I have an AMD Dual Core 4200+ 64-bit, with 2GB of RAM, a GeForce 8600 GT
video card, and a 19" screen. I guess it could run many "modern" video
games. But guess what I am playing?

http://stuff.povaddict.com.ar/nicolas/gens.png (1.4MB)

Does anyone know what the SEGA hardware specs are? :) I think it's kinda sad
to see how much CPU time this emulator is using (between 20% and 50%
depending on resolution; and jumps to 100% if sound is disabled, wtf?)

It wasn't too easy to get the emulator working. I built it from source. It
gave some really weird compile errors. For a moment I thought I'd have to
do major source changes, then I noticed the problem is it dislikes 64-bit.
I had to do everything from a 32-bit chroot (which involved installing the
dev. files of GTK+, more than 20MB). But hey, it works :)

Post a reply to this message

Nicolas Alvarez wrote:
> I have an AMD Dual Core 4200+ 64-bit, with 2GB of RAM, a GeForce 8600 GT
> video card, and a 19" screen. I guess it could run many "modern" video
> games. But guess what I am playing?
> 
> http://stuff.povaddict.com.ar/nicolas/gens.png (1.4MB)
> 
> Does anyone know what the SEGA hardware specs are? :) I think it's kinda sad
> to see how much CPU time this emulator is using (between 20% and 50%
> depending on resolution; and jumps to 100% if sound is disabled, wtf?)

The Sega Genesis (Megadrive in the UK) is powered by a 10MHz Motorola 
68000 CPU (maybe a 68010), and has a Z80 (don't recall the freq for it) 
doing the sound.

The screen was standard TV size, with 64 colors.  I don't know what 
internal memory it had, but given the times it can't be that much.

I run the Windows version of Gens on my 5-years-old Athlon 2400XP box. 
CPU usage is near 100%.  I would venture to say that the emulation logic 
is not terribly efficient.

Regards,
John

Post a reply to this message

John VanSickle wrote:
> I run the Windows version of Gens on my 5-years-old Athlon 2400XP box.
> CPU usage is near 100%.  I would venture to say that the emulation logic
> is not terribly efficient.

Nope, it's not inefficient emulation. It's what I'd call a bug, possibly
busy-polling instead of blocking. I got 100% usage on my 400MHz machine
too, and it was still fast (and I don't mean just "playable", I
mean "looked as fast a real SEGA").

Disabling sound and enabling vertical sync on the video instantly made it
drop CPU usage *a lot*. So it's clearly some stupid busy-loop. For example,
it may be redrawing the screen as fast as it can instead of at a sane
framerate (vsync basically does framerate limiting).

On Linux it seems to be the opposite. Turning sound *off* makes it go to
100%.

Post a reply to this message

Nicolas Alvarez escreveu:
> I have an AMD Dual Core 4200+ 64-bit, with 2GB of RAM, a GeForce 8600 GT
> video card, and a 19" screen. I guess it could run many "modern" video
> games. But guess what I am playing?
> 
> http://stuff.povaddict.com.ar/nicolas/gens.png (1.4MB)
> 
> Does anyone know what the SEGA hardware specs are? :) I think it's kinda sad
> to see how much CPU time this emulator is using (between 20% and 50%
> depending on resolution; and jumps to 100% if sound is disabled, wtf?)
> 
> It wasn't too easy to get the emulator working. I built it from source. It
> gave some really weird compile errors. For a moment I thought I'd have to
> do major source changes, then I noticed the problem is it dislikes 64-bit.
> I had to do everything from a 32-bit chroot (which involved installing the
> dev. files of GTK+, more than 20MB). But hey, it works :)

Gens is not the fastest around, but it's one of the few available on 
Linux. :P

In the old times, I used to get a pretty good performance -- not quite 
that of the Megadrive, but pretty playable and with good frame rates -- 
with the legendary Genecyst, on DOS and a, gasp!, 486.  Yep.  It was 
written in assembly.

Post a reply to this message

nemesis wrote:
> Gens is not the fastest around, but it's one of the few available on
> Linux. :P

There are others? (even if not for Linux)

Post a reply to this message

Nicolas Alvarez escreveu:
> nemesis wrote:
>> Gens is not the fastest around, but it's one of the few available on
>> Linux. :P
> 
> There are others? (even if not for Linux)

Oh, come on!

