something to read that some of you might be interested:
http://firingsquad.gamers.com/hardware/bitboys/default.asp
written by: Dave Barron...
http://firingsquad.gamers.com/hardware/bitboys/default.asp
written by: Dave Barron...
OY!
- Thread starter Nappe1
- Start date
A good read.
I was under the impression that the Bitboys were on the way out, but it seems they have a future still. Good news. I hope they do well in the mobile market and eventually return to the desktop market.
I think they are making a great move, the pda market will explode soon enough.
I was under the impression that the Bitboys were on the way out, but it seems they have a future still. Good news. I hope they do well in the mobile market and eventually return to the desktop market.
I think they are making a great move, the pda market will explode soon enough.
CeiserSöze
Newcomer
Kristof said:
I think so. When Bitboys launched their redesigned site NEC was listed there as a partner. They removed it shortly afterwards though.
edit: oops, wasn't fast enough
PC-Engine: well, it's overhyped uber chip/card for cellular phones and pda's. it consists Gigapixel, PixelFuzion and other long time ago lost companies secret tech.
and yes, if someone didn't catch, that was a joke. a very bad one.
and Onslaught: you weren't only one that was excited but obious reasons contacted me via PM and/or emails. Only rare ones had spirit to say aloud if they were hoping / waiting that Bitboys still makes it.
For example, in the old boards, guy called BenM (if I recal right...) was propably first one "to hear" sad news... He asked me about that How long he should wait or should he go to Radeon 8500... well, I answered that things have gotten a very bad turn and there's heavy clouds hoovering above Avalanche3D, but because I didn't have official confirmation to news that I had heard, I suggested that He would wait one more month. if nothing happened during that time, he should go whatever was the best bang for the buck right that moment. (I hope he has been a happy with his GF3Ti500 / Radeon 8500 card, or what ever he decided to buy.) within during next few days, I got confirmation reliable source that things were as bad as they looked. week after that, this leaked via many routes to publicity and it was time of explanations for me. "Why this happened again?" In most biggest finnish websites my reliability collapsed instantly. (especially when the news about Bitboys troubles leaked there somewhere else than from my mouth.) And after that I tried to once more be something else than I am, and burned once more my fingers with Parhelia. That was the last straw and then I have been very careful about what I say and where I say.
Here still should be some of my closest friends that know almost as much as I did. I really appreciate that they did keep all that as they own knowledge.
I still stand for my words: "they are so easy to bash, but very hard to stand behind their tech and keep supporting."
and what comes to NEC, well, acording to my knowledge, removing it from partners list didn't made any impact to real situation. I don't know was it BB or someone else wanting this, but it was removed very soon. Because of my real interests are in PC-market, I haven't paid much attention lately what they are doing right now, but future looks bright right now.
(of course I have to say that I was so hard doing everything I just could do to help them get Axe out. In a matter a fact, I can surely say that I haven't worked so hard ever before. not even in paid work. I practically used all my freetime to get more information about everything that could be useful for them and I had contacts to the Bitboys on very high level on daily basis. But sometimes things just go wrong and disapointment in these cases are huge. Something tells that when the reliable confirmation of Axe's destiny came, I picked up SID player and played Spy vs. Spy intro tune over a 5 hours straight in a loop without getting bored to it. Everyone that has once heard Mike Riedel's Intro for this game on original C64, knows that it's a far from Happy song.)
btw, Bitboys webpages had a article about thier own HSR implementation, but it was removed and replaced with an document talking about MatrixAA. Maybe someone catched it from browser cache (I know few persons that at least got it partially saved.) but otherwise I think it will take quite long before wee see it again, if ever.
if Matrox situation is really as bad as some ppl are claiming, (my find of yesterday isn't encouraging at all http://rp-design.totalnfs.net/omat/matrox_plans.gif) that will most likely cause me to fade away. Everything that I have been seeing a worth of supporting is gone if Matrox pulls plug of 3D cards too. It seems to be my destiny that when I at last get money for new graphics card, there isn't card for me available. (or maybe I just get my criters too high.) Most likely I am going buy parhelia. some of you already why, but to rest I can say it's not the because I have been banging it and it failed on launch. (so that I would not lose my face.)
greets and big thanks to guys that have been (or still are) part of _THAT_ one and only secret society. You know who you are!
and yes, if someone didn't catch, that was a joke. a very bad one.
and Onslaught: you weren't only one that was excited but obious reasons contacted me via PM and/or emails. Only rare ones had spirit to say aloud if they were hoping / waiting that Bitboys still makes it.
