Nintendo Extends S3 Texture Compression License

[Megadrive1988]

Nintendo Extends S3 Texture Compression License
by Chris Remo



April 26, 2010

Nintendo and S3 Graphics have extended a licensing agreement that will see the console manufacturer make further use of S3's S3TC texture compression algorithms, continuing a decade-long parternship.

The two companies began their texture compression relationship in the late 1990s, when S3 announced it had licensed S3TC to Nintendo for its upcoming then-codenamed Dolphin console, which was eventually marketed as the Nintendo GameCube. The technology has been employed by Nintendo ever since.

Nintendo may be extending its license to apply the tech to its upcoming 3DS portable console, a more powerful Nintendo DS successor that will incorporate stereoscopic 3D graphics.

"This agreement furthers our dedication to providing our game developers with leading compression technology to enable them to deliver the best possible gaming experience," said Nitnendo Integrated Research and Development Division GM Genyo Takeda in a statement. "We look forward to continuing our licensing arrangement with S3 Graphics."

S3 says its texture compression tools allow for up to six-fold compression without affecting visual fidelity.

Added S3 Graphics GM Dr. Ken Weng, "The license agreement reaffirms S3 Graphics' S3TC texture compression technology as the industry standard for both PC and game console graphics."

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/28244/Nintendo_Extends_S3_Texture_Compression_License.php

Very interesting.

 

[Rolf N]

It would be batshit insane crazy for Nintendo to not [continue to] use S3TC. I don't see the big surprise. How this could possibly have made the news, I don't understand.

 

[draconian]

strange...

I don't get why Nintendo would take a license for this. Shouldn't it be the graphics chip provider? who ever that may be.

 

[assen]

Could it be that their next console will support - gasp - textures?!

 

[fehu]

Isn't S3TC a little surpassed?
I remember a lot of dx/ati technologies to better compress texture and normal maps

 

[assen]

Nope, everything else up to BC7 is basically small improvements to S3TC.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Is this a renewing of their license, which would be required for BC purposes?

 

[MfA]

Nope, everything else up to BC7 is basically small improvements to S3TC.

I'd say Simon's approach using a modulating texture which blends together two low frequency images is a pretty big variation ... at least as different from S3TC as that is from BTC.

Really though there is only so much you can do with fixed rate block coding.

 

[Simon F]

Really though there is only so much you can do with fixed rate block coding.

There are a few other fixed-rate methods floating about, though perhaps not in hardware, and I have also extended PVRTC-II a little bit over PVRTC-I. The compressor still needs work though.