You know what can translate into success for developers? Supporting Vulkan, instead of pushing unportable DX12.
The days of the average developer writing directly to a low level 3D graphics API are long over, so this is mostly irrelevant. Even so, the funny thing is it's likely that once Vulkan ships, writing a Vulkan only Windows game will be viable as long as AMD, Nvidia and Intel have decent Vulkan drivers even without Microsoft support. Using Vulkan on Mac might be impossible, as Apple is pushing their own proprietary API, Metal, on Mac OS X.
> writing directly to a low level 3D graphics API are long over, so this is mostly irrelevant.
Not really, and it depends on studios and developers. Firstly, engine developers can't avoid dealing with those APIs. And dealing with multiple increases their burden and is simply a pointless multiplication of effort which could be avoided. Secondly, some studios can afford developing their own engines, so it's not irrelevant even if we aren't talking about commonly licensed engines like Unreal, Cry or Unity.
> the funny thing is it's likely that once Vulkan ships, writing a Vulkan only Windows game will be viable as long as AMD, Nvidia and Intel have decent Vulkan drivers even without Microsoft support.
In the context of the interview, I doubt Vulkan will be available on Xbox and MS mobile devices, unless MS will suddenly rethink their lock-in attitude. In the best case scenario someone will create a Vulkan → DX12 translation layer (similar to ANGLE), since actual APIs aren't that different functionally.
In the context of the interview, I doubt Vulkan will be available on PS4 and Android mobile devices, unless Sony will suddenly rethink their lock-in attitude.
In the context of the interview, I doubt Vulkan will be available on WiiU and 3DS mobile devices , unless Nintendo will suddenly rethink their lock-in attitude.
It just doesn't matter when game engines are available and writing a plugin render APIs is just like CS 101 graphics programming, being done since Atari brought games into homes.
> It just doesn't matter when game engines are available
They don't grow magically out of nowhere. To make them available, someone has to develop them for each target platform. And multiplying APIs in the process doesn't come for free.
The days of the average developer writing directly to a low level 3D graphics API are long over, so this is mostly irrelevant. Even so, the funny thing is it's likely that once Vulkan ships, writing a Vulkan only Windows game will be viable as long as AMD, Nvidia and Intel have decent Vulkan drivers even without Microsoft support. Using Vulkan on Mac might be impossible, as Apple is pushing their own proprietary API, Metal, on Mac OS X.