ which is like 40/50k+. You can download the full sdk/source from the UT3 DVD PC. It will be a 100% independent .exe as well.. if you pay epic that is.

correct, my mistake its not open source aka/free. I mean its free to anyone to develop a game in it right now.. Using the engine/Sourcecode/mapbuilder/t exturemanager/audioediting. But when you want to release it commercially, you have to pay epic.

The source code to the entire engine doesn't contain Models/AudioFiles etc, I didn't say it did. It calls the data, but the way the data is called, is in the source code. Which is why its viable to developers..
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Foxgod - 166 days 1 hour ago
2.7 -
Again, graphics are programmed and produced by the game engine.
Source code decided how the game plays, not how it looks.

The fact that you claim that the source code contains the graphic effects show that you dont know crap about it, source code contains the code that CALLS the effects rendered by the engine, it CALLS it, it doesnt render it.

The source code contains stuff like, for example: IF nathan_drake performs action1, then run smoke3
The engine, which contains the graphic stuff, and communicates with the graphic layers, then know what to do, and when to do it.

And the unreal engine is not open source, open source means free, the unreal engine is not free, thats why you need a license for it.
Are you telling me that Photoshop is an open source graphic program because you can make stuff in the demo ?

-=Edit=-
And you finally agree that the stuff is called, then you also know that what you see in the source code, is the same as what you see happening on the screen (aka the story, cut scenes, when explosions go off, when smoke occurs, what happens if you press triangle near a vehicle)
Which means you dont need source code, you can just play the damn game, or watch a demo.
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zoneofenders - 166 days 1 hour ago
2.8 -
Plz...foxgod....you have no idea what you are talking about.....

"Source code decided how the game plays, not how it looks. "WTH?
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Foxgod - 166 days 1 hour ago
2.9 -
Yep indeed, why else do you think that people make graphical engines ?
To decide stuff like lighting, and shaders, amongst things.
Otherwise they would only need to create a source code.
Which wouldnt make any sense, cause if you program code (aka source code) and you got no engine to call stuff from, then what is actually gonna be compiled in the end ?
Nothing ofcourse, cause the code doesnt go anywhere.
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Greywulf - 166 days 1 hour ago
2.10 - Foxgod,
The source code alone manages everything. And the way it operates with the SPU's which naughty dog has seemingly perfected. Their methods and code will be used by other developers to incorporate them into their own engines if they like, or they can apparently just lift ND's entire source code and make a clone of the game, minus the assets of course.

No one is saying the source code holds the graphics/textures/models/audio data. You are.

"And you finally agree that the stuff is called, then you also know that what you see in the source code, is the same as what you see happening on the screen (aka the story, cut scenes, when explosions go off, when smoke occurs, what happens if you press triangle near a vehicle)
Which means you dont need source code, you can just play the damn game, or watch a demo."

Whaaa o_O? No.. Not at all...

Basic example incoming:

/**
* The HelloWorldApp class implements an application that
* simply prints "Hello World!" to standard output.
*/
class HelloWorldApp {
public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println("Hello World!"); // Display the string.
}
}

That application would just display the letters "Hello World!" on a blank screen. Say the letters = explostion/cutscene. The source code is what is built behind that event, and it is more complex than just plugging in an event. The source code defines what "system.out.printin" would be. And if you back tracked there would be a bundle of code for the printIn command...

Its far from just wathing a demo, or it will be something that can just swap with different chunks and parts. It is the skeleton that defines the connection between the assets/input/memory management/loading/unloading events... everything.

If you had the Source Code for Uncharted1, you could make the entire game with different assets. But you could also make a racing game if you just simply added a vehicle and whatever other code you'd need.
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Foxgod - 166 days 1 hour ago
2.11 -
actually, everybody in here is talking graphics, instead of programming.
Which is an incredible misjudgment of the news value in this article.

This article indeed is about the advantage you can have, using the source code, when trying to run your own game.
But having the source code doesnt mean everybody can suddenly produce grapx like naughty dog, cause you still need to have graphical experts, and a good budget.

Imagine handing the source code to, lets say.... Tecmo, their games could run better using the source code, but it sure wont look better.

@below
I am not confusing with a scripting engine, script are 100 % calling.
Source codes however call stuff from the engine as well, namely graphic objects and animations, scripts run on top of all the other programming layers, source code is simply a deeper layer.
Graphics, audio, physics, etch got their own engines.

@ further below,
Your such a dumbass, opensource means its being shared and free to use for anybody who wished to alter it in any way possible.
AKA FREE
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rockleex - 166 days 1 hour ago
2.12 - Source Code
FoxGod is confusing the source code with the scripting engine. If you write a game using Unreal Script in the Unreal Engine, then of course you can't use that Unreal Script code in the Quake Engine. That has nothing to do with source codes.

ND is actually talking about the source code. Source, meaning, C or C++ codes. That means, the source code for the engine, the source code for the scripting system, the source code for the rendering system, the audio system, the animation system, the cutscene system. Basically, all the engines, tools, and systems that were required to make Uncharted.

Yes, without the source code, there would be NO engine for Uncharted.

Again, the source code is all the C or C++ codes used to make Uncharted Engine and the Uncharted game. Do you know what C and C++ are? They're a portable computer programming language. Basically, all games and program uses C and C++. ALL GAMES! Meaning, if someone want to see how Uncharted was done, all they need is to read through the source code. You need to go learn programming before you talk.
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DeathroW22 - 166 days 1 hour ago
2.13 -
"open source means free"

It can do, but not all the time, every time.

The source code is pretty much everything that makes the game, say the game is programmed in C++, they write the game engine in C++, they write the scripting engine in C++, the lighting, the physics, everything.

