Game Sprockets, also called Apple Game Sprockets, is a collection of application programming interfaces (APIs) provided by Apple Computer to support game development for Mac OS and the Pippin platform.[1][2]
Components[]
- DrawSprocket - supports graphics through the Macintosh Display Manager with an abstraction layer to facilitate page flipping.[3]
- InputSprocket - supports game controller inputs through the AppleJack or ADB bus.[3]
- USB HID Driver - was added later to support input from game controllers ("Human Interface Devices") through the USB bus.[4]
- NetSprocket - supports network communication via AppleTalk or TCP/IP with Open Transport.[3]
- SoundSprocket - supports digital audio through the Macintosh Sound Manager.[3]
- SpeechSprocket - based on Apple's existing Speech Recognition Manager.[5]
- TabletSprocket - supports digitizers, such as Wacom tablets.[6]
- QuickDraw 3D RAVE - was not specifically identified as a "sprocket", but added support for 3D graphics with hardware abstraction through a "Rendering Acceleration Virtual Engine".[7]
Release history[]
Game Sprockets was announced by Apple on March 29, 1996. Apple engineers hosted discussion groups from March 31 to April 2 at the 1996 Game Developers Conference,[8][9] which was held at the Santa Clara Convention Center.[10] The Pippin Atmark had just been released in Japan and the AppleJack controller was supported by the InputSprocket.[11] Prior to that, Software Development Kits for Pippin Power Player prototypes were provided with an AppleJack input device driver.[12][13]
Earlier versions of sprockets were updated individually instead of as a set and required System 7.5 with Open Transport 1.1, Display Manager 2.0, and Sound Manager 3.2.1 or later.[7]
- Version 1.5 supports Mac OS 7.6 - 8.5.1.
- Version 1.7.5 is the last public release from Apple and supports Mac OS 8.1 - 9.2.2. Support for USB devices through InputSprocket requires Mac OS 8.6 or later.[14]
The development team survived mass layoffs at Apple in March 1997,[7] but classic sprockets have since been deprecated as Mac OS X adopted the OpenGL API and macOS later adopted Metal.[15]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ The Mac gaming console that time forgot by Richard Moss, Ars Technica. 2018-03-24.
- ↑ Rotten to the core: Apple’s 10 greatest FAILS by Cliff Joseph, Bob Dormon and Tony Smith, The Register. 2014-02-12.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Apple Game Sprockets Guide, Inside Macintosh. 1996-07-02. Archived 2009-01-20. Mirrored 2004.
- ↑ APIs for Human Input Devices by David Merrill and Olaf Matthes, Mobile, Free Software, and Security Consulting - Sound Design, Structures, and Robotics. 2007-04-14.
- ↑ The Speech Recognition Manager Revealed by Matt Pallakoff and Arlo Reeves, MacTech. 1996-09.
- ↑ Universal Control File by Ken Rosenberry and Tom Johnson, Purdue University. Archived 2002-12-12.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 NEWS: Sprockets: Present and Future by Chris DeSalvo, Apple. 1997-03-23.
- ↑ Apple Game Sprockets to Enable Cutting-edge Multimedia and Internet Games on the Macintosh, Apple Computer. 1996-03-29. Archived 2012-10-21.
- ↑ On With the Show (PDF) by Diane Anderson, Game Developer Magazine, p.10. 1996-06.
- ↑ Computer Game Developers' Conference Conference Proceedings, Miller Freeman. 1996.
- ↑ Where to get the Pippin OS: You should have said... by charlieman, AppleFritter. 2004-11-11.
- ↑ Applejack Input Device Driver (PDF), Apple Computer, Inc. 1996-05-10.
- ↑ Marathon's Story - Subject: Re: super marathon by Alexander M. Rosenberg, Bungie.org. 1998-08-03.
- ↑ GameSprockets 1.7.5: Document and Software, Apple Inc. 2000-10-24.
- ↑ Developers fear for Mac gaming as Apple deprecates OpenGL support by Corbin Davenport and Austin Wood, PC Gamer. 2018-06-04.
See also[]
External links[]
- Game Sprockets at Apple Developer Connection (archived 2004-11-21) (mirrored 2004)
- Game Sprockets fact sheet at Scribd (1996-05)
- MacOS Sprockets tech specs at MobyGames
- Game Sprockets at the Apple Wiki
- Game Sprockets at Wikipedia
