What is Direct3D Device? Answer please

I just got Roller coaster tycoon 3 today and when I installed it onto my computer tried to play it, a message came up saying, "Failed to create Direct3D Device". How come this came up and how can I get to play my rct3? Answer please!

Kind of need to know what's in your PC.

I'll give the satndard answer of "sounds like a vid card issue" - integrated graphics in your machine?

Well Its true, we need to know the specs of your comp.

If its any consolation, it could be graphics related, for me when I got that exact same message, Windows installed a generic driver of my card, I had to install the original driver, and I was ok. But still need to know your specs!

I just gotmy computer a few weeks ago. I got a NorthGate WindowsXP Home edition 3in1 combo package from Office Max. I checked last night what the Atari website had listed about this problem. It told me to check the video or something like that so I checked everything and even installed an updated version of DirectX 9. My computer tested it and everything was ok so I don't know what the problem is.

You'll see us say this a lot:

"The age of your PC is irrelevant"

If you got it at Office Max, I'm going to make the guess that it has integrated video. (based on the fact that all the PC's I saw on their website do) That's not a good thing - if it does have integrated video, basically, your brand new PC is probably not capable of running the game.

I'm actually seeing a PC on the Office Max site that has an AMD64 3200+ processor, 512MB RAM and a 200GB HD (that's what they sell you on), but has an integrated SiS Mirage2 vid chip with 128MB shared memory (yikes! I guess they have to cut corners somewhere to offer PC's at those prices)

We really need to know the specs on your video card to be sure, but your problems seem consistent with people who have cards that can't run the game. Add to that the line-up of PC's I see on the Office Max site and I think a safe bet is that your PC's video card can't run the game.

(Well, that and the fact that I've yet to see any other thing stop the game from running for people who have even a remotely recent system)

They do actually put the required video cards on the box, but I guess no one reads the requirements anymore (or doesn't know what they're looking at).

I think it's the latter.

In fact, since RCT3 came out, I've been quite surprised by how little people seem to know about their PC's.

I don't mean to be some PC snob (a 'car guy' would probably feel the same way when talking cars with me :) ) but somehow I expected people to know more about their systems.

I'm also surprised at how many people buy into the low cost PC's the chain stores sell thinking it will do more than surf the net, check e-mail and run office apps.

I guess I'm just a geek. :)

To top that all off, I love the people who bring home their $499 specials and get ticked off that Microsoft Office isn't on it. If you about double that price you'll get the productivity software. Or if you keep the price the same you'll have illegal productivity software.

Everyone else should also find out why they SHOULDN'T buy a new computer with Windows XP HOME and get PROFESSIONAL instead.

I guess I'm a PC snob as well, but I work for a company that sells these fangled things...

~Rob "Latest and greatest" Willi

Ok, Computer *GEek* here, but You'd be suprised how many computer illerate people there are that don't know anything about it, except maybe how to use it, Me being in Networking and Information Technology you realize this often, as when something goes wrong they call on us. I know for a fact integrated video is a peice of sh*t! Never ever ever use integrated (also known as on-board video) I suggest that you buy one of the recommended graphics brands listed on the box. I'm not trying to be mean (if i do sound so), just trying to give out advice, and some facts.

If i could make a suggestion, If you do need a better vid card which is most likly the situation. Instead of going to any store and spending over 100 bucks for one. You could bid for one on ebay brand new/ never opened for about 1/2 the price. That's what i wound up doing i got a 128mb ati-radeon, for 59.99 inlcuding shipping. I dont know how some of you feel about going about the situation that way, but it worked well for me, and I'm able to play the game now.

Going in reverse order of the above posts:

dan: I wouldnt suggest buying cards on ebay for those who dont really have a good "computer feel". I see so many computer parts being sold *used* for more than you'd pay new at places like newegg and zipzoomfly. That being said, I *did* buy my 9800SE off ebay (softmodded and overclock into a 9800pro).

rob: I've yet to see a feature on XP-pro that an average user would need that isnt on Home. The *only* thing that would interest *me* about pro is that I'd be able to remotely access my sis-in-law's comp so I could fix it rather than doing the phone thing.

LG: It's easy to get confused by the marketing jargon. If you read up on hardware, sure you know exactly what performance to expect. But the ad make the comps sound like they are very game friendly. Take this comp from circuit city, it claims "Kids and adults will love the Intel® Extreme graphics for super-realistic gaming and movie-quality display." But anyone that knows anything about PC gaming knows this graphic processor blows.

