Havok Announces Support for Wii

[NANOTEC]

Well if there is anything in there I expect it to be something very simple (low number of transistores and probably integrated on the GPU), for todays standards, but for exemple a SPU, in logic, is only 7M transistores yet it can give a really good aceleration to GC HW on this kind of jobs (physics, animations and math intesive). I would expect something like this small specialized processors or even DSPs for this jobs.

Probably it wouldnt be even near from XB360/PS3 but it should give a good advance over GC.

Yes, if it has built-in physics hardware it would have to be a small dedicated block of transistors integrated into Hollywood analogous to a VMX unit on a PPE.

 

[Grall]

Guys, get real.


Did any of the demos at E3 hint at hardware physics processing built into the Wii? No.

So why even bother to speculate? You're just creating baseless hype.


*G*

 

[NANOTEC]

Guys, get real.

Did any of the demos at E3 hint at hardware physics processing built into the Wii? No.

So why even bother to speculate? You're just creating baseless hype.

*G*

It's not baseless. Konami said there is built-in physics for Wii. Kaplan also said there is more to the hardware that has not been revealed. Finally if you think what has been shown at E3 is all that Wii can do, then you're being very unrealistic.

 

[pc999]

At E3 they still using GC dev kits, plus before release all of them use incomplet dev kits, so we still have reasons to especulate .

 

[NANOTEC]

At E3 they still using GC dev kits, plus before release all of them use incomplet dev kits, so we still have reasons to especulate .

Exactly.

 

[Rodéric]

At E3 they still using GC dev kits, plus before release all of them use incomplet dev kits, so we still have reasons to especulate .

And Perrin Kaplan did say they still had "hardware surprise" and that hardcore gamers needed pay attention to Nintendo...

 

[Urian]

Since the Gekko is a 21 milion transistors and the Broadway is Gekko with few additions I have no doubt that a possible SIMD unit optimized for Physics can be inside the new CPU for Nintendo.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

It's not baseless. Konami said there is built-in physics for Wii. Kaplan also said there is more to the hardware that has not been revealed. Finally if you think what has been shown at E3 is all that Wii can do, then you're being very unrealistic.

Though if they have more features to make a more desirable system, why not show them there? It's the best place if they're going to launch later this year I think. I can only assume this tech isn't ready to be used? Which would be cutting it a bit fine, unless they're not launching 'til 2007

 

[Grall]

It's not baseless. Konami said there is built-in physics for Wii.

That comment could easily have meant a software-based solution. I'm not at all convinced there's hardware acceleration on-board. If there had been, I expect Nintendo would have trumpeted it during E3.

Kaplan also said there is more to the hardware that has not been revealed. Finally if you think what has been shown at E3 is all that Wii can do, then you're being very unrealistic.

Kaplan's words could mean anything. To interpret them as support for the theory of hardware physics processing is pushing way beyond what is actually supported by available evidence.

What WAS actually shown doesn't support any hardware physics. You can't say we haven't been shown everything, and use that as some kind of proof for mythical hardware; you can't prove a negative like that. Logic has taught us such reasoning is forbidden.



*G*

 

[NANOTEC]

Though if they have more features to make a more desirable system, why not show them there? It's the best place if they're going to launch later this year I think. I can only assume this tech isn't ready to be used? Which would be cutting it a bit fine, unless they're not launching 'til 2007

It makes sense that Nintendo's focus for E3 would be the controller and not physics, graphics, clockspeeds etc.

That comment could easily have meant a software-based solution. I'm not at all convinced there's hardware acceleration on-board. If there had been, I expect Nintendo would have trumpeted it during E3.


Kaplan's words could mean anything. To interpret them as support for the theory of hardware physics processing is pushing way beyond what is actually supported by available evidence.

What WAS actually shown doesn't support any hardware physics. You can't say we haven't been shown everything, and use that as some kind of proof for mythical hardware; you can't prove a negative like that. Logic has taught us such reasoning is forbidden.

*G*

Nobody is saying there IS a physics coprocessor in Wii. We are saying there MAY be something there that we haven't been shown and that some of the hints MAY be pointing in that direction. Finally it probably wouldnt be too smart to reveal everything at E3 for your competitiors to see. There is still the TGS for more surprises.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I thoguht the Kaplan thing was the speaker in the Wiimote. Or is this a different quote that came after that hardware feature was announced?

 

[Rodéric]

I thoguht the Kaplan thing was the speaker in the Wiimote. Or is this a different quote that came after that hardware feature was announced?

It was during IGN interview which took place during E3 on the floor...
So definetly not anything we've heard yet.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Oooooo, intrigue. Makes you wonder why they keep not announcing their console! I guess they want the secrecy to keep people talking? OR are they just making it up as they go along?

 

[pc999]

Plus she also said for HARDCORE gamers and we like specs .

Personally each time I belive more that Wii is indeed a extention of GC HW but a big extention with a lot of fixed function/specialized HW for the major and more expensive tasks.

If you see the RS trailer (not the GC SDKs demos from E3) you can see very nice animation, physics and the best softshadows I ever saw in a game (with nice lighting too) or look at Pangya the carachters are really nice too, if they can do this kind of things in very large scale (big and complex scenarios with many of them) then I am ok with that. BTW last year PDZ looked worst than many of those games.

This E3 has been to show off the controler (BTW I heard rumors of a second conf. this summer, althought I dont have reason to belive in it) as far I heard there could be a lot of game from companys that like to push the HW that didnt show any game.

Plus this would explain Nintendo coments, devs , MarkRein and even ERP ones.

That said I dont think we will see "exact 480p versions" of 360/PS3 games althought I wouldnt be suprised if we saw tuned down versions from multiplatform games, ie eg BIA3 but without SSS and many more vs/ps just the lighting like RS (which I suposse it is fixed), and that kind of diferences, which will be cool.

Anyway this already have to much especulation, belive if you want.

Oooooo, intrigue. Makes you wonder why they keep not announcing their console! I guess they want the secrecy to keep people talking? OR are they just making it up as they go along?

We just prove they are sussecefull on that.

 

[Rodéric]

(BTW I heard rumors of a second conf. this summer, althought I dont have reason to belive in it)

That also was in the Interview, she said that Nintendo's heads will have a summer summit and that more will be revealed (I think to them, not sure about press release).


BTW mate, it's lighting (if you add an 'n' it's a lightning (bolt)).

 

[pc999]

Thanks , for bothoops: ).