未來安卓電視將顛覆遊戲王國大綱
Since the early days of the video Game industry, consoles have ruled the home. Companies like Nintendo, Sega, Sony and Microsoft MSFT -1.11% thrived by building closed ecosystems that developers could creates games over the course of five to 10 years before a new, more powerful box entered the market and the cycle began all over again. But ever since the introduction of smartphones from companies like Apple AAPL -1.31% , Nokia, Samsung, LG, Google and Amazon AMZN -1.02% , video game creators have flocked to these powerful mobile devices and an entire ecosystem of small and independent development studios have flourished (also in part thanks to the digital distribution networks on new consoles from Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft).
自視頻遊戲業發展早期開始，遊戲機就主宰了千家萬戶。像任天堂（Nintendo）、世嘉（Sega）、索尼（Sony）和微軟（Microsoft）等企業都依靠打造封閉的生態系統賺得盆滿鉢滿。開發者可以有5到10年的時間開發遊戲，直到一款更強大的新遊戲機進入市場，這個循環纔會被重啓。不過，自從蘋果（Apple）、諾基亞（Nokia）、三星（Samsung）、LG、谷歌（Google）和亞馬遜（Amazon）等公司推出智能手機以來，遊戲開發者們就紛紛涌向這些強大的移動平臺，同時，一個由小型獨立開發工作室構成的完整生態系統也逐漸興盛（這也要部分歸功於任天堂、索尼和微軟爲新遊戲機開發的數字銷售網絡）。
In recent years, this marriage between smartphone (and tablet) and the traditional game console has resulted in micro-console devices like Ouya, Mad Catz M.O.J.O., Nvidia Shield and Amazon Fire TV. With Google’s GOOG -1.04% entry into this space this fall with Android TV, game developers will be able to create cross-platform experiences that will begin to compete more directly with the traditional console manufacturers. Chris McKillop, Android TV engineering manager, explains how this new technology could forever change the game.
而近年來，智能手機（和平板電腦）與傳統遊戲機的聯姻，造就了不少像Ouya、Mad Catz M.O.J.O.、Nvidia Shield和亞馬遜Fire TV這樣的小型遊戲機。今年秋季，隨着谷歌攜其安卓電視（Android TV）挺進這一領域，遊戲開發者們將能夠創造跨平臺的遊戲體驗，從而與傳統遊戲機廠商開始更直接地交鋒。安卓電視的工程經理克里斯o麥基洛普在此爲大家解讀這種新技術將如何徹底顛覆遊戲業。
Fortune: What are your thoughts on the speed at which new technology from companies like Nvidia has impacted the gaming capabilities of Android smartphones and tablets?
《財富》雜誌：英偉達公司（Nvidia）這類芯片企業的新技術影響了安卓智能手機和平板電腦的遊戲能力。您如何看待這種影響力的速度？
McKillop:It’s incredible. The latest generation of GPUs in Mobile SoCs are now at or exceeding those of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. When the PS3 originally launched, Android was still nearly two years away from a 1.0. It’s not going to take long for the mobile chipsets to catch up with the current fourth-generation systems (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One).
麥基洛普：簡直難以置信。現在最新一代手機系統級芯片（SoC）的圖形芯片(GPU)速度已經達到或超過PlayStation 3和 Xbox 360了。當PS3剛推出時，安卓1.0還要近兩年後才發佈。用不了多久，手機芯片的速度就能趕上當前的第四代系統（PlayStation 4和Xbox One）。
How have you seen mobile game experiences advance over the years on Google Play?
您認爲這些年來Google Play的遊戲體驗有提升嗎？
Mobile game experiences have made big strides on Google Play. Android is all about the ecosystem, and moving an ecosystem forward happens over time. It started with the NDK in 2009 and now with the upcoming Android Extension Pack for PC class gaming in L release. I don’t see any limit to what game developers can bring to Android. As the broader handset and tablet space start having CPUs and GPUs that can provide great high definition gaming, there is a big incentive for developers to be on Google Play.
