How about a Nintendo DS version?

[TheHappyFriar]

wrong. just look at what resolution the xbox and other consoles have to generate.
you can use the same hardware to get the same (well, almost) result on a pc (at least when running linux. windows sure is quite heavy on the resources)

I run Doom 3 on an AMD 64 3000, 512mb DDR & an ATI 9600. At the lowest quality i get FPS ~the same as the X-Box, but it slows down on crowded scenes. Unlike the X version which runs much beter (because designed for the console).

If Doom & Quake can be ported to the DS, any IV game can. It just needs to be re-written to use the hardware at hand. It's comparing apples to steak, there's nothing alike except they can be programmed for.

If there was a version of Darwinia/Defcon for the DS, i'd pickthat up right away. Those games could make great useof the touch screen & Darwinia could also use the mic pretty well (you could tell your darwinians what to do instead of just pointing/drawing, like that Odama game!)

[NeoThermic]

Lets put it this way, even with it's 67MHz ARM946E-S and it's 33MHz ARM7TDMI coprocessor, even if Defcon was re-compiled or rewritten to work on the ARM platform, it wouldn't be enough grunt to power the game. We've had this discussion before about Darwinia where the original arguments were identical. As noted before, a PSP version has the advantage of a 333MHz MIPS R4000, so it would be better for the job, assuming porting was as simple as a re-compile (which it isn't in this case). Also the DS only has 4MB of RAM, so unpacking Defcon might not be possible (although storage will be; I've managed to squeeze a running version of Defcon on to a floppy )

NeoThermic

[Jetpac]

it would be a fantastic addition to NDS

HOWEVER:

defcon lacks the strength ing single player to be a worth while release (however much i would lover to play it on the go).

you are forgetting NDS has wifi

no im not, i own a DS so that would be pretty fking stupid.

The majority of time spent on any hand held console is single player gaming
wifi or not sales of a portable game depend entirely on the single player aspect really.

you cant play with wifi on a train or bus can you.

Besides the game would need to be completely changed to be optimised for the NDS which would be a complete rebuild.

[estel]

you cant play with wifi on a train or bus can you.

Wrong really

However, I do disagree with Neothermic, even though he's undoubtedly much more informed than me. Looking at some of the great 3D titles on the DS, I fail to see how DEFCON would be unable to run on it. Darwinia - sure, that'd be nigh impossible to port. But DEFCON is graphically less taxing. My main fear would be that the screens just wouldn't be up to the high resolution required to put across all of the relevent and important information.

[xander]

you cant play with wifi on a train or bus can you.

Wrong really :P

However, I do disagree with Neothermic, even though he's undoubtedly much more informed than me. Looking at some of the great 3D titles on the DS, I fail to see how DEFCON would be unable to run on it. Darwinia - sure, that'd be nigh impossible to port. But DEFCON is graphically less taxing. My main fear would be that the screens just wouldn't be up to the high resolution required to put across all of the relevent and important information.

I may be graphically less taxing, but what about the AI?

xander

[estel]

I may be graphically less taxing, but what about the AI?

You really tax my cognitive visual receptors xander , but I'm not sure about the latter...

Err, again, it depends on how efficiently its coded - I can only say that you look at other games which theoretically need similar strengths of AI on the DS.

[Jetpac]

I may be graphically less taxing, but what about the AI?

You really tax my cognitive visual receptors xander , but I'm not sure about the latter...

Err, again, it depends on how efficiently its coded - I can only say that you look at other games which theoretically need similar strengths of AI on the DS.

i would be entirely possible to get the game looking and acting like it does on PC on the NDS, the code would just need to be re-written and optimised.
i dont think iv would be prepared to do this.

and anyway it wouldnt sell. people dont buy games for handhelds just for multiplayer.

[Tookie]

I would rather see it on the 360 or the PS3. As long as were talking seperate hardware to play it on.

[MarvintheParanoidAndroid]

but since this game:

-doesn't require much graphic power
-would suit perfectly with double screen
-can be easily controlled with touch screen
-can be played online
-lacks giant enemy crabs

What!? I only pre-ordered because I was under the illusion that there were giant enemy crabs...

[Deloused]

but since this game:

-doesn't require much graphic power
-would suit perfectly with double screen
-can be easily controlled with touch screen
-can be played online
-lacks giant enemy crabs

What!? I only pre-ordered because I was under the illusion that there were giant enemy crabs...

Don't worry. You still have "real time... weapon switching" and one of the easter eggs is, you guessed it, Riiiiiidge Raceeeeeer.

[timonator]

defcon on the ps3 or xbox? are you kidding? the nintendo wii controller is "predefined" for such an application.
it's so much better to actually point at stuff than to move a cursor around with an analog stick!

[NeoThermic]

However, I do disagree with Neothermic, even though he's undoubtedly much more informed than me. Looking at some of the great 3D titles on the DS, I fail to see how DEFCON would be unable to run on it. Darwinia - sure, that'd be nigh impossible to port. But DEFCON is graphically less taxing. My main fear would be that the screens just wouldn't be up to the high resolution required to put across all of the relevent and important information.

As noted, the AI is also a huge drain on performance. Currently if I'm spectating a full game, when all the nukes are flying it can make this machine chug a bit, although given that is at 1280x1024. The DS might get away with one screen's worth of play (256 × 192 pixels), but I highly doubt that it can pull off both screens at once (512x384); my laptop has trouble with Defcon sometimes at 640x480.

Finally, as noted last time this was bought up with Darwinia, the DS is limited to 4000 triangles per screen. The way the borders are drawn alone could account for most of that 4000, with little left for the units and cities.

It would be an amazing feat to get Defcon on a DS, but it would take far more time and money than IV would wish. Since the DS isn't as popular as a PC, it makes little sense to target the DS.

NeoThermic

[estel]

I know that it won't be made, but I can dream....
You would probably only need to render on one screen though, the second would (as suggested) be used as a gesture/information interface of some sort.

[NeoThermic]

I know that it won't be made, but I can dream....
You would probably only need to render on one screen though, the second would (as suggested) be used as a gesture/information interface of some sort.

That would still require some form of rendering to be done for the interface on the second screen.

NeoThermic

[Bamelin]

I can't see Nintendo allowing a game allows the deaths of hundreds of millions of innocents.