For example, in the old boards, guy called BenM (if I recal right...) was propably first one "to hear" sad news... He asked me about that How long he should wait or should he go to Radeon 8500... well, I answered that things have gotten a very bad turn and there's heavy clouds hoovering above Avalanche3D, but because I didn't have official confirmation to news that I had heard, I suggested that He would wait one more month. if nothing happened during that time, he should go whatever was the best bang for the buck right that moment. (I hope he has been a happy with his GF3Ti500 / Radeon 8500 card, or what ever he decided to buy.) within during next few days, I got confirmation reliable source that things were as bad as they looked. week after that, this leaked via many routes to publicity and it was time of explanations for me. "Why this happened again?" In most biggest finnish websites my reliability collapsed instantly. (especially when the news about Bitboys troubles leaked there somewhere else than from my mouth.) And after that I tried to once more be something else than I am, and burned once more my fingers with Parhelia. That was the last straw and then I have been very careful about what I say and where I say.
Here still should be some of my closest friends that know almost as much as I did. I really appreciate that they did keep all that as they own knowledge.
I still stand for my words: "they are so easy to bash, but very hard to stand behind their tech and keep supporting."
and what comes to NEC, well, acording to my knowledge, removing it from partners list didn't made any impact to real situation. I don't know was it BB or someone else wanting this, but it was removed very soon. Because of my real interests are in PC-market, I haven't paid much attention lately what they are doing right now, but future looks bright right now.
(of course I have to say that I was so hard doing everything I just could do to help them get Axe out. In a matter a fact, I can surely say that I haven't worked so hard ever before. not even in paid work. I practically used all my freetime to get more information about everything that could be useful for them and I had contacts to the Bitboys on very high level on daily basis. But sometimes things just go wrong and disapointment in these cases are huge. Something tells that when the reliable confirmation of Axe's destiny came, I picked up SID player and played Spy vs. Spy intro tune over a 5 hours straight in a loop without getting bored to it. Everyone that has once heard Mike Riedel's Intro for this game on original C64, knows that it's a far from Happy song.)
btw, Bitboys webpages had a article about thier own HSR implementation, but it was removed and replaced with an document talking about MatrixAA. Maybe someone catched it from browser cache (I know few persons that at least got it partially saved.) but otherwise I think it will take quite long before wee see it again, if ever.
if Matrox situation is really as bad as some ppl are claiming, (my find of yesterday isn't encouraging at all http://rp-design.totalnfs.net/omat/matrox_plans.gif) that will most likely cause me to fade away. Everything that I have been seeing a worth of supporting is gone if Matrox pulls plug of 3D cards too. It seems to be my destiny that when I at last get money for new graphics card, there isn't card for me available. (or maybe I just get my criters too high.) Most likely I am going buy parhelia. some of you already why, but to rest I can say it's not the because I have been banging it and it failed on launch. (so that I would not lose my face.)
greets and big thanks to guys that have been (or still are) part of _THAT_ one and only secret society. You know who you are!
I have to do this, though I hate showing that I have been right on my previous comments (things that is done, should be so obious and self explanatory that you never would need to explain any of your comments afterwards...)
On the Firing squad side add bars there is "quickfacts" about bitboys:
and as an end quote I never should have read those comments on FiringSquad boards... ...Those makes me, just plain sad. "things are wrong and you can do nothing about it. Even if you would like to."
and without lying I have to admit that my thoughts against some posters there aren't something you could put on family movie... but that's partially because I need some sleep.
On the Firing squad side add bars there is "quickfacts" about bitboys:
and as an end quote I never should have read those comments on FiringSquad boards... ...Those makes me, just plain sad. "things are wrong and you can do nothing about it. Even if you would like to."
and without lying I have to admit that my thoughts against some posters there aren't something you could put on family movie... but that's partially because I need some sleep.
Even moreso after reading that article, I truly feel that BitBoys' primary problem has always been that they were chasing a ghost. They've always wanted to put out a product to blow everything else out of the water.
