Super Shareware Collection/Super Shareware Collection.iso/info/morejag.zip/JAG.CAP

Text File | 1994-02-01 | 7KB | 143 lines

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                                Future Games

Home Video December 1993 Issue Popular Mechanics Page 108-109. By James K.
Willcox.

    Almost from the very beginning, new technology has been the horse that
video game companies have ridden to mass popularity.  Nintendo's NES system,
for example, was a demonstrable improvement over Atari's early 2600 unit, and
it left a whole new generation of finger-sore adolescents in its wake.
Similarly, the advent of 16-bit systems in the early 1990s attracted the next
wave of players with near-arcade quality acton and graphics.

     History may be about to repeat itself.  By the time the new year rolls
around there's not only going to be a new horse in the corral, there'll be a
few new wyas to ride the old one, too.

     Since 8-bit systems evelved into 16-bit systems, the logic said that the
next wave of games machines would be 32 bit systems offering double the per-
formance of current games consoles.  With the introduction of a new 64-bit
system this fall, however, Atari Corp. plans to leapfrog ahead to a device
it says is four times as powerful as Nintendo's and Sega's present systems.

     Called the Jaguar, Atari's next generation system should sell for just
(TECH8 17%), (H)elp, (F)ind, (P)gUp, (T)op, (>), More? nsunder $200, though the optional CD player accessory-which is needed for advance
games and to play audio CDs will cost another $200.

     For the $400, however, Atari says you get the world's first 64 bit multi-
media entertainment system, which, based on the system's architecture, should
be capable fo impressive videogame performance.

      At the heart of the system is a 64 bit Reduced Instruction Set Computer
RISC) processor, which enables the system to rapidly make numerous, specific
types of calculations.  This allows the system to scal and rotate on-screen
sprites and polygons for realistic 3D effects and motion.  Because of the
system's power, shaded 3d polygons can be created on the fly, meaning on-screen
characters and objects can be rendered in real-time as the game progresses.
On-screen characters look more real and move more realistcally as a result.

    Atari says Jaguar's added horsepower also will allow it to "texturemap"
graphics, a process by which either realistic computer-generated drawings or
digitized photos can be "wrapped" like cellophane around a polygon, giving the
object or character a more lifelike appearance.

    Jaguar will also offer a palette of more then 16 million colors.  By
comparison, Nintendo's Super NES has 32,768 colors available, while Genesis
offers 512.

    Atari's optional CD-ROM peripheral for Jaguar will be a double-speed CD
drive, spinning at twice the speed of a standard CD player.  This allows the
Jaguar to transfer data more quickly and reduces the time it takes to access
game information.

     In addition to playing CD-ROM games and entertainment titles, the CD
accessory will play conventional audio compact discs, CD-Graphics discs,
which are sometimes used for karaoke, and Kodak's new Photo CDs.

     Since sound is an importand component in multimedia systems, Atari is
using a digital signal processing (DSP) chip to provide CD-quality stereo
audio to reproduce music soundtracks, sound effects and real couces.  A built
in 32 bit expansion port will allow Jaguar to be connected to cable and tele-
phone networks in the future.

     Nintendo, meanwhile, plans to up the numbers ante.  The company plans to
market a 64 bit RISC-based system for less then $250 by late 1995.  Dubbed
"Project Reality", the system is a join effort with Silcon Graphics, a maker
of high speed workstations.

THE EDGE

    Next spring, Sega is shipping a virtual reality accossory for Genesis
called Sega VR, essentially a headset containing a tracking device, a
color display and stereo headphones.  By strapping on the Sega CR headset,
you are plunged into a "virtual" 360 degree gaming world in which action
can and does come from all directions.
Sega CR will sell for approximately $200, and at least four specially
designed games--a shoot, a flying games, a driving game and an
action adventure title  will be available.

    Another Genesis accessory, called The Edge 16, will allow Genesis players
anywhere in the country to compete head-to-head via telephone lines.
Developed by AT&T and P.F. Magic, The Edge 16 is expexted to sell for between
$100 and $150, depending on the configuration.

    Using The Edge 16, Genesis owners not only will be able to compete against
each other, they'll be able to speak to each other during the game.  The device
which adds an additional 128k of RAM to Genesis's mail memory, will have four
slots for additional game-enhancment cards to exten and customize games or to
store game information.

FLYING GAMES

    Thanks to a new project called the Nintendo Gateway System, travelers
on airplanes and cruise ships or in hotel rooms will now have access to
games and other services.

    The Nintendo Gateway System is powered by a Nintendo 16-bit Super NES
processor goosed with additional communications functions, allowing the device
to offer games, cd audio, telephone, shopping and informational services.

    Airplanes will feature a reduced size Super NES and LCD television screen
built into the seatbacks.  Passengers can choose from 10 different SNES games,
movies, audio compact discs and telephone shopping services.

    Expect to pay about $4 per hour for these services.  Games are available
at any time, but movies are only available at preset times since they are
provided by on-board Super VHS or Hi8 VCRS.  New games are loaded onto
an on board hard drive at the begginning of every flight.

    The system is already operational on one Northwest Airlines Jet, and at
least 20 planes should be equipped by the end of the year.

    For hotels and cruise ships, the system will act as a bedside controller
for movies and games, and it will also privide information on room accounts,
restaurants, shopping and recreational activities.

BETTER CONTROLLERS

    As videogame technology advances, the games are getting increasingly
complex, and they are requiring complicated moves that are difficult for the
player to master.

    To address this problem, several compaines, such as STD and Ascii,
now offer controllers that enable special and often complex multiple moves
that can be trigger by a single button.

    Games like Capcom's "Street Fighter II" require players to push a number
of different buttons simultaneously every time they want to perform a special
move.  By using STD's SN Programpad or SG Programpad controllers, once that
sequence is peformed it can be repeated anytime at the push of one button.
Action sequences, variable slow-motion fucntions and independent
auto fire features for shoot'em ups appear ont eh LCD control panel.

    Similarly, the Power Plug from Tyco Toys allows you to program up to 20
complex moves and activate them siultaneously with the touch of one button.
List price for 16-bit machine controllers is about $40.





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