Google Play上的手機遊戲體驗已有很大進步。安卓就是一套純粹的生態系統，要想讓一套生態系統闊步前行是需要時間的。它始於2009年的一個開發包（NDK），馬上要進行的L輪發布，將推出專爲PC級遊戲打造的安卓擴展包。我不認爲遊戲開發者爲安卓系統開發新遊戲時會受到任何限制。隨着更多手機和平板設備開始裝備能支持高清分辨率遊戲的處理器和圖形芯片，開發者將有更大動力入駐Google Play。
What opportunities has Android opened up for game developers, especially smaller teams?
安卓爲遊戲開發者、尤其是那些小團隊開放了哪些機會？
There are a lot of small shops (sometimes just one developer) doing great work. Since Google Play Store has such a quick turnaround time for developers to publish updates and new games, it makes it easier for smaller shops to have a bigger impact. Another element is free-to-play gaming.
有很多小團隊（有時候僅有一個開發者）都做得很棒。由於Google Play商店爲開發者發佈更新及新遊戲提供極快的週轉時間，那些小團隊更容易獲得更大的影響力。另一個機會則是免費遊戲。
How do you see Android TV impacting the current video game ecosystem, which is tiered separately (for the most part) across mobile, console and PC games?
目前的遊戲生態系統（很大程度上）分佈於手機、遊戲機和PC遊戲中，您認爲安卓電視對這一系統有何影響？
Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to discuss this with game developers across all three of these spaces. Mobile developers are excited to have more screens running Android. I don’t think we know yet exactly how the console players will come to the space but, as Android TV grows, it’s a question that will have to be answered. We have some ideas, and I’m excited about the next couple of years as they come to life.
過去一年中，我有機會和來自這三個領域的遊戲開發者都做過深入探討。手機開發者對更多屏幕開始運行安卓感到非常振奮。儘管目前我們還無法確切知道遊戲機玩家會如何進入這個領域，但隨着安卓電視的發展，這個問題的答案必然會揭曉。我們已經有些創意了，在接下來的幾年中，這些想法將成爲現實，對此我十分憧憬。
What differentiates the big-screen gaming experience from the mobile experience today?
今天，是什麼使大屏遊戲體驗和手機遊戲體驗有所不同？
Input system and power. Mobile experiences are almost always touchscreen-based and battery operated. Once you hit the living room, developers are going to see gamepads and remote controls, and the systems will be plugged into a wall so the chipset can run faster for longer. For some developers, it will be the first time they have had to think about non-touch gaming. For others, it will be like going back in time. Prior to the upcoming L release, Android hadn’t set down a standard for button mappings and how Gamepads should work. This made it really hard for developers to target controllers, so they either did one-off development for a single brand or just ignored controllers altogether. Android TV will give them a reason to get controllers working, and this will translate directly to controller gaming on phones and tablets. That’s the power of a single platform across all form factors.
輸入系統和耗電問題。手機遊戲基本上都是基於觸摸屏的，要靠電池驅動。但一旦來到客廳，開發者就會看到手柄和遙控器，系統也將用上交流電，這樣芯片運行速度就更快也更持久。對有些開發者來說，這將是他們首次必須考慮沒有觸控的遊戲型態。而對另一些人來說，這種場景又猶如時光倒流。在即將到來的L輪發布前，安卓還沒有確定鍵盤佈局和手柄生效方面的標準。這就使開發者很難針對控制器做開發，於是他們要麼爲某個品牌做一次性開發，要麼乾脆不考慮控制器。而安卓電視將讓他們有理由使控制器生效，而這會直接導致手機和平板設備出現控制器遊戲。這就是跨形態單一平臺的力量。
How do you see micro-consoles like Android TV changing that?
您認爲像安卓電視這樣的小型遊戲機會如何改變這種情況？
Android TV is much more than just a system for micro-consoles, it’s all about bringing Android to the big screen in your living room — either built into your TV, cable STB, media streamer or micro-console. Having a standard platform for all of these devices is going to have the same impact in the living room that having a standard platform for mobile devices has had on the mobile industry since 2008. It’s going to be a big win for developers and consumers and raise the overall expectations of everyone involved.
