Canopus TNT2 On The Horizon

San Jose-based Canopus Corporation was the company to watch during the 3D-chipset boom of 1996 and 1997. Its Voodoo Graphics-based video card, the Pure3D, deviated sharply from 3dfx's reference design by adding an extra 2MB of texture RAM, creating a board that was instantly adopted by power-hungry gamers. Canopus continued its run of high-quality gaming hardware with the subsequent release of the Total3D 128V, the Pure3D II and the Spectra series of nVidia TNT based video cards.

However, last September Canopus miscalculated the forecast on its Spectra 2500, and production fell well short of public demand. Instead of ramping up production, the company decided to put its graphics division on an indefinite hiatus, focusing solely on its digital video-editing products. Although pricey, Canopus' high-quality and performance-intensive line of video cards were instantly missed by the gaming community.

All is not lost. GameSpot News has learned that Canopus is developing a video card based on nVidia's TNT2 chipset for a Japan-only release. While details are still sketchy, we do know that the card will fall under the Spectra series, will be able to use Canopus' upcoming VideoPort 600 editing utility, and will only be designed for the NLX form factor. Because Canopus of Japan is developing the TNT2 Spectra, the card won't use the WitchDoctor reverse-passthrough technology (which eliminated the standard Voodoo2 passthrough cable) engineered by US-based Canopus Corporation

Gamers shouldn't have a problem getting their hands on one of these cards once they hit the Japanese market. In the past, Japanese Spectra 3200's (the SGRAM equivalent of the US 2500) have been imported by stateside end users and system integrators without any hassles. Pricing and availability have yet to be decided on by the company, however don't expect it to ship anytime before June.