Results of Half-Life 2 Hardware Survey
by Wysardry · in General Discussion · 09/23/2004 (1:12 pm) · 29 replies
Valve have released the results of their Half-Life 2 Hardware Survey if anyone is interested.
Fairly obviously, the results are skewed by the fact that the majority of those who took part play Half-Life 2 or similar Valve software, but there are very few completely independent surveys.
If nothing else, it should be helpful to those creating (or thinking of creating) an FPS.
Fairly obviously, the results are skewed by the fact that the majority of those who took part play Half-Life 2 or similar Valve software, but there are very few completely independent surveys.
If nothing else, it should be helpful to those creating (or thinking of creating) an FPS.
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#2
Please tell me I'm wrong. I'd love to run HL2 on my Linux box and would be just as happy if the mac heads could play too. From what I've seen it looks very cool.
09/23/2004 (2:26 pm)
Interesting - most people use OpenGL and yet they only ask what version of Windows people are using. Proof is out: OpenGL is big - it is safe to develop games which work on multiple platforms!. That's my one big complaint with Valve - they are just about the only major engine developer which doesn't give a thing to the non-MS crowd. I understand the economics of investing your primary efforts for the primary market but if it doesn't cost you anything to throw something to the little guy (and in fact there is some profit in it) it's just plain venomous not to do so.Please tell me I'm wrong. I'd love to run HL2 on my Linux box and would be just as happy if the mac heads could play too. From what I've seen it looks very cool.
#3
The hardware info is interesting either way.
09/23/2004 (2:53 pm)
It does mean less competition for indie developers on other platforms though. ;)The hardware info is interesting either way.
#4
The only one I'm surprised by is screen resolution. There's as many people in 640x480 and 800x600 combined as there are people in 1024x768. I would have thought those smaller screen sizes were dying off (especially 640x480!) but I guess not. Definitely a consideration when designing GUI/HUD elements...
09/23/2004 (3:18 pm)
Wow, great read; 420k samples, that's a good sample size for accurate info of what's out there!The only one I'm surprised by is screen resolution. There's as many people in 640x480 and 800x600 combined as there are people in 1024x768. I would have thought those smaller screen sizes were dying off (especially 640x480!) but I guess not. Definitely a consideration when designing GUI/HUD elements...
#5
09/23/2004 (6:52 pm)
Nice, to me Valve is a shady company that I dont trust to much. But hey, its their choice as to what platform they want to develope for.
#6
09/23/2004 (7:31 pm)
Man, I really need to trade in my rusty ol' dinosaur for a new, flashier model.
#7
I currently have a athlon 1200 64mb GF3. And I'm starting to think a Geforce 2 and 1Ghz system might not be a bad base system to target. Currently both or games run fine on a Pentium 2 400 with a Geforce 2, all the detail on. Starting to think this may be a little low for a base system, for a 3D game at least.
09/24/2004 (9:38 am)
Heh almost no games run at a res higher than 800x600 fair detail on my system these days to the point that I find myself playing Xbox games more and more. Wonder how realistic these specs are for an Indid to consider.I currently have a athlon 1200 64mb GF3. And I'm starting to think a Geforce 2 and 1Ghz system might not be a bad base system to target. Currently both or games run fine on a Pentium 2 400 with a Geforce 2, all the detail on. Starting to think this may be a little low for a base system, for a 3D game at least.
#8
But, still, that doesn't mean 640x480 and 800x600 is obsolete. Especially if you want just that much more of a framerate.
-Jase
09/24/2004 (10:23 am)
A lot of games run higher than 800x600. The only game I don't play on 1024x768 is Halo. I have an AMD Duron 1ghz, with a GeForce 4 mx 420 and I am quite pleased with the results I get running the majority of the games I play at 1024x768.But, still, that doesn't mean 640x480 and 800x600 is obsolete. Especially if you want just that much more of a framerate.
-Jase
#9
09/24/2004 (10:32 am)
@Jase: What games do you play? My 3.4 ghz Pentium IIII with GF4 Ti4800 128mb can't run shit past 1024x768.
#10
But I'm wondering how the get this result:
Other Settings:
RDTSC 466,475 100.00 %
But:
Unique Samples: 466,456
There must have happend a mistake.
09/24/2004 (12:59 pm)
I play CS in 640x480 because of the framerate->better aim.But I'm wondering how the get this result:
Other Settings:
RDTSC 466,475 100.00 %
But:
Unique Samples: 466,456
There must have happend a mistake.
#11
Cool stuff though.
09/25/2004 (9:56 am)
I think I should point out that they reported ME as playing at 640x480, even though I normally play at 1024x768. I noticed it in the info that they generated about my computer, but couldnt find a way to change it. I havent played CS or Day Of Defeat in a few weeks, so perhaps they reset my settigns in a recent patch or something, or maybe they are incorrectly getting the settings. Either way, there is some room for error in that screen resolution measurement.Cool stuff though.
#12
sheesh...
10/01/2004 (6:16 am)
What i found surprising was that more people are on 16bit color than 32....sheesh...
#13
10/01/2004 (7:05 am)
Just goes to show how little we as a whole understand our target audience. Which IMHO is a serious flaw that all of us indie developers have because we are in essense "hardcore" gamers who try to push the most and listen to our "hardcore" gamer friends who do the same. We need to spend more time understanding our target market(s) though information such as this survey.
#15
Besides, I don't mind the ads at all. They just sit there and do nothing, it's not like they're pop-ups or anything, and they don't show during the game. The ads aren't really ads either, it just tells you what content server you're downloading from, and each content server can put up their own ads.
10/02/2004 (1:53 am)
Thomas, how is that related to this topic?Besides, I don't mind the ads at all. They just sit there and do nothing, it's not like they're pop-ups or anything, and they don't show during the game. The ads aren't really ads either, it just tells you what content server you're downloading from, and each content server can put up their own ads.
#18
Hmmm....
And there are peopl out there still running 320?! o_0
10/02/2004 (7:59 am)
I'm surprised to see how low most players run their resolution - I run omst games in 1024 x 768 or 1280 x 1024 depending on how much of a hit a articular title makes to the gpu.Hmmm....
And there are peopl out there still running 320?! o_0
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