THQ chooses Nvidia's PhysX technology for better gaming

[Wreckage]

http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/40652/140/

Now most major developers are supporting PhysX. This is really good news.

 

[lavaheadache]

cool, but I'm not about to soil my pants over this. Maybe this will bring AMD to re think their approach to physx

 

[error8]

Great, now we'll have cloth in every game out there.

 

[MarcVenice]

How will this work on a xbox 360? Maybe THAT right there is physx biggest problem, games don't get developed for the PC, but for the consoles. AFAIK those consoles don't have cuda capable videocards, so console versions of the game simply can't have stunning physics effects. Mirror's Edge is getting 'tweaked' for it, but thats all extra cost, even though they can't sell the PC for more money.

 

[OCGuy]

:thumbsup:

If this pans out, it will be great for gaming.

 

[thilanliyan]

Originally posted by: MarcVenice
How will this work on a xbox 360? Maybe THAT right there is physx biggest problem, games don't get developed for the PC, but for the consoles. AFAIK those consoles don't have cuda capable videocards, so console versions of the game simply can't have stunning physics effects. Mirror's Edge is getting 'tweaked' for it, but thats all extra cost, even though they can't sell the PC for more money.

Seriously...these days consoles dictate a lot of what gets to the PC so it'll be interesting to see the adoption of PhysX in console games...if it can be done.

 

[nosfe]

Originally posted by: MarcVenice
How will this work on a xbox 360? Maybe THAT right there is physx biggest problem, games don't get developed for the PC, but for the consoles. AFAIK those consoles don't have cuda capable videocards, so console versions of the game simply can't have stunning physics effects. Mirror's Edge is getting 'tweaked' for it, but thats all extra cost, even though they can't sell the PC for more money.

xbox360? how about the wee? physx on a wee, i'd like to see that hehe

 

[Wreckage]

Originally posted by: thilan29
Seriously...these days consoles dictate a lot of what gets to the PC so it'll be interesting to see the adoption of PhysX in console games...if it can be done.

It's already been done.

 

[chizow]

Originally posted by: MarcVenice
How will this work on a xbox 360? Maybe THAT right there is physx biggest problem, games don't get developed for the PC, but for the consoles. AFAIK those consoles don't have cuda capable videocards, so console versions of the game simply can't have stunning physics effects. Mirror's Edge is getting 'tweaked' for it, but thats all extra cost, even though they can't sell the PC for more money.

This has all been covered before, the PhysX SDK is the most robust physics solution available on the market. It distinguishes itself from other solutions like Havok because its currently the only one that supports hardware acceleration beyond what is capable on a CPU.

PhysX Block Diagram near bottom
This explains it well, but the PhysX SDK allows for multiple back-end solvers for the various PhysX effects. This flexibility results in the kind of portability and features developers look for to differentiate and improve their games.

You've already seen PhysX on consoles if you've played any of the UE3.0 games. The only thing needed to support hardware PhysX in these titles is changing the back-end solver. But yes there will essentially be effects and features that will be added in as non-GPU/PPU solvers will simply not be able to handle the additional effects and remain playable.

But you can see what makes PhysX the best option right now. It offers all the software/CPU physics on the PC and consoles that have become standard over the years and also offers advanced physics effects with GPU/PPU acceleration. In the short-term that means an additional development path for the PC (like Mirror's Edge), but in the long-run you may very well see Nvidia GPUs in consoles for the sole purpose of accelerated PhysX.

 

[nosfe]

your first paragraph felt like a pr statement. Do you really like nvidia so much that you'd want an nv gpu in every console for the sole purpose of providing ragdolls²? too expensive for me, no thanks

 

[chizow]

Originally posted by: nosfe
your first paragraph felt like a pr statement. Do you really like nvidia so much that you'd want an nv gpu in every console for the sole purpose of providing ragdolls²? too expensive for me, no thanks

i liek phyxs becuz it maek more explodez on my wii and xbox and pc too so phyzx is best.

Is that better for you?

 

[nosfe]

butz do yuo liek physx or physics?

 

[Wreckage]

Originally posted by: nosfe
your first paragraph felt like a pr statement. Do you really like nvidia so much that you'd want an nv gpu in every console for the sole purpose of providing ragdolls²? too expensive for me, no thanks

Then buy a Wii or an old Gamecube.

High end gaming is certainly not for everyone.

 

[nosfe]

i don't care about the consoles, but the thing is, the wii is selling so well because of its gameplay over graphics mentality, i for one agree with that mentality

no, high end gaming isn't for everyone, but high end gaming is still gaming, and not watching, a crappy game is still a crappy game, no matter how high you set the resolution or eye candy at

 

[Creig]

Don't worry, nosfe. Some people just prefer the "ooh!" & "aah!" of rippling cloth over the quality of the gameplay itself.

 

[Wreckage]

Originally posted by: nosfe
i don't care about the consoles, but the thing is, the wii is selling so well because of its gameplay over graphics mentality, i for one agree with that mentality

Physics adds a new level of game play. I can't think of another feature added to video cards in the last several years that added a feature for game play. So this is great news.

