If youre following this story, you may be aware of CD Projekt Reds official statement on the matter. They told Overclock3D that yes, HairWorks can run on AMD hardware, but that unsatisfactory performance may be experienced as the code of this feature cannot be optimized for AMD products.
Lets assume Huddys claim of working with the developer from the beginning is true. The Witcher 3 was announced February 2013. Was 2+ years not long enough to approach CD Projekt Red with the possibility of implementing TressFX? Lets assume AMD somehow wasnt brought into the loop until as late as Gamescom 2014 in August. Is 9 months not enough time to properly optimize HairWorks for their hardware? (Apparently Reddit user FriedBongWater only needed 48 hours after the games release to publish a workaround enabling better performance of HairWorks on AMD hardware, so theres that.)
Hell, lets even assume that AMD really didnt get that code until 2 months prior, even though theyve been working with the developer since day 1. Do you find that hard to swallow?
Thats all irrelevant in my eyes, because the ask never came in time. Via Ars Technica, Huddy claims that when AMD noticed the terrible HairWorks performance on their hardware two months prior to release, thats when they specifically asked CD Projekt Red if they wanted to incorporate TressFX. The developer said it was too late.
Well, of course it was too late. Nvidia and CD Projekt Red spent two years optimizing HairWorks for The Witcher 3. But heres the bottom line: The developer had HairWorks code for nearly two years. The entire world knew this. If AMD had been working with the developer since the beginning how on earth could they have been blindsided by this code only 2 months prior to release? None of it adds up, and it points to a larger problem.
Look, I respect AMD and have built many systems for personal use and here at Forbes using their hardware. AMDs constant pulpit of open source drivers and their desire to prevent a fragmented PC gaming industry is honorable, but is it because they dont want to do the work?
A PC enthusiast on Reddit did more to solve the HairWorks performance problem than AMD has apparently done. AMDs last Catalyst WQHL driver was 161 days ago, and the company hasnt announced one on the horizon. Next to Nvidias monthly update cycle and game-ready driver program, this looks lazy.
If you want a huge AAA game release to look great on your hardware, you take the initiative to ensure that it does. What you dont do is expect your competitor to make it easier for you by opening up the technology theyve invested millions of dollars into. You innovate using your own technologies. Or you increase your resources. Or you bolster your relationships and face time with developers.
In short, you just find a way to get it done.
If I sound frustrated, its because I am. Ive been an enthusiastic fan of AMD for a good long while (just look at the numerous DIY builds and positive reviews Ive given them), and last year at this same time I was admittedly on the other side of this argument. But what Im seeing now is a company who keeps insisting their sole competitor make their job easier for the good of PC gaming. And I see said competitor continuing to innovate with graphics technologies that make games more beautiful. And I see promises like the concept of OpenWorks laying stagnant a full year after theyre hyped up. And I see AMDs desktop GPU market share continue to slip and think to myself maybe this is not a coincidence.
Facebook
Twitter