Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.games
Subject: Re: New Game Standards***
From: martin@TIGGER.STCLOUD.MSUS.EDU (Psigon Matrix....do you DOUBT us??)
Date: 21 Jan 93 21:11:00 -0600
Reply-To: martin@TIGGER.STCLOUD.MSUS.EDU
Organization: St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN

In article <1993Jan21.222911.17700@Virginia.EDU>, mlc9g@Virginia.EDU ("Matt Condon") writes:
>mr_scary@lakes.trenton.sc.us  writes:
>> rock@lakes.trenton.sc.us (Rockerboy) writes:
>> 
>> > mr_scary@lakes.trenton.sc.us (Chris Hurley) writes:
>> > 
>> > > No.  You are stuck in a situation in that you have the least expensive 
>> > > machines which does not easily expand.   The problem is not, and has 
>> > 
>> > The point is still valid.  The low end machines _could_ have been 
>> > expandable for only a little more outlay.  C= simply seems to believe 
>> > that if you can't plunk down a grand at one time, you don't deserve to be 
>> > able to get the machine bit by bit.
>> 
>> Welcome to the sad cold world.  "C= seems to think that If you don't have 
>> any money, you shouldn't have a machine".  This is only a slight stretch 
>> from what you say above.  You buy the low end machine, you get 
>> trade-offs.  Why is this hard to accept?  No one cheated or tricked you.  
>> You willingly bought an unexpandable machine.  ('you' in these statements 
>> directed to any a500 owner complaining about lack of expandability.  not 
>> necessarily you personally, cause I haven't really heard you complain 
>> about it.)
>> 
>
>I think you're totally misunderstanding the whole issue.
>Video-wise, NO Amiga model is readily expandable.  Sure, you
>can buy a 24-bit video card -- anyone, even we lowly 500 users,
>can do that -- but since there are no real standards in 24-bit
>video cards, no game publisher in their right mind is going to
>waste resources programming games for them (the only exception
>I've seen is one company that programmed a game for THEIR OWN
>card).  My point was that you'll never see AGA on a 1000, 500,
>2000, or 3000.  AGA was not one of the design specifications
>when those models came out, and Commodore made no attempts at
>making it possible to upgrade to future technology when they
>designed them.  Instead, they put the graphics chips right on
>the motherboard, where no direct changes could be made.  IBM,
>on the other hand, was smart enough to leave all graphics to a
>separate card, so that all a user has to do is pull out the old
>card and put in the new.  Don't talk about 500 users
>complaining -- we should ALL be, so that maybe Commodore would
>get some sense in them.  What it comes down to is that, in
>reality, the video on your 3000 (or 2000, or whatever) is no
>more expandable than my 500.
>
>The problem then continues...  Even if I buy an AGA machine,
>they're still just as unexpandable.  Now I'm looking at having
>to buy yet another machine when the next standard comes out.
>It's just simply not worth it.

BZZZZT...that is what RTG will be for in 4.0...it will allow 2000/3000/4000
owners to upgrade to what ever cbm or every little 3rd party company gfx
board that you want. It will be (hopefully) the end to incompatibility
in graphics standards.


>
>I suppose it all comes down to the fact that, back in the early
>days when the Amiga was being developed specifically as a game
>machine, and not a serious computer, it made sense to go ahead
>and put everything the way it is -- who's ever heard of an
>expandable video game system?  But steps should have been taken
>when the project turned into a full-fledged computer to make it
>expandable.  They weren't then, though, and they still aren't
>now.

See above.


Jim Martin
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Screeeemmmmmin fast 4000/040..YEEEEEEHA!!          X-ASOCC (CBM Blew that one)
          Jim Martin   MATRIX -- If it's made, we sell it. Almost.
  -----(612) 656-9693--                         MARTIN@TIGGER.STCLOUD.MSUS.EDU
      We're almost done with the Cray module for the EmPlanT.  :) heh
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