No seriously. When was the last time you played a game that didn't use one of the following:
1) Miles sounds system.
2) OpenAL.
3) EAX.
4) Bass or FMod.
The problem with audio (in general, and with Windows in particular) is that it's too much of a moving target, too narrow profit margins, and nobody really cares. How many people do you know who have a Turtle Beach soundcard? I'd wager it's less than one in 100. How many do you know who has a Realtek AC97 or HDAudio on-board sound chip. I'd wager it was everyone else.
On-board sound chips are every bit as suspect and useless as on-board gfx chips. It's just that nobody cares enough about sound to buy a proper sound card.
1) Miles sounds system.
2) OpenAL.
3) EAX.
4) Bass or FMod.
The problem with audio (in general, and with Windows in particular) is that it's too much of a moving target, too narrow profit margins, and nobody really cares. How many people do you know who have a Turtle Beach soundcard? I'd wager it's less than one in 100. How many do you know who has a Realtek AC97 or HDAudio on-board sound chip. I'd wager it was everyone else.
On-board sound chips are every bit as suspect and useless as on-board gfx chips. It's just that nobody cares enough about sound to buy a proper sound card.