Games development is set to get cheaper and quicker, following the announcement today of a new development tool for the Nintendo GameCube, by SN Systems Ltd, the leading provider of development tools to the console games industry.

The new hardware, developed as part of a collaboration between SN Systems and Nintendo, can be used with SN's development tools "ProDG for Nintendo GameCube" to build, debug, view and optimise games.

Supported by cutting-edge technology, the new SN-TDEV enables data transfer at 3MBytes/s, making life much easier and more efficient for games developers. The hardware also includes 48MB of memory, optical disk drive and USB2 connection to a PC.

As an addition to the ProDG development tools, SN-TDEV provides a cost-effective alternative solution for games developers providing their complete hardware and software needs in one portfolio. As well as accelerating the games development process, the new SN-TDEV will reduce development hardware costs by up to 60 per cent.

Commenting on this new product, Andy Beveridge, Director at SN Systems, said:
"The SN-TDEV is great news for GameCube game developers providing a low-priced alternative to current hardware solutions and greatly increasing the speed and efficiency of the games development process. The introduction of SN-TDEV marks a new stage in tools development for SN Systems as we continue to consolidate our position as the prime provider of both software and hardware solutions for console games development. This new product also helps to further strengthen SN Systems' relationship with Nintendo, confirming the company's growing international market position in delivering development tools to the majority of games developers worldwide."

Hisashi Yuasa, General Manager Nintendo Corporation commented:
"Already firmly established in the games industry, we are delighted to announce the SN-TDEV is now being developed and sold as a tool for the Nintendo GameCube. We are always looking for new ways to enhance and improve the games development process behind the creation of all our console games and are very excited about the work we have undertaken with SN Systems to produce the new SN-TDEV product."