User:NeoGenPT/Final Reality

Final Reality is a computer benchmarking software tool co-developed by Remedy Entertainment and VNU European Labs (testing division of VNU Business Publications), and released in November 1997. Its purpose is to determine the overall performance of a computer, based in 2D and 3D graphics rendering tests as well as bus transfer rate tests. It became an industry standard for benchmarking and part of the bundled software for many graphics cards. Over five million copies were distributed worldwide. Remedy Entertainment announced the discontinuation of support to the application on November 15, 1998, shortly after the launch of 3DMark 99 by its spin-off company FutureMark.

History
In summer 1997, Remedy Entertainment was contacted by VNU Business Publications (considered at the time the biggest computer magazine publisher in Europe) and asked to create a 3D accelerator benchmark program. Remedy accepted and signed a development contract for the application which was later to be known as Final Reality. Remedy also found this a good opportunity to try out their upcoming 3D engine MAX-FX, which was later to be used in Max Payne and 3DMark99. But in the final version Final Reality used Remedy's in-house developed "e2 - Exit Technology" 3D Engine. The soundtrack accompanying the benchmark tests was composed by Purple Motion (who composed also for Remedy's video game Death Rally) and also included music from the critically acclaimed demo "Second Reality" by Future Crew.

Technical Overview

 * the "Reality Marks" DirectX 5.0 requirement, system requirements box, etc
 * Final Reality uses Remedy's in-house developed "e2 - Exit Technology" 3D Engine. (http://web.archive.org/web/19981206005428/http://www.remedy-ent.com/fr/)

The Tests
Final Reality included a group of nine tests to evaluate a system's overall performance, these were categorized into 2D tests, 3D tests, bus transfer tests, and a separate AGP test. Although separated from the others, the AGP test is also a bus transfer test that measured the speed of graphics rendering when dealing with amounts of textures superior to the graphics card video memory.

Reception

 * describe the industry reception, how it became a benchmarking standard, etc