370°

Carmack: Microsoft and Sony could be hostile to Mantle

Carmack expressed his feeling on the Mantle announcement by AMD, stating that Microsoft and Sony could be hostile to the interesting initiative.

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worldsfactory.net
Festano3885d ago

Finally, we can exploit our beloved duty pc.

dmeador3885d ago

So can anyone explain to me the part about "Perfect parallel rendering - utilize all 8 CPU cores"? Are there really rigs that can make use of this? My understanding was that a 8 core system didn't scale, and you cant just add cores to increase performance for many reasons.

gaffyh3885d ago

More importantly, can anyone explain why DirectX or OpenGL (especially) couldn't simply take ideas from Mantle and improve their APIs?

Eonjay3885d ago

The concept of an open library is always a good idea... especially if it can maximize the AMD chipsets. I can see Microsoft being hostile to this because they want to license DirectX (if Direct X is the standard they will make a lot of money from this). But why should a developer do this if they can get max performance from a free open library that can run across all architectures. I wonder if Mantle works on the Wii U AMD GPU as well.

Kleptic3884d ago (Edited 3884d ago )

^That is exactly the point of mantle...developers CAN'T get 'max' performance out of current high level API's...which is exactly why devs have been pushing for better specific drivers for years...

Mantle is a low level feature set for a very specific group of gpu's...allowing developers to better utilize that architecture...so far, only AMD's GCN gpu architecture is supported...but rumors are the technology is open to other hardware manufacturers, too...so other providers could do the same thing for their own hardware...

All this is doing is giving PC development a piece of 'coding to metal'...removing many bottlenecks created by Windows and its high level API offerings between the OS and the hardware...The high level stuff is fine for getting a game to run on all kinds of different pc configurations...but its NOT good for optimizing and efficiency...

the problems high level api's create is exactly why a console with ~1 Tflops computing power could be compared to a PC with 2.5...the PC is much more 'powerful', but a significant portion of that performance is wasted in OS redundancies and lack of hardware specific optimization...easily the strongest part of consoles as a platform...

this is good for everybody...it just makes porting t0 and from the 'big 3 platforms' cheaper and easier...and it also will hopefully fix this issue where it takes a $400+ PC cpu to not bottleneck a 2 year old high end gpu...

@Dmeador...To this day per core performance in a PC cpu is more critical than the number of cores...for reasons you sort of said...the number of cores basically specifies how many simultaneous strings of code it can crunch through...an 8 core cpu can do 8 per clock cycle...that sounds awesome...but talk to a developer about getting an engine to effectively push 8 lines of code...despite the PS3 and all of its craziness, parallel processing is still extremely expensive and time consuming to develop...

Frostbite 2, and the upcoming 3, have been noted as some of the best scaling rendering engines around though...BF3's multiplayer has always made excellent use of 2 and 4 core cpu's...FB3 is said to utilize up to 8...but mantle, on the other hand, is a low level api for removing cpu overhead...meaning, with the right gpu, the importance of the cpu won't be nearly as high...thats the theory, anyway...we'll see how well it works...

indysurfn3884d ago

Here is a thought, if this was used for PS3 and Xbox360 making them 9 times more powerful. Would that not KILL PS4 and XBONE sales? Also continuing on that line of reason. Would that not Kill PS5 and XBTWO future release?

I think it would help the underpowered pcgamebox but it could threaten future reasons for people to upgrade any time soon. That is what I think Carmack is really hinting at between the lines.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3884d ago
WarThunder3885d ago (Edited 3885d ago )

AMD FTW!

http://seekingalpha.com/art...

"Considering the boost Mantle could give to a steambox, MS and Sony may wind up being downright hostile to it."

grassyknoll3885d ago (Edited 3885d ago )

Considering Steam OS was partly designed by Nvidia, I'm expecting Steamboxes to be all Nvidia based. I think this fragmentation of the PC market is gonna end up quite self destructive.

jeffgoldwin3885d ago

There's only NVidia and Amd. That's 2 by my count. Besides the whole point of Steam (Linux based) is to be open, so amd will have a hand in too.

That's not very fragmented and much as your console hopes and dreams want to believe.

FrigidDARKNESS3885d ago

True, dont know why folks are automatically putting the Mantle with Steambox. If you go back and look at AMDs financial investors list Valve isn't listed like MS and Sony.

Perjoss3885d ago

as far as I understood it, steam boxes are customizable, so you could probably use either amd or nvidia hardware in them.

Vegrad4153885d ago

I think the main issue is drivers. Valve teamed up with Nvidia because in the past they have done better with their linux drivers. AMD not so much.

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windblowsagain3885d ago

Why would they be hostile to it when it will speed up their consoles as well.

Better code with PC = better fps for Consoles.

