Palm unleashes webOS PDK beta on the public
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted March 9th 2010 11:19AM
posted March 9th 2010 11:19AM
If you've been looking to get in on some of that red hot game development action that Palm's been all about lately, check it out: among the announcements at this year's GDC, Palm has announced the release of its public beta PDK for webOS. This bad boy promises to let devs "use C and C++ alongside the web technologies that power the SDK and mix them seamlessly within a single app," just the thing for porting game titles to the webOS platform. And it's available now! Hit the source link to get started -- and maybe someday we'll finally get to play Mr. Jelly on our Pixi. We can dream, right?
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Palm webOS PDK Public Beta Now Available
Palm Demonstrates New Games at Game Developers Conference
March 09, 2010 09:00 AM Eastern Time
Game Developers Conference 2010
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Game Developers Conference (GDC) – Palm, Inc. (NASDAQ:PALM) today announced that a public beta version of the Palm® webOS™ Plug-in Development Kit (PDK) is now available at the Palm Developer Center (developer.palm.com). Palm is demonstrating new games from early PDK developers in its booth at GDC (No. 2016).
The PDK complements the Palm webOS Software Development Kit (SDK), letting developers use C and C++ alongside the web technologies that power the SDK and mix them seamlessly within a single app. The PDK enables new functionality, including immersive 3D graphics, and gives developers who have built games for other platforms an easy way to bring their titles to the webOS platform. Developers can download the beta PDK and start developing today, but distribution of games built with the beta PDK will require functionality provided in an upcoming Palm webOS update.
"Palm webOS is the go-to platform for great games on two of the three leading carrier networks," said Katie Mitic, senior vice president, Product Marketing, Palm, Inc. "We have both the developer tools and the hardware necessary for a world-class gaming experience, and an impressive portfolio of webOS game titles from top-notch developers to show for it."
At CES in January, Palm introduced 12 games built by four leading developers with early access to the PDK:
* "Asphalt 5" (Gameloft)
* "Brain Challenge®" (Gameloft)
* "Glyder 2" (Glu Mobile)
* "Let's Golf!" (Gameloft)
* "MONOPOLY" (EA Mobile™)
* "Need for Speed™ Undercover" (EA Mobile)
* "SCRABBLE" (EA Mobile)
* "Sudoku" (EA Mobile)
* "Tetris®" (EA Mobile)
* "The Oregon Trail" (Gameloft)
* "The Sims™ 3" (EA Mobile)
* "X-Plane" (Laminar Research)
Since then, more than 20 exciting webOS titles have been launched by these early-access developers:
* "Apollo" (Laminar Research)
* "Assassin's Creed™ – Altair's Chronicles" (Gameloft)
* "Brothers In Arms®: Hour of Heroes" (Gameloft)
* "Castle of Magic" (Gameloft)
* "Deer Hunter 3D" (Glu Mobile)
* "Dungeon Hunter" (Gameloft)
* "Earthworm Jim" (Gameloft)
* "Gangstar: West Coast Hustle" (Gameloft)
* "Giant Fighting Robots" (Laminar Research)
* "Guitar Hero 5 Mobile" (Glu Mobile)
* "Hero of Sparta" (Gameloft)
* "Real Soccer 2010" (Gameloft)
* "Real Tennis" (Gameloft)
* "World Series of Poker: Hold'em Legend" (Glu Mobile)
* "X-Plane Airliner" (Laminar Research)
* "X-Plane Carrier" (Laminar Research)
* "X-Plane Extreme" (Laminar Research)
* "X-Plane Glider" (Laminar Research)
* "X-Plane Helicopter" (Laminar Research)
* "X-Plane Racing" (Laminar Research)
* "X-Plane Space Shuttle" (Laminar Research)
"The Palm webOS PDK is extremely powerful and far-reaching, as evidenced by the number of titles we've been able to bring to the webOS platform in a very short time," said Baudouin Corman, vice president of publishing, Americas, Gameloft. "It's quite difficult to make a great phone that's also an outstanding gaming platform; Palm has been successful delivering both."
