Gaming on old systems (was Re: Twiggys [was: Re: ka... ching!])

[ethan at 757.org]

> It's not bad. I have it on an Indy, which is where I played it originally
> (wasting time at the Salk Institute as an undergrad -- we used the SGIs for
> visualization of X-ray crystallography). There is also a decent SGI port of
> Quake.

When I worked at NASA they had a copy of Cave Quake. It could run on SGI 
Onyx2 (16 processor full rack with 4 graphics outputs.) The graphics 
outputs hit fiber converters that fed the video downstairs to 4 fiber 
receivers, then into 4 Electrohome CRT projectors. Left front and right 
walls were rear projected, 4th projector was overhead hitting bounce 
mirror then floor. It was running 120hz I believe, 60hz per eye with IR 
xmitters for crystal eyes LCD shutter glasses. The CRT projectors were 
special with fast phosphor CRTs.

  There was some sorta spatial tracked controller as well -- it was 
tethered by cable as I recall. It was kind of neat but the game showed 
weakness since you could look to the right and see the monsters walking 
towards you but caught on the edge of the wall -- had to advance a bit 
then they would come for you. I remember it was strange seeing the medical 
kit clipping through my leg.



--
Ethan O'Toole