The Year 2016 in review
The year 2016 A.D. was great for EagleSoft Ltd! Let's review the highlights of the year.
2016 started off with the mess of the end of 2015. During my final college semester in fall 2015, unfortunately, my old laptop and development machine, the venerable HP ProBook 4540s that I purchased in 2012 from part of a one-time scholarship of $1000 for school supplies, died. She served a good 3 years. Although the computer itself died (boot issues), the HDD and RAM sticks were fine. Also during this semester, I started a 2D Unity fighting game called Colonial Combat.
The year 2016 started out with finally earning and saving enough funds to get my new gaming/development replacement machine, the almighty HP Elitebook, in February 2016. I found this used, but wonderful video gaming/development machine on eBay for an affordable $300, and was able to transfer everything from the old laptop's HDD to the new machine. Among many bells and whistles, this high end mobile workstation laptop has:
- Windows 7! (Microsoft's last great OS)
- Autodesk-certified dedicated graphics card (the NVidia Quadro K2000M, great for CAD work and gaming)
- 16GB of RAM installed
- A BD-ROM Super Multi optical drive that I installed
- Backlit keyboard
- ExpressCard/54 slot
- Bought an Analog HP TV Tuner for the slot for video game recordings
- DisplayPort out
- HAV feature
- Stereo mix feature
- Many other powerful features
Five steps forward and one step back...
(Crack on bottom-right side of Android device)
During the beginning of 2016, I also began work on a new project, Socket the Hedgeduck, a Sonic 1 mod for the Sega Genesis with levels/assets from a game called Socket/Time Dominator. For my latest birthday, I bought myself a Sega Dreamcast from the local retro video game store and a DC-SD Adapter online. I will be looking into Dreamcast homebrew development and game modding for this awesome, powerful, homebrew-friendly console.
In August, I finished Colonial Combat. Also during this time, I ordered online a GQ-4X multi-chip programmer and other electronics supplies, to be used for future embedded development and to make repros for any retro video game homebrew titles I publish, and uploaded a demo of Socket the Hedgeduck to the Steam Workshop for the Sonic 1 DLC of the Sega Mega Drive & Genesis Collection. In October, I submitted both Colonial Combat and Sonic CD Breakout #3 to SAGE 2016, both to mixed reviews. Lastly, in November, I submitted Socket the Hedgeduck to the Sonic Hacking Contest 2016 and found myself a NES lot at a local Salvation Army (in very good, working condition). Unfortunately, Socket the Hedgeduck also received mixed reviews, and the contest entries were quite underwhelming this year. I neither earned any community or judge's trophies (but was close for a few), but had fun anyways. I am currently still working on Socket the Hedgeduck, and hope to finish it by mid-2017. As for the NES, I am looking into homebrew and ROM hacking development for the system.
The TL;DR version summary of 2016:
- Hardware
- Got
- An Elitebook laptop
- Sega Dreamcast with DC-SD adapter
- NES
- GQ-4X Multi-chip programmer
- Lost
- Android dev device (needs repaired)
- Projects
- Finished Colonial Combat
- Submitted to SAGE 2016 event
- Started Socket the Hedgeduck
- Put mod onto Steam Workshop
- Submitted to Sonic Hacking Contest 2016
- Sonic CD Breakout Demo #3
- Submitted to SAGE 2016 event
Tentative Plans for 2017
2017 should be yet another big year for EagleSoft Ltd! I tentatively plan on developing/doing the following
- Sega Genesis Projects
- Continue work and (hopefully) finish Socket the Hedgeduck by mid-2017
- Resume work on, (hopefully) finish, and publish physical and digital releases of Ultra Air Hockey (Sega port) online.
- Ultra Air Hockey DX
- Order a one-time purchase for a Steam developer license
- Work on a v2.0 version, add online multiplayer support through Steam, publish and sell Indie game on Steam.
- Other things
-Tamkis