More information about the beta PDK is available at the Palm Developer Center (developer.palm.com). More information about games for Palm webOS is available at www.palm.com/applications.
About Palm, Inc.
Palm, Inc. creates intuitive and powerful mobile experiences that enable consumers and businesses to connect to their information in more useful and usable ways. The company's groundbreaking Palm® webOS™ platform, designed exclusively for mobile application, introduces true multitasking and Palm Synergy™, which brings your information from the many places it resides into a single, more comprehensive view of your life.
Palm products are sold through select Internet, retail, reseller and wireless operator channels, and at the Palm online store (www.palm.com/store).
More information about Palm, Inc. is available at www.palm.com.
Palm, Synergy, and webOS are trademarks of Palm, Inc. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners.
Palm Demonstrates New Games at Game Developers Conference
March 09, 2010 09:00 AM Eastern Time
Game Developers Conference 2010
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Game Developers Conference (GDC) – Palm, Inc. (NASDAQ:PALM) today announced that a public beta version of the Palm® webOS™ Plug-in Development Kit (PDK) is now available at the Palm Developer Center (developer.palm.com). Palm is demonstrating new games from early PDK developers in its booth at GDC (No. 2016).
The PDK complements the Palm webOS Software Development Kit (SDK), letting developers use C and C++ alongside the web technologies that power the SDK and mix them seamlessly within a single app. The PDK enables new functionality, including immersive 3D graphics, and gives developers who have built games for other platforms an easy way to bring their titles to the webOS platform. Developers can download the beta PDK and start developing today, but distribution of games built with the beta PDK will require functionality provided in an upcoming Palm webOS update.
"Palm webOS is the go-to platform for great games on two of the three leading carrier networks," said Katie Mitic, senior vice president, Product Marketing, Palm, Inc. "We have both the developer tools and the hardware necessary for a world-class gaming experience, and an impressive portfolio of webOS game titles from top-notch developers to show for it."
At CES in January, Palm introduced 12 games built by four leading developers with early access to the PDK:
* "Asphalt 5" (Gameloft)
* "Brain Challenge®" (Gameloft)
* "Glyder 2" (Glu Mobile)
* "Let's Golf!" (Gameloft)
* "MONOPOLY" (EA Mobile™)
* "Need for Speed™ Undercover" (EA Mobile)
* "SCRABBLE" (EA Mobile)
* "Sudoku" (EA Mobile)
* "Tetris®" (EA Mobile)
* "The Oregon Trail" (Gameloft)
* "The Sims™ 3" (EA Mobile)
* "X-Plane" (Laminar Research)
Since then, more than 20 exciting webOS titles have been launched by these early-access developers:
* "Apollo" (Laminar Research)
* "Assassin's Creed™ – Altair's Chronicles" (Gameloft)
* "Brothers In Arms®: Hour of Heroes" (Gameloft)
* "Castle of Magic" (Gameloft)
* "Deer Hunter 3D" (Glu Mobile)
* "Dungeon Hunter" (Gameloft)
* "Earthworm Jim" (Gameloft)
* "Gangstar: West Coast Hustle" (Gameloft)
* "Giant Fighting Robots" (Laminar Research)
* "Guitar Hero 5 Mobile" (Glu Mobile)
* "Hero of Sparta" (Gameloft)
* "Real Soccer 2010" (Gameloft)
* "Real Tennis" (Gameloft)
* "World Series of Poker: Hold'em Legend" (Glu Mobile)
* "X-Plane Airliner" (Laminar Research)
* "X-Plane Carrier" (Laminar Research)
* "X-Plane Extreme" (Laminar Research)
* "X-Plane Glider" (Laminar Research)
* "X-Plane Helicopter" (Laminar Research)
* "X-Plane Racing" (Laminar Research)
* "X-Plane Space Shuttle" (Laminar Research)
"The Palm webOS PDK is extremely powerful and far-reaching, as evidenced by the number of titles we've been able to bring to the webOS platform in a very short time," said Baudouin Corman, vice president of publishing, Americas, Gameloft. "It's quite difficult to make a great phone that's also an outstanding gaming platform; Palm has been successful delivering both."
