The future of gaming and video technology [edtorial]

[seanp789]

I was discussing with my roommate the modding potential for HL2 and how we should develop some totally new gameplay dynamics. Wouldnt it be great if you could get games to work in dual display mode. Like an RTS that can monitor the map using 2 completely separate view points. Even just a 2d display of secondary information like the position and status of all your teammates including their last typed message. This would not use much additional processing power while still providing a strong improvement over a single display. My roommate argued that there is no market for such things as 90% of all gamers are poor or close to it. This coming from a guy who still has a 1GHz T-bird and a 30GB HD that freezes when i send him an mp3 over AIM. So after I gave him a much needed STFU I explained to him the potential for SLI graphics and dualcore CPUs. There woudl be enough power to drive 2 monitors doing two completely different things. The next day I ran across this article, somewhat of a science experiment by Tom's hardware.

http://graphics.tomshardware.c...li-performance-31.html

Basically, with furture driver support, a SLI video cards and a dual core CPU could easily drive 4 monitors in full 3D action. Now yes, 4 monitors is a bit extreme but my god a few years from now dual LCDs will certainly be bordering on mainstream. Desk space, cost, and raw tech power will all be in proportion. The question is how long will it take video game companies to start using this tech advantage and then how long from there will it take them to get it done right.

Take battlefield 2 for instance, due out in spring '05. How much more powerful would it be to have a primary RTS commander screen and then 3 other configurable GUI setups.
-Display1: standard overhead battle view and primary display.
-Display2: a chase cam of one of your squad leaders through his eyes. (hit the F-keys to cycle to different squads)
-Display3: statistics of all soldiers and their squad groupings as well as current positions and current orders
-Display 4: watching tv / another chasecam / static cam a critical choke point/ chat log / giant "mini map" in full 3D with units highlighted. Shoot, even an instant replay cam would be badass and not interrupt the game.

With the click of a button you could cycle your mouse to any of the displays and reconfigure or actively use them.

These are just a few small possibilities but you can imagine just how many doors this will open with just the available technology we will have in first half of 2005.

This is where I think we are heading but the dynamics are totally unexplored, please share your ideas and possible implementations.

 

[RaiderJ]

Dual monitor gaming is about the only reason I'd buy an SLI setup to be honest.... Otherwise you could just upgrade video cards every 6 months or so for the new features (probably faster/cheaper in the end).

Plus, I will never go back to a single monitor setup - dual screens are quite nice.

 

[NakaNaka]

Sounds interesting but I have to agree with your roomie. If you looked up statistics, nearly all gamers only have 1 monitor. No one is going to invest in something that can't be used my a majority of their target audience.

 

[ArmchairAthlete]

Originally posted by: NakaNaka
Sounds interesting but I have to agree with your roomie. If you looked up statistics, nearly all gamers only have 1 monitor. No one is going to invest in something that can't be used my a majority of their target audience.

Well, most video cards nowadays come with 2 outputs. At least gaming ones.

One can grab a second monitor (used CRT) for pretty cheap. I got one for $10 when I worked in a computer store.

I know I've thought about dual monitor possibilities in the games I've played, and wished it worked. I tried it a bit without luck, the support just is not there. I wish it was easy to have your desktop and a game going at the same time (with the ability to effortlessly switch between the two).

 

[bobalong]

I always run MMOLRPG's in a window so I can view the game and have a few Firefox paynes open with the info I need plus Skype running and Wimamp all to view at the same time - I've been running that set-up for about 2 years.

I would love to have a four monitor set-up, however when I try to run games on the dual mon it kicks to the primary or stretches everything across the two - distorting the resolution.

I think a simple driver tweek could fix this

 

[RaiderJ]

Are games not going to get secondary monitors until games support them, or are games not going to support secondary monitors until gamers have them?

I bet the games will have to support them first. As noted above, CRT monitors are dirt cheap now, and if games supported extra displays, I'm sure the more dedicated gamers could easily find a way to add a second monitor.

 

[marcello]

Originally posted by: NakaNaka
Sounds interesting but I have to agree with your roomie. If you looked up statistics, nearly all gamers only have 1 monitor. No one is going to invest in something that can't be used my a majority of their target audience.

No one used to have phones, but that didn't stop people from investing in the technology and development of phones. Phones are differenet from computer monitors, but eventually many people will have at least dual monitors. Just because people don't have something now, doesn't mean they won't have it ever

 

[austin316]

Does having two monitors running slow down gameplay alot?

EX: WoW on the LCD, computer FAQ on the CRT?

 

[seanp789]

oops

 

[seanp789]

Originally posted by: seanp789

Originally posted by: austin316
Does having two monitors running slow down gameplay alot?

EX: WoW on the LCD, computer FAQ on the CRT?

You get maybe a 5% or less framrate drop using a second monitor just running windows. The overhead is fairly low. I dont even notice a difference.


I dont see CRTs in the future they take up too much space and use too much power. Where would you fit 4 21" CRTs even if u could afford them sucking up 400W+ each. LCD technology improves every year, getting faster, cheaper, bigger and it looks like there is going to be a big shift up in the color quality of LCDs as the underlying technology changes in 2005.

I tell u what though, if i have to wait 5 years and not have kids so i can afford this stuff, I will do it!

 

[oboeguy]

Can some dual-monitor fanboi please explain why the masses will ever get dual-monitor setups? I code a lot, so I can understand how they can be useful for me (though I don't dual), but for most people it seems rather pointless. So, I don't see dual-monitor stuff in games any time soon (but I would love to eat my words).

 

[DaiShan]

Originally posted by: bobalong
I always run MMOLRPG's in a window so I can view the game and have a few Firefox paynes open with the info I need plus Skype running and Wimamp all to view at the same time - I've been running that set-up for about 2 years.

I would love to have a four monitor set-up, however when I try to run games on the dual mon it kicks to the primary or stretches everything across the two - distorting the resolution.

I think a simple driver tweek could fix this

Too bad you can't actually use anything in the second monitor. You can read what is on the screen but if you want to scroll it throws you out of the game and switches to that monitor. I agree its nice, like I'll put up a news article on my second mon and read it while maps and things are loading, but beyond that its useless. I get much more out of dual mons in terms of work efficiency. It is much easier being able to have multiple windows open instead of alt tabbing or clicking on the start bar.

 

[ed21x]

a shift to larger widescreen LCD monitors sound much more reasonable than a dual monitor setup, as that would be much easier to market, cheaper, and looks better than two separate monitors.