|
|
 Though 3Dfx is being (understandably) tight lipped about whatever the next product will be, they passed the advanced feature set word association game with flying grins. DirectX7 extensions, 32-bit color at full game speed, geometry transform and lighting on-chip are all strong possibilities. Texture compression looks to be a certainty and seeing as how so much of the 3D graphics world has adopted many of 3Dfx's ground breaking methods for things like multi-texturing, W buffering and some crafty fog algorithms, we're curious what they have to offer for the next go round. They also may be looking to shrink the die further to .18micron just to keep in step with the rest of the front line players (VideoLogic claims to already have an early Series3 part working on .18 micron).
- Continue to be a technology and performance leader.
- Own the enthusiast market.
- Be a multi-billion (with a 'B') dollar company.
- Release a variety of different kinds of products.
- Not be pigeon holed.
- To revive the 3Dfx competition memorial Voodoo Doll wall.
- To fly in the Cirrus Logic Helicopter (ok we made this last one up).
With more dollars available as a result of their entry into the board market, it will be easier to maintain the multiple R & D teams necessary to deliver a full range of accelerator products within the appropriate time frames. But 3Dfx has always stayed competitive where it counted, on the features that had useful implementation, not just the 'gee that's cool but you can't dance to it' flash. Is there anything else? Yes those peanuts were salty, just how we like them.
|
 |
|