Hardware Companies Outside The Box

Outside The Silicon

Assisting to make gameplay possible... Thank you DevRel!Image Courtesy: AMD

Computer graphics manufacturers are primarily known for the hardware they produce, but there is a whole lot more than meets the eye. If you like PC games, then you are familiar with the Nvidia and AMD/ATI logos at the intro to your favorite games. Perhaps you have taken a walk down the games isle of your superstore or game center and seen a logo. This is a practice that has existed almost as long as PC games have been around, but the question some have been wondering about is, "what does the logo mean to my games?"

You may think this answer is a bit vague, but the simple fact is it that the logo on the box could mean very little to your game or it could mean a lot. When it comes to wearing hats, graphics processor manufactures have an interesting position as industry advocates, game developers, educators, testers, marketers, and resources on the how and why of today's latest developments. Not only do the hardware companies work with publishers and developers to help get software products to market - so people will buy better graphics hardware to play these games - they also work on the back end to make sure the games look and play their best.

Of the two programs from AMD and Nvidia that exist for software developers, the "The way it's meant to be played" program from Nvidia has by far the most public brand recognition. The co-marketing initiatives are all over the place. AMD's Graphics Product Group (GPG) has similar programs, but they are not in front of the consumer's eye like Nvidia's. Looking back three and four years ago under ATI you might remember "Get in the game" branding to this program. This does not mean that ATI currently isn't doing anything anymore. It is alive and well, even though the co-marketing is not as visible as its competitor. So what are AMD and Nvidia doing to make my games play better? The answer is a lot, but I think it is time we told you more about these programs.

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