I wrote a software implementation of OpenGL with the only goal of being able to play Quake3 using it. I can vouch that it is an amazing learning experience. The tutorial here doesnt seem to aproach the issues of performance however, which really are another learning experience entirely.
"being able to play quak 2" as a goal for validation of effort and to have something concrete to strive for is completely different than "none of my software or hardware on my system can play quake 2", and I suspect grandparent meant the former and not the latter.
Besides cmrx64's answer: Have you considered the possibility that 8bitpimp comes from a country where programmers are paid much worse or has a job that is paid badly but one still has good reasons to take it (say, graduate student)?
