🖥️📆 DirectX 9.0c integration date for The Sims 2
I recently noticed in unused lines on the TCRF site that one of The Sims 2 files mentions switching from DirectX 9 to DirectX 9.0c back on July 25, 2004, even though that version wasn't officially released until August 9. This begs the question: how and why developers have gotten access to DirectX 9.0c beforehand?
Before switching to DirectX 9.0c, The Sims 2 focused on DirectX 9.0, which was released on December 24, 2002. However, on July 25, 2004, the developers updated the requirements to DirectX 9.0c. Perhaps Microsoft provided this version to the major studios long before the official release. It would be interesting to learn more about such processes in the game industry.
P.S. CaSIE - this is name of The Sims 2 Bodyshop before its release.