An interesting hypothesis that came to mind during and after the confirmed speculation and in light of AMD's announced 4x4 platform: plug-in GPU modules on the motherboard. With the way 4x4 works, you would be able to dedicate determinable and upgradeable RAM to the GPU. And since ATI and nVidia have both been working integrating a PPU core in future GPUs, there are interesting possibilities on the horizon.
Having a bank of RAM slots on the motherboard in dedication to an socketed GPU has its drawbacks, I'm sure, but I kind of like the idea of dropping in a new GPU chip with a mobo-mounted cooler.
As to how it'll affect AMD's and ATI's business model in the future, and their very futures for that matter, we'll have to wait and see how it pans out. I think it's a good move on both companies' parts, despite the immense risk involved. To quote the sixty-second Rule of Acquisition, "The riskier the road, the greater the profit."
Well, the up-side to that is, if it can have deleterious effects on Earth, its environment, or our other solar neighbors, we'll at least have 1,950 years to prepare for it.
I require minions - hence I appeal here amongst the dark dwellers, the basement lurkers, the sunlight avoiders - join me, and become all powerful - the meek shall rise in my dominion of pain and fire. Dark Fire. Very dark black evil fire. And chains and non-stop Industrial Noise. And Britney.
I don't know why Sony would want to use a Verbatim DVD+R for their demo, but I know I use Verbatim recordable media for integrity and reliability. I've still got circa 1997 2x CD-R Verbatim DataLifePlus discs that are still working perfectly. In fact, even with physical abuse, the discs have withstood the test of time, storage, and transportation for nearly a decade and have retained their resilliency. The only other recordable media I own that have proved nearly or equally as capable has been the Kodak DS InfoGuard CD-R.
A little off-topic, I know, but given the third question, I thought it relevant.
The Wii's control scheme has a significant advantage over that of its rivals' with regard to ergonomics. Holding the Wii-mote and the nunchaku device in the opposing hand (doesn't seem to make a difference if you're a righty or a lefty, either) at an adequate distance can reduce the strain on the wrists, elbows, and shoulders of the player's arms, allowing for a much more relaxed, more natural positioning of limbs. The human hands weren't meant to be held so close together for extended periods of time, which is why gaming with a keyboard and mouse has always been more comfortable (though not completely) than gaming with just the keyboard or with a controller.
And I'm guessing many of the functions with the Wii-mote and the nunchaku won't have to be motion-centric per se, at least not on the level of play that is shown in demonstrations--I think this is more of a basic human reaction amidst adaptation to the control scheme. i.e. The brain thinks, "Hey, I'm moving!" and the body gradually reacts more naturally to the movement on the screen and its interface through the controller. For many veterans (and some newcomers), I'm sure great sweeping movements in repetition won't be necessary, which would further reinforce its ergonomic benefits.
While I didn't really care much for Crystal Chronicles, the news of a Dragon Quest title intended for the Wii is awesome; not just because the DQ series has been good, but also because this means that some good RPGs will be available for Nintendo's new platform. Quite looking forward to that, actually--more so than yet another Final Fantasy title of any kind for any platform.
Final Fantasy just hasn't been the same since Sakaguchi-san left Square. And Nobuo Uematsu, for that matter, but I'm glad to see they're still working together.
Though the PS3 is, assumedly, right around the corner, the PS2 still has a lot of life left in it. One of my very best friends is an ex-EA Tiburon employee; during his tenure there, we had many intense programming-related discussions regarding the consoles, particularly the PS2 and GCN. The PS2 was very, very difficult to program for (as was the GCN), and since development cycles were usually anywhere between six months to a year for any given title, that didn't leave a lot of time to radically improve upon the software pushing the hardware to its limit (this is fairly-well illustrated with games that've had long dev cycles like the MGS series). And, essentially, a good portion of titles for next-gen consoles will be/have been built centered around what capabilities they've already utilized on current-gen systems.
