PCS ARE BEST!
AMD has continued its attempted transition from being a component seller to a solution provider by launching its latest solution: AMD GAME!. The launch is just in the US for now, however.
As it announced at its Channel Summit last week, AMD is adding GAME! to the solutions it has already launched – Live! for multimedia and Business Class for business systems. GAME! is designed to address the mainstream gaming market, i.e. the one dominated by consoles.
Of course, as AMD itself stresses, it is “the company powering the visual experience of the two most popular gaming consoles in the world today.” In other words, the Xbox 360 and the Wii both run ATI graphics, so it’s fair to assume that AMD doesn’t want to be seen to be attacking console gaming...too much.
It has created a divide by stressing that it wants to “ensure consumers can easily identify PCs that deliver HD gaming (our italics) and entertainment experiences out of the box.”
Nigel Dessau, new AMD top marketing exec, said: “With the support of industry leaders in PC gaming, AMD GAME! ensures consumers don’t need an enthusiast-level knowledge of PC hardware for an optimal gaming system. We in the PC industry owe consumers the same predictability, simplicity and affordability in finding a PC for gaming that the console industry currently provides.”
So, in essence, AMD is targeting the mainstream gaming market – let’s say a gaming machine costing £500-£1,000 – so fair enough, that's still more expensive than a console. It cites Jon Peddie Research, which found that two thirds of the PCs sold last year had specs too basic to provide a “great gaming experience”.
This slide from the Dresden presentation below shows that there will, in fact, be two solutions, with AMD GAME! Ultra designed to service the more affluent half of the mainstream segment with higher spec systems.
And here we have a summary of what AMD thinks GAME! brings to the table
Lastly, there is a new feature being introduced to GAME! configured systems: AMD GAME! Igniter. This appears to be a one-step system configuration tool that does things like close superfluous background tasks to ensure that the system is in its optimal state to play games. It looks like it won't officially be launched for a month or so.
We expect to hear more about AMD GAME! soon, including when it will be rolled-out to the UK. In the meantime, here’s the official website, which is also the home to the AMD gaming community.
Further reading: Jon Peddie gives AMD GAME! a thumbs-up
