Shinra Technologies proposes cloud-based development solutions

Shinra Technologies, subsidiary of Square Enix, has announced today through their website the launch of the Prototype Accelerator program. The program is aimed at providing experienced developers with the means to easily go through the time consuming and complex task of creating a game prototype. Shinra’s vice-president Jacob Navok says the project has been created for developers who have a track record of good games but are discouraged by the limits of current technology when it comes to creating new, bolder projects.

Prototype Accelerator works through Shinra’s cloud technology. As they are executed on the cloud and not locally, developers will be able to focus all of their efforts on creating a single, scalable instance of their games without having to worry about hardware support. Clouding also means reduced delays for multiplayer as well as the ability to run programs on multiple platforms and architectures, allowing developers to save extra time which can be spent to deliver more enjoyable, feature-rich titles. Shinra also promises a lightweight client which will solve the problem, for gamers, of having to upgrade their rigs in order to play newer titles, as it is said to be compatible with nearly all modern machines.

In the same press release, Shinra also mentioned their newfound cooperation with Seattle-based independent developer studio Camouflaj, Best known for the episodic stealth-action mobile game République. Camouflaj said that they have been spending most of their time and resources trying to squeeze power off current mobile devices and that Prototype Accelerator will allow the studio to explore new possibilities thanks to supercomputing-based technology. Founder Ryan Payton, who formerly worked on projects such as Halo 4 and Metal Gear Solid 4, also commented that Shinra’s Prototype Accelerator embraces the true spirit of prototyping, allowing developers to test out solutions and concepts that consumer devices would not be able to support, as they lack the required power to do so. Camouflaj’s prototype goal is to bring players a taste of the future, Payton said. Shinra is currently testing out the new program and is considering proposals from developer teams and publishers worldwide.