It's really a mature- vs. infantile-platform scenario. With time, I'm certain there will be more migration away from current-gen platforms, but I don't think it's such a bad idea that software companies continue to support the platforms already present; after all, adopting the next-gen systems with the prices at which they're being sold will be tough for a lot of people during the first six months. After that first six months to a year of early-adopter support, the software development on the new systems will mature, games will utilize more of the systems' capabilities (i.e. look purdier), and development houses will feel more confident about putting more titles on them.
And as always, the winners will be the consumers and the publishers.
I don't wish to sound so pessimistic here, but I really can't see how -- between the 360 and the PS3 -- the consumers will be winners in this coming console generation (I don't think 'war' applies as it just seems like a pissing contest between Microsoft and Sony). Their development focus seems centered on the wrong things, for one. Number crunching, graphical horsepower, and 3rd party developer support is all fine and well, but it doesn't always make for fun games.
The biggest issue, though, is price. The 360, adequately equipped with a selection of nearly-requisite accessories, is well over $400. And that's before the first game (I'm not counting Live! content because not everyone has broadband). When the PS3 is released, I suspect, as rumors have suggested, that it's price will be slightly higher. Games in this round are also expected to be more expensive for both consoles, and who wants to pay $70 for a sequel of a sequel that's lackluster at best?
I remember rolling up into a Toys 'R Us back in the 80s and buying a brand new Nintendo Entertainment System for just under $100US. Yeah, a 'current-gen' console shortly after nation-wide rollout for UNDER ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS. Unthinkable nowadays, isn't it? Toss in my first game -- The Legend of Zelda -- and I was set and still under the $200 mark. New games? At the time, I rented them. If I liked them, I bought them, and they certainly didn't cost $70.
Rising cost of living, rising gas prices, and the rising price of sub-standard entertainment (film, music, television, and video games)... I can't see how the consumers are winners.
I'm not saying there won't be some good games on either console, but it's so bloody expensive. And for gamers on a budget, it's completely out of reach until sometime after the six-month mark when those pennies have been saved and the console price drops a bit. I mean, I don't even get to play many of the new PC games until they get into the $10-$20 bargain level because of financial issues.
Nintendo, on the other hand, seems better-focused on providing an actual product at a price that's easier to swallow. They seem focused on fun, too, and while I'm sure it'll have its share of games that suck, I feel that the majority will be innovative and entertaining.
The bottom line for all three companies is to push a product and make a profit, as it is with any company, really, but I believe Nintendo has a better hold on what people are after, and they seem to care more about their customer having fun. And in video games, it's about enjoying yourself. And it doesn't hurt that they also conscientious about costs to the consumer.
In the end? Well, I'll probably end up buying all three consoles, wallet willing, but I foresee my first purchase in this generation being a Nintendo console.
While Oblivion does look quite gorgeous, it is Mad Doc Software that is doing the actual work on Legacy with Bethesda publishing the title (as it is Bethesda which now has rights to the publishing and creation of 'Trek-based games). This article at Eurogamer sheds a little more light than the Gamasutra entry, and from how it sounds, the preliminary game concept reminds me a bit of Deep Space Nine: Dominion Wars -- an okay game, but not a great one, with a look similar to the screenshots provided. We'll see what happens, though.
I thought that was kind of interesting, when linking from the main page to this article, that there were 7 of 9 comments on an article with a Star Trek subject.
Having seen some of the screenshots, I'd have to guess (or hope) they're at an early alpha stage, seeing as there's no shadows being cast and some of the texturing looks rather dated. While I acknowledge that great graphics do not always make for great games, I'd expect that a company like Bethesda or Mad Doc (who is doing the actual work on the Legacy title) wouldn't skimp in the graphics department, either. Of course, I'm probably spoilt by the gorgeousness found in EVE Online.
That said, Legacy looks like it'll be a fun title. Large-scale combat in a 'Trek game can be fun; I just wish Birth of the Federation wasn't so poorly made as to make such conflicts nigh impossible. Speaking of which, that game is in sore need of a remake (hint, hint, Bethesda).
