Game Sprockets

Game Sprockets, also called Apple Game Sprockets, is a collection of application programming interfaces (APIs) provided by Apple Computer to support game development for classic Mac OS and the Pippin platform.

Components

 * DrawSprocket - supports graphics through the Macintosh Display Manager with an to facilitate.
 * InputSprocket - supports game controller inputs through the AppleJack or ADB bus.
 * USB HID Driver - was added later to support input from game controllers ("Human Interface Devices") through the USB bus.
 * NetSprocket - supports network communication via AppleTalk or TCP/IP with Open Transport.
 * SoundSprocket - supports digital audio through the Macintosh Sound Manager.
 * SpeechSprocket - based on Apple's existing Speech Recognition Manager.
 * TabletSprocket - supports digitizers, such as Wacom tablets.
 * QuickDraw 3D RAVE - was not specifically identified as a "sprocket", but added support for 3D graphics with through a "Rendering Acceleration Virtual Engine".

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, which was held at the Santa Clara Convention Center. The Pippin Atmark had just been released in Japan and the AppleJack controller was supported by the InputSprocket. Prior to that, Software Development Kits for Pippin Power Player prototypes were provided with an AppleJack input device driver.

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.
 * Version 1.5 supports Mac OS 7.6 to 8.5.1.
 * Version 1.7.5 is the last public release from Apple and supports Mac OS 8.1 to 9.2.2. Support for USB devices through InputSprocket requires Mac OS 8.6 or later.

The development team survived mass layoffs at Apple in March 1997, but classic sprockets have since been deprecated as Mac OS X adopted the OpenGL API and macOS later adopted Metal.