M$ is competing with Linux

[L33F3R]

thats exactly who NEEDS it. with the xbox, you NEED it. if your engine doesnt support OGL (such as UE3) then you NEED it. Its not worth it for them to code up an OGL pipe when the majority of users are windows. Even if they do manage a PS3 port its not hard to assume that it would be riddled with cell nuggets (citation needed).

More then OGL or X11, ATI and Intel drivers suck.

[thefirstm]

But the only reason that the Xbox360 does not support OGL is because of a Microsoft-imposed Microsoft-only limitation. Everything that can be done in DirectX can also be done in OpenGL. No one needs DirectX, they simply choose to use it.

[L33F3R]

But the only reason that the Xbox360 does not support OGL is because of a Microsoft-imposed Microsoft-only limitation.

case and point

[thefirstm]

If the game designers would only see the light and release OpenGL games, then a majority of platforms (everything but Xbox360) would be supported, and the Xbox360 would lose market share and die, just like it should.

[Hephasteus]

If the game designers would only see the light and release OpenGL games, then a majority of platforms (everything but Xbox360) would be supported, and the Xbox360 would lose market share and die, just like it should.

Linux is messing with Simple Direct Layer as it's version of Direct X. It would hardly be considered top shelf platform for most game studios but could get pretty advanced with a lot of effort. Just judging by how long it's took linux to get good sound and video and device support I wouldn't hold my breath. Redo's of old games seem to do well on it though.

[thefirstm]

Linux is messing with Simple Direct Layer as it's version of Direct X. It would hardly be considered top shelf platform for most game studios but could get pretty advanced with a lot of effort. Just judging by how long it's took linux to get good sound and video and device support I wouldn't hold my breath. Redo's of old games seem to do well on it though.

Don't forget about OpenAL. Also don't forget that both SDL and OpenAL are cross-platform, so developers could make Windows games with them too. That would greatly ease the process of porting them to Linux.

[Svartalf]

Just about anyone who makes a game on windows or xbox apparently.

X-Box would be the only item that applies there. For OpenGL, it's even a Windows target...and a variant of OpenGL ES is available for PS3 and Wii... Now, some developers will not use that; they'll use a closer to metal answer for PS3 and Wii, but it's available all the same for most stuff anyhow.

Food for thought.

[Svartalf]

Don't forget about OpenAL. Also don't forget that both SDL and OpenAL are cross-platform, so developers could make Windows games with them too. That would greatly ease the process of porting them to Linux.

In the case of OpenAL, it's the baseline lib for things like UT2k4, and others like it.

SDL is somewhat less useful in that it's a shim on top of DirectInput, etc.- but using it would allow you to target an insane number of platforms, esp. if your game is 2D.

[Svartalf]

case and point

So, the answer would be to make an abstraction layer for the things MS imposes upon you such as D3D, and then you don't need to worry about piddling things like only being able to support Windows/X-Box.

D3D isn't in the promising new space, mobile devices.

D3D isn't in the MacOS world.

D3D is only in the netbook world inasmuch as you have x86 XP/Vista models- if you're talking the new "smartbooks", etc. that're about
to show up, you can forget D3D.

D3D isn't on PS3 or Wii.

D3D is only on Windows and on the #2 (by units actually shipped) 'next gen' console.

If I was a studio, I'd make sure I could target the last one, but then worry about making sure I could target all the other line items I listed. But then, not all of them are thinking that way...yet.

[Svartalf]

Linux is messing with Simple Direct Layer as it's version of Direct X.

DirectX is actually NOT a unified API in the slightest as MS would have you believe.

There's...

DirectPlay (networking...deprecated)
DirectInput (input...heh...)
DirectSound (No longer really available- sound...)
DirectDraw (2D rendering...)
Direct3D

Now...for Linux...in the same order of the above...

Grapple
SDL
SDL/OpenAL (Simple/3D sound..)
SDL
OpenGL

Heh... The actual rules of the game is perversely simple in Linux. Better yet, if you code with the above for those things you need in a game, you end up with something that's targetable to MacOS, Linux, mobile devices, etc. And, it's actually rather easy to make binaries using this and a couple of other tools- and the code tends to be at least slightly less opaque and verbose when compared to DirectX coding.

The MAIN reason that Linux doesn't have the studios making games for it is a fear of the unknown- they don't know how difficult/easy it is to do and they haven't the foggiest the market picture is. It's NOTHING to do with "advanced" APIs- and DirectX really isn't all that advanced or easy to code for.