Let's talk about platforms.
We had a discussion in the German forums about a new kind of platform model.
The traditional model is that of MobyGames, and many others. We have consoles like the PlayStation, we have operating systems like Windows, we have OS-independent software platforms like Browser, and we have mixed cases like DOS, which actually means MS-DOS on IBM-compatibles.
But what about MS-DOS on non-IBM-compatibles? What about other DOSes like CP/M? What about Linux games on other hardware than x86? Were there PC Booters on other than IBM-compatible PCs?
All these questions led me to a suggestion for a new platform model: the separation of hardware and software, i.e. every game gets a hardware and a software platform assigned to it.
Let's look at some examples to illustrate the change. I will "translate" some of the old Mobygames platforms to the new model:
Browser ---> HW-independent + Browser
DOS ---> IBM-compatible PC + Microsoft Desktop OS (with tech spec)
Windows ---> IBM-compatible PC + Microsoft Desktop OS (with tech spec)
Dreamcast ---> Dreamcast + Console OS
Linux ---> OS-supported hardware + Linux (Here we need a background connection between Linux and all its supported HW platforms.)
PC Booter ---> IBM-compatible PC + OS-independent
Windows Mobile ---> OS-supported hardware + Windows Mobile OS (with tech spec)
Windows Phone ---> OS-supported hardware + Windows Mobile OS (with tech spec)
Then imagine a user searching for all games on the HW platform "IBM-compatible", or on the SW platform "Microsoft Desktop OS". Which games would he/she get with the new model?
What do you think? Is this too much, or is it worthwhile?
Please comment!
We had a discussion in the German forums about a new kind of platform model.
The traditional model is that of MobyGames, and many others. We have consoles like the PlayStation, we have operating systems like Windows, we have OS-independent software platforms like Browser, and we have mixed cases like DOS, which actually means MS-DOS on IBM-compatibles.
But what about MS-DOS on non-IBM-compatibles? What about other DOSes like CP/M? What about Linux games on other hardware than x86? Were there PC Booters on other than IBM-compatible PCs?
All these questions led me to a suggestion for a new platform model: the separation of hardware and software, i.e. every game gets a hardware and a software platform assigned to it.
Let's look at some examples to illustrate the change. I will "translate" some of the old Mobygames platforms to the new model:
Browser ---> HW-independent + Browser
DOS ---> IBM-compatible PC + Microsoft Desktop OS (with tech spec)
Windows ---> IBM-compatible PC + Microsoft Desktop OS (with tech spec)
Dreamcast ---> Dreamcast + Console OS
Linux ---> OS-supported hardware + Linux (Here we need a background connection between Linux and all its supported HW platforms.)
PC Booter ---> IBM-compatible PC + OS-independent
Windows Mobile ---> OS-supported hardware + Windows Mobile OS (with tech spec)
Windows Phone ---> OS-supported hardware + Windows Mobile OS (with tech spec)
Then imagine a user searching for all games on the HW platform "IBM-compatible", or on the SW platform "Microsoft Desktop OS". Which games would he/she get with the new model?
What do you think? Is this too much, or is it worthwhile?
Please comment!