They should have, instead, just focused on putting out a product that can make some money. Actually making a product at all is better than not releasing one because you can't make the best one.
For example, after the original setback with that 50MPix/sec chip, they should have focused, instead of with Glaze3D, on just finding another partner. They may not have sold many, and they certainly couldn't sell it as a high-end part, but they'd be in a far better position today.
In the end, I think the BitBoys are a bunch of dreamers who need to learn some of the realities of the real world before they will get anywhere. Who knows? Maybe with this move to the mobile market they've finally learned. I guess we'll find out in 2003...though I'm not confident that they'll succeed this time, having no successes in the past.
They should have, instead, just focused on putting out a product that can make some money. Actually making a product at all is better than not releasing one because you can't make the best one.
For example, after the original setback with that 50MPix/sec chip, they should have focused, instead of with Glaze3D, on just finding another partner. They may not have sold many, and they certainly couldn't sell it as a high-end part, but they'd be in a far better position today.
In the end, I think the BitBoys are a bunch of dreamers who need to learn some of the realities of the real world before they will get anywhere. Who knows? Maybe with this move to the mobile market they've finally learned. I guess we'll find out in 2003...though I'm not confident that they'll succeed this time, having no successes in the past.
This got me thinking. This new mobile chip is 3D capable and low power with embedded memory and will be used in cellphones and PDAs. Is there a possibility that a new portable game system will be realized with this chip next year? I mean is there any real use for 3D graphics in a portable device other than gaming? Also why did HudsonSoft license Mosys's 1T-SRAM technology and stated that a product announcement using that technology will follow later? Is Nintendo going to use this portable as a foundation for it's GBA 2? 
I'm crossing my fingers 8)
I'm crossing my fingers 8)
Ailuros said:
I think the market is there, but the companies that make phones and PDAs for markets outside of Japan don't have the software infrastructure yet. I think the Japanese market is ready for this kind of device though if it's cheap enough. Pocket PCs are getting real cheap nowadays too. I think next year is the perfect timeframe for Pocket PCs to have integrated 3D graphics as long as the software is there. M$ is probably going to be pushing it along too. I predict that by the end of next year, you'll be able to buy a Pocket PC for around $250 with builtin 3D graphics from at least one manufacturer of Pocket PCs.
I think the FS article is way too positive on BitBoys. The way it is written, it seems as if the BitBoys were unfortunate, blameless victims of fickle market forces, and it is only by sheer bad luck that they never rose to market dominance. I don't think any of the readers are naeive enough to believe that - just look at the comment section ripping on Bitboys. Those bitboys haters would be a lot more inclined to believe the article if it weren't so one sidedly positive.
From early on in the game with Glaze3D's "XBA", BitBoys claimed that they were making a quantum leap in technology, and that their upcoming videocard would blow everything else out of the water. This is a terribly stupid thing to do for an upstart company - if you find that you are unable to blow your much-better-funded competitors out of the water, you are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
The FiringSquad article said it itself - BitBoys struggled with limited development resources. With limited manpower, equipment, and experience, how could they expect to create something that would trounce every other videocard on the market?
Bitboys was killed by their own XBA hype. They were easy to bash for a reason. After 9 years of trying to make a videocard, they never even publically demoed a working videocard. And although securing a contract for mobile device videocards is a great victory for BitBoys' survival, it does nothing to help its image as a laughingstock among PC graphics enthusiasts - we will not see an XBA chip trouncing NV35s and R400s anytime soon.
From early on in the game with Glaze3D's "XBA", BitBoys claimed that they were making a quantum leap in technology, and that their upcoming videocard would blow everything else out of the water. This is a terribly stupid thing to do for an upstart company - if you find that you are unable to blow your much-better-funded competitors out of the water, you are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
The FiringSquad article said it itself - BitBoys struggled with limited development resources. With limited manpower, equipment, and experience, how could they expect to create something that would trounce every other videocard on the market?
Bitboys was killed by their own XBA hype. They were easy to bash for a reason. After 9 years of trying to make a videocard, they never even publically demoed a working videocard. And although securing a contract for mobile device videocards is a great victory for BitBoys' survival, it does nothing to help its image as a laughingstock among PC graphics enthusiasts - we will not see an XBA chip trouncing NV35s and R400s anytime soon.