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AGEIA Technologies Inc.
disstress
Member Posts: 417
I've been reading as much as I can about this new technology. From what I can tell it can potentially keep the pc 'up and running' with the next gen consoles.
Now something that bothers me is, we will have to buy new hardware to take advantage of this new technology, how much is it going to cost?
When I get to thinking about it more, if this thing can bring to life the environment and character like never before, the price tag is irrelevant. Just think of how much more immersive an environment could be if the characters hair blew in the wind at the same time that the branches in the trees swayed, or if you got knocked into a tree and some acorns or pine cones fell.
I can't really see this coming to life in a MMORPG, but could definately see this in an action game or a FPS. I am really looking forward to how Mythic is going to use this technology and how they are going to promote it. This is really going to get AGEIA's name out in the PC world if Mythic does this right.
Comments
Essentially, there's limited physics in the game as with any other game, but a 'slider' in options that allows you to crank the physics up if you have a PPU. In an old game like City of Heroes; it's mainly just a bunch of interactive wreckage left across a city; trees dropping leafs when you hope into them, etc...
In short, it's already been exhibited that MMOs can implement functionality while keeping the actual hardware and bonuses of it completely optional.
But on another note: http://kotaku.com/gaming/netdevil/warmonger-unveiled-at-ces-226944.php
You have NetDevil there that's going to fully utilize Ageia's PPU for a MMO.
It's going to be awesome for the people that have the hardware, but certainly the whole PPU concept is going to remain niche for a long while. Fortunately, Intel, Nvidia, AMD/ATI are all planning to compete with Ageia eventually, and integrate it in their respective traditional hardware. That should help make it more mainstream.
So you can see just how different the games really look, check out this page. www.ageia.com/physx/videos.html
In particular, look at the videos for Stoked Rider Alaska Alien, Auto Assault, Cell Factor and Monster Madness. The Snowboarding video and the Auto Assault video in particular show just how different the game can look when you have a physics card installed.
It's really more of a nice little gadget for people who will pay to have some cool effects.
But it's not like developers need it to do physics, because game physics could just as well be handled by multi-core processors in the off cycles while the graphics hardware is not rendering. So we will not see many games that require it and it will probably stay sort of a luxury.
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."
~J. Krishnamurti
I gonna get some new hardware soon so I am ready for (Also Farcry Crisis and Stalker). But Im gonna get a ASUS EN8800GTX, Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 CPU and 2 Kingston HyperX 2 x 2 GB. Its gonna cost, but I got a lot of money back in taxes this year (insane)
The game Silverfall requires that you have the Aicha-cha-chia drivers installed, however, you do not need to have the card. All the card does is shoulder the physics calculation normally done by the cpu or the gpu, or both.
If indeed WAR requires the PhysX drivers, or something like it, most likely for deformable terrain, or ragdoll physics for PC/NPCs, then you just need to have the drivers installed, which I would assume would be included with the disc. You could get one of the physics cards, but it's not a requirement.
And anyway, the cost vs performance ratio is totally not worth it, unless you've got more money than brains, and just have to have the latest of gadgets for your rig.
Okie, Mr Coldmeat. I am open. What do you suggest then ?
I believe you answered your own question.
Beyond that, I've no damn clue what you're on about.
Most mordern computer system and console use physiscs engines to animation of either character or objects. It will be a battle between AGEIA PhysX™ and the major competitor Havok FX™ SDK. Of cause you can use something like ATI CTM and NVIDIA CUDA Though not decicated PPU´s. They can compete directly with the PhysX PPU hardware or SDK. Warhammer Onilne will of cause use this new technologi.
Here is a list of games there is take advantage of the physics engines
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_games_using_physics_engines
Yep, and FMV was all the rage in the 90's.
At this point, I have yet to see a game released that incorporated anything that would convince me that a separate physics card was a worthwhile upgrade. Paying $150-200 at this point is a waste, unless you're the type that absolutely has to be on the bleeding edge at all times, when the same card, or an even better one, will be out for the same price, or less in a year or two, when there's enough good games out to justify it. Assuming Nvidia/ATI don't just integrate a PPU on their upcoming video cards at a better price than a standalone video card and ppu would currently run you.
As far as that list on wiki goes. Not too many games on that list worth buying, period. Let alone buying a dedicated physics card for. I just uninstalled Silverfall yesterday. It's on the list under games using PhysX. It required the Ageia drivers to play the game, though not an actual PhysX card. Which was my original point in regards to the OP.
