Epic Using AGEIA Physics Processing Unit

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hal

hal

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A bit from the official press release. Read the entire release for more details.


Epic Games and AGEIA Extend "Unreal" Partnership

Leading developer to support AGEIA's physics processing unit


SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – March 8, 2005 – At the Game Developer Conference, AGEIATM Technologies, Inc., a company dedicated to delivering pervasive interactive reality to next-generation games, today announced that Epic Games will support AGEIA's PhysXTM chip, the world's first dedicated physics processing unit (PPU). One of the world's leading developers of cutting-edge computer and video games, Epic has integrated AGEIA's NovodeXTM Physics SDK into its award-winning Unreal® Engine and announced the integration of AGEIA's NovodeXTM Physics SDK and support for AGEIA's PhysX chip in Epic's Unreal Engine 3. PhysX will be the first dedicated physics processing unit to be used in next-generation game platforms.

NovodeX is the only SDK that is equipped for the future of hardware-accelerated physics and meets the needs of the next generation in multiprocessor PCs and game consoles.

Tim Sweeney, founder and lead programmer of Epic Games comments, "We've been using the NovodeX Physics SDK with the Unreal Engine 3 for the past year and it has added some awesome effects. It's going to be exciting to see what NovodeX can do once the PhysX chip hits the market."

AGEIA's PhysX chip defines an entirely new category of processor: the physics processing unit (PPU). Coupled with the NovodeX Physics SDK, the PhysX chip provides cost-effective hardware acceleration which unleashes universal collision detection, rigid body dynamics, soft body dynamics, fluid dynamics, smart particle systems, clothing simulation, soft-body deformation with tearing, and brittle fracturing for destruction of objects in gaming environments.

"Epic's Unreal Engine is already legendary within the industry, and we believe that our technology will further support Epic's aim to empower global developers to deliver outstanding content for next-generation hardware," said Dr. Manju Hegde, CEO and chairman of AGEIA. "Together, AGEIA and Epic are determined to re-ignite the passion and creativity of game developers and use pervasive interactive reality to create a compelling gaming experience."

An article at the Enquirer (thanks Sindarin!) goes into some detail about why game companies are very interested in physics processing units.
 
hal

hal

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Full Release:
PRESS RELEASE
Epic Games and AGEIA Extend "Unreal" Partnership

Leading developer to support AGEIA's physics processing unit

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – March 8, 2005 – At the Game Developer Conference, AGEIATM Technologies, Inc., a company dedicated to delivering pervasive interactive reality to next-generation games, today announced that Epic Games will support AGEIA's PhysXTM chip, the world's first dedicated physics processing unit (PPU). One of the world's leading developers of cutting-edge computer and video games, Epic has integrated AGEIA's NovodeXTM Physics SDK into its award-winning Unreal® Engine and announced the integration of AGEIA's NovodeXTM Physics SDK and support for AGEIA's PhysX chip in Epic's Unreal Engine 3. PhysX will be the first dedicated physics processing unit to be used in next-generation game platforms.

NovodeX is the only SDK that is equipped for the future of hardware-accelerated physics and meets the needs of the next generation in multiprocessor PCs and game consoles.

Tim Sweeney, founder and lead programmer of Epic Games comments, "We've been using the NovodeX Physics SDK with the Unreal Engine 3 for the past year and it has added some awesome effects. It's going to be exciting to see what NovodeX can do once the PhysX chip hits the market."

AGEIA's PhysX chip defines an entirely new category of processor: the physics processing unit (PPU). Coupled with the NovodeX Physics SDK, the PhysX chip provides cost-effective hardware acceleration which unleashes universal collision detection, rigid body dynamics, soft body dynamics, fluid dynamics, smart particle systems, clothing simulation, soft-body deformation with tearing, and brittle fracturing for destruction of objects in gaming environments.

"Epic's Unreal Engine is already legendary within the industry, and we believe that our technology will further support Epic's aim to empower global developers to deliver outstanding content for next-generation hardware," said Dr. Manju Hegde, CEO and chairman of AGEIA. "Together, AGEIA and Epic are determined to re-ignite the passion and creativity of game developers and use pervasive interactive reality to create a compelling gaming experience."

