M2 IS THAT INCREDIBLE?!?
YVAN RIVARD
racing game. Seeing theses running is way better than still pictures.
But what I'm asking:
What I saw was done by the M2 in real-time?!? That wasn't some video
sequence? That CAN'T be!!! If the M2 is THAT good, I don't even CARE about
what SHIT Nintendo is going to do! Were theses games runned from real
M2-hardware or some stupid SGI emulation? If that's really what the M2 is gonna
looks like on my TV, at home, well, even Sega ARCADE games looks like they're
5 or 10 years behind! :)
Thanks for any comments on this!
And how much is that monster gonna cost? (And what about compatibility,
M2-only machines, etc)
Thomas Pancoast
> What I saw was done by the M2 in real-time?!? That wasn't some video
>sequence? That CAN'T be!!! If the M2 is THAT good, I don't even CARE about
>what SHIT Nintendo is going to do! Were theses games runned from real
>M2-hardware or some stupid SGI emulation? If that's really what the M2 is gonna
>looks like on my TV, at home, well, even Sega ARCADE games looks like they're
>5 or 10 years behind! :)
That is a complicated question. The demos you saw were not orignially done
on the M2. 3DO was up front about this from the beginning (though cynics
will point out that someone had to ask). In fact, they have described
exactly how the demos were done. They did carefull measurements of the
performance of the chips based off a simulation of the electronics, and
then applied these limitations to an SGI workstation to create the demos.
The full description of this process was given by official 3DO personel,
and is available from a chat log on AOL.
What this boils down to is that these demos are supposed to very acurately
represent what the M2 is capable of rendering in real time. They were not
intended to be demos of actual games, which is evident in the
un-realisticly good control and artificial inteligence of the monsters (one
monster was smart enough to use a table for a shield).
Rumors abound that these demos have since been ported to actual M2 units,
and are running fine, but there has been no official confirmation of this.
Rumors also say that the early M2 developers units ran at 50 Mhz, instead
of the final 66 Mhz, and were still capable of 450,000 full featured polys
per second with un-optimized code. If this is true, the 3DO's performance
specs may be very close to realistic figures, rather than the hyped up
figuires that everyone is used to.
Finally, rumors say that the M2 standalone will cost around $399 and the
upgrade will cost around $199. Again, no official confirmation.
With luck, we will be getting better information soon. 3DO promised that
the second phase of press releases would come during the summer. I am
hoping they release the information prior to the PSX release.
--------------------------------------------------------------
tpan...@aol.com "An object at rest cannot be stopped!"
Erin A Fritz
YVAN RIVARD <yvan....@inno.com> wrote:
> The other day, I saw (on TV) a running demo of a doom-like shooter and a
>racing game. Seeing theses running is way better than still pictures.
>
>But what I'm asking:
>sequence? That CAN'T be!!! If the M2 is THAT good, I don't even CARE about
>what SHIT Nintendo is going to do! Were theses games runned from real
>M2-hardware or some stupid SGI emulation? If that's really what the M2 is gonna
>looks like on my TV, at home, well, even Sega ARCADE games looks like they're
>5 or 10 years behind! :)
>
>
> And how much is that monster gonna cost? (And what about compatibility,
>M2-only machines, etc)
Lots of questions huh? :)
Here's the low down. the demos were done on api simulated hardware. these
are very accurate models of the hardware designed for the M2. Don't take it
the wrong way though because these types of things are done all the time to
test the architecture to be sure it works. Anyway 3DO employees have
stressed repeatedly in chats and at E3 (yes I was there) that the demos were
of REAL TIME action. Not prerenderd FMV--again per the api, which is just a
simulation. Due to the legal issues involved with being publicaly owned
(unlike Sega, Sony, Nintendo) they have to accurately portray their product
or they will not only fail in the market, they will loose investors and
possibly face lawsuits. In reality the demos you saw were using a fraction
of the theoretical power the M2 has.
As far as the game itself, the car demo will become a REal game. Wether its
final form closely resembles the demo is up for debate but the game has been
picked up and currently being developed (from 3DO in AOL chats). The
dungeon game will in fact become 2 games as there are two developers eager
to make this game. Again the style will be there but don't expect carbon
copies of the games since they are really only early demos.
Pricing and availability are yet to be determined.
Erin
--
Erin A. Fritz
email: fr...@iastate.edu
"We've got 200 woody-inducing titles to play on it." 3DO
____DISCLAIMER______________________________________________________
|The opinions expressed above are mine and in no way represent those|
|of my employer, my school, my country, my wife, my political party,|
|myself, or my cat. |
|___________________________________________________________________|
David Nagy
: The other day, I saw (on TV) a running demo of a doom-like shooter and a
: racing game. Seeing theses running is way better than still pictures.
Uh huh. Frightening, aren't they? :)
: But what I'm asking:
: What I saw was done by the M2 in real-time?!? That wasn't some video
: sequence? That CAN'T be!!!
It was a "video sequence", in that it was just a video-taped "demo" of
what the M2 hardware SHOULD be able to do. At the time the demos were
completed, 3DO had not yet received any of the "real" M2 chips.
: If the M2 is THAT good, I don't even CARE about
: what SHIT Nintendo is going to do! Were theses games runned from real
: M2-hardware or some stupid SGI emulation?
Um, yes. It was a stupid SGI simulation of M2-hardware performance.
They claim that they were quite careful in their calculations so that the
simulation would be accurate. I have heard nothing (and believe me, I've
been listening) from people who HAVE see the M2 hardware about the demos
being inaccurate. We'll have to wait til sometime next month to get a
better idea though. Those demos DO seem unbelievably good...
