Ageia PhysX: PS3 can handle it; 360 features, however, are limited.

[Jupiter_x]

Although Ageia has demonstrated its PhysX chip and related Novodex engine to journalists, the company again showed prerendered movies of the technology at the Game Developers Conference Europe here. Several versions of the technology will be offered: software-based rendering on single- and dual-core PCs, software versions running on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, and PCs equipped with PhysX chips.

Although the PhysX libraries accelerate a host of technologies, from physical object interactions to fluid-based particle effects like water and smoke, only the PlayStation 3 and a PhysX PC will have the horsepower to process all of the technology's features, Ageia executives said. The Xbox 360 will not be able to process the fluid-based technology, because of the limitations of its architecture.


http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1855078,00.asp
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3143371

Interesting

[Mochan]

Like I said before, PS3 should have the edge over the 360 in terms of physics processing because of the specialized nature of its SPEs vs. the general nature of the 360's cores. It's good to know that it's been confirmed by the physics guys themselves.

[Jupiter_x]

PS3 is getting so much coverage, it is going to kick a$$ bigtime. PS3 is what really stands out to me and I love those Japanese games. I don't care whether they come in second or even third.. it's going to be killer!
I don't want to rule out 360 or anything. M$ have a very good chance at becoming the mainstream system this time. When I see the game line-up in addition to future titles, they seem to be doing very well. I see release titles like Oblivion, GOW, and Tomb Raider: Legends...Wha??? (TR:L looks sweet so far on the current gen systems, how will this look on 360? I guess it will be similar to the difference between Tomb Raider: Last Revelation on both PS1 as compared to the Dreamcast version) Then there's that freaky A$$ FPS "Prey",Let's not forget the next Halo! Yeah, 360 has some serious potential,yet will it have PS2 syndrome? It looks similar to PS2...well...kind of. It's the 2nd system from M$, it's now getting touted as "Not Powerful enough"! Will it then be as popular as PS2 was? hmmmmmm!

[Cuddly Knife]

All the videos I've seen for the next Tomb Raider make it seem like a watered-down Prince of Persia with gunz. It doesn't look good to me at all.

[Jupiter_x]

All the videos I've seen for the next Tomb Raider make it seem like a watered-down Prince of Persia with gunz. It doesn't look good to me at all.

Tomb Raider games (At least the first 3 or 4) IMO are more about exploration rather than combat and acrobatics. I liked the POP games, but Tomb Raider games just have that element of mystery!

[mandark]

It looks similar to PS2...well...kind of. It's the 2nd system from M$, it's now getting touted as "Not Powerful enough"! Will it then be as popular as PS2 was? hmmmmmm!
It could very well be IF Sony pulls a Nintendo. That is ignore and don't support third party and start developing 1st party games that outnumbers the third party ones. But we all know that won't happen.

[Jupiter_x]

It could very well be IF Sony pulls a Nintendo. That is ignore and don't support third party and start developing 1st party games that outnumbers the third party ones. But we all know that won't happen.

I still believe Sony is the one to come out on top for next gen. I don't think however, the gap between 360 and PS3 will be as big as their predecessors were. My feelings regarding 360 were kind of up and down back in April, May and June. Mainly because It was the first "Next Gen" system to come out, which was this year, and I was getting impatient back then. I saw some promising titles especially Oblivion!
However, the biggest reason for all this??? Yeah I just got my Xbox 4 short months before E3 and I was on a bit of an Xbox high! Funnier still, I still found PS3 more enticing even then, it was simply staggering...it just felt so far away....well it still kind of does.
These days, I'm back to my regular self, I have decided pretty much what system(s) I am getting next gen (PS3 and REV) and I feel 360 as cool as it seems just doesn't cut it for me. Altough I still feel that the 360 will be extremely popular!

I Think the 360 will be the "Sega" in the Next Gen, whereas PS3 will be the "Nintendo". Both will of them will be very popular indeed!

[Jupiter_x]

I Think the 360 will be the "Sega" in the Next Gen, whereas PS3 will be the "Nintendo".

By that statement I mean: The days when Nintendo was #1 and Sega was a close #2

[Mochan]

Seems Ageia has already withdrawn the allegations.

http://www.extremenano.com/article/Ageia+Withdraws+Xbox+360+Comparisons/159632_1.aspx

Personally though, I think they're just a bunch of spineless physicists who jumped the moment Microsoft said $. Damage control is such a wonderful business. Maybe companies can start making a business out of badmouthing the 360 and getting lunchmoney from MS.

[Jupiter_x]

Seems Ageia has already withdrawn the allegations.

http://www.extremenano.com/article/Ageia+Withdraws+Xbox+360+Comparisons/159632_1.aspx

Personally though, I think they're just a bunch of spineless physicists who jumped the moment Microsoft said $. Damage control is such a wonderful business. Maybe companies can start making a business out of badmouthing the 360 and getting lunchmoney from MS.


Hmmmmmmm! Good Point!

[Mochan]

Or it's entirely possible no lunchmoney was involved, MS has enough clout to put pressure on smaller companies. What would Ageia do if MS released Vista with a block on the Physics processor? Probably not a total block but they could make it a pain for the consumer to use any Ageia software or hardware apps. It's not in Ageia's interests to piss MS off at this point in their life; they're still basically a startup company looking it to make it big and cash in on a huge piece of the pie. They've invested a lot in their physics in order to take the role of #1 physics developer in the world, and that's a potentially huge thing in today's gaming market. They're in a position to become the next NVidia.

But if they screw with MS who knows what'll happen to them? They're not NVidia yet and haven't really made their mark yet, so they're at the most precarious part of their corporate life, they're at the make or break point. So better not take any chances, and having MS as an ally is definitely something they want to do. I'll bet whoever made the presentation and the remark on the 360 has been canned or demoted already.

[DrunkenThumbmaster]

Or it's entirely possible no lunchmoney was involved, MS has enough clout to put pressure on smaller companies. What would Ageia do if MS released Vista with a block on the Physics processor? Probably not a total block but they could make it a pain for the consumer to use any Ageia software or hardware apps. It's not in Ageia's interests to piss MS off at this point in their life; they're still basically a startup company looking it to make it big and cash in on a huge piece of the pie. They've invested a lot in their physics in order to take the role of #1 physics developer in the world, and that's a potentially huge thing in today's gaming market. They're in a position to become the next NVidia.

But if they screw with MS who knows what'll happen to them? They're not NVidia yet and haven't really made their mark yet, so they're at the most precarious part of their corporate life, they're at the make or break point. So better not take any chances, and having MS as an ally is definitely something they want to do. I'll bet whoever made the presentation and the remark on the 360 has been canned or demoted already.

I guess there is no room for the company to have just been wrong. The first comment by Ageia seemed to be more of a marketing ploy than anything else. They don't have a license for the 360 so they downplay that tech. The reason could be that with general processors it will be easier for devs to write there own physics engines and don't need the middleware.

Read some previews on full Auto that games seems to have the most advanced physics of any game I've seen so far.

[Mochan]

Or it could be what the article says, yes. Too many unknowns. You know me though, and you know my previous analysis on the issue, and it fits with the initial news. That's why I'm leaning towards the 360 not being able to take full advantage of Novodex.