About AGEIA
AGEIATM Technologies, Inc. is a fabless semiconductor company dedicated to delivering pervasive interactive reality to next-generation games. Its flagship product, the PhysX chip, is the world's first dedicated Physics Processing Unit (PPU) – a completely new hardware category that bridges the gap between static virtual worlds and responsive physical reality. The PhysX chip allows developers to use active physics-based environments for a more life-like entertainment experience. For more information visit www.ageia.com.

About Unreal Engine 3
The award-winning Unreal Engine is known for cutting-edge graphics and a best-of-breed toolset. Unreal Engine 3 is expected to maintain those features while adding massive world support, multi-processor support, next-generation console optimizations, and one of the most mature tool pipelines in the industry. Unreal Engine 3's new toolset is designed specifically to accelerate developers' productivity for ultra-complex, next-generation content. Additional information on Unreal Engine can be obtained at www.unrealteachnology.com.

About Epic Games
Epic Games Inc., based in Raleigh, NC and established in 1991, is a developer of cutting-edge computer and video games. The company is best known as the creator of hit PC 3D action games Unreal and Unreal Tournament, both award-winning blockbuster hits having each sold more than one million copies. Epic is also responsible for the Unreal Engine, which is the underlying technology for a wide range of games including, 2002 Console Game of the Year winner, Tom Clancy's Splinter CellTM from Ubi Soft; PC Gamer's 2000 Game of the Year, Deus Ex from Ion Storm/Eidos; America's Army: Operations, from the United States Army, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (PC) from Electronic Arts. Additional information can be obtained through Epic's Web site at www.epicgames.com.

Unreal is a registered trademark of Epic Games Inc. All rights reserved. All other products mentioned are trademarks of their respective companies.
Click to expand...
 
JonAzz

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Sweet!

just wondering... what happens if someone does not have this chip and wants to play the game? and where is this chip going to go or it just another thing to stick into a PCI / PCI Express slot?
 
ShortCutMan

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JonAzz said:
Sweet!

just wondering... what happens if someone does not have this chip and wants to play the game? and where is this chip going to go or it just another thing to stick into a PCI / PCI Express slot?
Click to expand...
UT2004 still has a software renderer remember! ;)
 
JaFO

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Well ... what did you expect ?
Consoles had dedicated chipsets for almost every task for ages.
It's pc's that have tried to hold on to a single powerful universal cpu for every task for ages.
First we got soundcards and Windows-assistance.
Then we got 3D-cards and since physics-engines have become the next 'hot' item it's not much a suprise if someone somewhere wanted to release an add-on for that bit.
I just wonder how they're going to do it. PCI might be too slow for the amount of data that would be equal to whatever a 3d-card needs. So it'd have to be PCI-Express, which pretty much makes it at least another year before it can even be sold, because except for the SLI-enabled motherboards there are none with more than a single PCI-E slot.

Though I do wonder whether this isn't an early April-fools joke ;)
 
213

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My guess is going with the April fool's joke actually. :rolleyes:
Athough keeping hope for something this insanely cool is nice...
But still, well,.. ya never know..

/cackles madly while pondering the possibilities of player character abuse in Unreal type games.


"Don't look directly into the light, instead try to use the light by putting yourself in front of it, and heading into the darkness." -213
 
]-UnderTOW-[

]-UnderTOW-[

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Man, the strides Epic are taking with UE3 and particually it's tools, just makes ALL other engines look like **** (esspecially the long awaited and highly overrated, Source engine).
 
W0RF

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OK, so now I have to buy a PHYSICS card to go with my graphics card and my sound card and my network card (well, techincally, I have onboard LAN on my mobo, but you know what I mean)?

They're going to have to start making mobos with like 27 PCI slots to cover all the modular stuff if this keeps up. Anyone think we might also see CPU-slot motherboards pop back up from the old P2 days?
 
G

gcountach

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The new age readme.txt.....

"Q: When I shoot, bullets fly away from the force of gravity"

"A: This is a known problem with nVidia's PhysFX 5200 with release drivers 90.21. You should upgrade them."
 
Luggage

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Very cool... I'm still waiting for dedicated integration of sound reflectivity mapping with 3d rendering technology. Sound-Diffusion-Maps anyone? Now let just Wave-field-synthesis technology become standard... damn, home entertainment is gonna rock in the 2010s :D
 
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