The "General Games Chat" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
In addition to my "the next level" topic, here is something allong the same lines that merits a new topic:
Another thing that Ninty always pull off on their consoles, is to make them do things that they were never meant to. For example, the SNES was NEVER meant to handle 3d polygon graphics... but Ninty found ways to do this and pull off Starfox. With the N64, Ninty introudced the expansion pack to allow games to increase textures and the like.
What will they pull off with the GC? Obviously it is impossible to forsee, but if I were Ninty then I might be thinking about motion sensors... or even some kind of internet updates like a digicam.
Sonic
Another thing that Ninty always pull off on their consoles, is to make them do things that they were never meant to. For example, the SNES was NEVER meant to handle 3d polygon graphics... but Ninty found ways to do this and pull off Starfox. With the N64, Ninty introudced the expansion pack to allow games to increase textures and the like.
What will they pull off with the GC? Obviously it is impossible to forsee, but if I were Ninty then I might be thinking about motion sensors... or even some kind of internet updates like a digicam.
Sonic
Page:
Yeah. CRAZY TAXI IS SO AMAZINGLY GOOD!!!!
I've had it just under a week, and I've already got an awesome liscense on original mode. The best I can do in arcade is S liscense :(
Hey, my banner's up here!
I've had it just under a week, and I've already got an awesome liscense on original mode. The best I can do in arcade is S liscense :(
Hey, my banner's up here!
turbonutter wrote:
> It's like fitting a square peg into a round hole. I think the
> Ex-box's hole will be squarer, so not many alterations need to be
> done to the square peg.
The thing about DC->PS2 is, the PS2's
> hole is so much bigger, it doesn't really matter.
hmmm;.... but the room is dark... so until you get it in the right place your stumped!
But seriously... Sega, as good will, gave ALL there developers a dev kit that will mean that all their DC games can be easily ported to the PS2 in the DCs demise:) cool eh!
Sonic
> It's like fitting a square peg into a round hole. I think the
> Ex-box's hole will be squarer, so not many alterations need to be
> done to the square peg.
The thing about DC->PS2 is, the PS2's
> hole is so much bigger, it doesn't really matter.
hmmm;.... but the room is dark... so until you get it in the right place your stumped!
But seriously... Sega, as good will, gave ALL there developers a dev kit that will mean that all their DC games can be easily ported to the PS2 in the DCs demise:) cool eh!
Sonic
It's like fitting a square peg into a round hole. I think the Ex-box's hole will be squarer, so not many alterations need to be done to the square peg.
The thing about DC->PS2 is, the PS2's hole is so much bigger, it doesn't really matter.
The thing about DC->PS2 is, the PS2's hole is so much bigger, it doesn't really matter.
Hooplah wrote:
> Basing the DC on a PC was supposed to aid the porting of PC titles
> over to the Dreamcast without too much dumbing down for the console.
> How many PC to DC ports actually made it though? The DC owner is
> only just getting games like Half Life and Soldier of Fortune.
I don';t think the consoles are based on PC archetecture to allow easy ports... rather to allow an easy development environment. Indeed, both Sega and MS have and will limit cheap ports
Sonic
> Basing the DC on a PC was supposed to aid the porting of PC titles
> over to the Dreamcast without too much dumbing down for the console.
> How many PC to DC ports actually made it though? The DC owner is
> only just getting games like Half Life and Soldier of Fortune.
I don';t think the consoles are based on PC archetecture to allow easy ports... rather to allow an easy development environment. Indeed, both Sega and MS have and will limit cheap ports
Sonic
Your Honour wrote:
> Sonic, true, but most of the early good DC games came from
> Sega.
Most of the XBox early games will be from various third
> parties, Sega included, so we shall have to wait and see.
If the
> prices floating around on these forums are correct, GC £150ish
> and XBox £300ish, then i fear that Microsoft have lost
> already.....
BUT! MS's 2nd parties (bungie etc) are just as involved in the development of the format as sega were in there's. expect great things with Halo
Sonic
> Sonic, true, but most of the early good DC games came from
> Sega.
Most of the XBox early games will be from various third
> parties, Sega included, so we shall have to wait and see.
If the
> prices floating around on these forums are correct, GC £150ish
> and XBox £300ish, then i fear that Microsoft have lost
> already.....
BUT! MS's 2nd parties (bungie etc) are just as involved in the development of the format as sega were in there's. expect great things with Halo
Sonic
I dont think the X-box will struggle that much, after all developers have been expecting its arrival for some time.
Ram wont be a problem, Microsoft have a memory update planned, go over to www.xbox.com to see for yourself.
To be honest Ive always thought it silly that manufacturers dont allow consoles to be easily upgraded with normal Ram or Dimms. Ram can improve a systems performance dramitically (look at the N64, or a Saturn with a Ram expansion), and its simple to add.
Ram wont be a problem, Microsoft have a memory update planned, go over to www.xbox.com to see for yourself.
To be honest Ive always thought it silly that manufacturers dont allow consoles to be easily upgraded with normal Ram or Dimms. Ram can improve a systems performance dramitically (look at the N64, or a Saturn with a Ram expansion), and its simple to add.
That's true Shanks, but it depends if it will be XBox games converted for the PC, or the other way around.
