DirectX API developed to promote the shift from DOS to Windows

As per the report, the developer of Microsoft’s DirectX graphics API passed away at the age of 55. The DirectX API he developed promoted the shift from DOS to Windows.

According to the news that he was injured and then had complications. He died on December 1, which was very unexpected and very unfortunate.

DirectX (referred to as DX ) is a Microsoft Windows main system, the vast majority of a PC platform game is also based on DX and Win10 on the latest standards is DX12, the first generation DX is the emergence in Win95 on.

Eric Engstrom and Alex St. John and Craig Eisler developed DX in 1994, but game developers at that time preferred MS-DOS because of the low overhead and it was tough to develop games on Windows 3.1 at that time.

DX API was basically code-named Manhattan Project, and it was not successful at the beginning. Microsoft’s management at the time even considered canceling DX and abandoning the idea of Windows as a game platform.

Fortunately, they were finally convinced, and DX was retained. Eric Engstrom in 1995 in Game Developers Conference demonstrated the first DX API, 9 Yuefen to Windows Games SDK in the name of the official release.

At that time, in order to gain support, Microsoft found id software created by Carmack and offered to help DOOM and DOOM2 be transplanted from DOS to DX free of charge.

At the same time, id retained its own distribution rights. This impressed id company. In 1996, they launched a DX game. DOOM 95.

Slowly, DX has become the standard of the game industry. Not only does it gain a foothold on the PC platform, but Microsoft’s Xbox game console is also based on DX.

(Via)