More Half-life 2 Orange and Black Box Details

[Hectic Glenn]

Gameinformer recently visited Valve and quizzed Doug Lombardi on some more details of Valve's upcoming project. It offers quite a few answers to some very pressing questions many people have. The Episode 2, Portal and Team Fortress 2 combo is still set for autumn/fall. With regard to the delays...

Nothing is done yet. Portal is the closest, but its not done today.

Also, some peace of mind if you've not upgraded to Vista, or if you're still behind with DX8.

For those who recently upgraded their PC video cards to support DX10, you?ll be happy to know that both Episode Two and Team Fortress 2 will support the advanced technology of these cards, even if the PC is running Windows XP. On the low-end front, Valve still plans on supporting PCs that can only run DX8 applications. Valve?s attempting to also support DX7, but couldn?t confirm if it?d go back that far with technology.

See the complete articles over at the Game Informer Website Thanks to Madato for the heads up.

 

[Dodo]

I hope source will make use of the DX10 shaders etc.
sechsy graphics ftw !!:imu:

-dodo

 

[Xendance]

I'm still on DX7 I believe.

 

[smokeythebear]

Will the source engine have multi-threading for dualcore processors?

 

[-smash-]

I was skeptical to post this because the information is too questionable.

Though I have confirmed with DougL that details on the DX10 stuff, etc, will be given to us soon.

 

[Stigmata]

Will the source engine have multi-threading for dualcore processors?

Valve had a presentation at some developer's conference in the fall where they talked about including engine features that made specific use of multi-core processors. If I remember correctly, they talked about the integration of these into Ep2. *fingers crossed*

 

[bigdeezy23]

By the time these games actually come out, we'll be using DirectX 14.0b

 

[Insano]

Will the source engine have multi-threading for dualcore processors?

It was confirmed for Episode 2.

 

[wilka91]

haha Valve will make DX 10 work on a system with DX 9

haha, good one!

 

[nutcrackr]

If portal is nearly done does that mean they will let us play it off steam before epsiode 2/tf2?

 

[bigdeezy23]

If portal is nearly done does that mean they will let us play it off steam before epsiode 2/tf2?

I don't believe so. They're all bundled together. But I wouldn't be surprised if they have to calm the fans down by releasing Portal earlier than expected. They've been buying a lot of time already.

 

[Naudian]

haha Valve will make DX 10 work on a system with DX 9

haha, good one!

I don't think that's what they mean.

"For those who recently upgraded their PC video cards to support DX10, you?ll be happy to know that both Episode Two and Team Fortress 2 will support the advanced technology of these cards, even if the PC is running Windows XP"

I think they just mean that Episode 2/TF2 will support certain advanced features of DX10 cards, not DX10 itself, on windows XP. I could be completely wrong but I don't see how they could actually use DX10 on Windows XP...

 

[Mahalis]

I don't believe so. They're all bundled together. But I wouldn't be surprised if they have to calm the fans down by releasing Portal earlier than expected. They've been buying a lot of time already.

I really want them to do that, and it'd be a sensible move too. Best idea that's been suggested so far is being able to download Portal when you preorder Black/Orange.

 

[russ_uk]

there goes a 2007 release down the pan

 

[dogboy73]

there goes a 2007 release down the pan

At least they'll have time to work on that box art

 

[Dodo]

At least they'll have time to work on that box art

-dodo

 

[DEATH eVADER]

I don't think that's what they mean.

"For those who recently upgraded their PC video cards to support DX10, you?ll be happy to know that both Episode Two and Team Fortress 2 will support the advanced technology of these cards, even if the PC is running Windows XP"

I think they just mean that Episode 2/TF2 will support certain advanced features of DX10 cards, not DX10 itself, on windows XP. I could be completely wrong but I don't see how they could actually use DX10 on Windows XP...

It could be that Valve are emulating certain technologies that are included in the standard for DX10, but don't necessarily require DX10 to run. Think of something along the lines Pseudo Features.

 

[FoxFire]

It could be that Valve are emulating certain technologies that are included in the standard for DX10, but don't necessarily require DX10 to run. Think of something along the lines Pseudo Features.

It says it's for people who use DX10 cards and don't have Vista, and you need to run Vista to run the DX10 software. So I'm assuming they're using some of the DX10 features while running DX9 software.
-FoxFire

 

[poullos]

I don't think that's what they mean.

"For those who recently upgraded their PC video cards to support DX10, you?ll be happy to know that both Episode Two and Team Fortress 2 will support the advanced technology of these cards, even if the PC is running Windows XP"

I think they just mean that Episode 2/TF2 will support certain advanced features of DX10 cards, not DX10 itself, on windows XP. I could be completely wrong but I don't see how they could actually use DX10 on Windows XP...

DOF & Motion Blur.

 

[Link]

It says it's for people who use DX10 cards and don't have Vista, and you need to run Vista to run the DX10 software. So I'm assuming they're using some of the DX10 features while running DX9 software.
-FoxFire

Your assuming that they are going to use the standard directx 9. They may well have created some form of "plugin" to access the DX10 power of the cards.

 

[poullos]

They are not talking about power but features. The only feature I can think of is DOF and motion blur, previously stated that no hardware could support them. It seems these are now available independent from the DX10 umbrella but within the DX10 cards.

 

[§amW]

No one would make hardware features that are only acessable with directX 10.
The trick for the programmer is to figure out how to use the hardware without using directx.
That requires programming the videocard yourself.

 

[Link]

poullos, you misunderstand how gfx cards work. They are like CPUs in the respect that they are given instructions, which they then execute. The reason there is a difference between a CPU and a GPU is that a GPU is heavily optimised to work the sort of instructions used in graphics display.

At the end of the day, its like any other component in a PC, if one bit of software can make it do something, then another bit of software can as well.

 

[Docm30]

DOF & Motion Blur.

DOF and motion-blur are far from DX10 effects.

 

[poullos]

Then I'm open to hear what these technologies will be to work on xp. If valve can use DX10 features on xp then everyone can do it, right?

It's just a little too general to state that Ep2 will use DX10 hardware features but not state it will be a DX10 game. Doug, would have clearly said it if Ep2 would be a DX10 title. So, this must be something in between more like what they did with HDR and SM.2.0 gfx cards.

No one would make hardware features that are only acessable with directX 10.
The trick for the programmer is to figure out how to use the hardware without using directx.
That requires programming the videocard yourself.

I didn't say they would be accessible only with directx 10. I said the hardware would support them but not enabled under DX10 API. Don't ask how, but this is the meaning I get from that statement.

For those who recently upgraded their PC video cards to support DX10, you?ll be happy to know that both Episode Two and Team Fortress 2 will support the advanced technology of these cards, even if the PC is running Windows XP.

If valve could run DX10 technology on xp, then microsoft would not be that happy
It's something else guys. Not SM.4.0 and other DX10 features but DX10 cards technologies.

 

[FoxFire]

If valve could run DX10 technology on xp, then microsoft would not be that happy

I was wondering about that myself. If the whole DX10 thing is that you need Vista, this might get MS's panties knotted a bit.
Maybe they might take some action against Valve :O
-FoxFire