Linked by Eugenia Loli-Queru on Thu 12th Jul 2007 19:46 UTC, submitted by netpython
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steverez1:
If I was a game developer and had my choice between OpenGL and Direct X (At least now) I would go with Direct X just for the fact that my game that I developed would be published on Windows and Xbox360 with virtualy no extra effort of porting.
That is a common argument that is made, but it is also incorrect. The difference between OpenGL and DirectX is the different between logical AND and OR.
With OpenGL you are developing for Linux,PS3, MacOSX *AND* Windows (and possibly Xbox). Using OpenGL doesn't exclude you from Windows in the slightest, although admittedly you have to use other libraries such as OpenAL for game-related things that are in DirectX but not in OpenGL.
With DirectX it is Windows only (and you are pretty much limited to games only, since DirectX lacks some of the CAD-friendly things such as picking). Using DirectX excludes you from anything except Windows.
The difference is between choosing 100% percent of the market or 90% percent of the market when you develop.
Why not use SDL*. It is truely cross platform in graphics multimedia and works with both DirectX (under Windows) and OpenGl (Under Linux, BSD, Solaris, OS-X). It is also F/OSS under the LGPL which allows its use in proprietary/closed source software.
(SDL == Simple Direct Media Layer)
SDL is like (parts of) DirectX; you still need to use Direct3D or OpenGL for doing 3D with it.
SDL + OpenGL + OpenAL (if only it didn't suck) would result in an easy-to-port application. SDL exists for a ridiculous number of platforms... Windows, OS X, Linux, *BSD, etc. and consoles like the DS.
It's a great set of libraries, but it's not a magic bullet.
- chrish
If I was a game developer and had my choice between OpenGL and Direct X (At least now) I would go with Direct X just for the fact that my game that I developed would be published on Windows and Xbox360 with virtualy no extra effort of porting.
Specifically, DirectX 9. DX10 does not, and will not run on the Xbox 360 (as I understand it). If this really is the case, any developer supporting DX10 would have to be insane, as this only gives you the Vista market, which is already covered by both DX9 and OpenGL.






Member since:
2006-12-06
A thought on your your seperate question. If I was a game developer and had my choice between OpenGL and Direct X (At least now) I would go with Direct X just for the fact that my game that I developed would be published on Windows and Xbox360 with virtualy no extra effort of porting. Both of those two platforms have a very large user base. then after if I knew my product did well in those two markets I would port to Mac,Linux and or the other game systems.