More information about the beta PDK is available at the Palm Developer Center (developer.palm.com). More information about games for Palm webOS is available at www.palm.com/applications.
About Palm, Inc.
Palm, Inc. creates intuitive and powerful mobile experiences that enable consumers and businesses to connect to their information in more useful and usable ways. The company's groundbreaking Palm® webOS™ platform, designed exclusively for mobile application, introduces true multitasking and Palm Synergy™, which brings your information from the many places it resides into a single, more comprehensive view of your life.
Palm products are sold through select Internet, retail, reseller and wireless operator channels, and at the Palm online store (www.palm.com/store).
More information about Palm, Inc. is available at www.palm.com.
Palm, Synergy, and webOS are trademarks of Palm, Inc. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners.
Doodle Jump, anyone?
@statelypenguin I'd rather have Canabalt myself.
@jhoff80 As long as it's something. There are only so many boring, lackluster games I can play before I go nuts.
And while we're at it, why not hit us with some productivity apps. Or how about just some apps in general. I enjoy checking for new apps and finding a ton of $1 books I can get online for free.
@statelypenguin Oh, and PLEASE, get us MLB At Bat. :D
Honestly, I agree though. I'm not all that concerned with the games in the App Catalog, I'm pretty much covered on that front for a while.
I'd love to see some examples of the PDK / SDK hybrid applications.
In other words, it's possible to now have a Javascript/CSS/HTML app that then calls a PDK native plug-in for the heavy lifting. I know there's been a few things like this in homebrew, but I'd love to see some productivity apps that take advantage of it.
@statelypenguin
Amen to doodle jump.
@jhoff80 This sounds way too much like PalmOS with ARMlets. I hope Palm is going in that obsolete direction again.
@NuShrike That's ISN't going in that direction.
@NuShrike Why? For all that was wrong with Garnet in its later years, quality apps were never a problem on it.
@statelypenguin If they continue to develop their palm web os 1.4 and cater the needs of the user like they showed on their preview: http://bit.ly/the-palm-web-os-1-4-preview
Then I think it may not be that late for them to standout from their competitors..
Right on, Palm.
Right on.
@iDamien I agree, right on.
But isn't this a little too late???
@tommy2468
No. The phone has been out 9 months. This is right on time if not early.
@tommy2468 I agree. My opinion is that Palm should have licensed webOS before Android gained so much momentum. Now they really need killer hardware to regain momentum.
@Stevenamani Licensing PalmOS out to other hardware partners was the biggest mistake Palm ever made. In the good days, it lead to them being shown up by Sony on every device they made. In the bad days, it lead to the spinoff of PalmSource to make things a fair playing ground, which was probably the biggest cause of PalmOS / Garnet's stagnation for years.
... Why would they be so eager to repeat that again?
@tommy2468 It's too late if Palm doesn't bring out newer hardware and get on more mainstream GSM carriers like T-Mobile and AT&T.
I like rooting for Palm. It's like TiVo. Sure they've been on deathwatch, but somehow they just keep coming back. Go Palm!
@trainwrecka
Funny. All these people 'rooting' for Palm, but none of them actually going out and buying one of their products.
It seems you're more interested than your nerd-cred on some message board, than actually putting your money where your mouth is.
Stop rooting for them, go and buy a Pre.
@pukerocket ...And as soon as they let us, several of us will.
@pukerocket I like what Palm is doing. I would like to see them succeed. The iPhone is superior for what my uses are, so that is what I own. Everyone who owns a Droid doesn't bash the Nexus One. It's healthy to have competition, and I like Palm the best out of the iPhone's competition. I don't need nerd-cred, or to put my money where my mouth is. When Palm delivers a superior product to the iPhone for my needs (notice: for my needs), I'll get it. The integration with the iPhone and the rest of the Apple ecosystem is hard to top though.
@pukerocket I got a Pre. My sister then got a Pre. My dad just got a Pre Plus. My wife is the next domino, I expect.
Apparently, my family represents about 32% of all Palm customers now. :-/
@CRA1G More like 31%. I gots one two.
