5 ms·

Not really 'legacy' per se either... good luck running OpenGL on Microsoft's consoles or as a ModernUI application! DirectX being a broader and, in my opinion,

Not really 'legacy' per se either... good luck running OpenGL on Microsoft's consoles or as a ModernUI application! DirectX being a broader and, in my opinion, better designed API certainly doesn't hurt it's adoption either.

shiven 13y ago
What about OSX? Does DirectX work (at all/well) on it? Linux? How feasible is it to program with DirectX on any non-MS platform? Edit: I guess the point I'm making is, OpenGL runs on non-MS as well as MS platforms (perfectly/badly is another question), but DirectX is locked to Microsoft only. That is what makes it of little to no value for people like me who need to care about cross-platform products and support.
- computerslol 13y ago
  A Microsoft OS still runs on over 90% of the desktop market.
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]
  - runjake 13y ago
    I wonder what the percentage is when you figure the entire "computer" gaming market (eg. consoles, tablets, and phones). I suspect Microsoft's dominance on gaming is (and will become even more) weaker than we believe. OpenGL seems like a no-brainer for future survival as MSFT platform dominance exhibits entropy.
    - runevault 13y ago
      Is PS3/PS4 development OGL or a proprietary API? Because if it is OGL then yes that makes said API far more useful for sheer amount of access to hardware.
      - LukeShu 13y ago
        The PS4 uses OpenGL (4.4?). The PS3 used a proprietary API based on OpenGL 1.0.
        runevault 13y ago
        So yeah, OGL grows more useful as the PS4 grows its user base. Thanks for the info
        pjmlp 13y ago
        False info. PS4 uses a proprietary API called GNM http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-how-the-crew-was-ported-to-playstation-4 http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-how-the-cre...
        eropple 13y ago
        The PS4 supports OpenGL, but my understanding is that most non-indie games use libgcm.
  - afreak 13y ago
    Right now, yes. However we do know that this has been changing quite rapidly in the past years so why fall back on the use of this argument?
    - aaronbrethorst 13y ago
      On traditional PCs and Macs, Microsoft still owns an overwhelming market share, with 91.8 percent of all traffic coming from Windows-based machines. Among non- Microsoft operating systems, both OS X and Linux have stalled since October 2011, hovering around 6.9 percent and 1.2 percent, respectively. http://www.zdnet.com/latest-os-share-data-shows-windows-still-dominating-in-pcs-7000013351/ http://www.zdnet.com/latest-os-share-data-shows-windows-stil...
      - ekianjo 13y ago
        Market share if one thing, but we are looking at a segment of gamers which may be split differently. Who says there isn't a larger proportion of Linux gamers in that segment, for example? If Humble Bundle is any indication, it looks like the Mac gamers segment and the Linux gamer segment is actually pretty close in size.
    - sliverstorm 13y ago
      How about because it's still valid? What game developer say to themselves, It looks like in 10 years, Linux and OSX adoption will _probably_ approach 50% market share. Therefore, the best choice for my new game, which will be released in 3-4 years, is to choose OpenGL I'm not a game developer, but I would bet they are interested in where the market will be in the medium term, and there is no indication Linux/OS X will suddenly dominate within that timeframe.
- runjake 13y ago
  These questions are the entire point of the article.
- MaulingMonkey 13y ago
  > as well as MS platforms (perfectly/badly is another question) Not all of them unless you count using an OpenGL-to-DirectX wrapper library. "Cross platform" sometimes means writing all the platform specific code yourself.
shadowmint 13y ago
Yeah, don't worry about those mobile devices. We've got plenty of directx support for those too. What are they again? Surface? Windows phone? I think I know one guy who has one.
- sologrrl 13y ago
  I don't know anyone that uses desktop Linux, unless I count my sister who I saw using Red Hat at her CAD/CAM workplace four or five years ago. However I am afraid to to state this on HN, given how sensitive and hostile the crowd here can be about Linux.
- computerslol 13y ago
  I have one of each.
- gtirloni 13y ago
  One is usually enough for a guy.
- MaulingMonkey 13y ago
  This isn't to say you won't possibly need more than just DirectX. But this is to say you quite possibly need at least DirectX.
- theg2 13y ago
  Not an Apple or Google product? Gotta be awful! Love how people treat competition as something awful when it doesn't follow their own brand loyalty. Edit: It looks like the authors snark isn't as obvious to others as it was to me. I'm all for cross platform development and doing whatever makes sense your company/brand in terms of development, all my side projects use tools that make them as portable as possible.
  - danudey 13y ago
    No one was making a qualitative judgement against Windows Phones, just a quantitative comment about install base.
  - 13y ago

shiven 13y ago

What about OSX? Does DirectX work (at all/well) on it? Linux? How feasible is it to program with DirectX on any non-MS platform? Edit: I guess the point I'm making is, OpenGL runs on non-MS as well as MS platforms (perfectly/badly is another question), but DirectX is locked to Microsoft only. That is what makes it of little to no value for people like me who need to care about cross-platform products and support.

