Free DTS for PS2 devs
Surround's great
Digital Theater Systems used the 2003 Game Developer's Conference to announce a free licence for use of its multi-channel sound tech in PS2 games. All game which were DTS certified prior to April 1st, 2004 will quality for zero fee status according to reports - and of course any initiative to get better surround sound into PS2 titles is to be applauded.
The DTS SDK is available to official PS2 developers through their PS2 developer networks online, and DTS the company confidently predicts that many will take advantage of this free offer. Previously, only a scant few software firms have been willing to shell out for a licence, and one of those was moneybags EA, whose Pirates: Legend of Black Kat title had DTS support.
"With more than 10 million DTS-encoded games for the PlayStation 2 sold in the past 12 months, we have seen a great response from the industry with our entry into the video game space," DTS CEO Jon Kirchner said at the conference. "We believe that this program will further highlight how DTS multi-channel surround sound can uniquely enhance the PlayStation 2 game playing experience, and we are encouraging game developers to elevate the quality bar in audio for games."
Surround sound was indeed quite a topic at the GDC, where Dolby also announced new tools and initiatives.