Frankly, besides the game itself being not worth it, I'd been fairly peeved if I'd been conned into getting a $200 card, given that the only use of the engine was the flopping about of the corpses, which looked asinine, anyway.
The first use of FMV was in 1983, but it was first with the release of Windows 95 it hit.
There is two games im iinterresting in, they are Hellgate London and Warhammer Online there both is gonna take advantage of the physics engines. Of cause both ATI and Nvidia provid rigid body dynamics on thir latest graphics card. However I trust more on a pure soultion with a PPU from Ageia.That unit was most effective in accelerating particle system. That will be my favour choice for WAR.
Beside what is $200 today?, The card is almost free.
Stand alone PPU's will quickly be replaced once Nvidia and ATI start adding physics capabilities to their video cards. More then likely that are working on the API details with Microsoft as we speak for DX10 and beyond. So in the end that card will be a nice expensive paper weight.
Games I've played/tried out:WAR, LOTRO, Tabula Rasa, AoC, EQ1, EQ2, WoW, Vangaurd, FFXI, D&DO, Lineage 2, Saga Of Ryzom, EvE Online, DAoC, Guild Wars,Star Wars Galaxies, Hell Gate London, Auto Assault, Grando Espada ( AKA SoTNW ), Archlord, CoV/H, Star Trek Online, APB, Champions Online, FFXIV, Rift Online, GW2.
Game(s) I Am Currently Playing:
GW2 (+LoL and BF3)
Don't forget, you can also add it to the collection of Killer network cards
The fact that people are willing to shell out exorbitant amounts of money for products that do little to nothing, is a testament to the techniques of snakeoil salesman.
I still can't believe people are even talking about this dumb card..has no one realized that if you get the Aegis card it uses up your system's ram! Unlike an Nvidia or ATI card that come with their own ram. 200 bucks so a card can snatch 512 megs of my system's ram to run physics is ridiculous considering my system is already high end and fast enough to run those calculations on its own.
Whats even funnier are people going but such and such game is using a physics engine...well alot of games have physics engines and they don't require you to have the card so why waste 200 bucks on a card? But then its not my 200 dollars to waste so burn your cash if you wanna.
200 bucks is STILL alot of money especially if you pay all your own bills and don't live off someone else.
Please Refer to Doom Cat with all conspiracies & evil corporation complaints. He'll give you the simple explination of..WE"RE ALL DOOMED!
The cards not just $200.It takes up a precious pci-e slot.that slot would be better used for SLI.Wait did i hear someone say there getting a 3 slot pci-e board.yes nvidia makes the chipset and there are some high-end boards with it.However these boards can also run 3 8 series cards in sli.actually theres dual gpu 8 series otw.so you can have a 6gpu 8 series setup.This is setup for 2000x1500+ resolution big lcds,which apply to less than 5% of the hard core market.Nvidia tested this and found dx9 coding not able to handle it,and became a bottle neck.So we got DX10.Of course 6 gpus would prolly require a 1000watt psu,being 746 watts is a horsepower,it's amazing to think your gaming rig is using more electric than your pool motor.My modest rig atm increases my landloards electric bill over $30 A month.Okay ill stop rambling,im just board on vacation,vacation=time away from my rig.
Oh, I believe people will spend the money. I usually assume the worst of people. Colour me a pessimist. I'm just saying it's a waste of money, as others have also pointed out.
<--------- Me maybe, sniff
Someone on the first page is an Idiot, The physx card is not PCI express, it's PCI Slot. I have one.........!!! They are making a PCI-E just havent yet.....
http://www.engadget.com/tag/PhysX
Hmm,since intel,nvidia,and amd make the chipsets these novelties have to run on.I'm sure they will be very accomodating to some fly by night company trying to move in on thier action.And a non-pci-e version is even more useless.the old pci bus only runs at 33mhz and 32bit width.And if it taps system memory through a pci slot thats a joke,botttlenecking 800mhz plus ddr2 ram thru a 33mhz bus,bah.I wouldn't use it if it were free.
If history repeats as usual,the 8900 gtx will be out in the fall.i'll shoot for that model for one main reason.More time and selection to go sli.had a problem when i got a 7800 then 18months later went to upgrade.Seemed like everyone had the same upgrade plan and 7800's were going used on ebay for over $300.They were all discontinued,lucky new egg had some rebuilts with warranties for $165.
But zomg,I hope AMD releases the r600 series soon to bring Video Card prices down below $400.If not only thing keeping nvidia from topping $700 mark has been talk of an anti-trust action against them in the US.