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define "on time"

Based on past track records of the Voodoo3 and VSA-100, Rampage would have hit the market about 30 weeks after the first PCB were off the line.

(longer in the case of the V3-3500 and V4-4500)

3dfx would have had to convince a lot of bankers to float them money, they were in very poor shape at the end. The other problem was the lawsuits going back and forth between 3dfx and Nvidia gobbling up cash flow.

yeah I relised that, even at that time of day I was waiting to buy a boxed Voodoo5 6000, really I was very prepared for it like all the rest of you's The Voodoo5 6000 project was indeed a grave impact to 3dfx's timeline and moneyloss, 13 mounths buisy on it and still not ready for mass production.

hence their fate today.

does anyone think if Nvidia should suffer the same fate,
will they ever have such a big following in the after years like 3dfx? hehe

I wonder..  ???

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As someone who has a small child I don't agree- Kids now are "pelted" with 3D graphics everyday (My daughter plays Dora the Explorer which is a 3D game)

Unless there is a quantum leap in graphics quality, like when 3dfx introduced Voodoo Graphics to the world most people won't notice IMHO.

Otherwise it is just increments of improvement, the "wow" factor just isn't there like in 1996.

I remember the first game I saw running on Voodoo Graphics, most kids can't say that about titles that are out now. Most are forgettable and the graphics all look the same.

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well actuall ATi was the first with PC graphics, they go way further back since 1985.

About ATI

"Founded in 1985, ATI Technologies Inc. is a world leader in the supply of graphics, video and multimedia products for desktop, workstation and notebook PCs, digital televisions, cell phones and game consoles. A pioneer, innovator and market leader in the graphics industry, ATI is built upon the strength of its people, products and technology excellence, its customer focus, and its ability to identify and capitalize on key inflection points where new technologies and markets converge. "

3dfx came a good 8 years later, somewhere in mid 1993.

So and Ati was also the first with 3D Video cards, They used to use OpenGL for 3D rendering.

1985

August

    * ATI Technologies Inc. is established
     August 20, 1985

October

    * ATI uses ASIC technology to develop its first graphic controller and introduce its first graphics board product

1987

July

    * ATI releases EGA Wonder™ and VGA Wonder™, a single card that worked with every graphics interface, software and monitor on the market, providing faster graphics than was possible on conventional personal computers

1989

April

    * ATI assists in establishment of VESA standard in the graphics industry


1991

May

    * ATI releases ATI Mach8™ in both chip and board products, capable of processing graphics independently of the central processing unit (CPU)

1992

April

    * ATI releases Mach32™, an integrated graphics controller and graphics accelerator in one chip
    * ATI releases VLB (VESA Local Bus) products and, after that, PCI (peripheral component interconnect) bus products

May

    * ATI establishes ATI GmbH in Munich, Germany

1993

November

    * ATI becomes a public company, trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE), trading symbol: ATY
     November 30, 1993

1994

August

    * ATI introduces the Mach64 chip and a new set of graphics boards -- the first graphics boards to accelerate motion video

November

    * ATI localizes application software in 13 different international languages

1995

June

    * ATI becomes the first graphics company to ship Mac-compatible graphics boards, proving ATI is committed to both PC and Mac platforms

August

    * ATI announces an agreement with United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) and other joint ventures to build a semiconductor manufacturing facility in Taiwan

     
1996

January

    * ATI releases the first 3D chip in the graphics industry. Sales that year exceed one million chips

July and there is the proof of the worlds first ever made and released 3D chip. the Mack64.

3dfx was maybe one of the first with a 3D Accelerated API know as Glide, but OpenGL is lot's older much older, it's originated from Sillicon Graphics

ATi did with the Rade Fury MAXX though, but indeed that was some where later on, ATi did manage longer, but I'm not sure if they will last that long, the way they are go'n now, with the long delays of the R520 chip.

the Radeon 8500 aka R200 was ATi first big chip that really made it's clearence.

3Dfx was indeed more succesfull with thier SST-2 project aka Voodoo2.

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Perhaps playing Quake on a P-133 for a few months with a 2 meg Trident board at 320 x 240 would give some of the newbies persepective