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Is DirectPlay getting depreciated?

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Knox

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Dec 8, 2005, 10:52:02 PM12/8/05
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Hi,

Is the news true that no more improvements will be done to DirectPlay in the
future?
Has all work on DirectPlay stopped?

If it is indeed true, then what are my other options?

DirectPlay was one really good library. Why is it being ignored?

If Microsoft is planning to continue work on DirectPlay and are planning a
new release, then I've got a few feature requests.

Knox.

Phil Frisbie, Jr.

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Dec 9, 2005, 3:24:14 PM12/9/05
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Knox wrote:

Here is a copy of my post dated 11/9/2004. Feel free to search out more details
and confirmation for yourself.....

Michel Walsh wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Sounds that we would have to relay on what the Framework would supply.
> Haven't seen any thing official from Microsoft, except the small note in the
> help file, in the topics related to DirectPlay. That leads me to think that
> the exact future of DirectPlay, which has more than just socket
> functionalities, was, is, not fully determined, yet.

If you search the archives of this group you will find that DirectPlay is now
depreciated and will not be updated. Microsoft's replacement is the NET
framework or plain sockets. This info from Philip Taylor on August 8, 2004.

I personally think that what sealed DirectPlay's fate is Microsoft's turn around
several years ago about releasing UNIX/Linux server support. Few major games,
especially large client server games, want to be tied to Windows servers. They
want to option of heavy duty UNIX servers or inexpensive Linux based servers.

> Vanderghast, Access MVP


--
Phil Frisbie, Jr.
Hawk Software
http://www.hawksoft.com

Chuck Walbourn [MSFT]

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Dec 9, 2005, 3:38:59 PM12/9/05
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DirectPlay has been moved to sustained engineering and is a deprecated API.
This was done primarily due to security concerns and the fact that the bulk
of DirectPlay's functionality is no longer relevant. TCP/IP is now the
ubiquitous networking protocol, and support for head-to-head modem, serial,
NetBIOS, IPX and other providers is no longer relevant. TCP/IP's native API
on Windows is WinSock, and therefore the usefulness of the library is
limited.

There are technologies in Windows XP SP 2 and later that provide serverless
discovery protocols to handle lobbying functionality (P2P and PNRP), and
many third-party solutions exist for match-making. Future Microsoft
technologies for this will be based on WinSock and not DirectPlay.

DirectPlay's continued support in future versions of the OS will be
determined primarily by application compatibility concerns, and will
continue to be available through the Platform SDK for those supporting
legacy applications.


--
Chuck Walbourn
SDE, Windows Gaming & Graphics

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.


Knox

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Dec 11, 2005, 10:44:02 PM12/11/05
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That is really sad.
At least people using Windows servers could have made use of DirectPlay.

It was one good and robust netwoprking library.

I never for one moment had any problems with it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unknown

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Feb 13, 2006, 7:56:29 PM2/13/06
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Adding to what has already been said.
It looks like Microsoft is now concentrating on releasing the XDK
for 3rd parties to develop XBOX games. From what I know , much of
XDk comes from DirectX. Since XDK itself is Platform specific (duh)
i guess that is were the technology could be used to maximum benefit
(atleast in POV of Microsoft).
Hopefully directx based systems could also be ported over to XDK for
further development and eventually end-up on XBOX.
If what you people say is true. I wont have to learn directx at all.
.XD
=======================
The Dude next door.

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Chuck Walbourn [MSFT]

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Feb 13, 2006, 8:12:42 PM2/13/06
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Microsoft currently has two different development kits. The XBox XDK is the
development kit for targeting the XBox, and to obtain it you must be a
registered Xbox developer or part of an incubation program. The DirectX SDK
is the development kit for targeting Windows, and is freely available.

The technologies in Xbox XDK are partly based on DirectX 9.0. There are a
few technologies that were originally in the XDK that have been moved to
Windows in the DirectX SDK.

The goal of the Microsoft XNA initiative is to make knowledge about the
technologies used to develop on one Microsoft platform transfer to another
Microsoft platform. Direct3D, HLSL, XACT, XINPUT, etc. are technologies
available on both Windows and Xbox 360.

Learning how to effectively use the technologies in the DirectX SDK is a big
step towards understanding the technologies used in the Xbox XDK. They are
also freely available, where the Xbox XDK is not.


--
Chuck Walbourn
SDE, Game Technology Group

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