Topic: A sample of things to come.......

[BlackNMild2k1]

This is from Microsoft, its their new midldeware develpment program called XNA,
from what I heard these demos are running in real time and on a chip(ATi R420?) that is going to be a generation b4 our next generation consoles.

But this should at least give you an idea of what to expect actual games (not just the cutscenes)to look like in-game

XNA

[Djunknown]

Now that's some powerful stuff. There'd be no need for seperate cinematics.

Question is, who's going to use to its full potential(Or who's not going to be lazy?)?

P.S I tried streaming the videos; it seems MS assumes I have a T1 connection, as its trying to spool 2megs a second. oh the pain...

[KDR_11k]

Those "this is realtime" videos are utter BS. Of course, that's possible if you don't have a game running at the same time, but nobody will make a game that demands a top-end graphics card or put that much effort into something.

I'd say XNA is stupid, all it does is make porting between PC and XB easier. However, the XB isn't the dominant console, so you're better off with solutions like Renderware, which support ALL consoles and the PC (or SDL, which supports almost any kind of computer and is used in games like Unreal Tournament 2004). I've heard of comparisons to .NET, which is pretty accurate.

[thecubedcanuck]

" Those "this is realtime" videos are utter BS. Of course, that's possible if you don't have a game running at the same time, but nobody will make a game that demands a top-end graphics card or put that much effort into something."

Never say never, the way tech advances now a days, anything is possible.

"However, the XB isn't the dominant console"

I honestly think it will be one day, just simply because Bill Gates is hell bent on it happening. Love him or hate him, the man had a freaking way of getting what he wants.

[KDR_11k]

Well, I'd say both hell will freeze over and Linux will crush Microsoft before the XBox will become the dominant console. Unless there's a big change of mind in Japan they have zero chance of taking the japanese market and thereby japanese third parties. While you can survive without them, first place isn't possible that way.

Also, I know those "tech advances". Look at that fairy demo NVidia presented. Does any system deliver those graphics ingame yet? Yes, computers develop pretty fast but not as fast as the PR machine wants us to believe. And always keep in mind, the more detail a game needs to be "up-to-par" the more work it is. A 16k model takes a whole lot longer to make than a 3k one.

On the other hand, computers have a lot of power that isn't tapped until years later. Somebody hacked DOAXBV to take one character and put her into UT2k4 (that's 14k polies!), I threw seven of those into a match and it ran without a hitch. However, UT chokes when I set the texture detail to anything above "lower"...

[manunited4eva22]

Cubed, I honestly don't think you of all people should be commenting on what is feasable on computers, as you seem hellbent on telling the world how you despise your keyboard.

KDR, I agree with most of all you say, and I doubt its a R420, as it's just now starting to be fabbed.