In other news, American President George W. Bush announced today a new program to curtail the dwindling number of the country's morons with his new No Stupid Person Left Behind program. The President declined to comment on the diverting of funds from the No Child Left Behind and NASA spending programs to this new plan, but did state that he planned to "nip this epidemic in the bud."
Or does this sound like the intro narrative to a horror sci-fi flick...
A really cheesy Sci-Fi Channel Original sci-fi/horror flick at that. Give 'em about six months and I'm sure they'll already be a week into filming Frankenspider III - After the Armageddon. Has anyone seen the crap they've been funding these last few years? Absolutely atrocious -- riddled with poor acting, casting, writing, and CGI just for the sake of having it in there (it sometimes seems).
If I recall correctly, 3dfx -- pre-nVidia buy-out -- had developed the hardware for anti-aliasing, over-brights, and other image processing effects in their briefly released Voodoo 5 series of graphics cards. In a http://www.hothardware.com/viewarticle.cfm?page=2& articleid=487&cid=2series of screenshots released prior to the buy-out, they showcased working depth-of-field blur and motion-blur filters in Quake 3 Arena.
To my knowledge, these effects should be present in modern nVidia graphics cards proceeding the purchase. I could be mistaken, but I'm fairly certain the image processing technology 3dfx was working on was included in said purchase. With that said, I'm certain many improvements upon these technologies could easily be made given the processing power of newer video cards.
Slashdot Mirror
"I am Captain James T. Kirk..."
"And I am Commander Spock..."
"And together we're... WYLD STALLIONS!"
Is it sad that I, as a Trekkie from way back, would rather much see a sequel to Galaxy Quest than yet another Star Trek movie?
A Wal-Mart parking lot on
Black Friday.
Sounds like those young'uns need to learn Tantric programming.
An interesting hypothesis that came to mind during and after the confirmed speculation and in light of AMD's announced 4x4 platform: plug-in GPU modules on the motherboard. With the way 4x4 works, you would be able to dedicate determinable and upgradeable RAM to the GPU. And since ATI and nVidia have both been working integrating a PPU core in future GPUs, there are interesting possibilities on the horizon.
Having a bank of RAM slots on the motherboard in dedication to an socketed GPU has its drawbacks, I'm sure, but I kind of like the idea of dropping in a new GPU chip with a mobo-mounted cooler.
As to how it'll affect AMD's and ATI's business model in the future, and their very futures for that matter, we'll have to wait and see how it pans out. I think it's a good move on both companies' parts, despite the immense risk involved. To quote the sixty-second Rule of Acquisition, "The riskier the road, the greater the profit."
Well, the up-side to that is, if it can have deleterious effects on Earth, its environment, or our other solar neighbors, we'll at least have 1,950 years to prepare for it.
"Moon Pie... What a time to be alive."
I require minions - hence I appeal here amongst the dark dwellers, the basement lurkers, the sunlight avoiders - join me, and become all powerful - the meek shall rise in my dominion of pain and fire. Dark Fire. Very dark black evil fire. And chains and non-stop Industrial Noise. And Britney.
Damn. You had me right up 'til the Britney part.
Now we know; and knowing is half the battle!
You do understand that Jeri Ryan is not included, right?
I wonder what hard drives they use.
From what I've been able to gather in most of the disassembled pics I've seen, they use Fujitsu 5200RPM Serial-ATA 2.5 inch drives.
Don't forget Duke Nukem Forever and the Phantom game console. ;)
I don't know why Sony would want to use a Verbatim DVD+R for their demo, but I know I use Verbatim recordable media for integrity and reliability. I've still got circa 1997 2x CD-R Verbatim DataLifePlus discs that are still working perfectly. In fact, even with physical abuse, the discs have withstood the test of time, storage, and transportation for nearly a decade and have retained their resilliency. The only other recordable media I own that have proved nearly or equally as capable has been the Kodak DS InfoGuard CD-R.
A little off-topic, I know, but given the third question, I thought it relevant.