Scroticus3884d ago

DirectX. Licensing fees. Enough said.

kingdip903885d ago

With this and steam os it seems the pc gaming industry wants to pull away from microsoft

Seafort3885d ago (Edited 3885d ago )

The PC gaming industry has been trying to do that for years but MS has a monopoly with the OS market and Direct X.

I hope this goes well for AMD with nvidia and valve (steambox) ultimately on board to work together and create a new graphics instruction set to get rid of MS stranglehold on PC gaming once and for all.

Then we just need the publishers and indie devs to get on board as well so I can finally use a proper gaming OS.

Perjoss3885d ago

I've been dreaming of a true dual boot type of gaming OS for years now. Microsoft are not smart at all when it comes to gaming on Windows, they have this massive audience of people that love gaming on the PC but instead they just try and push them onto the xbox.

No problem, if ms do not want to cater to these fans there is always companies that will step in and take full advantage of this. They had it all right there in the palm of their hands, now sit back and watch as it all slips away from them, and it serves them right to be honest.

Death3885d ago

With the Steambox it looks like Valve is trying to take on consoles.

Drekken3885d ago (Edited 3885d ago )

I think it is more of an attack on Microsoft.

"Valve boss Gabe Newell calls Windows 8 a 'catastrophe'"

He hasn't been happy with windows 8 and launched an attack. A free gaming centric operating system for PCs. That is a huge F you to MS.

kingdip903885d ago

Steambox for sure narrows the gap between consoles and pc's but I'm unsre as to whether they Will become direct competition, for a while at least

Death3885d ago

I highly doubt this is all from Windows 8. This takes planning and time. If we are hooking a Steam Box up to out tv's, that is direct competition to consoles. Most PC's are still in our offices/dens/ etc. PC online is still free. If we can play games that look better than the Xbox One or PS4 on out TV's and free online, don't you think some will find that appealing?

XtraTrstrL3885d ago

Awesome news! I guess I won't be rushing to get a PS4 just yet, I'll have to wait and watch how this all unfolds over the next few months first.

FrigidDARKNESS3885d ago (Edited 3885d ago )

Yap, this card replaces my ps4 purchase next year. This will probably be the only G-card you need in the next six years.

Edit
Its an app. Not a G-card but will get this anyway.

NarooN3885d ago

Lol it's not an "app" either. It's a new low-level high-performance-based API from AMD.

Hassassin3885d ago

it's not an app. Its a DX11 replacement (i.e. F M$)

fOrlOnhOpe573885d ago

Competition keeps the industry fresh, focused and forward thinking.

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380°

Microsoft's quest for short-term $$$ is doing long-term damage to Windows, Surface, Xbox, and beyond

Microsoft is pushing for no "red line" for what games could come to PlayStation, and it all revolves around Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood's plans to increase every department's margins.

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windowscentral.com
Brazz1d 4h ago

"The plan to move Xbox games to other platforms is codenamed "Latitude" internally, and I know there's debate and unease at Microsoft about whether or not this is a good idea. More upcoming Microsoft-owned games slated for PlayStation are already being developed. At least for now, they're potentially obvious games you'd most likely expect. And yes, while it's true Microsoft is a prolific publisher on PlayStation already, it has typically revolved around specific franchises like Minecraft. From what I've heard, Microsoft is pushing for no "red line" for what games could come to PlayStation, and it all revolves around Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood's mandate to increase every department's margins. "

Yeah, they are going to kill Xbox hardware.

Xeofate1d 2h ago

"Yeah, they are going to kill Xbox hardware."

It's for the best.

Quit stringing along xbox fans and screwing over PlayStation owners.

crazyCoconuts21h ago

Take good care of those Xboxes if you have 'em ...

outsider162421h ago

An Xbox game on a Playstation. Never in my years of gaming did i ever thought this was gonna happen.

jznrpg17h ago

It is dying anyway so doesn’t make much of a difference

VersusDMC16h ago

No way can they get rid of the hardware as probably 90% of game pass subscribers are hardware users.

Highly doubtful those users will move to PC or Cloud to subscribe there and the competition (Sony and Nin) will never have gamepass on their system.

If they want to keep the current subscribers, they need to keep releasing new hardware.

PSPSA8h ago

I'm not convinced, why then announce that they're actually working on the next-generation Xbox with “the largest technical leap”, and also looking into handhelds now?

Rols7h ago

Not like MS don’t drop things a hot potato if it is not performing. Look at MS history to see products or platforms discontinued. Xbox is not a charity for MS, it needs to make money and the ABK was the last roll of the dice for Xbox.

purple1015h ago

Xbox hardware team members have been incorporated into surface team

This perhaps shows they are not expecting big things from Xbox as a separate entity

Abear213h ago

Seems like they are planning to win next gen. All the acquisitions were this generation and nobody except Xbox fans expect games from the acquisitions any time soon.

