Xbox Launch: Lessons Learned

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Xbox LaunchLessons Learned

• Pete Isensee
• Lead Developer
• Xbox Advanced Technology Group

2
Presentation Goals

• Xbox system team lessons learned
• Xbox game developer lessons learned
• How these lessons apply to game development in
  general

3
Xbox Launch Goals

• Excellent hardware at reasonable cost
• Superior software development libraries and tools
• Launch (well before) Christmas 2001
• Solid lineup of launch titles
• Its all about games if its not about the
  games, its not a priority

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The Version 1.0 Stigma

• Microsoft has a reputation for blowing version
  1.0 of whatever it does, then relentlessly
  improving its products and finally getting it
  right with version 3.0
• Houston Chronicle
• Xbox unspoken goal get it right for 1.0

5
The Hardware

• CPU 733 MHz Pentium III
• GPU 233 MHz NVIDIA NV2A
• Audio NVIDIA MCPX
• Memory 64 MB
• Hard Disk 8 GB
• DVD 5x CAV
• Network Ethernet 10/100 Mb/S
• Controllers 4 ports

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The Numbers the Xbox

• Approval to shelf 21 months
• System software builds 352
• Software development kit releases 20
• Birthrate 1 Xbox every 3 seconds
• Xbox consoles sold in 2001 1.5 million

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The Numbers the Games

• Signed developers 300
• Launch titles 19
• Titles shipped to date 50
• Games sold in 2001 4.5 million
• Copies of Halo sold to date 1,000,000

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Postmortem Ad Nauseum

• We needed more resources
• We needed a better schedule
• The specs were inadequate
• Marketing didnt know what it wanted
• We should communicate better
• Your group doesnt understand
• My group isnt valued
• We didnt build tools soon enough
• My group knows how to do its job the other
  groups dont

9
Xbox OS

• Based on NT kernel
• Extremely lean
• No virtual memory paging
• No multiple processes
• Original goal lt 1MB
• Xbox kernel runtime 150K
• Lessons learned
• Taking advantage of existing technology
• Knowing when to create new technology
• Set goals

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Specifications

• Spec template
• Specs for major components
• Some minor components were overlooked
• Lessons learned
• Specs/design documents are critical
• New hires
• Product documentation
• Packaging, manuals
• Keep them up to date

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Library Design

• Polling-based rather than event-driven
• Game owns the hardware
• Ring 0 (kernel mode)
• Direct access to GPU and CPU
• Up-front memory allocation
• Lessons learned
• Understand your customer
• Get input from your customer

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Library Design

• Familiar API
• Direct3D, DirectSound
• Win32 File I/O
• New APIs
• Input
• Lessons learned
• Consistency improves the learning curve
• Consistency can be misleading

13
Source Code Management

• Internal tool
• Public checkins
• Labels
• Branching (demos, patches)
• Lessons learned
• Source code management is essential
• Communicate about source code changes

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Assertions

• Rest In Peace (RIP) debug protocol
• BOOL XFindNextSoundtrack(
• HANDLE FindHandle,
• PXSOUNDTRACK_DATA pSoundtrackData )
• RIP((NULL ! FindHandle))
• RIP((INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE ! FindHandle))
• RIP((NULL ! pSoundtrackData))
• . . .
• Lessons learned
• Assert yourself

15
Bug Tracking

• Internal bug tracking tool
• Bug priorities
• Scheduling
• Resolving and closing
• Lessons learned
• Fix bugs now
• Verify fixes

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Milestones

• Monthly releases of XDK
• If feature was baked, it shipped
• If feature wasnt ready, it shipped next month
• Lessons learned
• The importance of milestones
• Code lockdowns
• Change process management

17
Trimming the Feature Set

• Online
• Dashboard
• Tools
• Lessons learned
• Implement the strategic features first
• Be realistic
• Cut early

18
Quality Assurance

• Testers per developer
• Test plans
• Daily builds
• Build verification tests (smoke test)
• Stress
• Lessons learned
• Test early
• Test often

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Xbox Hardware
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Xbox Hardware

• Xbox controller
• The chubbiest controller on the market
• - LA Times
• Lack of usability testing
• Actual ergonomics
• Lessons learned
• Awareness of a global market
• Usability testing

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Xbox System Team Tools

• Microsoft Visual Studio/Visual C
• Word/Excel
• Source control (internal tool)
• Bug tracking (internal tool)
• Lessons learned
• Use the right tools for the job
• Take advantage of existing tools
• Build good tools

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Xbox Audio

• User-created soundtracks
• Incredible audio hardware
• Dolby Digital, Dolby 5.1
• Lessons learned
• Simple features can have dramatic impact
• Investing in future technology

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Xbox Audio

• Games not taking advantage of DSP
• 3D reverb
• Occlusion/Obstruction
• Too many 3D positioned sounds
• Prerendering reverb/filtering into audio
• Lessons learned
• Untapped audio capabilities
• Dont overdo it
• Take advantage of 9 GB disc and 8 GB HD
• Avoid silent load screens

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Xbox Graphics

• Exploiting the shaders
• Games that dont fill the disc with content
• Texture resolutions too low
• Individual graphics files
• Lessons learned
• Shaders arent just for performance wins
• Take advantage of 9 GB disc and 8 GB HD
• Author at high resolutions downsample later
• Bundle assets together

25
Xbox Graphics

• Taking true advantage of the hardware
• HDTV
• Anti-aliasing
• Lessons learned
• Porting issues
• Understanding your audience
• Making tradeoffs

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Xbox Hard Disk

• 8 GB total 750 MB utility partition
• Online content
• Save games and user profiles
• Untapped potential
• Lessons learned
• Invest in the future (online)
• Take advantage of the cache
• Streaming textures

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Xbox International

• Xbox Dashboard
• German and the 30 rule
• Far East fonts
• NTSC/PAL 60/50 Hz
• Lessons learned
• Build your game as if it were shipping in
  multiple countries
• Keep string resources separate from code
• Design UI with internationalization in mind
• Dont tie game logic to frame rate

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Summary

• Xbox launch
• Shipping on time
• Shipping without bugs
• Quality engineering practices
• The future of Xbox games
• Lifelike graphics
• Cinema-quality audio
• Online play
• Voice

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Questions

• http//www.xbox.com
• Please fill out your feedback forms