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Rare Gambles On Dark Discs

Posted by Zonk on from the down-to-the-wire dept.

Next Generation reports on the risky choices Rare made with Perfect Dark Zero. They actually began stamping the discs before the game was certified so that they could make the Nov. 22nd launch date. From the article: "The certification process is the final stage a game goes through before manufacture. Microsoft's team picks through the game making sure there are no bugs, that menus all work correctly, and that there are no compatibility issues. Games that fail, even in the smallest detail, are sent back to publishers and developers for changes. The process can take days, or even weeks."

2 of 87 comments (clear)

  1. This is about gameplay and interface, not content by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    (posted anon to protect the NDAed individuals from whom this information comes)

    Xbox Technical Certification Requirements (TCRs) are no joke. They specify exactly what every Xbox game must and must not do. Some of my (least) favorite:
    * If a controler becomes unplugged during play, the game has to pause and accept a replacement controler on ANY port.
    * at the initial menu, if there is no interaction for some amount of time (between 15 and 30 second if I remember right) the game must play an "attract" video suitable for in-store display.
    * various in-game messages regarding system events (memory unit access, network connectivity, error states) must use a specific vocabulary (they're blocks, profiles and System Link, not kB, save games, and LAN) and in some cases specific wording of messages, particularily error messages.
    * The game must use a reasonably consistent menu selection look & feel that provides clear indication of the selected item in cases of a two-item menu.

  2. Hold on a second - Rare can sign their own discs? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    There's a bigger piece of news here than the risk of Rare fabing a disk without certification, it's Rare fabing a disk before certification at all. The process with the Xbox was as follows:
    1 developer prepares disc image, sends to certification
    2 certification responds with TCR violations
    3 goto 1 unless no TCR violations
    4 certification sends image to Great Disc Signing Machine in the Sky
    5 Great Disc Signing Machine in the Sky sends signed image to developer and Xbox Disc Fabiration
    6 Profit, if you're lucky.

    This would indicate that Rare managed to get to step 4 without going through 2 and 3. And indicates that for the 360 each developer might have their own private key for signing. This could be excelent news for modders given that there may be private keys wafting around the world instead of being locked in a room in Redmond.