Ok, here's a pretty good and old timer (I think it's the oldest yet 
active emulation site around):
http://www.zophar.net/

Go to:
http://www.zophar.net/genesis.html

or by SO:
http://www.zophar.net/linux.html

Post a reply to this message

nemesis escreveu:
> Nicolas Alvarez escreveu:
>> nemesis wrote:
>>> Gens is not the fastest around, but it's one of the few available on
>>> Linux. :P
>>
>> There are others? (even if not for Linux)
> 
> Oh, come on!
> 
> Ok, here's a pretty good and old timer (I think it's the oldest yet 
> active emulation site around):
> http://www.zophar.net/
> 
> Go to:
> http://www.zophar.net/genesis.html
> 
> or by SO:
> http://www.zophar.net/linux.html

Also, there's a fine section of emulated music for game music fans. :)

Post a reply to this message

nemesis wrote:
> 
> Also, there's a fine section of emulated music for game music fans. :)

I've been finding that some of the music composers for video game music 
write some pretty good stuff.  There are a few tunes I keep humming, 
even now, twenty years after playing the games, and I have a few in my 
Media Player playlist.

Regards,
John

Post a reply to this message

John VanSickle wrote:
> nemesis wrote:
>>
>> Also, there's a fine section of emulated music for game music fans. :)
> 
> I've been finding that some of the music composers for video game music 
> write some pretty good stuff.  There are a few tunes I keep humming, 
> even now, twenty years after playing the games, and I have a few in my 
> Media Player playlist.

Who doesn't? ;)

Post a reply to this message

>> I've been finding that some of the music composers for video game 
>> music write some pretty good stuff.  There are a few tunes I keep 
>> humming, even now, twenty years after playing the games, and I have a 
>> few in my Media Player playlist.
> 
> Who doesn't? ;)

That's nothing. I _perform_ music from computer games! :-P

(I'd show you, but then I'd probably get sued out of existence...)

Post a reply to this message

Invisible wrote:
>>> I've been finding that some of the music composers for video game 
>>> music write some pretty good stuff.  There are a few tunes I keep 
>>> humming, even now, twenty years after playing the games, and I have a 
>>> few in my Media Player playlist.
>>
>> Who doesn't? ;)
> 
> That's nothing. I _perform_ music from computer games! :-P
> 
> (I'd show you, but then I'd probably get sued out of existence...)

Not really.  If I'm not wrong, a bunch of orchestras around the world 
have played videogame and animé tunes once in a while... the trend will 
grow, I guess...

Post a reply to this message

nemesis wrote:
> Invisible wrote:
>>>> I've been finding that some of the music composers for video game 
>>>> music write some pretty good stuff.  There are a few tunes I keep 
>>>> humming, even now, twenty years after playing the games, and I have 
>>>> a few in my Media Player playlist.
>>>
>>> Who doesn't? ;)
>>
>> That's nothing. I _perform_ music from computer games! :-P
>>
>> (I'd show you, but then I'd probably get sued out of existence...)
> 
> Not really.  If I'm not wrong, a bunch of orchestras around the world 
> have played videogame and animé tunes once in a while... the trend will 
> grow, I guess...

Yeah, but did they have _permission_?

If so, that's completely different.

Hell, my sister's school staged a production of Joseph and the 
Technicoloured Dreamcoat. But they had _permission_. (Not to mention the 
complete orchestral score.)

Actually, it makes me kind of jelous. How the **** do you *get* that 
stuff?! There are some ALW scores I'd love to get my hands on - but what 
are the chances of that?

Post a reply to this message

Invisible wrote:
> nemesis wrote:
>> Invisible wrote:
>>>>> I've been finding that some of the music composers for video game 
>>>>> music write some pretty good stuff.  There are a few tunes I keep 
>>>>> humming, even now, twenty years after playing the games, and I have 
>>>>> a few in my Media Player playlist.
>>>>
>>>> Who doesn't? ;)
>>>
>>> That's nothing. I _perform_ music from computer games! :-P
>>>
>>> (I'd show you, but then I'd probably get sued out of existence...)
>>
>> Not really.  If I'm not wrong, a bunch of orchestras around the world 
>> have played videogame and animé tunes once in a while... the trend 
>> will grow, I guess...
> 
> Yeah, but did they have _permission_?

Yeah, obviously sponsored by the game companies.

> Actually, it makes me kind of jelous. How the **** do you *get* that 
> stuff?! There are some ALW scores I'd love to get my hands on - but what 
> are the chances of that?

That's the tought part, yes.  Getting the musical scores.  I heard in 
japan the game companies publish popular game's musical scores.  Lookup 
for game sheetmusic...