I think initially, we will see lots of PC games converted for the XBox, probably by MicroSoft, that way they will have a large back catalogue of games with titles familiar to the gamer, eg C&C, NFS, Q3. Fifa etc.
I suspect it is this back catalogue that MS will be pushing most. They will be able to say things like: Hey! Play all the best recent PC games, without having to spend £700+ for a new PC!
It will be when the original XBox games come out, Halo, Project Gotham (M:SR), that the conversions will start to go the other way.
I think initially, we will see lots of PC games converted for the XBox, probably by MicroSoft, that way they will have a large back catalogue of games with titles familiar to the gamer, eg C&C, NFS, Q3. Fifa etc.
I suspect it is this back catalogue that MS will be pushing most. They will be able to say things like: Hey! Play all the best recent PC games, without having to spend £700+ for a new PC!
It will be when the original XBox games come out, Halo, Project Gotham (M:SR), that the conversions will start to go the other way.
There are a LOT of custom chips inside the X-Box...
NVida wont be releasing a grpahics card for the PC with the same chaip as the XBox has...
The strengh in PC conversion is through the software, not the hardware...
E.g, Using DirectX8 will allow for far greater ease in transferring software over than having a GeForce 3 graphics chip in the machine would...
However, the greatest problem for PC owners is the games companies dont make games for the same spec hardware...
Most games these days still run well on P2 300MHz ...
Given the XBox developers will be developing the game to run optimally on the 733Mhz system with the NVida Graphics and Sound cards
not having to code with the expectation a wide range of Soundblasters, Turtle beaches, etc.. sound cards...
or , with graphics, even a selection of graphic cards based around the same chip, e.g with NVida GeForce series, manufacturers include Creatives, Hercules, Elsa, etc...
Its not the potential of PC that will be a problem when writing conversions, its the Market audience (of P2 300MHs owners?)
NVida wont be releasing a grpahics card for the PC with the same chaip as the XBox has...
The strengh in PC conversion is through the software, not the hardware...
E.g, Using DirectX8 will allow for far greater ease in transferring software over than having a GeForce 3 graphics chip in the machine would...
However, the greatest problem for PC owners is the games companies dont make games for the same spec hardware...
Most games these days still run well on P2 300MHz ...
Given the XBox developers will be developing the game to run optimally on the 733Mhz system with the NVida Graphics and Sound cards
not having to code with the expectation a wide range of Soundblasters, Turtle beaches, etc.. sound cards...
or , with graphics, even a selection of graphic cards based around the same chip, e.g with NVida GeForce series, manufacturers include Creatives, Hercules, Elsa, etc...
Its not the potential of PC that will be a problem when writing conversions, its the Market audience (of P2 300MHs owners?)
Your Honour wrote:
If anything, games will run better on an XBox than a PC simply because during conversion the developers can optimise as they know everyone has the same hardware. There will be no need to "dumb down" some of the code to make sure
people with lower systems can still play.
Good point there Your Honour, applicable across the console playing field as well and surely one of it’s greatest advantages when programmers develop/port software for a console.
If anything, games will run better on an XBox than a PC simply because during conversion the developers can optimise as they know everyone has the same hardware. There will be no need to "dumb down" some of the code to make sure
people with lower systems can still play.
Good point there Your Honour, applicable across the console playing field as well and surely one of it’s greatest advantages when programmers develop/port software for a console.
The only problems for developers converting games from PC to XBox will be to get it to work with the controller. The inside of an XBox will be almost identical to the inside of a PC, with exception perhaps of the amount of RAM.
The actual CPU and graphics chips are both trusted PC components. If anything, games will run better on an XBos than a PC simply because during conversion the developers can optimise as they know everyone has the same hardware. There will be no need to "dumb down" some of the code to make sure people with lower systems can still paly.
Having said that, not all conversions make most use of the hardware available. The DC conversion of THPS1 wasn't a huge graphical step up from the original. On one of the levels the was a huge amount of fogging wich the DC should have been able to reduce with the power it has.
It could have been that the converters were lazy, or the publishers were rushing them. In the end, it didnt make much difference as the game was still amazing, but it's these little things that can ruin a conversion.
A classic example of bad conversions would be the Resident Evil games. One of them was converted for the PC, but you couldnt use the mouse in the menus and the graphics looked awful. It was blatant laziness on the part of the company doing the conversion.
The actual CPU and graphics chips are both trusted PC components. If anything, games will run better on an XBos than a PC simply because during conversion the developers can optimise as they know everyone has the same hardware. There will be no need to "dumb down" some of the code to make sure people with lower systems can still paly.
Having said that, not all conversions make most use of the hardware available. The DC conversion of THPS1 wasn't a huge graphical step up from the original. On one of the levels the was a huge amount of fogging wich the DC should have been able to reduce with the power it has.
It could have been that the converters were lazy, or the publishers were rushing them. In the end, it didnt make much difference as the game was still amazing, but it's these little things that can ruin a conversion.
A classic example of bad conversions would be the Resident Evil games. One of them was converted for the PC, but you couldnt use the mouse in the menus and the graphics looked awful. It was blatant laziness on the part of the company doing the conversion.
Page: