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Tom's Hardware Reviews Multi-Display Gaming
MikShapi writes "Most gamers out there today own a dual-head graphics card (most of us completely neglecting the second port), and games such as X2 are offering support for this already (at least on nVidia cards, due to the "span" driver feature). Tom's Hardware did a nice rundown on the technology, complete with screenshots and benchmarks."
I'm sure that having a second monitor to provide extra game info is probably way cool, especially with games like flight sims and driving sims. But how many people really have two monitors?
:-(
My desk is not that big and because I care about resolution and sharpness I run a large 19" CRT. There simply isn't room on the desk for a second CRT.
Not to mention that extra monitors are quite pricey. I love games and gaming, but I can't see myself forking over several hundred dollars for the purpose of playing a game. At least if I were a graphic designer I could make money with the second screen, but gaming is only a money pit.
No second screen for me, I guess, no matter how cool it would be.
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Now that monitors are dirt cheap perhaps it will start to catch on more.
My experience with dual monitors has showed me its use for multitasking, but I can't think of anything more horrid than trying to span a game across it.
Even my multitasking ends up dividing entertainment from work... My GAIM windows and media players go in monitor 2 while my real work stays in number one.
I just don't see how that would be any fun.
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Left, centre, right. Ideal for flight simulators etc. Where do you look with dual head? I can see the practical problems with fitting 3 VGA outputs on the back of an AGP card though, as well as desk space issues.
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Maybe multiple displays aren't designed for the game you were playing.
The best fit that I can think of for this would be racing sims like Grand Prox Legends. A 3-headed display would give you lots of peripheral vision to see cars that got along side of you, but you wouldn't have to turn your head to see the car in detail; the mere glimpse of a car's presence and position would be enough.
Yeah, we *may* have fried a $450 video card, but don't worry about that... on with the review!
Seriously. If you're turning your neck to see 2 or 3 displays right up against each other, YOU'RE SITTING TOO CLOSE TO THEM! Move back a bit and use your eyes to scan, glasshoppah!
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Every few years multi-headed gaming rears its head (haha).
It's not going to catch on any time soon.
Matrox Did it right with their latest 3d card. Offering the use of 3 monitors. Several games supported this natively but the comparitively poor 3D speed led few to pick it up.
Until it is the defacto standard to have 2 or 3 LCD's on a desk you're not going to see gamers using this over one large high resolution monitor.
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I don't think the articles point is that this is some major innovation that's never been thought of before. Games that take advantage of multiple displays are few and far between. We can go make through the history of games on the PC and Mac and pick out a handful of them and show how knowledgeable we all are [as you seem to have chosen to do] but what purpose does that serve? The article isn't saying this is a new thing - it's saying it is an underused thing. Furthermore, it's a chicken before the egg situation because developers aren't going to support it until they know people are using multiple displays and people aren't going to use multiple displays until games take advantage of them. So yes, you were able to cite a game from the past that took advantage of this. Congratulations.
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No you overreacting moron. Read the last part of his post again.
but my point is simply that this is nothing new and when the original Graphsim creators of Hornet included this feature, they knew this was the right way to do it just like the more sophisticated simulators that pilots use for their training.
He is saying that the creators of Hornet knew what they were doing back in 1989 and he is giving props where due.
How much does a set of graphite shaft golf clubs cost? For that matter have you checked out the price of balls lately? Nevermind greens fees.
What does a single Orvis or Sage flyrod cost, never mind your reel, line, flies and wading equipment?
I've got several hundred dollars into just the radio gear of my R/C racing car, and it's another fourty bucks in tires every few times I race it. Not to mention entry fees.
Computer gaming is actually relatively cheap if one runs a generation or so behind the curve. Used 17" CRTs are about fifty bucks.
I'm a notorious cheap ass bastard who enjoys squeezing life out of as little money as I can. I'm a luftmensch. But I work to buy things I want and enjoy. A good book. A game. A nice flyrod. A Campy grouppo. Whatever.
Life is a money pit. I'm going to do what I can to enjoy it and use what little money I have in that pursuit.
I work to live, not live to work.
KFG
I remember that game! While it was a blast, I agree, the 12 fps left a lot to be desired...
But nothing like having 3 monitors. It supported up to 9 I think, I bet it would have blazed at 5fps with all 9 hooked up.
That was always a problem with my quadra, the potential always showed through the reality.