Company:SN Systems
 | |
| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software development Video games |
| Fate | Integrated into Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Founder | Andy Beveridge Martin Day |
| Defunct | April 1, 2025 |
| Headquarters | Bristol, England, United Kingdom |
Key people | Andy Beveridge (director) Martin Day (research director) |
| Products | ProDG SNC Compiler SN-DBS (Distributed Build Server) |
| Parent | Sony Interactive Entertainment (2005–2025) |
SN Systems was a provider of Windows based development tools for games consoles and virtual reality headsets, including the PlayStation VR2, PlayStation 5, PlayStation VR, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation,[1] PlayStation Vita, and PSP.
The company had provided tools for the Atari ST,[1] Amiga,[1] Sega Saturn,[1] Sega Genesis/Mega Drive,[1] Super NES,[1] Nintendo 64,[2] GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS.
History
The company was founded in 1990 by Martin Day and Andy Beveridge.[3] Both directors have backgrounds of developing game console software development tools, such as SNASM and Psy-Q, at Cross Products and later Psygnosis.
SN Systems' long association with the PlayStation line of consoles began in 1993, when PlayStation manufacturer Sony acquired Psygnosis, who were publishing SN Systems' tools at the time. While Sony had provided MIPS R4000-based Sony NEWS workstations for PlayStation development, Psygnosis disliked the thought of developing on these expensive workstations and asked SN Systems to create a PC-based development system.[1] At the 1994 Winter Consumer Electronics Show, Psygnosis arranged an audience for SN Systems with Sony's Japanese executives, and Sony were impressed enough with their development tools that they decided to abandon their plans for a workstation-based development system in favor of using SN Systems' development system exclusively.[1]
In 1999, SN Systems won a Game Developer Magazine "Front Line Award" in the Programming Environment category for its Nintendo 64 development product called SN64.[4][2] The company won again in 2005, this time for the ProDG for PSP suite.[5]
SN Systems was acquired by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2005,[6] to provide tools for the PlayStation 3, and future consoles.
Based in Bristol, England, the company had satellite offices in San Mateo, California and Dublin, Ireland.[7]
On 5 February 2025, it was announced that SN Systems was to be fully integrated into Sony Interactive Entertainment on 1 April 2025.[8]
Products
Central to the SN Systems product line was the ProDG suite, comprising a compiler and integration with Microsoft Visual Studio, together with a debugger and additional build tools.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "The Development System". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (6): 49–50. June 1995.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "SN64 Nintendo64® Development Tools". SN Systems. http://www.snsys.com/n64.htm.
- ↑ "Our History". SN Systems Ltd.. http://www.snsys.com/about-us/our-history.
- ↑ "1999 FRONT LINE AWARDS FINALISTS & WINNERS". Game Developer Magazine. http://gdmag.com/frontlineawards/index.php?year=1999#fin_win.
- ↑ "2005 FRONT LINE AWARDS FINALISTS & WINNERS". Game Developer Magazine. http://gdmag.com/frontlineawards/index.php?year=2005#fin_win.
- ↑ "SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT TO START PROVIDING PRODG TOOLS FOR PLAYSTATION ® 3 GAME CONTENT DEVELOPMENT". Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.. http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/pdf/050927be.pdf.
- ↑ "SN Systems expands to Ireland". Develop. 3 September 2008. http://www.develop-online.net/news/30437/SN-Systems-expands-to-Ireland.
- ↑ "Sony Interactive Entertainment Announces the Integration of Wholly Owned Subsidiary SN Systems". 5 February 2025. https://sonyinteractive.com/en/press-releases/2025/sony-interactive-entertainment-announces-the-integration-of-wholly-owned-subsidiary-sn-systems/.
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Short description: Group of video game developers owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment
Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios (SIE Worldwide Studios) is a group of video game developers founded in September 2005 by Sony Interactive Entertainment.[2] It is a single internal entity overseeing all wholly owned development studios within SIE. It is responsible for the creative and strategic direction of development and production of all computer entertainment software by all SIE–owned studios, all of which is typically produced exclusively for the PlayStation family of consoles. With the launch of the PlayStation 5 in 2020, Worldwide Studios brands all releases be it internal or externally developed under the "PlayStation Studios" label.[3] HistorySCE Worldwide Studios (SCE Worldwide Studios) was established on September 14, 2005, with Phil Harrison being appointed as president.[4] On May 16, 2008, Shuhei Yoshida became president.[5] In April 2016, Sony's Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) and Sony Network Entertainment International (SNEI) divisions merged, creating SIE Worldwide Studios.[5] Hermen Hulst succeeded Shuhei Yoshida as president of SIE Worldwide Studios on November 7, 2019, with Yoshida being delegated to lead Sony's indie development.[6] Studios
Former
Other divisionsICE TeamNaughty Dog is home to the ICE Team, one of Sony's Worldwide Studios central technology groups. The term ICE originally stands for Initiative for a Common Engine which describes the original purpose of the group.[25] The ICE Team focuses on creating core graphics technologies for Sony's worldwide first party published titles, including low-level game engine components, graphics processing pipelines, supporting tools, and graphics profiling and debugging tools. The ICE Team also supports third party developers with a suite of engine components, and a graphics analysis, profiling, and debugging tool for the RSX. Both enable developers to get better performance out of PlayStation hardware.[26][27] XDevXDev Europe, established in 2000 and based in Liverpool, England,[7] collaborates with independent development studios across Europe and other PAL territories to publish content to PlayStation platforms all over the world. XDev has helped to create and publish, titles such as the LittleBigPlanet, Buzz!, MotorStorm and Invizimals series, Super Stardust HD, Heavenly Sword, Heavy Rain, Beyond, Tearaway and Resogun. Partners include independent developers such as Quantic Dream, Magenta Software, Climax Studios, Novarama, Supermassive Games and Sumo Digital, as well as SCE subsidiaries such as Media Molecule and Guerrilla Games. In addition to funding projects, XDev offer full production, project management and game design support. Titles are also supported with community management, online production and dedicated outsourcing management facilities. XDev work directly with Marketing and PR teams in all Sony territories to promote and publish games worldwide.[28][29] References
External links
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