Re: XieXie Master -- a recommendation

On Mar 12, 8:52 pm, mikeh...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 wrote:
> On Mar 13, 2:26 am, mark <mschr...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
> > I would be shocked if it happened under the current conditions. Quick
progress needs 2 things a universal shogi user interface and a shogi
programmer's forum. The interface helps programmers to start quickly.
> > It also lets 2 programs play 100s of games automatically to test
changes. The interface is new. I don't know of anybody using it. If these
things became popular it would create intense competition and in
> > 10 years the computer would beat the #1 player. But I don't see these
things becoming popular so progress will be slow.
>
> 1. is there anything preventing the interface from getting popular?

Maybe that the interface is in English and shogi programmers are
Japanese. Maybe there is not enough interest in shogi programs because
shogi is not a popular game. Probably the same reason there is no
shogi programmer's forum. I am not sure why. But I do know the chess
interface helped boast computer chess rating was created in 1993. Now
15 years later we have a shogi interface. The reason it will not
become popular is same reason it took 15 years to create.

> 2. how come a universal interface was only created recently?

Because a chess programmer saw that it would help shogi programmers.
He was outside of the shogi programming community. He did not have a
shogi program. That was the first shogi interface. Soon a 2nd
interface was created because the chess interface was expanded to
include shogi also by chess programmers.

> 3.  is there more money or less money in shogi programs compared to
chess programs?

I think less money in shogi programs because the market for shogi
programs is smaller than the market for chess programs. I read there
are 8.4 million shogi players and 285 million chess players.

> this discussion has side-tracked into a talk about shogi, but
> nonetheless good stuff (since i no little about the game).

I also know little about shogi. Most of the interesting information is
in Japanese like player profiles, tournament news and web pages of the
NSR Nihon Shogi Renmei.

Some day it will not matter that it is in Japanese because computers
will accurately translate between Japanese and English. I figure that
will be in 30 years.