Post a reply to this message

> That's the tought part, yes.  Getting the musical scores.  I heard in 
> japan the game companies publish popular game's musical scores.  Lookup 
> for game sheetmusic...

Or just find a MIDI file to download and look at.

Post a reply to this message

scott wrote:
>> That's the tought part, yes.  Getting the musical scores.  I heard in 
>> japan the game companies publish popular game's musical scores.  
>> Lookup for game sheetmusic...
> 
> Or just find a MIDI file to download and look at.

I'm looking at one right now and seeing nothing but hex numbers. :)

Ok, lame jokes aside, it's still difficult to find game MIDIs (yes, I 
know of vgmusic site) and, specially, piano single game MIDIs...

Post a reply to this message

Invisible wrote:
> That's nothing. I _perform_ music from computer games! :-P
> 
> (I'd show you, but then I'd probably get sued out of existence...)

Why would you get sued?

I wouldn't really think twice about posting a recording of myself playing
video game music (actually I would, but not for legal reasons). I would
even post playing "modern" music, where the authors are still alive and
playing it and getting money for it :)

What I definitely wouldn't do is post the original for comparison (although
I wish I could); that would be probably considered piracy.

Post a reply to this message

Nicolas Alvarez wrote:
> Invisible wrote:
>> That's nothing. I _perform_ music from computer games! :-P
>>
>> (I'd show you, but then I'd probably get sued out of existence...)
> 
> Why would you get sued?

Because then they'd have all my money?

Post a reply to this message

Invisible escreveu:
> Nicolas Alvarez wrote:
>> Invisible wrote:
>>> That's nothing. I _perform_ music from computer games! :-P
>>>
>>> (I'd show you, but then I'd probably get sued out of existence...)
>>
>> Why would you get sued?
> 
> Because then they'd have all my money?

Youtube is full of videogame music players. :P

Post a reply to this message

>>>> (I'd show you, but then I'd probably get sued out of existence...)
>>>
>>> Why would you get sued?
>>
>> Because then they'd have all my money?
> 
> Youtube is full of videogame music players. :P

...and none of them get sued? :-P

Post a reply to this message

Invisible escreveu:
>>>>> (I'd show you, but then I'd probably get sued out of existence...)
>>>>
>>>> Why would you get sued?
>>>
>>> Because then they'd have all my money?
>>
>> Youtube is full of videogame music players. :P
> 
> ...and none of them get sued? :-P

No.  There are even some who tour around.  Google for "videogame 
pianist". ;)

Post a reply to this message

Invisible wrote:
> Hell, my sister's school staged a production of Joseph and the 
> Technicoloured Dreamcoat. But they had _permission_. (Not to mention the 
> complete orchestral score.)

Generally the score is sold with permission to perform it, fwiw.  I 
remember in school band, we would sometimes have to buy two sets of the 
music, because each set came with 10 trumpet copies and we had eleven 
trumpet players or something.

> Actually, it makes me kind of jelous. How the **** do you *get* that 
> stuff?! There are some ALW scores I'd love to get my hands on - but what 
> are the chances of that?

Don't you have yellow pages in the UK?

-- 
Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)

Post a reply to this message

Darren New wrote:
> Invisible wrote:
>> Hell, my sister's school staged a production of Joseph and the 
>> Technicoloured Dreamcoat. But they had _permission_. (Not to mention 
>> the complete orchestral score.)
> 
> Generally the score is sold with permission to perform it, fwiw.  I 
> remember in school band, we would sometimes have to buy two sets of the 
> music, because each set came with 10 trumpet copies and we had eleven 
> trumpet players or something.

Ooo, that's *interesting*.

>> Actually, it makes me kind of jelous. How the **** do you *get* that 
>> stuff?! There are some ALW scores I'd love to get my hands on - but 
>> what are the chances of that?
> 
> Don't you have yellow pages in the UK?

Heck, we don't even have any shops that sell sheet music in my city any 
more. :-(

(The last one went bankrupt a few months ago.)

But maybe you can do something with the Internet...?

I'd love to see the score for Pirates of the Carribean! ;-)

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

Post a reply to this message

nemesis wrote:
> scott wrote:
>>> That's the tought part, yes.  Getting the musical scores.  I heard in 
>>> japan the game companies publish popular game's musical scores.  
>>> Lookup for game sheetmusic...
>>
>> Or just find a MIDI file to download and look at.
> 
> I'm looking at one right now and seeing nothing but hex numbers. :)
> 
> Ok, lame jokes aside, it's still difficult to find game MIDIs (yes, I 
> know of vgmusic site) and, specially, piano single game MIDIs...