computerslol 13y ago
A Microsoft OS still runs on over 90% of the desktop market.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- runjake 13y ago
  I wonder what the percentage is when you figure the entire "computer" gaming market (eg. consoles, tablets, and phones). I suspect Microsoft's dominance on gaming is (and will become even more) weaker than we believe. OpenGL seems like a no-brainer for future survival as MSFT platform dominance exhibits entropy.
  - runevault 13y ago
    Is PS3/PS4 development OGL or a proprietary API? Because if it is OGL then yes that makes said API far more useful for sheer amount of access to hardware.
    - LukeShu 13y ago
      The PS4 uses OpenGL (4.4?). The PS3 used a proprietary API based on OpenGL 1.0.
      - runevault 13y ago
        So yeah, OGL grows more useful as the PS4 grows its user base. Thanks for the info
        pjmlp 13y ago
        False info. PS4 uses a proprietary API called GNM http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-how-the-crew-was-ported-to-playstation-4 http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-how-the-cre...
      - eropple 13y ago
        The PS4 supports OpenGL, but my understanding is that most non-indie games use libgcm.
- afreak 13y ago
  Right now, yes. However we do know that this has been changing quite rapidly in the past years so why fall back on the use of this argument?
  - aaronbrethorst 13y ago
    On traditional PCs and Macs, Microsoft still owns an overwhelming market share, with 91.8 percent of all traffic coming from Windows-based machines. Among non- Microsoft operating systems, both OS X and Linux have stalled since October 2011, hovering around 6.9 percent and 1.2 percent, respectively. http://www.zdnet.com/latest-os-share-data-shows-windows-still-dominating-in-pcs-7000013351/ http://www.zdnet.com/latest-os-share-data-shows-windows-stil...
    - ekianjo 13y ago
      Market share if one thing, but we are looking at a segment of gamers which may be split differently. Who says there isn't a larger proportion of Linux gamers in that segment, for example? If Humble Bundle is any indication, it looks like the Mac gamers segment and the Linux gamer segment is actually pretty close in size.
  - sliverstorm 13y ago
    How about because it's still valid? What game developer say to themselves, It looks like in 10 years, Linux and OSX adoption will _probably_ approach 50% market share. Therefore, the best choice for my new game, which will be released in 3-4 years, is to choose OpenGL I'm not a game developer, but I would bet they are interested in where the market will be in the medium term, and there is no indication Linux/OS X will suddenly dominate within that timeframe.
runjake 13y ago
These questions are the entire point of the article.
MaulingMonkey 13y ago
> as well as MS platforms (perfectly/badly is another question) Not all of them unless you count using an OpenGL-to-DirectX wrapper library. "Cross platform" sometimes means writing all the platform specific code yourself.

shadowmint 13y ago

Yeah, don't worry about those mobile devices. We've got plenty of directx support for those too. What are they again? Surface? Windows phone? I think I know one guy who has one.

sologrrl 13y ago
I don't know anyone that uses desktop Linux, unless I count my sister who I saw using Red Hat at her CAD/CAM workplace four or five years ago. However I am afraid to to state this on HN, given how sensitive and hostile the crowd here can be about Linux.
computerslol 13y ago
I have one of each.
gtirloni 13y ago
One is usually enough for a guy.
MaulingMonkey 13y ago
This isn't to say you won't possibly need more than just DirectX. But this is to say you quite possibly need at least DirectX.
theg2 13y ago
Not an Apple or Google product? Gotta be awful! Love how people treat competition as something awful when it doesn't follow their own brand loyalty. Edit: It looks like the authors snark isn't as obvious to others as it was to me. I'm all for cross platform development and doing whatever makes sense your company/brand in terms of development, all my side projects use tools that make them as portable as possible.
- danudey 13y ago
  No one was making a qualitative judgement against Windows Phones, just a quantitative comment about install base.
- 13y ago