: If that's really what the M2 is gonna
: looks like on my TV, at home, well, even Sega ARCADE games looks like they're
: 5 or 10 years behind! :)
Well, perhaps a year behind... I think we'll see "M2-like" graphics in
the arcades at about the same time we see the M2. (Next year)
: And how much is that monster gonna cost? (And what about compatibility,
: M2-only machines, etc)
There will be no such thing as an "M2-only" machine. All M2s will have
M1 compatibility. No price info yet. 3DO claims it will be "competitive",
and "aggressively priced". Whatever the hell that means. :)
Dave Nagy
Quentin Mohos
>YVAN RIVARD (yvan....@inno.com) wrote:
>: The other day, I saw (on TV) a running demo of a doom-like shooter and a
>: racing game. Seeing theses running is way better than still pictures.
>Uh huh. Frightening, aren't they? :)
The question I have it... where the heck can I find one of these tapes,
anyway?
--
Quentin Mohos mo...@remus.rutgers.edu
The "Q" stands for Quality.
Stephen John Hood
> Path:
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> From: yvan....@inno.com (YVAN RIVARD)
> Newsgroups: rec.games.video.3do
> Subject: M2 IS THAT INCREDIBLE?!?
> Message-ID: <8AF52FE.1072...@inno.com>
> Date: Thu, 17 Aug 95 12:46:00 -0500
> Distribution: world
> Organization: Innovatron - Trois-Rivieres Quebec , Ca - 819-535-5145
> Reply-To: yvan....@inno.com (YVAN RIVARD)
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>
> The other day, I saw (on TV) a running demo of a doom-like shooter and a
> racing game. Seeing theses running is way better than still pictures.
>
> What I saw was done by the M2 in real-time?!? That wasn't some video
> what SHIT Nintendo is going to do! Were theses games runned from real
> looks like on my TV, at home, well, even Sega ARCADE games looks like they're
> 5 or 10 years behind! :)
>
>
> M2-only machines, etc)
>
>
The demo was run on a super duper graphics station!
BUT (sort of) Trip Hawkins (3DO boss) said the graphics station was downgraded in order to emulate the M2 final
looks.
As for believing him you'll just have to or not!
----------
Steve Hood
"Is this testing whether I'm a replicant, or a lesbian, Mr Deckard?"
"I'm not in the business... I am the business."
BLADERUNNER.
Danny Hughes
>There will be no such thing as an "M2-only" machine. All M2s will have
>M1 compatibility. No price info yet. 3DO claims it will be "competitive",
>and "aggressively priced". Whatever the hell that means. :)
Dave, I know this may sound stupid, but stick with me. ;)
It may seem like almost a given that every M2 machine would have M1
compatibility. I always thought this, and I couldn't see way it
wouldn't be the case.
One of my 3DO sources has informed me that there is the possibility
that we will see a standalone M2 unit in the future from a
yet-unannounced 3rd party that does NOT have M1 compatibility.
Right now it would seem stupid, and even I have a hard time believing
it, but don't rule out seeing The 3DO Company and some manufacturer
announce a M2 standalone unit minus M1.
---------------------------------------
Dan Hughes [dhu...@net.microserve.com]
Intelligent Gamer Online --------------
http://igonline.escape.com ------------
---------------------------------------
CNazareth
(Danny Hughes) writes:
>One of my 3DO sources has informed me that there is the possibility
>that we will see a standalone M2 unit in the future from a
>yet-unannounced 3rd party that does NOT have M1 compatibility.
This would almost have to be SEGA. I doubt Panasonic and Goldstar would
want an add on to Saturn that could also play M1 games. The reason being
then the Saturn version would effectively give Sega all 3 systems.
Brian Yee
: The other day, I saw (on TV) a running demo of a doom-like shooter and a
: racing game. Seeing theses running is way better than still pictures.
Let me guess.. Game Nation?
Erin A Fritz
Danny Hughes <dhu...@net.microserve.com> wrote:
>dave...@netcom.com (David Nagy) wrote:
>
>>There will be no such thing as an "M2-only" machine. All M2s will have
>>M1 compatibility. No price info yet. 3DO claims it will be "competitive",
>>and "aggressively priced". Whatever the hell that means. :)
>
>Dave, I know this may sound stupid, but stick with me. ;)
>
>It may seem like almost a given that every M2 machine would have M1
>compatibility. I always thought this, and I couldn't see way it
>wouldn't be the case.
>
>that we will see a standalone M2 unit in the future from a
>yet-unannounced 3rd party that does NOT have M1 compatibility.
>
>it, but don't rule out seeing The 3DO Company and some manufacturer
>announce a M2 standalone unit minus M1.
>
>
>
>---------------------------------------
>Dan Hughes [dhu...@net.microserve.com]
>Intelligent Gamer Online --------------
>http://igonline.escape.com ------------
>---------------------------------------
>
I think you are confusing this with the manufacturer that is going to
make an M2 that isn't currently making an M1. I know who you are talking
about but the Opera compatibility will be in the M2 that that company
makes as well as some other surprises.
Don't worry all M2 's will play Opera titles.
Scott Fitzpatrick
>The question I have it... where the heck can I find one of these tapes,
>anyway?
Go to babbages. Ask them to run the 3DO tape they got about six weeks
ago. You have to ask.
Later,
Scott Fitzpatrick
<sf...@mail.myriad.net>
Yeah right, and monkeys are gonna fly outta my butt!!!