Jeff: When you look at what the RCT3 box says: "Any ATI Radeon™ or GeForce™ 2 with 32MB or higher; or other video card with 32MB and hardware T&L (ATI Radeon™ 64 MB SDR or GeForce™ 2 Pro or other video card with 64 MB or more memory and hardware T&L recommended)* (emphasis added), it sure looks to the untrained eye that the above mentioned circuit city comp meets those limitations since it has 64 MB (shared) of video memory. Sure, you and I know the difference, but most people dont. Compounded is the sad reality that many of the people working in the computer departments of BestBuy/circuitcity/ and their ilk dont really know the difference or cannot explain the difference. Wanna have fun? Go to one of these places and act like you want to buy a comp. Hilarity will ensue.

I guess I like to stick up for the ignorant because just about 2 years ago I was one of them. I didnt even know that software that required a Pentium3/4 could also run on a similarly aged Celeron.

If you havent done the reading (which is not such a stretch to belive as most people dont care *how* it works), it's extraordinarily easy to be confused/duped.

lata, jeremy

Maybe it's my nature to learn about (or at least read up) on things before I make a 'major' purchase. I'm the research type and by the time I'm ready to buy, I know exactly what I want, where to get it and what to pay. (and I wouldn't buy a PC from a brick & mortar store with YOUR money, let alone mine)

You should've seen the car salesman literally look like he wanted fight me when I kept calling out his "miscalculations" and "errors" on the car lease we did a few years ago. :)

Just the type of guy I am. I don't go into purchases blind. While I can see how one could be easily taken or mislead in such a situation, I don't necessarily understand why people let that happen.

And speaking of smart purchases ties in nicely to the ebay comment. I have to back Jeremy on that one. Ebay has become a joke for bargain hunters.

I'm in the market for a new camera, I know what I want and how much it costs. So for fun I check out ebay and keep an eye on a few of that model for a week or so. Turns out people are paying more on ebay (in two cases for a used item, in all others a 'factory boxed' one) than the same camera costs new at somewhere like B&H Photo. I don't know what it is about the ebay mentality that makes people pay more than street value for things. I thought the point (aside from finding rare things, collectables or other oddball items like enthusiast crap) was that in doing a P2P transaction, you could most likely get a bargain.

Maybe I'm missing the point?

My box doesn't say anything about other cards, it says: "ATI Radeon or 32 MB GeForce 2 or higher. (64 MB ATI Radeon recommended)"

Jeff: I'm suprised that it's not written on the box seeing as though those words were taken straight from Atari's website. Weird that they would print something different.

So, I have a confession. I have a Ph.D. in computer science. I teach it for a living. I didn't know that my machine actually *could* run this beast. But, it can.

I have integrated video (strike one). The video chipset is:

Intel(R) 82915G Express Chipset Family 128Mb

(taken from the Dell diagnostic tool)

Intel? Strike two.

I go to look up the specs, and from what I could read from Intel's ever so helpful documentation there is a game compatibility chart, but RCT is not on it. It does say that the chipset does *NOT* have HW T&L.

Strike three.

So, I figure that I'm SOL. I ask my wife not to buy it for me for Christmas (because, frankly, I've got better things to spend $100 on than a video card to play one game), and figure that's the end of that.

My birthday was last week, and evidently, my wife forgot that I told her it wasn't going to run, and had the kids buy the thing for me. I open it, and figure, well, no harm in downloading the demo just to see what happens, and if the demo doesn't run, I won't install the game. I do, and it runs. I install the game, and it runs.

Color me surprised.

Now, I haven't run it with lots of stuff going on, but the tutorial runs at what I consider 'acceptable' performance, so I'll at least get to kick the tires. *** Edited 2/10/2005 1:48:17 AM UTC by Brian Noble***

The weird thing is that screen resolution and hardware don't seem to have that drastic of an effect on performance. That's what doesn't make sense to me.

I understand not wanting to spend money all for one game. Limited use is one of the main reasons I'm not in the market for a newer Windows machine. Since most of the serious computing work I do is done on my iBook, I have no reason, other than improved performance for games, to get a new Windows box.

Being a Mac guy, and not wanting to spend money on upgrading a Windows machine, I want to know if you folks think RCT3 would work well on my machine.

ABIT KT7a-RAID motherboard, with an Athlon 1.2Ghz CPU. 512mb RAM, and a Chaintech NVidia GeForce 2 Pro/GTS with 64mb RAM.

Would RCT3 work decently on a machine like mine? Thanks ahead of time,

Sam

Sam, I think the answer is a definite maybe.

There really seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why some systems run the game and some don't. There are people running it who clearly shouldn't be able to and there are people who should be able to run it with no issues that can't.

I think the best advice to anyone who isn't sure or isn't willing to spend the money for a game that may not run is to download the demo and see what happens.

The other thing is and I say this way too much, but have the most recent or original drivers (in my case original)! Can't say it enough. Although then theirs those pc's who run, but upon exit crash. Download the Demo, if you can run that, chances are the game will run just fine. :)

I was able to run a patched demo a while back.

Thanks.