Software Profeciency

I find software proffeciency to be a very confusing thing.

For example, I can play Half Life 2 on all high settings at 800x600 resolution. I think there is no doubt that a PS2 could'nt run this.

But, I cannot play Just Cause on 600x something resolution, on the lowest settings, while the PS2 can run it just fine.

I am curious what is going on? It it just the way the program is written to take advantage of graphics, or is it a graphic card fluke?

It is a problem with standards. If developers used standards (such as OpenGL/OpenAL) that are open, graphics card makers could put out better products. Games that handle the DirectX 'standard' are always coming out with stupid new features, or one off things. Do things right and plan a standard and stick with it.

I see.

So, is Direct X the standard? Leave it to Microsoft to star another standard...

Game consoles were made specifically to play games and PCs weren't

PCs and consoles are similar in a way. New games require newer hardware hence you haven't buy new and fast hardware to play the new games. A console works teh same way except you just buy a new console.

Said By daemon

Game consoles were made specifically to play games and PCs weren't

PCs and consoles are similar in a way. New games require newer hardware hence you haven't buy new and fast hardware to play the new games. A console works teh same way except you just buy a new console.

My pc is made specifically to play games.

Maybe I should have said designed on both the hardware and software side

it is possible that the PS2 version of Just Cause is somehow worse quality - because the PS2 really isn't that powerful. I know that GTA:SA for PS2 has lower quality textures than the PC version.

When you are designing a game to use one system, it is much easier to program.

When designing for all different kind of architectures, it sucks.