安卓電視絕不只是供小型遊戲機使用的系統，它的使命是將安卓系統帶到客廳的大屏幕上——植入電視、有線機頂盒、流媒體播放器或是小型遊戲機。自2008年以來，手機的標準平臺對手機業產生了深遠影響，現在爲所有這些設備提供一個標準平臺也會對客廳產生同樣重大的影響。這將爲開發者和消費者帶來巨大的雙贏局面，同時也將提高所有參與者的期望值。
How have you worked with Nvidia on Android TV?
你們與英偉達公司在安卓電視項目的合作是如何進行的？
We have worked very closely with Nvidia (they are at the heart of the ADT-1). The folks at Nvidia really “get” gaming and gamers — it’s in their DNA. They have helped us work with game developers, as well as optimize graphics performance on the developer devices we gave away at Google IO. We also work with GPU vendors across the industry, including Qualcomm ARM, Intel, etc.
我們一直與英偉達密切合作（他們是ADT-1的核心）。英偉達的人確實很“懂”遊戲和玩家——這就是他們的DNA。他們一直幫我們與遊戲開發者開展合作，還幫着優化我們在谷歌開發者大會（Google IO）發佈的開發者樣機的圖像性能。我們還和圖像芯片業內的多家供應商合作，包括高通公司（Qualcomm）、ARM公司、英特爾公司（Intel）等。
What does Tegra K1 technology open up for video game experiences?
英偉達“圖睿”（Tegra）K1技術爲遊戲機玩家帶來哪些體驗？
It brings third-generation console and PC-class gaming to mobile and small living room devices. We did a demo with Nvidia and the folks at Epic Games with Unreal Engine 4 at Google IO to show off what’s going to be possible.
它使手機和小型遊戲機也能享有第三代遊戲機和PC級遊戲的性能。我們與英偉達開發了一臺樣機。在谷歌開發者大會上，Epic Games公司的人用“虛幻引擎4”（Unreal Engine 4）在這臺樣機上展示了玩家將享有的體驗。How do you see game developers creating titles across mobile devices and Android TV when it comes to the touchscreen versus physical controller?
當需要在觸屏和實體手柄之間做出選擇時，遊戲開發者就會開發手機和安卓電視都適合的遊戲，您怎麼看這種現象？
In an ideal world a game should operate both ways equally. Since the physical controllers for Android TV devices will also work with phones and tablets, the investment for developers will be across all devices. Most of the games on the Preview Play Store for Android TV are the same ones you install on your phone or tablet. I can see a lot of kids carrying a tablet and two gamepads to school next year.
理想情況下，一款遊戲應該在這兩個平臺上都能玩。由於安卓電視遊戲機的實體手柄也適用於手機和平板，因此開發者投資打造的遊戲也適用於所有設備。在Preview Play Store，適用於安卓電視的絕大多數遊戲和你安裝在手機和平板上的遊戲是一模一樣的。明年我就會看到很多孩子帶着平板和兩個手柄去學校了。
How does technology like Unreal Engine 4 open up new opportunities for cross-device and cross-platform gaming experiences?
“虛幻引擎4”這樣的技術會如何給跨設備及跨平臺的遊戲體驗帶來新機遇？
When a game developer invests in something like Unreal Engine 4 for the core of their experience, it broadens the market they can address with a lower incremental cost. Couple this with a system like Google Play Games Services, and you can really do some fun things with cross-platform, multi-device and multi-user gaming.
當遊戲開發者投資打造“虛幻引擎4”這樣的技術後，它就能以更低的增量成本開拓更大的市場。將其與Google PlayGames Services這類系統結合後，就能真正通過跨平臺、跨設備和多用戶遊戲來做些有趣的事了。
How do you see the actual gameplay experiences evolving with the ability to play on the road and then continue on the big screen at home?
