Re: When will amd64 be allowed in sid?
Michael Neuffer wrote:
Quoting Adam Majer (adamm@galacticasoftware.com):
Furthermore, there will be 32-bit and 64-bit Windows. Games will already
have to run in 32-bit and 64-bit modes. For performance reasons, they
will have to have pure 64-bit ports.
When ? How fast will they do that ? Leaving those hundereds of milions
of users with Win95/98/ME Win2k/XP behind ? I don't think it will
happen that quickly.
As soon as Windows 64-bit is released.
Remember that gamers will want their 64-bit games almost immediately
after they have a 64-bit production environment. Development houses
probably have ported most of some future games already. Microsoft was
preaching that programs need to be 64-bit safe a long time ago - a lot
of types in WINAPI were changed way back, I think that happened for
Win95 release. They changed their API so they can redefine things for a
64-bit environment, recompile and run.
Anyway, games are going to be one of the first software to run on
64-bit. Of course, they will also run in 32-bit. It is not that
difficult to have multi-arch programs - just look at Debian :) A gamer
will demand 64-bit software (since it runs faster than 32-bit software)
and whoever gets there first, might just cash in more than someone that
stayed in pure 32-bit world.
But the main reason why there are few games, is that most development
houses are bean counters (EA games is a prime example, iD is not :).
Linux doesn't make them money, so they ignore it. If Linux had 99% of
desktop market, no one would make games for Windows and Direct3D would
be dead.
This is the classical chicken and egg problem, I know.
What we are doing however is to either smash the egg or
shoot the chicken if you want.
I think we make it harder for the beancounters then we have to.
You are saying if the 32-bit port will disappear!
Anyway, every a few months there is a discussion whether to have a pure
P4 port, or a pure K7 port, or whatever. With a Amd64 port, we can at
least end that discussion since K7 or P4 can now be considered legacy.
- Adam
--
Building your applications one byte at a time
http://www.galacticasoftware.com
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