Microsoft issues 3-D beta but no fun for Christmas

Electronic News, April 8, 1996 by Andrew MacLellan

San Jose, Calif.--Microsoft released the beta version of its Direct3D application programming interface (API) here at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC), but the introduction is expected to generate few fully functional Direct3D-based game titles in time for the Christmas market.

In the interim, 3-D accelerator vendors are moving to roll out custom hardware platforms which will serve independent software vendors (ISVs) until a more uniform specification emerges. Of the 2,500 game titles multimedia analyst Jon Peddie anticipates will hit the holiday shelves, fewer than 10 percent will feature 3-D, he said, and of those only about 50 will fully support Direct3D.

As a result, the majority of 3-D chip introductions, both at WinHEC and the Computer Game Developers Conference (CGDC) held last week in Santa Clara, Calif., were tailored to accentuate their unique feature sets in the hope of strengthening both software and systems OEM relationships.

"Because of the different algorithms, every 3-D company is different, every product is different," said Mr. Peddie, who expects this year's estimated sale of 5.5 million 3-D units to rocket to 27 million in 1997. "There are a lot of native ports so suppliers can get their products out, and on the heels of that is Direct3D, which should be a stabilizing force."

In addition to Direct3D, Microsoft plans to release its ActiveMovie cross-platform video technology for the desktop and Internet in June, followed in August by DirectX III, which will include APIs for 3-D enhancements and 3-D sound, MPEG playback, DirectPlay for Internet applications and an interface to Intel's emerging Multimedia Extension (MMX) processor architecture.

Indeed, the inclusion by Microsoft of Intel's MMX technology, which is scheduled for release in 4Q96, is yet another indication the two companies have set aside their past feuds in favor of a more lucrative relationship. The warmth also was apparent in Intel's endorsement at WinHEC of Microsoft's newly-announced Simply Interactive PC (SIPC) framework of hardware technologies for Windows-based PCs (see story, page 1).

"The key thing is that Intel and Microsoft are extremely well-coordinated in the message we give you," Michael A. Aymar, VP and GM of Intel's Desktop Products Group said at WinHEC. "There is no longer conflict in messages."

"Has the Microsoft relationship improved?" asked Michael Bailey, Intel's platform industry marketing manager. "Absolutely. Dramatically. And everybody benefits from that. We can't get to a point where we have to make the PC industry choose between the two."

Among last week's introductions with new capabilities were 3-D chip roll outs from ATI Technologies and S-MOS Systems and a board-level product from Diamond Multimedia.

ATI's 3D Rage chip includes 3-D features and full-screen, full-motion MPEG video playback in an IC which the company claims is pin-compatible with its 2-D mach64 accelerator. Partnering with IBM to bring the 3D Rage chip to IBM's next-generation Aptiva PCs, the ATI chip supports traditional and specialty DRAM at up to 80MHz clock speeds for bandwidths up to 640 megabytes/second across a 64-bit interface. The graphics memory includes multiple configurations from 1-8 megabytes, and the chip offers smooth horizontal and vertical video scaling, YUV-to-RGB color space conversion and support for a direct video decoder connection or optional expandability using the ATI Multimedia Channel (AMC).

Packaged in a 208-pin plastic quad flat pack (PQFP) using 0.5-micron process technology, samples of the 3D Rage accelerator are available now for $48 each in 10,000-unit quantities. In terms of 3-D acceleration, the IC features full-screen or window double buffering for smooth animation, hidden surface removal with 16-bit z-buffering, sub-pixel accuracy, 3-D Gouraud shading, perspective-correct mip-mapped texturing with chroma key support, bi- and tri-linear filtering and special effects such as alpha blending, fog, video textures and texture lighting.

ATI also rolled out the first board to incorporate the 3D Rage chip, the 3D Xpression, which includes 2MB of EDO DRAM graphics memory and integrated 135MHz DAC with true 24-bit color for support of gamma correction. The board will be available in May at a retail price starting at $299. 3D Rage software developers kits also are available.

S-MOS, in conjunction with development and marketing partner Reality Simulation Systems Inc. (RSSI), rolled out the PIX family of 3-D ICs for add-in boards, introducing the SPC1515 with on-chip rasterization, polygon set-up, perspective correction, texture-map address calculation and a bus mastering PCI interface compatible with 2-D displays.

Similar to the path being followed by Intel's newly announced Accelerated Graphics Port (see story, this page), the S-MOS chip stores texture mapping on the system memory, simplifying system design by enabling the chip to use the frame buffer of existing 2-D graphics subsystems. The extendible architecture of the PIX chip enables multiple 3-Dengines to run on a single board, according to S-MOS, a corporate affiliate of Seiko Epson.