When's the Pre/Pixi GSM version coming out? I'd love to get a webOS device..
@gargle There're already GSM Pres/Pixis in Europe. AT&T's getting the first GSM Pre in the US sometime this year.
@Cin Rumour for AT&T is Apr 26-May 10 timeframe.
@ToniCipriani thanks :)
C/C++ for gaming? Am I missing something here?
@PrinceAli
C/C++ + OpenGL ES = Video Game
@PrinceAli
A lot of original first person shooter games were written in this format years ago. It is a powerful format that could produce some good games for those that want it.
@kjb434
As far as I know, most commercial games are still written in C/C++ (or Obj-C, if it comes to OSX/iPhone/iTouch/iPad). Only Android has a good lot of non-native games, and that's only because the NDK isn't as well-known as the SDK.
Performance of languages like C/C++, which aren't run through an interpreter like .NET or Java/Android's take on Java, simply is better.
@graey
Makes sense, I'm an embedded programmer so I was little shocked to hear that games are developed in C/C++ after hearing things like openGL and directX. Live and learn :)
@PrinceAli You don't sound like an embedded programmer since OGLES and DirectX both have C as the primary API interface (albeit DirectX on mobile also supports .NETCF) for far too long. It's also almost impossible these days to develop a modern game in pure assembly on any platform.
@NuShrike I've never dealt with them before, that's why I was wondering. I program microcontrollers, in C, not even C++.
I love my centro, getting a pre when my contracts up, Go palm!!
If only webos was in better shape when it released palm may not be in the death watch position it is in now.
Certainly a shame to see them squander a great idea and OS with a craptastic beta software release, terrible build quality and even worse advertising.
Don't disappoint with Elan palm or you will be looking for a buyer or bankruptcy. Don't squander what precious little resources you have left.
Developers need sales to drive the platform and 1.4 and the much improved SDKs are great but 6 months or so late.
@Aridon Have you ever actually used a Pre?
@Aridon
"Developers need sales to drive the platform and 1.4 and the much improved SDKs are great but 6 months or so late"
I'm sorry, what? 'Round these parts we don't put to unrelated thoughts in the same sentence without transition.
Viva La Pre!
Finally I can play some decent games on my pixi. All we need now is for palm to unlock the GPU to be used in running the OS. Wouldn't scaling mean better battery life and better performance.
@Schmid7y
The Pixi doesn't have a GPU that hasn't been put to use like the Pre did when 3D games came on board. They got different guts.. & I think battery life on the Pixi is fairly decent- esp. when compared to the Pre.
@KULawHawk Yeah it is, but I would also just like a zippier OS.
any news of this bad boy coming to Belgium any time soon?
It's Mr Jolly !
webOS's empty homescreen desperately needs widgets and shortcuts...
@TareG Ew, no, I hope not.
I love the fact that webOS has a nice clean interface that isn't cluttered by widgets. If there's any information that I need to see, it's in the dashboard / notification area.
@TareG
There is no "home screen". People that say it needs one don't seem to understand the WebOS. You can multitask and flick through as many app cards as you want and see weather/stocks/time etc., why would you need widgets and home screens?
@TareG
Widgets are for the weak. It's cards that we need. WebOS has been good on this from the very start.
@(Unverified)
Why would u need widgets? To have information (from many programs not just one per page/card) available at a glance with a low-memory small program running (i.e. widget) instead of a full blown program running in the background. There's a reason why the Pre has horrible battery life incompatible with full day heavy duty usage.
@TareG Do you happen to know how much power a full blown program running in the background uses if it is just sitting there? None. Same as a "widget." Just because an app is "big" versus "small" doesn't imply that it uses any more power.
There's also nothing preventing a developer from creating an app that hosts widgets. Then you can keep this app in front and always running. If that for some reason floats your boat.
@TareG and the uncluttered "homescreen" makes it easy to handle/open the device with out inadvertently launching a bunch of cards.
Palm really needs to come out with a Ipod touch type product if they really want to start selling some apps. I don't understand why they wouldn't? It seems like it wouldn't take that much engineering to take out the cdma radio.