 

[Wreckage]

Originally posted by: Creig
Don't worry, nosfe. Some people just prefer the "ooh!" & "aah!" of rippling cloth over the quality of the gameplay itself.

I get it. You are happy with integrated graphics quality games. Some of us like a little more (well a lot more) than that.

Euchre has great game play. For some that's all they need.

 

[OCGuy]

Originally posted by: nosfe

no, high end gaming isn't for everyone, but high end gaming is still gaming, and not watching, a crappy game is still a crappy game, no matter how high you set the resolution or eye candy at

What is your point? A crappy game is still a crappy game with Physx. A good game is a better game with Physx.

If THQ could incorporate this into Company of Heroes, I would be in heaven. That is a great game that would only get better.

 

[nosfe]

but that's the point, it's not a new level of gameplay, it's just eye candy, and it'll stay that way for a very long time. I'm talking about PhysX, physics was incorporated quite nicely back in the day with Red Faction without the need for fancy gpu accelerated stuff. All i've seen so far about PhysX is eyecandy, it looks great, but it's still only looks, not something i'd notice for more than 5 minutes/game. If they make a version of PhysX that can run on a cpu without eating the frames alive AND make the games so that it uses PhysX for gameplay changing things then that would be great, but that's not what i'm seeing from nvidia, all i'm seeing is eyecandy


@Ocguy31
my point is that it takes money/time to implement PhysX, i personally would want that time being spent on gameplay changing things and not to adding more fluff

 

[SlowSpyder]

Originally posted by: Wreckage

Originally posted by: nosfe
i don't care about the consoles, but the thing is, the wii is selling so well because of its gameplay over graphics mentality, i for one agree with that mentality

Physics adds more debri and banners that flap in the wind. I can't think of another feature added to video cards in the last several years that added a feature for game play. So this is great news.

There, I fixed it for you. But seriously I am excited about what Physx (or any hardwar physics) technology can bring to the table once they really use it to it's potential. Unfortunately they really haven't done much exciting with it yet.

As far as a feature that excites me more, I LOVE a lot os the Wii games I've played... now that is innovation. Of course Wii/video cards are different, but still I think what Nintendo did is more exciting then what I've seen from hardware physics so far.

 

[Creig]

Originally posted by: Wreckage

Originally posted by: Creig
Don't worry, nosfe. Some people just prefer the "ooh!" & "aah!" of rippling cloth over the quality of the gameplay itself.

I get it. You are happy with integrated graphics quality games. Some of us like a little more (well a lot more) than that.

Euchre has great game play. For some that's all they need.

No, it's just apparent that for some people, shiny things hold great appeal. Personally, I'll take an engaging storyline over a realistically flapping flag. But to each his own.

 

[Creig]

Originally posted by: Ocguy31
What is your point? A crappy game is still a crappy game with Physx.

I think that was his point.

 

[OCGuy]

Originally posted by: Creig

Originally posted by: Wreckage

Originally posted by: Creig
Don't worry, nosfe. Some people just prefer the "ooh!" & "aah!" of rippling cloth over the quality of the gameplay itself.

I get it. You are happy with integrated graphics quality games. Some of us like a little more (well a lot more) than that.

Euchre has great game play. For some that's all they need.

No, it's just apparent that for some people, shiny things hold great appeal. Personally, I'll take an engaging storyline over a realistically flapping flag. But to each his own.

But if your GPU company gave you that flapping flag for no extra cost, and includes it in the drivers.....


What is the issue? You are complaining about free realism? You are acting as if great gameplay and physx cant go together.

There are some people out there that say every new game sucks. Usually these people are only saying that because that is how they justify pirating software. "Well, put out a decent game and I would pay $50 for it".

There are great games out there. And hopefully some of them will include Physx in the near future.

 

[nosfe]

that's not the problem, the problem is that by porting PhysX to CUDA they made sure that even if ati would support it, it would have to be done using CUDA and that wouldn't work well on their cards because CUDA is optimized for nvidia cards. So ati then has to change it's architecture to something similar to what nvidia has and that will mean less innovation because there's usually only one way to make an architecture faster

 

[chizow]

Originally posted by: Ocguy31
But if your GPU company gave you that flapping flag for no extra cost, and includes it in the drivers.....


What is the issue? You are complaining about free realism? You are acting as if great gameplay and physx cant go together.

That's the issue though, his GPU company isn't giving them anything like that for free, they're too busy blowing sunshine hoping DX11 comes sooner than later. But ya there's no doubt any game is going to be better with PhysX than without.

Cryostasis Trailer and Downloadable Demo Link

Anyone really interested in PhysX needs to check that out. You can run the demo without an Nvidia CUDA GPU. Its obvious PhysX is going to be the next big thing on the PC....after watching that with GPU vs CPU acceleration the difference was akin to Hardware T&L compared to software. Honestly running in CPU reminded me of that 3DMark chopper run with my V5 5500.