I’m sure Microsoft can afford to lose money on the short term, pretty sure they do risk assessment when acquiring many companies and spending billions, they’ll be fine lol.

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gold_drake1d 3h ago

i think it will kill off the xbox brand. windows will be fine.

but there is and would be a chance that xbox might be killed off in the future. if they fail to make the money they put in. imo.

S2Killinit1d 1h ago

They wont kill it, but they will go fully PC while keeping xbox as a brand, and go multiplatform for the most part. They will also work tirelessly to diminish console gaming’s importance.

PRIMORDUS22h ago

It would be best if Xbox goes the way of Sega, just make and publish games. I know I myself will not support them at all with buying games from them, you all can. 🙃

ChasterMies20h ago

The Xbox brand will live for the games. I don’t expect Microsoft to entirely drop out of gaming hardware. They make Surface tablets and laptops. They’ll make Xbox branded hardware for those that want it.

shadowT1d 3h ago

"Microsoft is pushing for no "red line" for what games could come to PlayStation"

Forza and Starfield next?

Skuletor1d 1h ago

Starfield would be no surprise and there's the rumor that it will come to Playstation after the Shattered Space DLC, Forza (along with Halo and Gears of War) I find less likely but I wouldn't be surprised if they eventually end up on PlayStation too, especially if Xbox give up on hardware and go the Sega route.

shinoff21831d 1h ago

Not to worried about forza. I'd rather see others like what inxile and obsidian are working on. Starfield sounds like it needs more time in the oven so let it cook first imo. If starfield and it's a small if does release on ps it'll be in the fall around the time for dlc or right at the dlc and come packaged with it.

-Foxtrot1d 2h ago

In the words of Phil Spencer when he was talking about Nintendo last year

“It's just taking a long time for Microsoft to see that their future exists off of their own hardware"

S2Killinit1d 1h ago

Yup. MS are a cancer to console gaming.

Aloymetal1d ago

100%!!
I wonder what happened to that dude that was always here posting those court articles with cartoons about MS spending all those billions in studios. He suddenly disappeared, I guess he doesn't like bad news when the green brand is in trouble. No new articles from him as of late...

PRIMORDUS22h ago

Yup, and it's only going to keep spreading.

Outside_ofthe_Box22h ago

Phil Spencer's words always comes back to bite him lol

1d 2h ago Replies(7)
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130°

Microsoft's Absurd Antics Have Me Scared For Dishonored And Arkane Lyon's Future

With Arkane Austin no more and Lyon living for who knows how long, the superb Dishonored is in serious danger; Microsoft cannot be trusted.

Relientk772d ago

I love the Dishonored series so much and really want Dishonored 3. Microsoft better not screw this up.

JEECE2d ago

I mean, I think the fans will probably kill Arkane Lyon by cooking up reasons to hate whatever they do next without playing it. I've never seen a game so artificially disliked as Deathloop.

thesoftware7302d ago

Lol, why don't we just say, we are worried about all studios owned by MS now. They will keep closing studios until they have none left ...🙄

Skuletor2d ago

Just merge them all into a single studio, have it churn out a single Call of Duty every year and call it a day, lol.

Barlos2d ago

Don't be scared, you'll be fine.

Skuletor2d ago

It's exputer, fine is one word I would not associate with them.

Profchaos2d ago

I think it's becoming clear based on matt bootys comments there's no future for any IP that can't sell above 10 million within the launch window. But is also a small game that gives them prestige

/S it's beyond a joke right now

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290°

More Job Losses At Xbox, “There’s More To Come”: Paul Thurrott

Paul Thurrott in a recent episode commented on the on-going Microsoft fiasco hinting at more job losses and that "there's more to come".

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spieltimes.com
Sonic18814d ago (Edited 4d ago )

There won't be no more acquiring game publishers from Microsoft in the future . Xbox has to pay Microsoft back. It might take two decades to do that.

sagapo4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

I don’t understand what you’re saying. Xbox IS microsoft so there’s no “paying back “.
And MS gross profit in 2023 was over 140 billion dollars so forget your 2 decades.

Unless you mean the money MS invested in Xbox (acquisitions included) and the time it will take for xbox as a brand to gain that money back on it’s own, then yeah, that could take a while.

romulus234d ago

The better term to use might be return on investment, xbox is simply a division of Microsoft one that MS can easily do away with if profit margins are not met. So in that regard he's right, if xbox isn't showing the expected return on investment the higher ups are expecting than it's unlikely Microsoft will acquire any other studios any time soon, especially if they are spending billions buying developers just to shut them down in the end.

MrBaskerville4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

Xbox is a division that they discussed shutting down but doubled down on after Gamepass was pitched.

It needs to make money at some point. Big money.

rokos4d ago

According to Statista the net income of Microsoft is about $72.4 billion dollars which is a bit lower than last year profit. That is almost as much as Activision's acquisition but I assume that would be a one off since it costs so much plus I see how their focus has been shifted to AI, thus any major future investments will probably be in that area.

