LogFAQs > #896177531

- DirectX began as the Manhattan Project. Developers were excited because they were losing 70% of their revenue on support
- Microsoft went around and simply asked developers what they wanted. Their intention was for The Manhattan Project to be 'crack for developers'
- A lot of developers hated Microsoft. St John was often called Darth Vader. Regardless he went around and asked what they hypothetically wanted and couldn't refuse using
- They got a lot of feedback and it was seen as a great move for developer relations
- They created a manifesto titled Taking Fun Seriously: or How to own PC games in two years, and take a bite out of the home game console market. It was a radical document about the importance and strategic value of hames. Games weren't a priority for Microsoft at the time outside of this team
- The goal was to empower games with Microsoft technology. To target games against Apple

The specific goals for Project Manhattan was to;
- Use Manhattan SDK to enable systems, ACT and consumer
- Kill DOS within two years
- Grow PC revenue against consoles
Some observations;
- Game market is huge
- Console market is in decline and must reinvent itself next year (this was in 1994)
- PC Game market severely repressed thanks to difficulties with installations, piracy and little hardware innovation under DOS

- The document includes terms like 'DOS bumpkins' and 'Apple Maggots'
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Kind Regards,
Darmik