Microsoft releases windows CE toolkit for Dreamcast

Microsoft has announced Windows CE Toolkit 2.0 for Sega’s Dreamcast which it claims will simplify cross-platform games conversion and enhance interactive music and Internet capabilities, giving gamers more choice and a better experience on the console and PC.

Microsoft claims that the toolkit will shatter proprietary barriers for games developers, making it easier to bring the hottest PC technology to console games and vice versa. The result, maintains the software giant, will be bigger and better games and lots more choice.

Windows CE toolkit 2.0 has been finely tuned for the Dreamcast and includes advanced 2-D, 3-D, audio special effects and online multiplayer capabilities. This will allow developers to compose music that responds to user action - further enhancing the immersive experience for players.

New Internet technology is provided to connect game developers to a host of Web technologies for creating customised user interfaces, access to Internet based game servers and home page content.

"Our goal is to create real competitive advantages for game developers by providing a familiar environment with the best of DirectX and Microsoft's Internet expertise in a highly compact, performance tuned environment that is optimized for the hardware capabilities of Sega Dreamcast," said Chris Phillips, director of Business Development at Microsoft.

"The performance advances and powerful features of Windows CE 2.0 combined with the ability for title developers to leverage costs and derive revenues from both the Dreamcast console and PC will lead to the broadest selection of high quality entertainment ever seen on the home console," he claimed.

Already such leading developers as Acclaim Entertainment, Infogrames, Kalisto, Konami, Majesco Software and Sega are developing more than 70 titles using Windows CE. The number of titles using Windows CE, however, is expected to soar as the industry game developers currently using DirectX on PCs become take up the the Dreamcast platform.

For these title developers, Sega Dreamcast offers a huge incentive: It requires minimal time and effort for them to port their hottest game technology. Consumers of Sega Dreamcast will benefit most, because they will have more games to choose from sooner.