Direct Wrecks
by Paolo on Oct.16, 2009, under Art, Meanderings, News
Screenshots of DirectX 11 have recently come out and I have to ask if there really is any point in upgrading?
Tough Choice... (click for full size)
This one is a tricky one (click for full size)
You can check for your answers here at Gizmodo.
Can anyone really tell which ones above are DirectX 11 vs DirectX 10? And more importantly, is the difference really worth new hardware?
Personally, I think that the hardware wars are coming to a close. If the screenshots above are any indications, we are well past the point of diminishing returns and everyone knows it because we cannot sustain a 2-3 year period of obsolescence in gaming technology.
And with the rising cost of game development going up and developers barely breaking even with every technological leap, only a bare handful of games are going to be using the latest technology.
The opportunity is just right for indie game developers to take the industry by storm. People aren’t looking for better graphics, but new and inventive ways of using the existing technology.
“Fez” to the rescue!
October 16th, 2009 on 1:23 am
that fez trailer looks cute.
But I am more into shooting stuff and drivng fast in my video games.
October 16th, 2009 on 1:42 am
Sure thing. But you can always buy a console like an XBox 360 or a PS3 instead of buying a new PC with a DirectX 11 card for those kinds of games. That’s under $400 for a console every 5-7 years rather than $1000-$2000 for a top of the line computer every 2-3 years.
October 16th, 2009 on 10:44 am
From what I can see there\’s no significant difference. And the difference can only be seen in closeups so it\’s pointless really…
December 20th, 2009 on 6:05 pm
There some differences that a 3D artists, but more likely a Video Game 3D artist would notice.
I do think that companies should (and probably all will) support DirectX 11. With new technology features/support like Compute Shader and Tessellation, its easier for games to look better while not using new advanced hardware.
Hardware Tessellation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkKtY2G3FbU
Compute Shader: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAsoXHHCqWM
As for the indie game developers, they are what the game industry needs right now; new and fresh ideas for games and gameplay mechanics.
December 20th, 2009 on 10:56 pm
Thanks for the comment JD. I don’t disagree that technology should advance, however I’m just wondering if we’ve hit the point of diminishing returns with 3D. I think that the current trends is shying away from ultra-realism and more into stylization not just because of the difficulties of doing hyper realism, but also the production costs that it entails.