rec.autos.simulators

by **last** » Tue, 18 Feb 2003 19:03:03

> > However... The coders have to build adaptive game engines due to varying
> > hardware. I.e. it should run on a large span of hardware, from TNT2 to
> > GeForce4, Radeon or whatever... It is hard to optimize the performance
> > then!

> > I still haven't seen a sim that is LOOKING nicer than Gran Turismo 3 on
> > the PC. But on the other hand I have never driven anything better than
> > GPL... Combine the two of them and, tadaaa!
> That's why they use DX now...or open GL...

That's not exactly what I meant. Sure, it's easier to code towards
an API instead of the hardware directly... But you have to take care of
the scalability of the graphics engine yourself. A TNT2 is not capable
of drawing as many triangles as a GeForce 4 in the same time...

If you only have on hardware platform you can optimize the code for
that very platform without having the processor to handle such issues.

/S

by **Ian Riche** » Tue, 18 Feb 2003 20:27:09

>NASCAR 2003 is the very last sim released. After that Papyrus will go with
>the consoles. We will never get a CART sim for PC. The console market is to
>be blamed. The sims have no future.

>(amen)

Consoles have not killed sims.

In a weird, twisted logic kind of way, powerful PCs have killed sims.

Back in the days of 386s and 486s, simulation players were very aware
of the limitations of the hardware. We were quite frankly just amazed
enough to get something that resembled what we imagined the real thing
might be like. If we ever complained about feature X or Y being
missing, it was soon brought to our attention that implementing it
simply was not possible with the hardware, and we accepted it.

Nowadays, we *know* that out hardware has the sort of power to run
amazingly detailed physics models, photorealistic graphics.

Simply put, developing a *simulation* that makes full use of the power
available today is simpy not an economic proposition. This sitiuation
will only get worse as we get yet more power.

Ian

by **Redmis** » Tue, 18 Feb 2003 21:18:46

That's a very well-made point. We await the West's effort with baited
breath. ;-)

by **Rudebo** » Sat, 22 Feb 2003 04:36:47

I don't know. As our machines increase in power and possibilities so to do
the development machines, doing more things automatically and faster. Also
there not really re-inventing the wheel every year. Papy, perfect example,
they've been adding on and tweaking the same game engine for how long now.
Some people complain that they just tweak the game engine, improve the
graphics, add a few new features and update the rosters every year, but
that's the way a mature business model works. (Unless you're EA then you
slowly make your product worse each year). A century ago every new car was
completely different but by the 50's they weren't trying to reinvent the
internal combustion engine every year. Just incremental improvements every
year.

If you really study the situation I think it's the rights fees that are
killing the sim market. Papy's not making any more NASCAR games not because
of technical limits but because they were shut out by EA that paid a
bazillion dollars to NASCAR for "exclusivity" (read monopoly). Ditto F1
where Bernie over played his hand and wanted more money than even EA would
pay.

Any way, GOOD I say. I'm just about to build a new box, primarily to take
advantage of F1 2002(GTR2002) and NR2003. And the price is killing me. If
I'm still using the same box in three years playing GTR2006 and NR2003 with
skin updates great. I know my wife sure would be happy.

I still play SCGT and GPL and how long have they been out. I think the
future of sims rest more on the ingenuity and hard work of this community
than with the publishers.

That's my two cents
(adjusted for Canadian exchange rate. Actual value 1.33 cents).

rec.autos.simulators

Consoles are killing sims

Consoles are killing sims

Consoles are killing sims

Consoles are killing sims

Consoles are killing sims