From: weaponx013@yahoo.com   
      
   BelPowerslave wrote:   
   > I've been thinking about this for a long while now, and I keep meaning   
   > to mention it but never seem to find the time.   
   >   
   > The Saturn's multi-processor layout: Was it too far ahead of its time?   
   > It seems like *every* PC nowadays has either dual processors or a   
   > processor with dual cores. The Saturn had two main processors, yet when   
   > we see a lot the software it's hard to believe that that's the best two   
   > processors, working together could do. I mean, sure, we got stuff like   
   > Rally, VF2, etc that obviously have all the processors doing their   
   > absolute best, but that shit was really rare.   
   >   
   > Back then, two processors was unheard of, even in a PC, so I'm sure the   
   > tools to make good use of them weren't quite up to par. Seemed like   
   > Sega, and a few others, were the only ones who really knew how to handle   
   > it.   
   >   
   > So, what do we think? Was Sega really thinking ahead when they placed   
   > multiple processors in the Saturn, or was it just a horrible, horrible   
   > design error that scared off all but the really good coders and the   
   > assholes(Probe, mostly) who just simply ported their software rather   
   > than recoding?   
   >   
   > Bel   
      
   I've made the point several times, and finalized my wording in the new   
   Sega CD - 3DO - Jag - 32X section on Gamepilgrimage.  Sega was both   
   looking forward and backward when they designed the Saturn.  Multiple   
   CPU architecture was and is the future of graphic architecture design.   
   The PS2, Xbox 360, PS3, some of Sun Microsystem's cutting edge hardware   
   and all new PC CPU designs prove my first point for me.  The dual System   
   16 boards that ran games like After Burner were, as far as I know,   
   Sega's first foray into the idea.   
      
   Furthermore, the lack of hard coded special effects and development kits   
   were actually the result of 3rd party requests.  As we both know, many   
   3rd parties distinguished their Genesis games with custom special   
   effects.  As I understand it, some developers actually told Sega that   
   they would not sign on for a new Sega system unless it allowed them to   
   code in assembly to more processors than the average developer could   
   possibly take advantage of.  You see the effect in the games, big name   
   developers who actually dedicated resources to Saturn development   
   created games that blew the socks off the EAs and Akklaims.   
   Unfortunately for Sega and the Saturn, Sony's clout and marketing   
   temporarily made it "cool" in the industry to shell out software in less   
   than six months.  Later PS1 games and all PS2 games were coded in   
   assembly again, but the shift lasted just long enough to make Saturn   
   developers have to spend more on average than dedicated PS1 developers.   
      
   --   
   Scott   
      
   http://www.gamepilgrimage.com   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)