DirectX on MacOSX

[iChan]

I don't know much about DirectX other than the fact that it makes games development on Windows much much easier...

What I want to know, what chances does Apple have of developing something similar to this to make games development easier on MacOSX?

AFAIK, DirectX is the main reason that time after time after time, a windows machine will beat a Mac in 3D gaming benchmarks...

I cite the recent barefeats benchmarks between the dual G5's and a Dual Opteron machine.

Also, AFAIK, OpenGL is not as good as DirectX.

I do wonder though if my fears are unfounded...

 

[RandomDeadHead]

As I understand it, microsoft owns DirectX. I doubt they would let Apple use it.

History tells us that Apple dosent care about gamers.

 

[iChan]

I knew DirectX was owned by MS, I was making a point that maybe Apple should develop an environment 'similar' to DirectX to make it easy for developers to develop games for MacOS X.

The thing about a relatively small market like the Mac, that if a developer created a good native product on the Mac, that it would most likely not fade away into obscurity...

it would be almost guaranteed to sell...

AFAIK, many games' graphics are created on a Mac, why shouldn't Macs be allowed to play these games without months of arduos porting...

If Apple created a DirectX-like library, they give it away to all the middleware manufacturers and developers and 3d-graphics package developers to make it easier for those programs and programmers to export into Mac compatible formats.

Steve Jobs himself has given interviews on the topic of Gaming on a Mac.

here's one...

http://www.insidemacgames.com/features/view.php?ID=105


It would be some Keynote if SJ unveiled a whole range of developer tools focused solely on gaming and gave it out free to every Developer... AFAIK 64-bit computing can do wonders for games...

 

[Doraemon]

There's MacDX for MacOS X, which claims to make porting of DirectX games a lot easier.

http://www.coderus.com/

But, DirectX is owned by Microsoft and therefore the probability that we'll see a DirectX for Mac is close to or is zero. Unfortunately, games like Age of Empires or Age of Mythology - really cool games - are dependent on DirectPlay, a component of DirectX and hence don't support Mac - PC networking.

 

[MisterMe]

Re: DirectX on MacOSX

Originally posted by iChan
I don't know much about DirectX other than the fact that it makes games development on Windows much much easier...

What I want to know, what chances does Apple have of developing something similar to this to make games development easier on MacOSX?

AFAIK, DirectX is the main reason that time after time after time, a windows machine will beat a Mac in 3D gaming benchmarks...

I cite the recent barefeats benchmarks between the dual G5's and a Dual Opteron machine.

Also, AFAIK, OpenGL is not as good as DirectX.

I do wonder though if my fears are unfounded...

Apple takes a different approach. It uses GameSprockets. You can get all of the information you want at Apple's ADC developer's site. You can start with this PDF file.

 

[patrick0brien]

Originally posted by iChan
If Apple created a DirectX-like library...

-iChan

... they'd be slapped with a suit so fast you could almost hear Bill Gates' yell "Ha! We finally get to sue you for once!"

Anything that would directly allow the same functionality of DirectX on any platform (even including windows), that is not DirectX as owned and developed by Microsoft, can be argued as Patent infringement.

Patent infringement happens all of the time, it's just up to the holder to enforce said patent. Do you think MS would allow Apple to get away with infringing on one of their patents?

I don't think the Pope lives in the woods either.

 

[whooleytoo]

Originally posted by patrick0brien
Anything that would directly allow the same functionality of DirectX on any platform (even including windows), that is not DirectX as owned and developed by Microsoft, can be argued as Patent infringement.

Which would obviously depend on which parts (if any) of DirectX are covered by patents.

Given that Apple already has the (vaguely) similar Sprockets technology without being sued, it might be copyright law and the DMCA that apply in this case (I'm guessing).

 

[patrick0brien]

Originally posted by whooleytoo
Which would obviously depend on which parts (if any) of DirectX are covered by patents.

Given that Apple already has the (vaguely) similar Sprockets technology without being sued, it might be copyright law and the DMCA that apply in this case (I'm guessing).

-whooleytoo

Well, you see, this is that little grey area when it comes to litigation. It depends on how well you can convince the jury - and that in the trial, after the Markman Hearing.

It is possible - even before the DMCA to patent "look and feel". Remember this is what Apple Sued MS on about Windows. That lost, primarily because of a consent agreement that Scully allowed MS to sign.

It's often up to what amount of money is justifiable to be spent on 'proving' certain facts, and convincing the jury that a perspective is the truth.

 

[csubear]

as far as i know the rest of the world uses OpenGL