Altough I hope that 3dfx will never die and I'm sure that it will remain in history, I'm seeing more and more peoples selling their collections and less discussions about 3dfx. I think this is because all the people that had the chance to grow with 3dfx is getting older and in their lives new things are more important.

I doubt that someone that is very young, under 20 years, will care about 3dfx. They didn't had the chance to know 3dfx well and all they know is words like Geforce and Radeon. And we, those who lived the 1996-2000 timeframe with Voodoo cards in our computers, have a certain age. So, I'm the only one that thinks that in a few years almost nobody will collect 3dfx cards and help keep the spirit of "voodoo" magic alive ? I still hope that "3dfx is gone but never forgotten", but cruel reality is starting to demolish this  :'(

RaverX wrote on 10.02.08 at 22:05:12:

I doubt that someone that is very young, under 20 years, will care about 3dfx. They didn't had the chance to know 3dfx well and all they know is words like Geforce and Radeon. And we, those who lived the 1996-2000 timeframe with Voodoo cards in our computers, have a certain age.

True- 3dfx was important to me as I was there when PC's went from having 2D output with 256 colors to 3D with 16 bit and beyond.

3dfx was the first company to make that reality for the masses.

Lots of people fail to notice the importance, innovavity and impact 3Dfx has on todays, past and future 3D industry.
People take this stuff as granted forgetting who was the prometeus in this field.

For me, I'll never deny this things to myself, will I forget with time?
Well with 100+ cards around my feet I doubt it, hence I refuse to sell any card ever :P

I dont think 3dfx will die for some people.

I wish there was more new info of any kind to be had, i still check to see if Gary has done a new write up on something on his site, last few nights ive been looking for certain info on the quantum3d stuff and ive been spending a couple hours reading articles each night and thats been cool.

I would still use my 5500 to game since it played COD fine but PUNKBUSTER doesn't like the new drivers and kicks me, being in a clan i can't have that.

I'm getting ready to put the quantum3d cases i got into a rack with just 3dfx cards in them, plus i'm displaying 1 card of each retail type in a case.

Were not dead yet . . . ;)

Well I am also collecting since 2002 and still own my first voodoo card which was a Voodoo 2 from Creative with 8MB (+Box).

My problem with collecting voodoo cards is that I don´t have the money to pay prices beyond 40/50 Euros for a card.

That is very sad.  :-/

I grew up with 3dfx.  I had my first card in '98 when I bought a Pure3D card.  I didn't get back into collecting until the beginning of this year.  There has always been a mystique around these cards.  They do offer somethings the competition couldn't.

I will always have a place for 3dfx in my heart and mind, and also my home.   8-)

My first (lucky) Voodoo was installed on my first Pentium pc (166 mmx) that comes in September '97. I remember that a lot of games changed with hardware acceleration: I really loved my first generation Voodoo.
I think that 3Dfx cards was a real miracle in the home pc world, becoming legend, but now times are changed. Ati and Nvidia are the same, with similar tecnologies, and there isn't space for other brand: Sad.
3Dfx still remember me my good time, when I had my head on the clouds :)

I remember it well, the 1st ever 3DFX card I had was a Diamond Monster 3DII 12MB, which I used in a Cyrix PR200 machine.
I even had a certain time I went Diamond crazy.

I had 2 Diamond Monster 3DII's, a Diamond Viper V550 and a Diamond MX300 Monstersound, which was the Vortex 2 chipset, awesome sound for the time.

Final Fantasy 7 was strugling to get decent framerates, but that was cause of the PR200, not the Voodoo2.
Later I went SLI, then Voodoo3, and then, like a lot of others, I jumped to nVidia, in my case, cause I could get a Geforce2 for dirtcheap at that moment.

Then a lot a years later, I found my old Voodoo2 again and decided to rebuild a rig around it, and it still is running.
On my 3DFX rig I play UT, Carmageddon 2, Rogue Squadron and Final Fantasy 7.

I for one will NEVER forget 3DFX, they are to me, still the inventors of 3D gaming.

To answer the topic, I would have to say that 3dfx will never completely die/disappear.  For quite some time I forsee boards like this one staying active.  I would also think that someday, if not already, 3dfx items will be on display at Technology Museums.  3dfx holds a very special place in many people's hearts, even if the amount of people is diminishing each year. (sellouts, quiters, etc)  We also have to keep in mind that the majority of the younger generation unfourtunately does not even know the term/word/legend that we know of as 3dfx. Many even think that SLI was created by Nvidia, and have no idea that the original concept and implementation was developed by 3dfx.