Well for example, I've never seen the score for the Bridge Zone from 
Sonic the Hedgehog (IIRC, II on the MasterSystem, but I might be wrong). 
But I can still play it. And I've made a recording of it.

Doesn't change the fact that I don't have the publisher's permission to 
do any of this...

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

Post a reply to this message

Invisible escreveu:
> Hell, my sister's school staged a production of Joseph and the 
> Technicoloured Dreamcoat. But they had _permission_. (Not to mention the 
> complete orchestral score.)

BTW, is this the same "Joseph and the Technicoloured Dreamcoat" briefly 
mentioned in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?!  With such an absurd 
title, I thought Adams made it up!... O_o

Post a reply to this message

Orchid XP v8 wrote:
> I'd love to see the score for Pirates of the Carribean! ;-)

http://www.google.com/search?q=pirates+of+the+caribbean+sheet+music

Dude.  Seriously.  It only took me three searches to figure out "sheet 
music" was the magic phrase, not "score". :-)

-- 
Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)

Post a reply to this message

Orchid XP v8 wrote:
> Well for example, I've never seen the score for the Bridge Zone from
> Sonic the Hedgehog (IIRC, II on the MasterSystem, but I might be wrong).
> But I can still play it. And I've made a recording of it.

I can play the music of most of the Sonic zones. And Green Day songs. And
dualtrax chiptunes (http://dualtrax.com). Etc. Never seen a score of any of
those.

> Doesn't change the fact that I don't have the publisher's permission to 
> do any of this...

How many youtube videos of people playing Mario theme? How many sued?

(I know YouTube is *full* of other kind of copyright infringement...)

Post a reply to this message

Invisible wrote:
>> Youtube is full of videogame music players. :P
> 
> ...and none of them get sued? :-P

Nope.

Well, there's lots of people doing actual copyright infringement on YouTube
and don't get sued, but still... I don't think it's "wrong". IANAL (I
should find one and ask him).

Post a reply to this message

I just ran into http://www.gog.com/ this site.  For folks liking 
emulated old video games for cheap. :-)

-- 
Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)

Post a reply to this message

Darren New wrote:
> Orchid XP v8 wrote:
>> I'd love to see the score for Pirates of the Carribean! ;-)
> 
> http://www.google.com/search?q=pirates+of+the+caribbean+sheet+music
> 
> Dude.  Seriously.  It only took me three searches to figure out "sheet 
> music" was the magic phrase, not "score". :-)

Yeah. And at home I have a book of sheet music for the musical Cats.

It features one-finger melodies and guitar chords.

Clearly it is at best vaguely related to what the orchestra actually 
play during the performance. Several of the songs aren't even in the 
book at all.

(Similar story for The Lion King. Similar again for War of the Worlds. 
And again for The Snowman. In fact, I have a whole stack of scores like 
this!)

I'm talking about getting the *real* score...

Post a reply to this message

nemesis wrote:

> BTW, is this the same "Joseph and the Technicoloured Dreamcoat" briefly 
> mentioned in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?!

Conceivably.

> With such an absurd title, I thought Adams made it up!... O_o

Well... ;-)

Post a reply to this message

Invisible wrote:
> I'm talking about getting the *real* score...

Then I would say call up Disney's legal team and ask them where to buy 
the rights to perform it. :-)

-- 
Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)

Post a reply to this message

Darren New wrote:
> Invisible wrote:
>> I'm talking about getting the *real* score...
> 
> Then I would say call up Disney's legal team and ask them where to buy 
> the rights to perform it. :-)

Sure! Let me just look that on in the Yellow Pages... oh, wait...

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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Orchid XP v8 wrote:
> Darren New wrote:
>> Invisible wrote:
>>> I'm talking about getting the *real* score...
>>
>> Then I would say call up Disney's legal team and ask them where to buy 
>> the rights to perform it. :-)
> 
> Sure! Let me just look that on in the Yellow Pages... oh, wait...

google for "disney contact"

Go to the fourth link.

Scroll about a third of the way down.

# For the Disney Legal Department, call (407) 828-1750.

That would be +1 for you, since it's in the USA.

Call them up, ask them who to talk to. They might not want to give you 
the score, but then you'll know. :-)

-- 
Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)

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