
DirectX vs. OpenGL revisited - apu
http://blog.wolfire.com/2010/01/DirectX-vs-OpenGL-revisited
======
joubert
If you consider mobile gaming, DirectX is a non-starter.

~~~
daeken
However, if you consider mobile gaming then cross-platform code is a non-issue
as well. When you're doing production mobile/console work, you spend so much
time doing platform-specific optimizations, it's not even funny.

~~~
joubert
If you support more than one mobile gaming platform, and they support a common
API such as OpenGL, wouldn't one use that? Maybe write wrappers to expose a
uniform interface where the implementations differ?

But maybe you're saying the optimizations required break the ability to have a
cross-platform solution (even with good wrappers)?

~~~
pmjordan
Most platforms that at least _support_ OpenGL/ES seem to be at least similar
enough conceptually that you should just need different optimised render
paths, not a totally different engine. Different render paths are something
you'll need anyway, regardless of API, unless you're targeting exactly one
machine.

You'll probably struggle more with the difference in RAM and CPU power
available to the app than the different GPUs. In the simplest case you just
use bigger textures and higher-poly models on better hardware if they all
implement GL ES. Compare this to, say, the Nintendo DS, which is different
from any other GPU I've ever worked with; writing a cross-platform engine that
supports it is tricky. There isn't a GL ES implementation for it as far as I'm
aware.

------
dkersten
When they messed up OpenGL 3, I instantly became less interested. :-(

Having said that, since I primarily use Linux for development, anything
graphics intensive that I would code will still use OpenGL, even if Windows is
the primary target, since it lets me develop on Linux, like I normally do.

------
mey

      "However, desktop gamers are pretty savvy. They can tell when they're being treated like second-class citizens, and will vote against low-quality ports with their wallets."
      - From the Article
    

I like to believe that too, except Modern Warfare 2 shattered that myth.

~~~
TeHCrAzY
Is this in reference to the no dedicated servers or the ~4.5hr long campaign?

~~~
mey
Was a reference to the no dedicated servers, but there are other issues.
Arstechnica had a good write up.

[http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/11/pc-modern-
warfare...](http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/11/pc-modern-
warfare-2-its-much-worse-than-you-thought.ars)