As far as I go, my 3dfx days started with a 12MB Diamond Monster 3D II that a friend gave to me when his dad upgraded. ( we were young teenagers )  His dad had an SLI rig and we both got one of his cards.  I then later got the other card from my friend and made my own SLI setup.  The original SLI cable was lost so I had to make my own, needless to say when I finally got it working I was VERY excited.  For awhile my life was then consumed by Unreals, Quakes, Half-Life, etc.  

Then I had my hands on a few more 3dfx cards and then upgraded/downgraded and eventually left the 3dfx scene.  When Nvidia took over I pretty much just went along with it and made the change.  Now that my life has slowed down a bit (done with college, etc) I now have time to dedicate to 3dfx.  However, lately my collection seems to be getting a bit out of hand and I need to consolidate what I want and sell off the extras.

For those who haven't already, you can see most of my collection at my little 3dfx spot on the web.  http://rottens3dfxasylum.tripod.com (it is not completely up to date.. missing about 8 items)  

So that is the end of my rant.. I guess I should probably get back to working.. LOL! http://www.tchek.com/

I also think that everything around 3dfx simply got more silent, mainly because the final period of development (making newer Games work with the Voodoos) has about ended. Simply because there is no way and no point making Games like BioShock or Crysis run, so people naturally had to move on.

I myself have all but ceased gaming, because there's nothing new. Everything I touch seems the same, just with more hogging Graphics but no "holy sh*t"-effect anymore.

I think there's just no way anymore to get those intense effect, like one had seeing glQuake, Unreal or HalfLive for the first time in all its glory, as those were sudden quantum leaps ahead.

I also agree that old folks, having played beginning with (or even before) Games like Wolfenstein 3D more or less have seen everything. Tough getting these folks fascinated again, while the newer Generation maybe sees the (actually old) concepts of Crysis Gameplay for the first time and is totally smashed.

I really miss that time, being at school (or later @ work) and thinking just when you could get back to a cool Game and progress further.
Also I can't remember having ever played the very old games completely though in less than 20 hours of Gameplay or something, I mean they were good for weeks back then, some even for longer - and back then I had tons of time to spare per day.
Guess those were still artistic creations and gems of Gameplay, made from Gamers for Gamers, and not for (Hollywood-style) max. profit like nowadays.

I agree with @Falcon here - there are now only a handful of developers who are making games that have longevity. :-/

Despite the fact that YES most games nowadays have to have graphical knobs added to their graphical knobs with gold knobs on them...it's just to keep pace with the rest of the industry. ::)

I'll try and summarise my recent gameplay findings of companies that are doing it for gameplay - and those who really don't give a S#!T about their userbase. :-?

THE BAD
======

EPIC - yes, you are EVIL! You make REALLY CR@PPY PC conversions and then just don't support your users. >:(

What am I on about? The PC release of Gears of War - buggiest game EVER! :P

THE GOOD
=======

CAPCOM - finally a game company that KNOWS gameplay, graphics & sound. ;)

The Devil May Cry series is still great to play no matter the format it's on or which of the DMC games you play.
(DMC 2 being the exception - which was lame, but they learned) 8-)

THE HEROES
========

Special mention goes to Housemarque software for "Super Stardust HD on the PS3 (PSN DLC game). ;D

Brings back all the memories of "Stardust" and "Super Stardust" by Bloodlust software on the Amiga.
Now THOSE were games! 8-)

Playing SSD-HD is like trying to drink milk through your nose whilst blowing bubbles out your ears - and it's garunteed to make your eyes pop with it's mental gameplay. :D

Arcade shootery at its finest! :)

(STAR STRIKE HD in Japan: http://www.jp.playstation.com/scej/title/sshd/)

THE VILLAINS
=========

Special mention to the W@N#ERS who developed the "Starforce" copy protection for PC. >:(

Face it guys - it hurts customers and is TOTALLY useless! ::)

DIE STARFARCE DIE! :(

Well I do still have DNF to look forward to. It's what made me get a Voodoo2 in the first place!

I don't think it'll run on a Voodoo 2 anymore, if it ever comes out :P

..remember doom3? that one was not meant to run on voodoo2 either :D