14 Sep
2001
14 Sep
'01
12:58 a.m.
What really puts me off emulators is that they're
so awfully lame. How can
an
emulator be lame? Well, it's not as much the
emulators as the crowd
surrounding them. They're usually Win#? kids who know nothing about old
computers, really don't care, and just want games, games, games, all for
free.
Apples and oranges, Iggy. That's a totally different emulator world
than the one I'm talking about. In the world I'm talking about, I
don't think anyone creating emulators is under 40 years of age
(well, Daniel Seagraves is under 40, I think).
However, MAME32 which I assume is one of the game emulators to
which you're referring, is well-constructed. And since the mainframe
that I'm working to emulate had a vector graphics display as its
system console, rather than reinvent the wheel, I intend on using
the MAME32 codebase to build the CDC 6602/6612 display console
emulator.
This is a serious project that will be able to run all the
operating systems and product set software that the real iron
was running in 1976.
Eventually, it will even have emulated card readers and punches;
a web page will provide the user the ability to create what appear
to be perfect IBM unit-records (punch cards), in the form of an
image, then the punched card will go into a visually-represented
deck. Then, you'll be able to grab the deck with the mouse, with
the pointer changing into a hand, as you drop the deck into the
image of a card reader. The job will then be read by the emulated
mainframe, and processed until completion.
Simulated lineprinters will be constructed using captured images
of the actual "fonts" used by the printer (chain, band, etc). I
may even include an option for greenbar paper.
But ultimately, my underlying motivation is the same as the
"game-kiddi3s" to which you refer: they can't afford the real
thing, and neither can I. If I owned the mainframe of my
choice, running it for a single week could consume my entire
year's salary.
Now, I don't want to dissuade you from your opinion. But I
think perhaps you hadn't thought about emulators in the
broader context to which I'm referring...
Regards,
-dq
14 Sep
14 Sep
2:12 a.m.
Douglas Quebbeman wrote:
Why did you put this limit on 40 ?
;-)
Most people I know working on emulations are just few years around the
40 ...
cheers
What really puts me off emulators is that
they're so awfully lame. How can
an
emulator be lame? Well, it's not as much the
emulators as the crowd
surrounding them. They're usually Win#? kids who know nothing about old
computers, really don't care, and just want games, games, games, all for
free.
Apples and oranges, Iggy. That's a totally different emulator world
than the one I'm talking about. In the world I'm talking about, I
don't think anyone creating emulators is under 40 years of age
(well, Daniel Seagraves is under 40, I think). 
3:03 a.m.
What really puts me off emulators is that they're
so awfully lame. How
can an emulator be lame? Well, it's not as much the emulators as the
crowd surrounding them. They're usually Win#? kids who know nothing
about old computers, really don't care, and just want games, games,
games, all for free.
Many kids (and adults alike) run emulators (e.g. a Super NES (older 16-bit
game console) emulator) to play games because the emu offer more
capability than the games' original platform. For instance, in some RPGs,
you can only save your progress within the game at certain times, which
can be few and far between. With an emulator, you can suspend the virtual
machine at any time you like and save memory contents and execution
context(s). Later, you can resume exactly where you left off.
Emulators also offer more portability than the real thing. A laptop with
emulators for NES, SNES, NeoGeo, Genesis, etc. can go in much smaller
places than the corresponding collection of the real hardware.
Most of the people who run these emulators are somewhat classic-aware and
are doing it for nostalgia. You have to remember that games have advanced
quite a bit since those days. Today's "Win#? kids who [...] really don't
care, and just want games, games, games, all for free", with their 1GHz
computers and ultra-fast 64MB-equipped 3D accelerators, expect much more
graphically from a game. To them, older games are bland and boring and
wouldn't be worth the time to run in an emulator.
--
Jeffrey S. Sharp
jss(a)subatomix.com
5:08 a.m.
Many kids (and adults alike) run emulators (e.g. a
Super NES (older 16-bit
game console) emulator) to play games because the emu offer more
capability than the games' original platform. For instance, in some RPGs,
you can only save your progress within the game at certain times, which
can be few and far between. With an emulator, you can suspend the virtual
machine at any time you like and save memory contents and execution
context(s). Later, you can resume exactly where you left off.
