Prisoners of ATI

Amid much fanfare, and probably the first time a computer company has done this, ATI took over Alcatraz Island off the coast for San Francisco for their eXTreme graphics launch. During the summer it can be a heck of an ordeal getting tour tickets for the infamous prison known simply as The Rock.

The launch of the 9800 XT proved to be a tourist’s dream come true, a private tour, free booze and finger foods, and a chance hang out in all kinds of places that the average visitor never gets to see.

So, it was different, it was unusual, and sometimes over the top, but obviously a sign of ATI’s confidence. The company seems to have come out on top of Nvidia after a drawn out two year battle, and they want everyone to know about it.

Who was leading the cheerleading for ATI but none other than Dell. First of all there was the Dell Dimension XPS, aimed at the high-end gamer, ubiquitous around Alcatraz. Then, there was Kevin Kettler, who is Dell’s Chief Technology Officer no less, touting ATI and promoting Dell’s upcoming developer support program that will provide cut price hardware and support to developers using the XPS. Not quite sure about the value of that program to developers, but ATI gets some help putting XT systems in the hands of game makers, I guess.

And ASUS Director of Marketing, Rick Allen, brought along the ASUS retail package for the 9800 XT, bundled with HL2, a monster box that should take up plenty of shelf-space at retail. With Sapphire, Gigabyte, PowerColor, Connect3D, and other ATI board partners also occupying showcase cells at the event, ATI was making sure that no-one was in any doubt as to the availability of the XT at launch time.

Yup, Gabe Newell, President of Valve, was also there, as were assorted actors in zombie and dominatrix garb to reenact scenes from HL2 for the geek press.

ATI’s feeling good about itself, that’s for sure, and with the 9800 XT they are looking good, too, it seems.