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Could this even be possible? Well, that’s what Cody Brocious’ ALKY PROJECT would have us believe. According to Cody, who’s a “19 year old software reverse-engineer” in San Diego, California, it could soon be possible to play all your DirectX 10 games without necessarily having to upgrade to Microsoft’s shiny new OS, Windows Vista.
Considering how the DirectX 10 API is exclusive to the new OS, Microsoft has explicitly said that if you want to play a DX10 game in all it’s graphic richness, you’d need to get yourself a nice big DX10 card and then fork over the dough to get yourself onto the Vista bandwagon. Unfortunately, Vista isn’t all that it was touted to be. Even though there are lots of newsitems flying around the web about how Microsoft is retiring Windows XP sometime late next year, a lot of us haven’t really seen the benefits of jumping from a stable gaming platform to one that is yet to prove itself indispensable, especially considering how the 64-bit version of the OS causes more problems than it fixes, which sucks especially if you’ve forked over hard earned money for a spanking new quad-core 64-bit QX6700/8800 GTX SLi/Windows Vista Ultimate x64 rig to take advantage of the OS’ 64-bit/multiprocessing improvements.
If what Cody and his team claim are true and they really can do all that they claim, then it would mean we would at least have a small degree of backward compatibility with previous OSes, and while non-Vista users certainly wouldn’t enjoy all the gorgeous eyecandy on their “derelict” systems, they’d at least be able to at least play the game at medium-high settings, instead of watching a “Your Operating System version is incompatible with this game” message. While Cody’s already showing off a preview on his blog about how the reverse-engineered APIs are used to play the Microsoft DX10 tech-demos on a Windows XP SP2 PC, we wonder how long it is before Microsoft shuts him down completely, since they’ve probably got a thousand lines of legal mumbo-jumbo preventing just this kind of stuff. One thing’s for sure, this would never see the light of day on a commercial basis – the Redmond Goliath will see to that.
Update: We’ve had quite a few people ask us whether they will be able to run DX10/Vista only games on their Windows XP PCs, but please remember:
a) We have no clue if or when this program will actually work and are NOT affiliated with Cody or anything that he does. If you have any questions, please visit Cody’s blog / website / forum and ask him about it directly.
b) Most DX10 games, including Crysis, whose screenshot was included just because it’s the poster child of DX10 gaming, will automatically run on the D3D9 pathway on non-Vista systems, whether your PC has a DX9 or a DX10 card.
c) Even if the software still works on your PC, to enable all the DX10 eye candy, you WILL need a fully DirectX10 compliant video card, either the GeForce 8 series cards or the ATI X2K cards.
d) Microsoft most probably won’t let this last long on the Internet, or allow development on it to continue, considering reverse-engineering any Microsoft licensed software is illegal. We’d be highly surprised if they haven’t already sent a cease-and-desist letter to Cody.
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Sunday, April 22nd, 2007 12:06 pm GMT +5.5 at 12:06 pm
Reverse engineering is not necessary. MS will release DX10 will release a version of DX10 for XP sooner or later. The Vista requirement is just a temporary ploy to boost sales.
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007 12:40 pm GMT +5.5 at 12:40 pm
White text on a black background is making me dizzy.
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007 12:53 pm GMT +5.5 at 12:53 pm
What are you talking about? Since when is reverse engineering illegal?
“In the United States and many other countries, even if an artifact or process is protected by trade secrets, reverse-engineering the artifact or process is often lawful as long as it is obtained legitimately.”( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_engineering )
Really, if reverse engineering was illegal then Microsoft would have long since sued WINE into the ground: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_(software)
Now, it would have been ILLEGAL if they had taken the DX10 binaries, stuck them in wrappers, and put them up online for everybody.
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007 02:44 pm GMT +5.5 at 2:44 pm
I hope so, I’m not a big fan of forced upgrades.
Monday, April 23rd, 2007 07:56 am GMT +5.5 at 7:56 am
MS won’t support it for XP no matter what. Why you ask? Well simple, MS is discontinuing support on XP, why would they sink millions of dollars into a product thats not adding anything to there bottom line.
Surely they will work on patches between now and its end but adding new features isn’t the likeliest of things.
Monday, May 7th, 2007 04:53 am GMT +5.5 at 4:53 am
I’m inclined to think that Microsoft will continue support for XP, and they’ll make us think it was their idea to begin with.
Seriously, with such a large user base out there they’d be mad to drop supporting it so early. The thing is, Vista really doesn’t offer much that XP can’t do now. Add to that all the DRM complications and XP still gets the big ease of usage tick.
