C Programming Win

I found this opening tidbit from one of the old Operating Systems class assignments (CSE 451):

Despite incredible advances in programming languages over the last 30 years, most serious systems programming is still done in C.

Why is this? Because C gives the programmer more control and power over the code's execution than do other, higher-level languages like Java or even C++. Also, C typically has less runtime overhead than higher-level languages, which can translate into increased performance. Suppose you have a function that takes an integer and returns a double. In a strongly typed language, all you can do with this function is call it while passing an integer and treat the result as a double. Of course, you can do this in C. But you can also call it with no parameters, call it with 5 parameters, take the result and store it in an integer. Even better, you could treat the function as an array and read each instruction as an integer if you like. Or, you could call not the first instruction in the function, but maybe the second, or the third, or ... there is a reason why C is sometimes referred to as a "high-level assembly language".

Win.

3DRealms is no more

Sadly, it appears that 3D Realms is over, ending one of the greatest companies in game development. Their games were an integral part of my childhood and were definitely at least partly responsible for me ultimately ending up majoring in computer science. I've played all these:

• Duke Nukem 3D
• Rise of the Triad
  
• Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project

And still listen to the music from these today:

• Stargunner
• Shadow Warrior

So yeah. I guess Duke Nukem Forever, in development for 12 years, is no more. I still recall reading the game magazines back then when they first started developing it, and something about the switch from the Quake II engine to the Unreal engine. That was so long ago I can barely even recall.

Now I'm 1 year away from graduation, and sadly, 3D Realms is no more.