***3Dfx Looks Forward
by John Latta
Today 3Dfx is at the head of the performance pack. Going against
conventional logic that says 3D technology can only succeed if it
incorporates the best current 2D acceleration, 3Dfx has carved out a
section of the market largely on its own. Even as a stand-alone
capability it dominated E3 and that positioning was kept at SIGGRAPH. An
example of how their Voodoo technology is being used was San Francisco
Rush by Atari Games. Tucked away in the back of the Digital Bayou,
players were continually lined up for the arcade game driving experience.
How does 3Dfx intend on retaining its current role in the market? To
reach mass markets it will use its relationship with Alliance - watch for
an announcement in October for details. To retain its position at the
high end of the market 3Dfx will use as a reference SGI system
performance. It believes that today it brings SGI RE2 level performance
to the PC at the sub $300 price point. The next challenge is to
accomplish that same parity with SGI's Infinite Reality. Watch for the
release of this next generation 3D acceleration approximately a year from
now.
Wave Issue 9605 8/12/96 Article 2-01