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@@ -3,24 +3,55 @@
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Console support in Godot
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========================
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+Console publishing process
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+--------------------------
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+
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+Regardless of the engine used to create the game, the process to publish a game
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+to a console platform is as follows:
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+
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+- Register a developer account on the console manufacturer's website, then sign
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+ NDAs and publishing contracts. This requires you to have a registered legal
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+ entity.
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+- Gain access to the publishing platform by passing the acceptance process. This
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+ can take up to several months. Note that this step is significantly easier if
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+ an established publisher is backing your game. Nintendo is generally known to
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+ be more accepting of smaller developers, but this is not guaranteed.
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+- Get access to developer tools and order a console specially made for
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+ developers (*devkit*). The cost of those devkits is confidential.
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+- Port the engine to the console platform or pay a company to do it.
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+- To be published, your game needs to be rated in the regions you'd like to sell
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+ it in. For example, in North America, the `ESRB <https://www.esrb.org/>`__
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+ handles game ratings. In Europe, this is done by
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+ `PEGI <https://pegi.info/>`__. Indie developers can generally get a rating
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+ for cheaper compared to more established developers.
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+
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+Due to the complexity of the process, the budget to publish a game by yourself on a
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+single console often exceeds $1,000 (this is a rough figure).
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+
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Official support
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----------------
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-Godot currently does not officially support consoles
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-(except the Xbox One using UWP).
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+Godot currently does not officially support consoles. The reasons for this are:
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-The reasons for this are:
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-
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-* To develop for consoles, one must be licensed as a company.
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+- To develop for consoles, one must be licensed as a company.
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As an open source project, Godot does not have such a legal figure.
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-* Console SDKs are secret and covered by non-disclosure agreements.
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+- Console SDKs are secret and covered by non-disclosure agreements.
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Even if we could get access to them, we could not publish
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the platform-specific code under an open source license.
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-* Consoles require specialized hardware to develop for, so regular individuals
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+- Consoles require specialized hardware to develop for, so regular individuals
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can't create games for them anyway.
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-However, it is still possible to port your games to consoles thanks to
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-services provided by third-party companies.
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+However, it is still possible to port your games to consoles thanks to services
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+provided by third-party companies.
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+
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+.. note::
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+
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+ In practice, the process is quite similar to Unity and Unreal Engine, except
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+ that you need to contact a third-party developer to handle the porting
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+ process. In other words, there is no engine that is legally allowed to
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+ distribute console export templates without requiring the user to prove that
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+ they are a licensed console developer. Doing so would violate the console
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+ manufacturer's NDA.
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Third-party support
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-------------------
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@@ -31,9 +62,9 @@ your games to various consoles.
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Following is the list of providers:
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-* `Lone Wolf Technology <http://www.lonewolftechnology.com/>`_ offers
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+- `Lone Wolf Technology <http://www.lonewolftechnology.com/>`_ offers
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Switch, PS4 and Xbox One porting and publishing of Godot games.
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-* `Pineapple Works <https://pineapple.works/>`_ offers
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+- `Pineapple Works <https://pineapple.works/>`_ offers
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Switch and Xbox One porting and publishing of Godot games.
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If your company offers porting and/or publishing services for Godot games,
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Max Hilbrunner