The programmers will write their own scripting engine for the game, the scripting engine is for other members of the team to write things like missions, quests, etc. In the source code is everything, out in the open in how they built the scripting engine.

"actually, everybody in here is talking graphics, instead of programming. "

This just proves you don't really know what you're talking about.
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rockleex - 166 days 1 hour ago
2.14 - Open Source
Means that their "source code" is open for anyone to look at, modify, take apart, and utilize as they see fit.
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Awookie - 166 days 1 hour ago
2.15 - @foxgod
Edit: All these posts and not one person agrees with you i wonder who is right
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Foxgod - 166 days 1 hour ago
2.16 -
sigh,

could you people plz lookup what a graphical engine does, as opposed to a source code, and then come back.
All the stupid remarks are getting annoying.

And btw, not all engines are written in a game its source code, many devs just buy licenses for existing physic and graphic engines, and put it into their own heap of coding.

@below
K were on one line now, tnx for the lecture, it was fun guys :P
I learned a couple of things, but i also got my point across, kind of.
I love have discussions with 10 people at a time :P
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SuperM - 166 days 1 hour ago
2.17 - lol @ foxgod
Game engines have source codes aswell smartass

Way to make a fool of yourself, its not the first time though.
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Tony240ZT - 166 days 1 hour ago
2.18 - The engine is written in the source code
You're thinking of the higher level scripting languages used by the engine (something like Linden). They're talking about sharing the engine + everything else that makes up the game.

Get over your high horse, people are just trying to be helpful by passing on knowledge.
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DeathroW22 - 166 days 1 hour ago
2.19 -
Right, a game, on the disc is in an execute only state.

To create those execute only files, the source files will be there and compiled into that.

Naughty dog is giving you those source files, in those source files will be thousands of lines of code, in whatever programming language the game is programmed in.

That is what they are giving, the graphical engine is in there, everything is.

Source code isn't the scripting stuff that they use to create the missions and stuff, which is what i think you're getting confused with.

The programmers will write their own engine that recognises a certain commands, which the scripters then use to create the missions, quests, etc.

They are giving the code that they used to create the scripting engine, the graphics engine, everything. Not the scripting.

Please tell me you understand me now?
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mythamp - 166 days 1 hour ago
2.20 - Arguing with a 10yr old
Cant believe you guys are trying to teach this kid what "source code" means!!! That is just hilarious, havnt you taken a single computer subject in school yet, fox? Stop making a fool of yourself and go back to feeling good about your modded xbox360 and cheap pirated games ;)
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heroicjanitor - 166 days 1 hour ago
2.21 - Rockleex has it right
Foxgod is kind of right. You do call methods from an engine, but the engine itself has source code too, and has to be written. An engine is basically just reusable code which you have written to handle character drawing and physics interactions and stuff.
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DeathroW22 - 166 days 1 hour ago
2.22 -
"many devs just buy licenses for existing physic and graphic engines"

That is correct. However, when you buy a license for this stuff, there will be parts of it that is open source, where the developers can see and change the source code for them to properly adapt it to their games.

They cannot simply just pick it up and plonk it into their game.

Foxgod, i know what you are trying to say and what you are saying isn't wrong, but you are getting things the wrong way around.
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rockleex - 166 days 1 hour ago
2.23 - @Foxgod
"could you people plz lookup what a graphical engine does, as opposed to a source code, and then come back.
All the stupid remarks are getting annoying."

The graphical engine is one of the many parts of the source code!
They're not separate things. Think about it. What language would the graphical engine be written in? Obviously, C or C++. The codes that you use to wrote the graphical engine in is the source code.

Naughty Dog is giving away this source code, so that other developers can look at the source code of the game engine, the source code of the graphical engine, the source code of the animation engine, etc so that they can copy it or use some of it in their source code for their own engine.
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njr - 166 days ago
2.24 -
This is too funny. If you have the entire source code, then that means you have access to the graphical code...
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bjornbear - 166 days ago
2.25 - Foxgod is out of bubbles...you guy's can stop proving him wrong now =P
Source code is the interaction between man and machine...its instructions for the machine to read that humans can understand.

It's anything from graphics to physics, and so on. Game engines consist of source code, just like any other software in existance...its basically the code that makes the software.

There are ways of organizing it differently but in essance, its the instructions a coder gives to the machine to interpret =)

Uncharted 2 source code = help other devs understand how to work with PS3, and how to get more out of it, and easily =)
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Serg - 166 days ago
2.26 -
@Foxgod: Thanks for the laugh.

"Just look up what a graphical engine does as opposed to a source code."

The engine IS the source code. Engines are written in C++ (most of them anyway) and then compiled, every program ever made and every program that will be made, including games, operating systems and yes, engines, are made of code segments a.k.a. source code. What do you think is used to create an engine? Wood and metal? Cheap plastic for licensed games? Oh boy.

Simplified: Programming = writing source code.
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Claudinho69 - 165 days 19 hours ago
2.27 -
basicly foxgod is tell you that the engine is made without "codes"...
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thesummerofgeorge - 165 days 19 hours ago
2.28 -
FoxGod clearly just embarrassed himself by saying developers have no use for the source code and thinks if he talks in circles enough people will get so confused they'll start believing him. You can't dig your way out of this one.
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mfwahwah - 165 days 18 hours ago
2.29 -
Let me put it this way Mr. Fox.

Naughty Dog uses EDGE. They give EDGE to everyone.

They give the source code for Uncharted to 1st party devs.

That means that they can use it, per YOUR terms.

Hah.
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Bordello1900 - 165 days 9 hours ago
2.30 -
LMAO @ FOXGOD

Priceless
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JsonHenry - 165 days 5 hours ago
2.31 -
Wow. Fox sounds like a total tard trying to argue about something he OBVIOUSLY know next to nothing about..
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