Physics Processing Unit?

Now I was the first to mention this, but if people look closely, I actually preceeded those remarks with an IF conditional statement! IF MS didn't have this in mind from early on, they would need hardware redesigns to add the technology now. Anyone disagree? Anyone think you can pick up a novel prcoessor and stick it into a spare space on the mobo and run a few wires across without designing it in?

That is, I cannot see that this PPU could be added now. I'm not saying, nor never did say, that it won't feature (we don't know the specs) but saying the potential for inclusion is dependant on prior knowledge from MS. As has been pointed out, there's reasons for AGEIA to be partnering MS other than through silicon, so simply saying AGEIA is a partner is circumstantial evidence to see this as a probable inclusion.

I have to say though, what's the point of including 3 fast PPC cores if graphics are handled by one PU and physics by another? That's an AWFUL lot of AI and sound processing if those PPCs are going to be fully utilised!

 

Well Nintendo had never used 3D graphics before StarFox, so why believe they would ever add a 3D processor to a game cart?

We've no idea what Nintendo have planned for Revolution. Maybe games will be highly physics-based augmented reality? I've certainly found physics models on computers to be extremely engaging and think it would make way for highly engrossing games in all genres. Maybe Nintendo have got plans to move onto physics based gaming?

I doubt they'll include anything of this PPU sort too, but I still think if it does end up in a console it'll be a Nintendo, or more likely one of these upstart companies, similar to the handheld overcrowding that's developing at the moment.

 

sorry if old

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=21681

 

A whole PCI slot used up for a *physics card*?! Maybe i uinderestimated this thing, i thought it was gonna be integrated in either CPUs or GPUs but i was obviously wrong.
However, how many people will actually go out and buy "physics cards"? I would if i had the money, but i can't see this being sold in the millions, therefore support will be poor if it's not made standard and integrated at least in graphics cards..

 

While this is very nice I think that it is a job for nex gen GPUs, and starts with XeGPU.

 

If it was sold for about a 50-150ish i would buy it .

After all i spend about 200 on a cpu , 400 on a gpu. If this helps take off some of the performance drain from the cpu and gpu i'm all game.

Now if its 500$ you can count me out . But around the 100$ mark and it will be an upgrade every 2 years along with my video card. Just get the 400$ video card and a new physics card instead of a 500$ video card

 

AGEIA Technologies, Inc., a company dedicated to delivering pervasive interactive reality to next generation games, announced today that its NovodeX Physics SDK will enable unmatched performance for game developers targeting the next generation Xbox platform. As a result, users of the Xbox video game system from Microsoft will be able to enjoy some of the most exciting, lifelike game experiences available on any platform.

As the games industry's first multithreaded physics SDK, NovodeX is uniquely equipped to exploit the multicore architecture of the Xbox, allowing game developers to deliver incredibly lifelike worlds and characters for Xbox users.

"AGEIA's NovodeX Physics SDK is a powerful middleware engine for game developers who want to make the most of the multicore architecture of the next generation Xbox platform," said Tracey Frankcom, program manager, Xbox Tools and Middleware. "The real-time physics capabilities of NovodeX, combined with the high-definition graphics and audio of the Xbox, enable the creation of totally immersive environments and unbelievably lifelike character interactions."


"The next generation Xbox platform is the first available game console system to unleash the multithreading capabilities of the NovodeX SDK," said Manju Hegde, CEO and co-founder of AGEIA. "Today marks the beginning of a new era of hardware-accelerated physics for developers and users alike, in which pervasive interactive realism enters the world of gaming."

 

Yep its official
http://www.ageia.com/pr_03092005.html

 

Before people start drawing inaccurate conclusions about the Xbox 2 having a "PPU":

It's the middleware physic engine Novodex that has been ported, as expected, to the next -generation Xbox platform.

 

To be clear, It's official that the SDK will be / can be used used in x-box development (part of standard XNA?).

I'd say this definitely rules out any possibility of the Ageia chip being part of the platform.

(Edit: Vysez beat me to it!)

 

WaveRace Blue Storm, 1080 Avalanche, Mario Sunshine, Zelda Wind Waker, Metroid Prime/Prime 2, etc. etc.

Nintendo has always been big on physics, not sure why anyone would think otherwise.

 

The physics engine must be great, but I want a dedicated chip in one of the consoles. I know I probably won't get one lol, but it would be pretty nice to have a dedicated PPU.

 

If this got included in the Xbox 2, it would be intresting for sure (Monkey Ball with PPU hardware).

 

Not only are there great physics in Waverace, they actually affect the game mechanics.

But I'm sure all the racing games on Xenon will want realistic looking damage heh.

 

So when the Novodex/Xenon announcement mentions "hardware-accelerated physics", and J. Allard also mentions "physics acceleration" in his speech, what are they talking about if not a PPU?

 

He probably means having spare PPC cores around for stuff like that.

 

So then, where would non-hardware-accelerated physics be computed?

 

Fingers and toes.

 

This is probably a silly question, but would the physics made with this NovodeX SDK on nextbox work on a PPU on the PC if the game was ported to a PC?

 

Are you infering to the multicore cpu running the physics while a seperate PPU in the PC runs the physics code? I suspect the SIMD Altivec-like portion of the X-Box 360 CPU shares intellectual property from Ageia/Novodex. Microsoft licensed technology from ATI, so I could see them having the desire to license I.P. from Ageia/Novodex.


Ageia was founded in the second quater of 2002 and the IBM contract was signed in November of 2003. Ample time for Microsoft to have worked with Ageia and IBM. Tim Sweeney has even said they've worked with Ageia since their inception.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/03/08/news_6119896.html