The Wii's control scheme has a significant advantage over that of its rivals' with regard to ergonomics. Holding the Wii-mote and the nunchaku device in the opposing hand (doesn't seem to make a difference if you're a righty or a lefty, either) at an adequate distance can reduce the strain on the wrists, elbows, and shoulders of the player's arms, allowing for a much more relaxed, more natural positioning of limbs. The human hands weren't meant to be held so close together for extended periods of time, which is why gaming with a keyboard and mouse has always been more comfortable (though not completely) than gaming with just the keyboard or with a controller.
And I'm guessing many of the functions with the Wii-mote and the nunchaku won't have to be motion-centric per se, at least not on the level of play that is shown in demonstrations--I think this is more of a basic human reaction amidst adaptation to the control scheme. i.e. The brain thinks, "Hey, I'm moving!" and the body gradually reacts more naturally to the movement on the screen and its interface through the controller. For many veterans (and some newcomers), I'm sure great sweeping movements in repetition won't be necessary, which would further reinforce its ergonomic benefits.
...with each day that passes.
With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably.
It never ceases to amaze me how relevant TOS and TNG still are after all these years.
While I didn't really care much for Crystal Chronicles, the news of a Dragon Quest title intended for the Wii is awesome; not just because the DQ series has been good, but also because this means that some good RPGs will be available for Nintendo's new platform. Quite looking forward to that, actually--more so than yet another Final Fantasy title of any kind for any platform.
Final Fantasy just hasn't been the same since Sakaguchi-san left Square. And Nobuo Uematsu, for that matter, but I'm glad to see they're still working together.
Though the PS3 is, assumedly, right around the corner, the PS2 still has a lot of life left in it. One of my very best friends is an ex-EA Tiburon employee; during his tenure there, we had many intense programming-related discussions regarding the consoles, particularly the PS2 and GCN. The PS2 was very, very difficult to program for (as was the GCN), and since development cycles were usually anywhere between six months to a year for any given title, that didn't leave a lot of time to radically improve upon the software pushing the hardware to its limit (this is fairly-well illustrated with games that've had long dev cycles like the MGS series). And, essentially, a good portion of titles for next-gen consoles will be/have been built centered around what capabilities they've already utilized on current-gen systems.
It's really a mature- vs. infantile-platform scenario. With time, I'm certain there will be more migration away from current-gen platforms, but I don't think it's such a bad idea that software companies continue to support the platforms already present; after all, adopting the next-gen systems with the prices at which they're being sold will be tough for a lot of people during the first six months. After that first six months to a year of early-adopter support, the software development on the new systems will mature, games will utilize more of the systems' capabilities (i.e. look purdier), and development houses will feel more confident about putting more titles on them.
Oddly enough, I was thinking Weeeeeeeeee!
Gonads and strife.
And as always, the winners will be the consumers and the publishers.
I don't wish to sound so pessimistic here, but I really can't see how -- between the 360 and the PS3 -- the consumers will be winners in this coming console generation (I don't think 'war' applies as it just seems like a pissing contest between Microsoft and Sony). Their development focus seems centered on the wrong things, for one. Number crunching, graphical horsepower, and 3rd party developer support is all fine and well, but it doesn't always make for fun games.
The biggest issue, though, is price. The 360, adequately equipped with a selection of nearly-requisite accessories, is well over $400. And that's before the first game (I'm not counting Live! content because not everyone has broadband). When the PS3 is released, I suspect, as rumors have suggested, that it's price will be slightly higher. Games in this round are also expected to be more expensive for both consoles, and who wants to pay $70 for a sequel of a sequel that's lackluster at best?
I remember rolling up into a Toys 'R Us back in the 80s and buying a brand new Nintendo Entertainment System for just under $100US. Yeah, a 'current-gen' console shortly after nation-wide rollout for UNDER ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS. Unthinkable nowadays, isn't it? Toss in my first game -- The Legend of Zelda -- and I was set and still under the $200 mark. New games? At the time, I rented them. If I liked them, I bought them, and they certainly didn't cost $70.
