Thursday, Jul 24, 2008
Or at least wishes so. Truth is, the CPU/GPU/chipset manufacturer (who by the way has just fired its CEO, the one under whose command the company has been invariably going down) has just come up with a brand new and absolutely promising PC logo program (full news here: http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=3312).
In general terms, what AMD is doing is trying to create a new logo, aiming to achieve the Centrino logo popularity, that guarantees that any PC bearing the logo offers solid performance when running the most demanding PC games. This logo program comes in two flavors: AMD Game! and AMD Game! Ultra. AMD Game! guarantees minimum framerates of 30 fps on 1280x1024 resolutions, while AMD Game! Ultra certifies machines capable of sustaining 30 fps frame rates running at 1600x1200 resolutions. The titles AMD tested include Quake Wars, Half Life 2 Episode Two, World of Warcraft, Call of Duty 4 and Command & Conquer 3. Needless to say, hardware specs (which encompass minimum CPU, GPU, chipset and installed memory requisites) are quite steep -you won't be able to find qualifying machines in some of Spain's biggest online PC retailers.
Even before seeing how actually effective this program turns out to be, I'd say PC gaming was desperately begging for such a program. In fact, Microsoft has done the same at a software level, with Games for Windows: to create a recognisable brand that states a given title meets some requirements and includes certain features that guarantee the game will work fine on Windows PCs. Besides, GFW offers GFW Live! -with its multiplayer features being free now. Microsoft will doubly benefit from AMD Game!, since GFW Live! and xBox Live! are compatible. There's even a slowly growing list of titles that offer multiplayer compatibility on both platforms over GFW Live! and xBox Live. More PC Gamers equal more GFW Live users, which in turn mean more people on xBox Live! With social gaming becoming more predominant, this can only mean good news for Microsoft.
The coupling of AMD Game! with Games for Windows may at last enable non-tech-savvy users to choose Windows PCs as their gaming platform of choice with absolute confidence. Anyone can now walk to the store, get a AMD Game! certified PC, and buy any given Games for Windows title knowing it will perform just as fine as any game bearing the PS3, Xbox 360 or Wii logo does in their respective systems. Games for Windows certifies easy installation, hardware compatibility (there are more and more hardware devices with the Games for Windows logo each day), and with Games for Windows Live! free services users will enjoy the same achievements and social stuff xBox Live! users have come to love.
Not all is fun and games. There are some questions that will need answers, like what will happen to this logo program and next year state-of-the-art games. Still, AMD Game! sounds like a new milestone in electronic entertainment, and a much needed move in the PC gaming world.
In general terms, what AMD is doing is trying to create a new logo, aiming to achieve the Centrino logo popularity, that guarantees that any PC bearing the logo offers solid performance when running the most demanding PC games. This logo program comes in two flavors: AMD Game! and AMD Game! Ultra. AMD Game! guarantees minimum framerates of 30 fps on 1280x1024 resolutions, while AMD Game! Ultra certifies machines capable of sustaining 30 fps frame rates running at 1600x1200 resolutions. The titles AMD tested include Quake Wars, Half Life 2 Episode Two, World of Warcraft, Call of Duty 4 and Command & Conquer 3. Needless to say, hardware specs (which encompass minimum CPU, GPU, chipset and installed memory requisites) are quite steep -you won't be able to find qualifying machines in some of Spain's biggest online PC retailers.
Even before seeing how actually effective this program turns out to be, I'd say PC gaming was desperately begging for such a program. In fact, Microsoft has done the same at a software level, with Games for Windows: to create a recognisable brand that states a given title meets some requirements and includes certain features that guarantee the game will work fine on Windows PCs. Besides, GFW offers GFW Live! -with its multiplayer features being free now. Microsoft will doubly benefit from AMD Game!, since GFW Live! and xBox Live! are compatible. There's even a slowly growing list of titles that offer multiplayer compatibility on both platforms over GFW Live! and xBox Live. More PC Gamers equal more GFW Live users, which in turn mean more people on xBox Live! With social gaming becoming more predominant, this can only mean good news for Microsoft.
The coupling of AMD Game! with Games for Windows may at last enable non-tech-savvy users to choose Windows PCs as their gaming platform of choice with absolute confidence. Anyone can now walk to the store, get a AMD Game! certified PC, and buy any given Games for Windows title knowing it will perform just as fine as any game bearing the PS3, Xbox 360 or Wii logo does in their respective systems. Games for Windows certifies easy installation, hardware compatibility (there are more and more hardware devices with the Games for Windows logo each day), and with Games for Windows Live! free services users will enjoy the same achievements and social stuff xBox Live! users have come to love.
Not all is fun and games. There are some questions that will need answers, like what will happen to this logo program and next year state-of-the-art games. Still, AMD Game! sounds like a new milestone in electronic entertainment, and a much needed move in the PC gaming world.
