How does this compare to PS2 dev, is it worth getting into?

Megidolaon · Post by **Megidolaon** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 3:46 am

Hi,
I'm a C# programmer and currently learning C++.

I want to get into console game making and I figured that any major console games are written in C or C++ the least, if not Assembler, because porting these from system to system is a lot easier than porting some C# .NET game on 360 to PS3.

Now my first question is, I heard it's quite a chore and quite hard to program for the PS2 because of the vector units and all, but what about PS3 development?
I guess if I get into it now, by the time I can actually work in the filed that PS2 will be history for real.
Is it easier to program for PS3 or about the same?
Do the SPEs make it hard to program for the PS3 or is it easier than the PS2 (if so, how much)?

My second question is the programming language.
I'm currently learning C++, can I do everything in it or are there times when I really need C/Assembler (if only for performance issues)?

My third question is maybe sorta off-topic on this forum, but about how much of the knowledge from PS3 programming can be recycled for 360 .NET independent programming?

Thanks.

J.F. · Post by **J.F.** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 12:27 pm

The PS3 processor is powerful enough that you could just ignore the SPEs for many applications. It's not 3 GHz x86-64 powerful, but 1.7 Ghz G5 powerful, which should be enough for many things. Assuming you're in linux, using the SPEs isn't too tough, especially since the SPE tasks can be coded in C/C++. There are examples everywhere.

So for most devs, you're just on another PPC/PPC64 linux box. Just look at pages on linux programming in general, and you'll be able to apply that to the PS3. If you want to program directly for OTHEROS, that's another can of worms. There are a couple demos here on that, but it's not something that being a C#/.Net programmer will help with.

Megidolaon · Post by **Megidolaon** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 12:16 am

I'd like to here a few more opinions.

How hard is it compared to say, C++ windows programming with and without MFC?

ps3fanboy · Post by **ps3fanboy** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 6:06 am

i don't know windows but without mfc/spes it should be the same... just linux.
mfc/spe programming is not difficult at all once you've understood the concept.