隨着玩傢俱備先在路上玩，回到家又繼續在大屏幕上玩的能力，您怎麼看待他們的遊戲體驗由此獲得的提升？
Most games have a cloud-based solution, like Play Games Services, for save game state so you don’t lose your progress if you get a new phone. Since we are using the same core platform for Android TV, all the same technologies continue to work. Developers love that if you buy a game on your TV, it’s installable on your phone and vice-versa. You will see us investing heavily in these sort of cross-device experiences going forward.
大多數遊戲都有云端的解決方案，比如Play Games Services，這樣當玩家買了新手機後，就能保留遊戲狀態，不會失去通關進程。由於我們在安卓電視上也用了同樣的核心平臺，因此所有同類技術還是管用的。開發者非常樂見的情景是，玩家買了一款電視上玩的遊戲，同時又把它裝在手機上，反之亦然。大家會發現，我們會繼續在這類跨設備體驗的開發上投入重金。
One of the current challenges facing game developers on Android is the sheer number of different devices. How do you see a unified platform like Android TV making things easier for developers to focus on creativity versus ports?
目前安卓平臺的遊戲開發者面臨的主要挑戰之一是不同設備的數量問題。據稱像安卓電視這樣的統一平臺可以讓開發者更容易關注創意而不是與大量端口適配，對此您怎麼看？
We have CPU and GPU performance requirement built into the Android TV spec. We want game developers to know that even on the low-end devices they are going to have room to play. There will always be devices that perform well beyond these specs, and there will always be game developers that want to take advantage of those capabilities when they are present. This looks a lot like the PC gaming space, and it is a model that has worked well for years. I think game developers are going to be pretty happy with this approach.
在安卓電視的技術規範中，我們規定了CPU和GPU的性能要求。我們希望開發者瞭解，就算在低端設備上他們也有施展的空間。總會有一些設備的性能遠超這些規範，也總會有開發者希望能利用好這些性能。這種情況和PC遊戲領域很像，這也是多年來一直運作良好的模式。我想遊戲開發者會十分喜歡這種方法的。
Given the speed at which we’ve seen technology, including the Tegra line of chips, advance over the last few years, how do you see more advanced and complex games impacting the traditional console business dominated by Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo?
過去幾年來，像“圖睿”系列芯片這樣的技術突飛猛進，在此背景下，您認爲更先進也更復雜的遊戲會對一直由索尼、微軟和任天堂這些巨頭統治的傳統遊戲機領域產生何種影響？
Technology always ends up disrupting existing industries. You just need to look at the mobile space and compare the big players in 2006 with the big players in 2014 to see this in action. I don’t think that the living room will be any different, but it’s impossible to predict the winners and losers. Let’s look back in five to six years.
技術最終總會顛覆現有產業。只需要看看手機領域，對比一下2006年大賣的機型和2014年的大賣機型就能看出這一點。我不認爲客廳這個領域會有所不同，但也不可能預測最終誰贏誰輸。等過了五六年後再回頭看吧。
How have you worked with actual game developers in creating Android TV?
在打造安卓電視時，你們和遊戲開發者們到底是如何合作的？
We started reaching out to select game developers almost a year ago and disclosed our plans with close partners. We also worked closely with Nvidia and their existing Nvidia Shield developers to get their apps ready for a non-touch world. Probably one of the best parts of building Android TV has been how positive and supportive the various game developers have been around our efforts. Android has an incredible Developer Relations team that is filled with avid gamers.
幾乎一年以前我們就開始遴選遊戲開發者了，並向密切合作夥伴透露了自己的計劃。我們還與英偉達公司及其Nvidia Shield目前的開發者們密切合作，使其應用能適用於非觸控領域。在打造安卓電視的過程中最好的一部分可能就是，圍繞着我們的努力，不同的遊戲開發者是那麼積極樂觀、全力支持。安卓有一支令人難以置信的開發者關係團隊，它是由許多充滿活力的玩家組成的。
