Sony Corp. has today announced a range of development tools designed to help developers write games for the next-generation PlayStation 3 video game console. The release of the tools attempts to address concern in the development community about the immense cost of creating games with movie-quality graphics for a machine such as the PS3.

"Things that we thought were only possible in movies are now possible in games," Ken Kutaragi, Sony's game division head, told a meeting of developers, suppliers and media.

"But we're receiving calls every day from game developers who want to know how to develop games for the PS3 and how (game unit) Sony Computer Entertainment intended to support them."
The provision of the tools has been made possible by Sony's acquisition of Britain's SN Systems Ltd., and its strategic alliances with U.S.-based Ageia Technologies Inc., Havok and Epic Games.