rec.autos.simulators

Gunner

Yeah, but isn't the PSX2 going to have ONLY 4MB of video RAM and 8MB of
general RAM?? I read somewhere that memory was the real limiting factor of
the machine.

Maybe, maybe not.  Sony is considering allowing it to be fully DVD as
well as CD.  Not only that, it's going to have a PCMCIA slot, and Sony
has hinted strongly that it will be ready to go for online play (Even
the Dreamcast is coming stock with a modem and will introduce
peripherals for connecting to cable modems and ADSL lines).  Also, the
Playstation 2 will feature USB support, meaning that everything from
mice to keyboards will be open to it.  George Lucas conceded that the
new Playstation 2 is significantly more powerful than the machines he
did the Phantom Menace on.  As he admitted, the Playstation 2 won't be
able to do Phantom Menace quality CGI in REAL TIME, but as he said:
"It will be plenty good enough for TV".  In fact, Lucas said he was
dying to get PS2 stuff for LucasArts, but was currently having
problems because it was classified as a Super Computer.  

On the flip side, everything you say about the PC is true.  While the
PS2 might blow the doors off the best PC right now, by the time it's
actually AVAILABLE, we'll undoubtedly be running 700-800 Mhz Pentium
IV's and the 3D hardware will all feature the latest bump-mapping
,etc.  I think if history is any gauge, when the PS2 comes out it will
smoke existing PC's, but as the PS2 moves through its lifecycle, PC's
will pass it.  That's what has historically happened, since the PS2
will still effectively be a dedicated console as opposed to a highly
customizable and upgradeable device.

But you know, the only thing keeping high fidelity sims off the
consoles is that they are still effectively 2-4 year old technology.
The new one will have a ton of RAM, and a ton of dedicated graphics
processing hardware to take the load off the CPU.  Before you dismiss
the Sony Playstation 2 hardware or what will come out for it, you
should do some digging, and particularly find out what those in the
industry (both video game and movie) are saying.

As for me, I'll always own the latest console and the best PC I can
get. I don't like to have my options limited.  Btw, Bryan Herta's
favorite racing sim is Gran Turismo -- a Playstation title.

PS2 is supposed to have a central CPU as follows
CPU Core: 128 bit CPU
System Clock: 300 MHz
Bus Bandwidth: 3.2GB/sec.
Main Memory: Direct Rambus, 32MB
128 bit SIMD Multimedia instructions

The graphic synthesiser rendering engine (?) has
System Clock: 150 MHz
Embedded DRAM: 4MB (ultra-high bandwidth)

From the demo movies I've seen it looks very very impressive. It
probably won't take long for pc cards to do the same or better.

Kev

Je suis developpeur de jeux sur PSX

la PSX actuelle 2mb ram, 1mb vram et 512ko sram

pour la PSX2 vous pouvez continuer de rver , actuellement
Sony n'a pas encore d'usine pour faire leur CPU 0,18 microns.
Seul INTEL en possde une. Donc las PSX ne sera pas disponible avant
2 ans sauf accord avec INTEL ce qui est peu probable vu que Sony
prfrer mettre Linux comme OS plutot que le copain INTEL.

Pour ce qui est des caractristiques du CPU, mon humble avis
les chiffres sont trs largements majors, et d'ici que la PSX2
sorte, le PC sera plus puissant encore.
----------------------------------- English -----------------------
Hello!

I'm game developer on PSX

the current PSX to 2mb ram, 1mb vram and 512ko sram

for the PSX2 , keep dreaming, currently
Sony doesn't have a factory to make their CPU to 0,18 microns. Only INTEL
possesses one of it. Therefore the PSX2 won't be available before 2 years
except agreement with INTEL what is little likely seen that Sony
prefers to put Linux as OS rather than the buddy to INTEL.

For what is features of the CPU, to my humble opinion,
numbers are very raised largements, and from here that the PSX2 way, the PC
will be again more powerful.

--
====================================
Sbastien Tixier - Game Developper

3D hardware of The DreamCast is based on the PowerVR chip.
At work we develop for DreamCast, it's not a fast machine as people say.

A p2-450 with tnt2 is very more powerfull than a Dreamcast.
The facts is that Console Developpers are ( generally ) more efficiency than
PC developper.( less CPU, less Mem )
It is owed to the fact that the market of the console brings back money a lot
more and attract more developer therefore .

--
====================================
Sbastien Tixier - Game Developper

AMD may too.  The Athlon's are supposed to come out as a .18 micron part
sometime Q4 or Q12000.

Exaggerated, definetly.

Yes, thank you.  Was going to mention that but forgot who it was.  Anyways,
the PC version (aka in Neon250) is supposed to be out soon.

Yup.

Maybe some console developers are better at working within the constraints
of the consoles, but that doesn't necessarily make them or console
developers in general more efficient.  Being efficient is key in any system
to getting the optimal performance out of that system.  Perhaps more PC
developers are sloppier at doing this than their counterparts on the
consoles, but any top-flight game on any system is going to be as efficient
as possible to squeeze out maximum performance.

Sure, supply some actual data on that one.  Personally, I'd never put one
foot in the console developing arena, ugh.

Add to this the higher sticker price per unit, and you have vastly greater
turnover.

Z.

Please remove NOSPAM from my email address when replying.

Sorry to tell you but Sony isn't using Intel, and again I suggest you
dig a bit more to find out who is going to manufacture Sony's chips.

We don't know how powerful PC's will be when the PS2 comes out.  But I
believe at the time of release the PC will be behind the PS2, and will
eventually catch up and pass it during the PS2's lifecycle.

Randy
Randy Magruder
http://members.home.com/rmagruder

You really do need to be dedicated to get into PC *** - I seem to
spend about equal amounts of time downloading drivers etc. as I do
playing the games!

It's starting to get really depressing... whenever I get some new gizmo
and get all e***d, unwrapping it and plugging it in, it always takes
at least another week before I can actually get it working!

As far as games are concerned, PCs currently are more like a testbed for
new hardware and software - they're not up to the normal standards
required of a consumer product.

It's the same old treadmill as for other software on Windows - just buy
a new computer and the new games will be easy to run - until next year,
when all the underlying software has changed and you have to buy a new
one (or spend hours updating it all over the net)!

Aargh!

--
Kirk Lane
Tempe, AZ


ICQ: 28171652
BRT #187

"I read dead Russian authors volumes at a time
I write everything down except what's on my mind
'Cause my greatest fear is the sucking sound
And then I know I'll never get back out"
                         -'Narcolepsy', Third Eye Blind

I concede the general point that there is much efficiency of a machine
dedicated to producing games, but you are really reaching if you think
the N64 competes with anything more than maybe a P233 with a decent 3D
card.

Randy

Randy Magruder
http://members.home.com/rmagruder