DALLAS – From the movie-like graphics in the action game “Gears of War” to the nearly photorealistic racer “MotorStorm,” video games have come a long way since the bouncing blocks of “Pong.”
A new breed of visually striking games promises to light up computer screens with even sharper, more lifelike graphics than ever before. But unlike the popular “Gears of War” or “MotorStorm,” the games won’t be debuting on Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 3 or Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 consoles.
Instead, the PC is returning to the pinnacle of video game graphics – thanks to some under-the-hood tweaks in Microsoft’s Vista operating system.
The technology behind these improved visuals, called DirectX 10, is the result of a collaboration among game developers, graphics card makers and Microsoft. For years, they have been working to streamline and standardize the software used by Windows-based PCs to display graphics.
The latest improvements, many believe, far surpass even the very best of what the consoles are capable of. Case in point: the upcoming PC shooter “Crysis,” where players take the role of a battle-savvy soldier who has to uncover the secrets behind an asteroid that has smashed into Earth.
Beams of light glimmer through a jungle overgrown with swaying palm trees, and the thick underbrush gets more detailed with a closer look. Gaze into the distance and you can see aquamarine waves crashing on a white sand beach. Zoom in on a soldier to see an emotive face with stubble, freckles and other subtle individual details.
DX10 requires a specialized graphics card and there are only a few games today that take advantage of its capabilities.
Though relatively few consumers have yet to upgrade to Vista, dozens of game makers who have been using DX10 believe the benefits of the technology will quickly lure hardcore gamers willing to spend money on the best systems, whatever the cost.
Game players who frequent the Warezabouts LAN Center in Forney, Texas, often ask owner JJ Tarno about Vista and DX10, but most seem to be waiting for more compatible games to come out before they make the switch from Windows XP.
Tarno, 31, said he’s looking forward to games like “Crysis” and has been impressed with the video clips he’s already seen.
“If you want to play next-gen games you have to have a next-gen operating system,” he said. “A game like ‘Crysis’ comes out and you just say, ‘How much is that game?’ About $1,500 with new video card, RAM and processor.”
Many game developers are excited at the technology’s prospects.
“Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures,” due in October, will put players into a persistent online fantasy world of barbarians and mythical monsters.
“What we tried to achieve with the graphics is something that we called ‘magical realism,’” said Jorgen Tharaldsen, product director for Funcom, which is developing the game in Oslo, Norway. “With DX10 we can just add a lot more bells and whistles. We can start pushing graphics to the stage where it almost looks realistic.”
Bill Roper, whose Flagship Studios is developing the action adventure game “Hellgate: London,” said he wasn’t concerned that not everyone has Vista or a DX10-capable graphics card yet.
“As with every new technology, the hardcore lead the way and the masses catch up,” he said. “Not everyone that has an iPod or a DVD player went out and bought theirs on day one. As with previous operating system and hardware advances, the more products that support it and can show the tangible benefits of upgrading, the more widespread the adoption.”
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