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Old 2012-06-18, 09:26 AM   [Ignore Me] #57
Hyperz
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Re: Higby/Devs: PS2 Linux + Steam Q's


Originally Posted by wasdie View Post
If Planetside 2 is an OpenGL game then we may see a Linux or Mac version, but if it's a DirectX game (which it most likely is), we'll never see a Linux or Mac version.

Some people here want to see an end to Microsoft's domination of the PC market for gamers, but you all ignore that Microsoft is one of the biggest contributes to PC gaming. Without DirectX there wouldn't be PC gaming to the levels we have it today. OpenGL is a poor alternative as it's not nearly as supported as DirectX. DirectX is constantly updated and highly supported by Microsoft. On the OpenGL front, Nvidia and AMD don't have the greatest support and engines rarely adapt OpenGL because there is no real source to go for direct support for the code, which is a huge deal for software development, especially if you're dropping 10 million into developing a new graphics engine.

ID pushes the OpenGL front but they are about it, and their engines aren't even open to the public. As graphics become more and more complex, the reliance by full 3rd party game engines is going to keep increasing as development costs go up. This means less in-house developed engines. Since most game engines use DirectX as their primary renderer, don't expect OpenGL to take any more of the environment.
Whether or not the game uses OpenGL or not is irrelevant for a potential *nix port. What's far more important is whether or not the engine was build with graphics API abstraction in mind. If it was then adding OpenGL/Direct3D support is a just a matter of adding a "bit" of code. If not then it would mean half of the engine would have to be modified. How else do you think multi-platform titles go about using all the different API's of consoles, mobile devices and OS's? If the engine was build with multi-platform in mind then it's not such a big deal. And porting from Windows to *nix is a way smaller step than going from PC -> console (or the other way around).

As for OpenGL vs DirectX (although you should really compare OGL vs D3D), that's pretty much a non-issue today, especially after OGL 3.x. DirectX being responsible for how PC gaming turned out is also not true. If anything, OGL holds that title because the first 3D games were all using OGL or GLide (based on OGL). Also MS has done nothing but DAMAGE PC gaming since they brought along XBox. AMD/NV's OGL drivers not being on to par is just a side effect of MS's monopolie.

Last edited by Hyperz; 2012-06-18 at 09:27 AM.
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