Friday, July 11th 2008
Microsoft to Unveil DirectX 11 Later this Month
We are barely into experiencing DirectX 10 / 10.1 games with proper levels of detail with upcoming titles demanding hardware, and Microsoft already has plans for DirectX 11, the next big version of this API set. Microsoft will show off DirectX 11 at the XNA Gamefest which is scheduled to take place on July 22 and 23 in Seattle, United States. This year's Gamefest is to be centered by DirectX 11 and the advancements that are proposed to be brought about.
Thankfully Microsoft isn't doing a 'Vista' this time around, this new multimedia and gaming API will be built for both Windows Vista and the upcoming Windows 7 operating systems. The API could be released to public anytime in late 2009.
There are several implications of this:
Thankfully Microsoft isn't doing a 'Vista' this time around, this new multimedia and gaming API will be built for both Windows Vista and the upcoming Windows 7 operating systems. The API could be released to public anytime in late 2009.
There are several implications of this:
- Poor-adoption of DX10: DirectX 10 has received a lukewarm response at best. With surveys already showing the market share of Windows Vista being a dismal 16%, it also hints at the poor-adoption of DirectX 10 since it's exclusive to Windows Vista.
- Everyone runs for benchmarks: Let's face it, benchmarking is fun. Those who buy expensive hardware have even more fun in showing off their…DirectX 10 benchmark scores. But mainstream gamers (who aren't prepared to spend over $250~$300 on video-hardware) simply aren't able to enjoy DirectX 10 titles with the level of visual detail the API originally promised. With mainstream hardware, at best you could run a DX10 game at reasonably high resolution but toned down visual detail. This is an important factor pushing video-gamers to seek other forms of gaming, such as console gaming, with Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Wii eating into PC gaming share. Even CryTek, whose DX10 title, Crysis, earlier given a 'poster-boy' status for DirectX 10, has received lukewarm market response and CryTek admits to that. Vista came with a "passing the cost to the consumer" approach in term of hardware performance as the operating system was burdened with DRM in too many stages; the climb in system requirements was too steep.
- Quantity makes up for Quality: Microsoft learned from its mistake of letting a version of Windows, the Windows XP live on in the market for close to seven years, enough time for users to get attached to the OS and bring about an 'incumbency-factor' when it comes to moving on to another OS of the same make. With Windows 7 already slated for late 2009, we can say that it's back to having a desktop Windows version every 2~3 years or so. And, what's more, a new DirectX every now and then. While DirectX 10.1 is said to have fixed some issues with several daughter-APIs (such as Direct3D), hardware manufacturers have played a certain role in limiting DirectX 10.1 from reaching out. NVIDIA plans to release a DX10.1 supportive GPU only late this year / early next year, which even the likes of S3 Graphics (VIA) has adopted the API and made compatible hardware. If a major-player acts reluctantly in embracing a new technology, its ill-effects reach far out. A lot of time has been wasted. No 'seriously awesome' title a-la Half Life-2 for DX9 has come out based on pure-DX10 yet, reason being only 16% of all Windows PC users use Vista. Why would a developer risk tons of production budgets on that 'minority' of users? Rather make games for consoles?
59 Comments on Microsoft to Unveil DirectX 11 Later this Month
However, they erred in the fact that neither Vista nor Dx10 made any appreciable difference in gaming performance or image quality. There was no compelling reason to go to Vista just for Dx10.
If they want to really push Dx11, then there must be an advantage for the end-user to upgrade to new hardware that supports it. This is a difficult proposition for MS as most people are happy with what Dx9 gave them in terms of speed and image quality. A bit more eye-candy is not going to cut it. It will have to be a large leap forward in what the end-user sees on his/her screen.
just for example, there was a near noticeable difference between DX9 Crysis and DX10 Crysis . . .
for come forthcoming games, though, I might be tempted to finally install the new OS . . . STALKER: Clear Sky and (FEAR) Project Origin will probably push me in that direction.
I think, also, from a gaming stand point, as well as an audio standpoint - Vista was horrible with audio, especially gaming audio. There have been many audio issues and headaches with the new OS, and many software work arounds . . . and we all know what work arounds do for latencies and stability :rolleyes:
You can't base "MS will still win" argument on that.
On a side note, I say Vista's adoption has been decreased as it is harder to pirate it now
Source: ictnieuws.info/news.php?readmore=19
- Christine
at least the beard isn't a stupid texture anymore (that looks like wall-moss at high resolutions w/o filtering).
E: what the hell is wall-moss (i'm a finn)
What I hear from different sources game developers are still new to program with dx10 and I don't think a game released tell now utilize dx10 to it's max cause if it's utilized to max I don't think their is such system in world at the time I write this can run a game more than 8-10 frames per second.
and Game developers are not stupid to release a game that could be run on 5 % of the systems out their, for that with small portion I believe that most consul games ps3, xbox 360 games looks better on them cause developers are utilizing the hardware to max, but on PC developers are targeting most audience with different type of systems out their.
Whatever I don't think DX10 nor DX11 will be welcomed to most games developers for the next at lest 4-5 coming years.
at the time some dx9 games still cannot be runed at max settings with many gamers out their keeping in mind different people budgets and income, even though a Father won't pay 5000 US $ on a PC for a 9-15 years old kid.