I think also, that whilst there are businesses out their embracing Vista (businesses who also embrace every other stupid IT buzzword), most of the uptake of Vista is probably from mom and dads who get bedazzled by salesperson speak. Ironically, if they (the moms and dads) have a hard time using Vista, they’ll also be relatively likely to turn to something like OS X next time – doubly so since they have no need for games. For the gamers out there, why on earth would we upgrade for at least a year or so – my geforce 7900s are still quite nice and I still remember the dent they put in my pocket. Vista Direct X 10 hardware still hasn’t hit that nice sweet spot where a purchase would make sense. Look at the Dell pages – XP was gone when Vista first came out, and now it’s back in force – so, yes even they recognise the large demand out there for XP. So, in no uncertain terms, Microsoft can shove their gawd damn Vista OS up their gawd damn arse.
I think the annoying thing in this whole debate is a choice over XP or Vista (would you like a pinto or a volvo?)… I’d buy a PS3 but it doesn’t have Eve Online… hmmph
Thursday, May 10th, 2007 12:15 am GMT +5.5 at 12:15 am
[...] read more | digg story [...]
Wednesday, June 20th, 2007 11:54 pm GMT +5.5 at 11:54 pm
Interesting…
Monday, October 1st, 2007 08:11 pm GMT +5.5 at 8:11 pm
[...] the ANGRY pixel ” DX10 Gaming on Non-Vista PCs? the ANGRY pixel. Home. Staff. Contact. Archives. Forum. Games. Register. DX10 Gaming on Non-Vista PCs? … from a stable gaming platform to one that … [...]
Friday, October 5th, 2007 12:41 am GMT +5.5 at 12:41 am
[...] the ANGRY pixel ” DX10 Gaming on Non-Vista PCs? … able to run DX10/Vista only games on their Windows XP PCs, but please remember: … Indian Gaming Industry to be worth $700 million in next 5 years (0) … [...]
Monday, October 15th, 2007 12:40 am GMT +5.5 at 12:40 am
[...] the ANGRY pixel ” DX10 Gaming on Non-Vista PCs? … the benefits of jumping from a stable gaming platform to one that is yet to … their Windows XP PCs, but please remember: … Indian Gaming Industry to be … [...]
Tuesday, October 30th, 2007 01:42 pm GMT +5.5 at 1:42 pm
[...] the ANGRY pixel ” DX10 Gaming on Non-Vista PCs? The Angry Pixel Blog is part of the Angry Pixel community – one that is built by gamers, for gamers. … PCs, but please remember: … Indian Gaming Industry … [...]
Tuesday, October 30th, 2007 02:54 pm GMT +5.5 at 2:54 pm
ubyetwwg
ubyetwwg
Thursday, November 8th, 2007 11:34 am GMT +5.5 at 11:34 am
Us the nobody can’t do anything about it.THis is what i call being exploited/manipulated.It’s the time that a new OS appears for PC and kick Winshit out.They are exploiting not only the video card market , The Gaming Market , but their own market by forcing people to purchase to upgrade.They make it bigger and sharper and make the average joe believe that what it should be called *Innovation*
Their New anti-piracy thing make me laugh.You have to AGREE that you aren’t a Pirates.What the hell is that?
If i’m a monster because i have 4-5 mp3 downloaded via torrent what Bill gates is?That just what they do pirating the industry and stealing other technology.
Now you have to encourage microsoft by buying their product to play other product.That make no sense.It’s exploitation of the system.
Thursday, November 8th, 2007 11:41 am GMT +5.5 at 11:41 am
I imagine the average Joe in a computer shop buying a 500.00 buck video card and a 70.00 buck games after 7 month of economy and the vendor say.Yo! You have to upgrade to VISTA to experience it!
399.99
Ding!
Thanks you
Thursday, November 15th, 2007 05:11 am GMT +5.5 at 5:11 am
[...] the ANGRY pixel ” DX10 Gaming on Non-Vista PCs? … if you want to play a DX10 game in all it’s graphic richness, you’d need … games on their Windows XP PCs, but please remember: … Indian Gaming Industry … [...]
Sunday, November 18th, 2007 10:12 am GMT +5.5 at 10:12 am
[...] the ANGRY pixel ” ” DX10 Gaming on Non-Vista PCs? … if you want to play a DX10 game in all it’s graphic richness, you’d need … games on their Windows XP PCs, but please remember: … Indian Gaming Industry … [...]
Tuesday, April 15th, 2008 09:22 pm GMT +5.5 at 9:22 pm
ok lol . this is some of the best news yet , vista is one of the SHITIEST OS’s of my time.
im planning on getting some new 8800 GTS’s and now i dont need vista the performence of those baby’s is ging to increase ten fold my friends. so Bill Gates FUCK YOU> LOL WE FOUND YOUR SCHEME.
Just like when you stole MS DOS for 30 grand lol. Your not a software enginerer your a fraud and now we finnally got some redemption on one of the shittiest OS’s of all time. what do i ask . what you trying to copy MAC lol. well thats all i have to say.
Saturday, September 6th, 2008 01:24 am GMT +5.5 at 1:24 am
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