Windows 7: DirectX vs OpenGL

Why you should use OpenGL and not DirectX - Wolfire Games Blog

Very interesting read.



Didn't know tessellation has been an OpenGL extension for three years.

cool.

Mac and Linux as markets for games is not really a good argument... They are not gaming platforms. Sure they can play games, and they are a relatively untapped market. Probably largely due to gamers using Windows or Consoles. Linux is not a realistic platform for games because there are so many flavors, it's all over the place. Linux is better for servers for games.

Using OpenGL here as well.

turns out there's and OpenGL wrapper for Java, so Java apps can access OpenGL while staying hardware independent.

While I understand his point, it kind of sounds like sour grapes. Yeah I understand the need for competition, but one standard would be nice and easy for all as well. I'm not saying it has to be Microsoft but...

And while his point about half of Windows users still using XP and thus missing out on the benefits of DX10 or 11 is true to a certain point, (XP's been around for about 9 years), it's not necessarily going to be true for "gamers" as most "gamers" are also PC enthusiasts who are ready and willing to make the jump to Vista or Win 7 now (if they haven't already done so already) so I think that cancels that argument.

Just my two cents.

You wanna know why mac and linux (such as Ubuntu) dont have games for them? Cause of microsoft. They almost have a monopoly, and thus, if a game making firm like Blizzard makes a game for linux, microsoft will not tolerate this, and tell them to F*** off. Bye Bye money for Blizzard. Im not saying OGL is better than DX, since i dont know about theese things, but open-source is always going to win over sharaware. Take FireFox, the have a open code, and look what a magnificent browser it has become. So has Google Chrome.

A lot of that stuff is inaccurate. A couple of things from the marketing campaign bit:

Maybe the Crysis screenshots were pre-release, but even if you compare a real DX10 screenshot from Crysis to Halo 1, the difference is still huge.

This only worked in the pre-release demo as well. Like yea the lighting in "DX 10" XP was different, but you never got the DX 10 textures.

The reason DirectX exists is many fold. But mainly two points. 1) OpenGL at the time was nearly DEAD. It had stagnated for SO LONG, it was not keeping up with the advances in consumer level hardware. And even after Direct3D was long in use they STILL could not get OGL 2.0 ratified. There was a serious danger of a grahoics lib fragmentation by vendor (anyone remember GLide?)

One of the chairmen stood up during a meeting once and said that if they don't get 2.0 ratified soon (ghod I don't know how many years it was being hashed out) they might as well just close up shop.

Secondly OpenGL is a graphics lib. Direct X is a suite of libraries for everything needed for game development. It spans a MUCH wider area than OpenGL does. 2d/3d graphics, 3d sound mixing, Game control input, networking and so forth.

Lately OpenGL has finally gotten back on track and are looking like a viable platform again, even innovating some. But thier own sluggishness and snails-pace efforts in years past have earned thier problems now...

OpenGL is non-profit, DirectX is not. Huge corporations down, open-source FTW