Emulators also offer more portability than the real thing. A laptop with
emulators for NES, SNES, NeoGeo, Genesis, etc. can go in much smaller
places than the corresponding collection of the real hardware.
Most of the people who run these emulators are somewhat classic-aware and
are doing it for nostalgia. You have to remember that games have advanced
quite a bit since those days. Today's "Win#? kids who [...] really don't
care, and just want games, games, games, all for free", with their 1GHz
computers and ultra-fast 64MB-equipped 3D accelerators, expect much more
graphically from a game. To them, older games are bland and boring and
wouldn't be worth the time to run in an emulator.
I was going to disagree with Iggy on this last night, but you just hit
home. Where the problem lies is when people are writing emulators for
platforms that people are currently developing for. It's a two edge sword.
I'll admit I first played Neo Geo games on MAME, but my wife and I now own
a 4-Slot cabinet, a bunch of games, and the handheld. Plus we're looking
into eventually getting the home cart system and a Neo Geo CDZ. As someone
that owns the actual hardware I'd like to see new games come out, and in
spite of the fact that the platform is over ten years old SNK is still
developing new games. Emulation hurts the commercial viability of the
platform.
Zane
--
| Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Administrator |
| healyzh(a)aracnet.com (primary) | OpenVMS Enthusiast |
| | Classic Computer Collector |
+----------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, |
| and Zane's Computer Museum. |
| http://www.aracnet.com/~healyzh/ |
1:31 p.m.
Jeffrey S. Sharp skrev:
> What really puts me off emulators is that
they're so awfully lame. How
> can an emulator be lame? Well, it's not as much the emulators as the
> crowd surrounding them. They're usually Win#? kids who know nothing
> about old computers, really don't care, and just want games, games,
> games, all for free.
Many kids (and adults alike) run emulators (e.g. a
Super NES (older 16-bit
game console) emulator) to play games because the emu offer more
capability than the games' original platform. For instance, in some RPGs,
you can only save your progress within the game at certain times, which
can be few and far between. With an emulator, you can suspend the virtual
machine at any time you like and save memory contents and execution
context(s). Later, you can resume exactly where you left off.
I regard that as cheating. =)
Emulators also offer more portability than the real
thing. A laptop with
emulators for NES, SNES, NeoGeo, Genesis, etc. can go in much smaller
places than the corresponding collection of the real hardware.
Tough luck, I say. Get a Game Boy.
Most of the people who run these emulators are somewhat
classic-aware and
are doing it for nostalgia. You have to remember that games have advanced
quite a bit since those days. Today's "Win#? kids who [...] really don't
care, and just want games, games, games, all for free", with their 1GHz
computers and ultra-fast 64MB-equipped 3D accelerators, expect much more
graphically from a game. To them, older games are bland and boring and
wouldn't be worth the time to run in an emulator.
I think you're wrong here. I encounter this kind of kid a lot due to the game
network sharing spaces with SUGA. Granted, they run a lot of fancy 3D games,
and use a tone of disguest when speaking about graphics cards which have more
VRAM than my previous computers had main RAM. But along with all the Quakes
and Warcrafts, there are directories named "ROMz", with a lot of 8- and 16-bit
games. They think they're fun, and why not? These games offer experiences
which aren't available in today's games.
Then there is the great retro trend as well, but I don't like it one bit. It's
like any sub-culture which is invaded by media-aware, trendy people with no
real regard for the core of the current fad, aside from the coolness factor.
Of course, when I'm stuck with a PC, the one thing I use it for is running
emulators. I don't care for PCs one bit, but at least I can play Super Robot
War then. =)
--
En ligne avec Thor 2.6a.
Menyn ?r inte lika sexig som telnet, det ?r h?rt men sant.
Petri Oksanen #38 p? SUGA BBS
8501
days inactive
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4 comments
5 participants
participants (5)
-
dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com -
emu＠ecubics.com -
healyzh＠aracnet.com -
jss＠subatomix.com -
optimus＠canit.se