Markusb333d ago

i think you are really missing the point

VariantAEC3d ago

@romulus23
That is not why MS buys studios. They might continue to buy because it's about taking that sweet sweet IP out of the corporate husks of their acquisitions.

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SonyStyled4d ago

“There won't be no more acquiring game publishers from Microsoft in the future”

No bro, there do be is for Microsoft not acquiring for what is now if not what it be is 😂

4d ago Replies(2)
ChasterMies4d ago

Xbox isn’t a separate company from Microsoft. It’s all Microsoft.

Abear213d ago (Edited 3d ago )

Let’s be real, this is the media spinning all the acquisitions and liquidations of said developers and spinning it to make M$ the villain.

This was bound to happen, a bigger slice of pie and cut costs, when the games come they stand to make more and that’s their agenda—it was the writing on the wall when the sales went through and legally all those who approved the sale and mergers knew this would happen.

Snowflakes need to realize business is ugly and you can cry all you want but this is how capitalism works. And it works.

That said, M$ needs to steer the narrative and grab hold of all this, make their plans known, hype the hell out of all those dead IP’s they plan to revive, and be honest about the timeline. This is likely to involve mobile and IP on other consoles, and most people realize that.

The problem is this company is incapable of being transparent and seems to often want to dissuade and confuse is customer base. The lack of E3 has hurt Microsoft and I don’t think they know how to properly or effectively market their brand anymore.

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jwillj2k44d ago

There really needs to be a class action lawsuit here. You buy these companies just to put people out of jobs. And it’s not like something happened to derail their plans this WAS the plan. Microsoft has no business in this space at all.

franwex4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

Microsoft has been doing this for years. They simply want the IPs. Look at Nokia. Look at Skype. This time it simply expanded to games. Gaming is not as important to Microsoft’s executives as it was to the founders too. Bill Gates was willing to sell the og Xbox at a loss. Steve Balmer approved the red ring of death fiasco. This CEO isn’t really a gamer.

-Foxtrot4d ago

Maybe it's time though to put a stop to it and use a big giant like Microsoft as a huge example to the rest of these big companies.

There has to be a line drawn somewhere.

People like the FTC and the like went against Microsoft yet their Actvision deal was still allowed to go through yet look what's happened...it's not even Acitivisions studios aswell, it's Bethesdas.

VariantAEC3d ago

Years?

Try several decades, and in the gaming space 2.3 decades.

Jon615863d ago

You do realize this happens in ALL industries? Or are you just saying this because it is Microsoft? In any case I feel for those that are being let go but the trch industry is suffering right now.

jwillj2k43d ago (Edited 3d ago )

This absolutely does NOT happen all the time. Let me know the last time 1 company with a terrible product track record spent 100 billion onto acquire MULTIPLE successful companies in under a year only to shut them down and stop making their products regardless of how successful they were. Not merge them, completely shut them down.

And you can’t use Microsoft in your example.

Notellin3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

Class action lawsuit? The law is on their side and protects them at all costs. There are no rules to protect the people at the bottom.

jwillj2k43d ago

Not true when it comes to mass layoff do your research.

RNTody4d ago

Ninja Theory, Perfect Dark, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Wolfenstein 3, Dishonored, Prey, Doom, Quake... something tells me that bad things are going to happen to these entities under Microsoft.

MrDead4d ago

ID software, the makers of Doom and Wolfenstein that have been with us since 1991 could be gone and MS will keep the IPs.

I hope some of these studios can buy their freedom from MS otherwise this is going to be even more devastating for the industry and gamers.

Yui_Suzumiya4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

That's exactly what I'm worried about. I've been a fan of id since Wolfenstein 3D and I'm honestly afraid.

lodossrage4d ago

Toys for Bob saw the writing on the wall and bought themselves out.

Wouldn't be the first time a company did that under MS either. Bungie and Twisted Pixel did the same. Considering what just happened, I can see some other devs trying to buy themselves out too.

anast4d ago

Good thing the bosses of all those small studios made their money.

glenn19794d ago

they cant do it right now they will get burned

XiNatsuDragnel4d ago

Phil and his team need to be gone

lodossrage4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

Won't make a difference.

The whole structure needs to be overhauled. Anyone that replaces Phil will be no different than him, Mattrick, or anyone else.

Until the company changes how they go about business, nothing will change

glenn19793d ago

I just don't have any idea what they would do , they have done sooo much damage on their xbox brand, they have a show at July or June I think, but will it even matter even they show amazing games, idkn

lodossrage4d ago

True,

But they may as well get it over with. Whether it happens now or later, the burning is going to hit the same.

Reality is the ONE move that can alleviate a lot of this is the one move they can't make. Remove day 1 from gamepass.

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