Will they ever make games that utilizes dual monitor setups?

[darkxshade]

I'm sure a lot of systems by now, at least the gaming demographic uses dual monitor setups. And I also understand they'd never make a game that requires 2 monitors either but why don't they make games that uses a 2nd monitor as an option. For example, an RPG game would utilize the 2nd monitor to show Maps, inventory, character & quest information. This would allow the main screen to be free of any clutter allowing you to enjoy the majestic view of wherever.

As it is now, I often times have to press tab, or M, etc just to get my bearings in a large world every couple mins so I don't stray from my intended path. Having it all on screen on my 2nd display would remove such a need. It's doesn't seem like it's hard to do. Just a thought.

 

[RavenSEAL]

I know a couple of old RTSs do, C&C is one of them I think?

Nowadays with everything being a console port, I doubt it. I'd be extremely cool though.

I'd love a 2 monitor MOD for skyrim with inventory, health, etc.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

I run into enough games that I either need a program to lock the cursor to the window or one to make the game maximized while in window mode that I'd be happy if most games simply coded games properly to run with dual monitors yet alone get maximum use out of them.

 

[darkxshade]

Supreme Commander is the only game I know of that used the 2nd monitor. It's a crying shame nobody had picked that up and followed suit.

 

[Karstein]

The problem Supcom had was that hardware couldn't really cope with it running over dual monitors at the time. I can't think of another game that's attempted it in that fashion off the top of my head.

 

[-Slacker-]

Can anyone confirm that lots of people use dual monitor setups?

 

[NTAC]

That would be amazing, like for BF3, to have the map and the chat window and all that useless clutter off on the 2nd monitor.. not that the map is useless, but you get the idea.

I'm very surprised this isn't more common, perhaps it is too time consuming to code and test on all the different configurations out there...

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Can anyone confirm that lots of people use dual monitor setups?

i can confirm the opposite. people using 2 or more monitors at all are the vast minority, and 2 or more for games is a tiny fraction of that.

 

[darkxshade]

Can anyone confirm that lots of people use dual monitor setups?

I mentioned it as a hunch... At monitor prices these days, it doesn't make sense not to own 2 at this day and age... especially if you're a gamer. Only reason I can think of is lack of space. If game developers include an option, I bet it would increase adoption of dual setups and spur sales of lcd displays.

 

[Bateluer]

I mentioned it as a hunch... At monitor prices these days, it doesn't make sense not to own 2 at this day and age... especially if you're a gamer. Only reason I can think of is lack of space. If game developers include an option, I bet it would increase adoption of dual setups and spur sales of lcd displays.

No, the overwhelming majority of PC gamers use a single LCD.

 

[thespyder]

I am not sure how many gamers use more than one monitor, but I certainly do. Although I think that most who do use more than one monitor probably do windowed games and something else running on the other monitor.

As for games, I have seen a MOD out there that allows DA:O to run on three monitors. And I think I heard about Crysis doing something similar, although i could be wrong about that.

In any event, particularly any of the 1st person or 3rd person games "Should" offer it as an option. DA:O looked awesome with the surround vision. Definitely more emersive than just a single monitor.

 

[CVSiN]

3+ is the new 2 mon.. Eyefinity and Surround are gathering steam very quickly.
After playing Rift, WoW, TOR, BF3, SR3 in Eyefinity.. man I dont even want to game at all on 1 monitor anymore at all.

its flat awesome to see so much more and to fill your vision with content.

 

[CVSiN]

No, the overwhelming majority of PC gamers use a single LCD.

but alot more are converting to 3+..

check out the HardOCP brag section..

tons and tons of multi mon setups now.

 

[Pulsar]

but alot more are converting to 3+..

check out the HardOCP brag section..

tons and tons of multi mon setups now.

So your data point for "a lot" is drawn from HardOCP, a computer enthusiast website? And you futher refined that down so your data point is drawn from a section that is exactly FOR bragging that you have a bigger e-peen that everyone else?

Yeah. Ok.

What's that come to in the total PC gaming market? .001%?

 

[Bateluer]

What's that come to in the total PC gaming market? .001%?

And thats optimistic. Don't get me wrong, I like dual monitors, and I think we'll see more of them. But devs aren't going to incorporate a feature that rarely used. Many more pople have decent video cards, and devs barely utilize those.

 

[Maximilian]

We cant even get good multithreading in many games. Dual monitor setups are the least of anyone's concerns.

 

[Red Storm]

Eve Online can make great use of multiple monitors.

 

[Anteaus]

Not that I don't see the cool factor of using multiple moniters for displaying different aspects of gameplay but using multiple monitors just for real estate is not worth having to deal with the monitor edges intruding on it. I like using them for strategy games or flight sims where I can use it for nav or some sort of stats, but anything else is annoying.

 

[CVSiN]

So your data point for "a lot" is drawn from HardOCP, a computer enthusiast website? And you futher refined that down so your data point is drawn from a section that is exactly FOR bragging that you have a bigger e-peen that everyone else?

Yeah. Ok.

What's that come to in the total PC gaming market? .001%?

about the same that hate steam and use a 386 and a 28k baud modem like you...

 

[CVSiN]

And thats optimistic. Don't get me wrong, I like dual monitors, and I think we'll see more of them. But devs aren't going to incorporate a feature that rarely used. Many more pople have decent video cards, and devs barely utilize those.

naw gamers are constantly evolving..and every single game minus that POS Skyrim that has come out recently has NATIVE support for multiple monitors in Eyefinity and Surround with no tweaking required..

With monitor prices below what it costs for a good card and every single AMD card coming out of the box with single card Eyefinity capabilities there are more and more people trying it.

Here at work every single desktop has 2 or more mons with some having up to 12 ( real time trading desks) so of course people are buying multiple setups for home after working with them.

2 mon support is much harder to do as you have bezel in there middle of your viewing span. where 3 or more make far more sense.. 1 for main view 2 for the sides.. large portrait mode setups.

 

[RavenSEAL]

Speaking of which...

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

about the same that hate steam and use a 386 and a 28k baud modem like you...

You're delusional. The vast majority of people use single monitor for home setups and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Personally, I'm pretty much always going to have 1 big WS tv and one small Non-WS secondary monitor, but I realize I'm always going to be the minority as are eyefinity/etc setups. Office setups are a different beast; the majority of them are still going to only be dual setups for the foreseeable future. Finding a small group that does it != it being widely adopted.

 

[NTAC]

For the people that use eyefinity, do the monitor edges just dissapear from your view after a while? I feel as if I couldn't get past that issue.

 

[Gillbot]

Can anyone confirm that lots of people use dual monitor setups?

The problem Supcom had was that hardware couldn't really cope with it running over dual monitors at the time. I can't think of another game that's attempted it in that fashion off the top of my head.

i never had an issue with supcom and 2 displays.

 

[duragezic]

Can anyone confirm that lots of people use dual monitor setups?

Looks like the Steam Hardware Survey shows less than 10% use multi monitors. I don't think there's many games that make sense to utilize the second monitor secondarily. So between the two I don't see it being enough for a developer to do it.