Rising cost of living, rising gas prices, and the rising price of sub-standard entertainment (film, music, television, and video games)... I can't see how the consumers are winners.
I'm not saying there won't be some good games on either console, but it's so bloody expensive. And for gamers on a budget, it's completely out of reach until sometime after the six-month mark when those pennies have been saved and the console price drops a bit. I mean, I don't even get to play many of the new PC games until they get into the $10-$20 bargain level because of financial issues.
Nintendo, on the other hand, seems better-focused on providing an actual product at a price that's easier to swallow. They seem focused on fun, too, and while I'm sure it'll have its share of games that suck, I feel that the majority will be innovative and entertaining.
The bottom line for all three companies is to push a product and make a profit, as it is with any company, really, but I believe Nintendo has a better hold on what people are after, and they seem to care more about their customer having fun. And in video games, it's about enjoying yourself. And it doesn't hurt that they also conscientious about costs to the consumer.
In the end? Well, I'll probably end up buying all three consoles, wallet willing, but I foresee my first purchase in this generation being a Nintendo console.
While Oblivion does look quite gorgeous, it is Mad Doc Software that is doing the actual work on Legacy with Bethesda publishing the title (as it is Bethesda which now has rights to the publishing and creation of 'Trek-based games). This article at Eurogamer sheds a little more light than the Gamasutra entry, and from how it sounds, the preliminary game concept reminds me a bit of Deep Space Nine: Dominion Wars -- an okay game, but not a great one, with a look similar to the screenshots provided. We'll see what happens, though.
I thought that was kind of interesting, when linking from the main page to this article, that there were 7 of 9 comments on an article with a Star Trek subject.
Having seen some of the screenshots, I'd have to guess (or hope) they're at an early alpha stage, seeing as there's no shadows being cast and some of the texturing looks rather dated. While I acknowledge that great graphics do not always make for great games, I'd expect that a company like Bethesda or Mad Doc (who is doing the actual work on the Legacy title) wouldn't skimp in the graphics department, either. Of course, I'm probably spoilt by the gorgeousness found in EVE Online.
That said, Legacy looks like it'll be a fun title. Large-scale combat in a 'Trek game can be fun; I just wish Birth of the Federation wasn't so poorly made as to make such conflicts nigh impossible. Speaking of which, that game is in sore need of a remake (hint, hint, Bethesda).
In other news, American President George W. Bush announced today a new program to curtail the dwindling number of the country's morons with his new No Stupid Person Left Behind program. The President declined to comment on the diverting of funds from the No Child Left Behind and NASA spending programs to this new plan, but did state that he planned to "nip this epidemic in the bud."
Or does this sound like the intro narrative to a horror sci-fi flick...
A really cheesy Sci-Fi Channel Original sci-fi/horror flick at that. Give 'em about six months and I'm sure they'll already be a week into filming Frankenspider III - After the Armageddon. Has anyone seen the crap they've been funding these last few years? Absolutely atrocious -- riddled with poor acting, casting, writing, and CGI just for the sake of having it in there (it sometimes seems).
You forgot the annoying drunken announcer voice... SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAAAAAAAY! AMD vs. INTEL! INTEL! INTEL! CERRHOSIS OF THE LIVER! LIVER! LIVER!
If I recall correctly, 3dfx -- pre-nVidia buy-out -- had developed the hardware for anti-aliasing, over-brights, and other image processing effects in their briefly released Voodoo 5 series of graphics cards. In a http://www.hothardware.com/viewarticle.cfm?page=2& articleid=487&cid=2series of screenshots released prior to the buy-out, they showcased working depth-of-field blur and motion-blur filters in Quake 3 Arena.
To my knowledge, these effects should be present in modern nVidia graphics cards proceeding the purchase. I could be mistaken, but I'm fairly certain the image processing technology 3dfx was working on was included in said purchase. With that said, I'm certain many improvements upon these technologies could easily be made given the processing power of newer video cards.