Sad Panda: NO Virtualization (Mac/Linux can't get a break)

from Elemental Forums

Minimum video card requirements.
Elemental will require a DirectX 9.0c video card. While it currently uses Shader Model 2 only and will probably work on DirectX 9.0 a/b cards, we will not be guaranteeing that it will. Listing of video cards and which versions they support are available for ATI, Nvidia, and Intel (9.0c chips are those that list Shader Model 3.0). More specific requirements have not yet been set, so your technical and performance feedback will be helpful in determining them.


Emulators and virtualization.
We will not be supporting running the game under emulation of any kind. This includes Wine, VMware, Parallels, and any other emulation systems. If it works, great, but we will be concentrating solely on issues present in a normal Windows environment.

 

So I'm a sad Panda that Stardock don't think they can recoup the additional cost for developing a cross platform game, by additional Mac/Linux user sales, but I'm rather suprised that Stardock is cutting off ALL DirectX 8 users. They don't think that's a large market share?

 

I tested the Beta in Windows XP SP3 under VmWare Fusion 2.0.5 on a Macbook Pro running Snow Leopard. No go. Crashes straight after the intro (which changes the screen resolution, btw... bad PC gaming habit). Probable cause: The DirectX 9 requirement... DirectX 8 should work, without shaders though. And I thought this was going to be the version without fancy graphics? Yeah, I know... engine is probably built on shader tech, but I just find it sad that you're boxing yourself in that much by snuggling so close to Microsoft (end rant, and all).

 

EDIT: Just in case... http://pastebin.com/m358ef4b4

1,474 views 3 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

Stardock is cutting off ALL DirectX 8 users. They don't think that's a large market share?
End of quote

It's not. The only such cards still in use by any noteworthy number of people are the bottom-most budget cards that retail shops held onto long past their point of usefulness (Radeon 9250 and Geforce4 MX, primarily). If you've got a video card older than Windows XP (DX9 came out in 2002), it's time for a new machine. We don't support pre-2002 versions of Windows either.

 

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

kryo beat me to it, but the GeForce 6 series with 3.0 support came out back in 2004.  If you haven't updated your graphics card in over five years, you're due for an upgrade.

Start11 - Customize the Start Menu and Taskbar in Windows 10/11.
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

I should note that a card with Shader Model 3 can be had for as little as $25. For less than half the cost of a game, you can get a SM3 card. For that matter, for $100 you can get a Radeon 4850, which has SM4 and is fast as hell. Quality graphics are not expensive these days, and thus gamers really don't have room to complain and not get them.

As for market share, according to Steam, who has some of the best numbers on things (since they take data form actual systems and they are systems used for games) 29% of systems have a DX10 card, and run Vista or 7 and thus support SM4. 59% of system have a DX10/SM4 card, even if they don't have an OS for it. 82% of systems have a DX9c/SM3 or better card. 89% of systems have a DX9/SM2 or better card.

So while people do have DX8 or lower cards, they are by far the minority. As such it doesn't make much sense for game developers to support that, especally since SM1.1 is extremely limited in comparison to the newer ones.

As for Macs, well you should be used to the fact that it is a minority platform, and as such doesn't get so much support. That is just life. If you want to be a computer gamer, you really need to have a Windows partition. If you aren't eilling to boot to Windows you need to accept that your selection will be very limited.

That's just life on a minority OS. Developers have to weigh cost vs gain for porting, and they often decide it isn't worth it. They'd have to hire on a number of new developers and testers, use differnt tools and so on and the potential marketshare increase isn't that much.