Product category:
Design and Development Software
News Release from: ARM | Subject: Mali Software Development Kit
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 06 March 2007
Kit provides early start on games
development
The ARM Mali Software Development Kit enables games developers to quickly transition from generic application development to ready-to-use designs for a wide range of handsets.
New from ARM at the Game Developers' Conference in San Francisco, California, the ARM Mali Software Development Kit (SDK) enables games developers to quickly transition from generic application development to ready-to-use designs for a wide range of handsets Mobile handset manufacturers require that games are available at launch to capitalise on the shelf life of new devices
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 8 Nov 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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The Mali SDK enables developers to create and test games before silicon exists, thereby ensuring that new games are available on the day the handset is released and maximising the time for which their games are marketable.
The Mali SDK is the latest addition to the ARM graphics portfolio, which addresses the market need for high performance and low power consumption for games and user interfaces.
With its advanced processors, graphics processing units (GPUs) including the Mali55 and Mali200 processors, and RealView development tools, ARM provides its silicon partners with a complete system implementation that is as efficient as possible within the constraints of an embedded environment.
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"ARM is taking its mobile strategy to the next level by introducing a new method of development which fully utilises the hardware capabilities in mobile phones", said Dr Jon Peddie, President, Jon Peddie Research.
"Unlike other graphics software development kits, mobile application developers can now benefit from a silicon-independent platform that offers leading ARM CPU emulation and development tools".
"This enables mobile game creation to start earlier in the handset design cycle, maximising commercial return after product launch".
The ARM graphics ecosystem enables collaboration among market leaders to link the ARM platform with a community of complementary solutions to shape the future of the graphics industry.
ARM contributes its expertise as a processor, GPU and tools vendor to enable application developers to create competitive, cutting-edge games for models pre-silicon.
This mutually beneficial co-operation provides game developers, publishers and tools vendors with the differentiation necessary to lead in this competitive market.
"ARM has combined the strengths of its technologies to deliver the only commercially available, off-the-shelf virtualisation product, maximising market exposure for mobile games", said Borgar Ljosland, Graphics Business Development Manager, ARM.
"This underscores our commitment to industry collaboration with leading tools and services vendors, game developers and game publishers".
"Together with our Connected Community Partners within the graphics ecosystem, ARM will help define the future of mobile gaming by facilitating innovation in next-generation game development".
"Ideaworks3D is expanding its partnership with ARM to enhance our software development kit for game developers in an effort to give our licensees the greatest competitive edge", said Alex Caccia, Chief Executive Officer, Ideaworks3D.
"In optimising our Airplay 3.0 SDK for the innovative ARM graphics architecture, we are ensuring that game developers and publishers can immediately bring their fully optimised gaming content to semiconductor platforms and devices that incorporate the Mali55 graphics processing unit".
"At the Game Developers' Conference this week, we will be demonstrating our Airplay 3.0 SDK for the Mali graphics architecture, allowing customers to see first hand the benefit of our partnership with ARM".
The Mali SDK product features run-time code translation technology, which enables fast virtual platforms to run on a standard PC in real time.
In addition, the complete graphics solution delivers developer libraries for the APIs, which offer maximum debug visibility and profiling and analysis tools which support current and emerging standards from the Khronos consortium, including OpenGL ES technology.
The Mali SDK also includes a performance analysis tool, texture compression tool, demo engine library and import tool for quick demos and import models, a visual debugger, a CPU/GPU software model for real-time information models to port games, a shader debugger and a shader compiler.
The Mali SDK will be available from ARM for commercial licensing in Q2 2007.
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