Thanks Gary, that's an eye opening article. Remember a while back Andrew Grove talked about a "strategic inflection point" in the gaming industry? Check out this article...
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1997
Tune Into the Future With 3D Accelerators
Bob Zormeir, Online Editor
ZDNet AnchorDesk
With an empire built on Donkey Kong, Nintendo is the 800-pound gorilla of gaming. Some of its competitive moves have made the Microsofties look. well, like softies by comparison.
But Nintendo and other console companies may be heading for a fall. For years, Nintendo seemed to ignore economies of scale. Its prices never seemed to go down. A while back, the U.S. government was smart enough to catch Nintendo leaning on retailers to keep the price pumped up, but stupid enough to give the game maker a penalty that was more like a reward. Nintendo had to give consumers rebates if they bought even more Nintendo products.
Meanwhile, personal computer-based games had more depth, but their appeal was limited by high computer prices and low graphics quality. Stand-alone game consoles enjoyed a graphics edge, always keeping a step ahead. This trend was just reinforced by Intel's MMX, a highly touted technology that cost too much and did too little for game quality. {MMX } became the gaming non-event of 1997. MMX still doesn't do much, but now the price makes sense.
Finally, the picture is improving for {PC } gamers. New {3D } accelerators mean you don't have to spend the big bucks to get a system that can actually deliver. 3D graphics accelerators plug into your existing computer along with your existing VGA card. They can make the 3D graphics in your games look great. For instance, with a graphics accelerator the chunky, pixilated view of Quake is replaced by smooth surfaces. Install a graphics accelerator and then compare what you see to console games, or even arcade games. You'll like what you see. especially for the price. Earlier cards cost more than standalone game consoles, but now you'll find some great products at $100. Maybe less if you're a good shopper.
One warning: Not all your games will look better. You'll still have to deal with a mish-mash of competing formats -- GLQuake, OpenGL and DirectX/Direct3D/DirectDraw. Some cards have special versions of games bundled with them, so you can be sure they'll run properly. Or "patches" that modify existing games to run with that card.
I have two value favorites right now. For the budget conscious, it's the Matrox m3D, SRP $99. It includes OpenGL patches for Tomb Raider, Quake and others, along with Hexen II Blackmarsh, and a great-looking racing game called Ultim@te Race. With a street price around $160, the Righteous 3D by Orchid puts you on the main street of PC graphics with 3Dfx and the VooDoo chipset. It includes more than twice the bundled goodies of the m3D. I've linked reviews of some other great cards.
Cheaper computers and the lure of the Internet mean more households will be buying computers. One good way to save money? Don't buy a stand-alone game console. With computer games designed for graphics accelerators, Nintendo and the rest of the game console makers have met their match. Like it or not, the 800-pound gorilla will be going on a diet.
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Michael
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