Next-Gen Matters
Or at least all the stuff in LucasArts' game worlds will have digital matter.
Published: May 8, 2006
One of the most exciting things about the PlayStation 3 isn't the graphics upgrades or that PlayStation gamers will finally have a system capable of real-time 5.1 surround sound (though, obviously, we're pretty keen on that stuff), it's how physics will change games and give in-game objects the kind of interaction that we really haven't seen yet. Sure, the folks at Havok have done a great job in building a physics system that gives things weight and heft -- particularly how bodies ragdoll around -- but plenty more can still be done to make games more convincing.
Enter a company called Pixelux, who has managed to craft something they're calling Digital Molecular Matter. Through a partnership with LucasArts, the material-based physics engine will help give in-game objects the kind of density and qualities that you'd expect from real-life objects, something that only the kind of horsepower that next-gen systems can make possible.
“Pixelux has been a fantastic partner in our effort to bring true next-generation gameplay to these new consoles,” giggled a giddy Peter Hirschmann, vice president of product development at LucasArts. “Digital Molecular Matter enables us to deliver game worlds that feel truly dynamic and alive – we can pack in dramatically more gameplay per square foot than was ever possible with earlier hardware generations.”
“When it comes to unlocking the potential of DMM – a technology that many engineers believe is still 10 to 15 years away – it’s hard to beat opportunities like next-gen Indiana Jones and Star Wars,” said Vik Sohal, Pixelux's COO. “Partnering with LucasArts is the perfect way to introduce DMM to the gaming public.”
DMM will first be used with the upcoming PS3 Indiana Jones game, where it'll be mapped to everything from crumbling walls and shattering glass to plant life, meaning wood will finally splinter and break at the moment of impact, glass will crack and shatter along actual stress lines and rubber will warp before whipping back into place. All this means games that-- you're not even listening anymore, are you? You're thinking about that Star Wars game that was mentioned, aren't you?
No, it's not an official game beyond a brief mention that there is going to be a next-gen Star Wars game, but then that's hardly a shocker, but examples included were Jabba's fat undulating with a sickening kind of awesomness, a Jedi Force push slamming a stormtrooper into a column before it and the building it supported coming crumbling down based on the point of impact, and carbonite actually denting (apparently DMM works on theoretical materials too).
Aw, crap, now all we can think about is how awesome a next-gen Star Wars game will be. Thanks a lot!
Enter a company called Pixelux, who has managed to craft something they're calling Digital Molecular Matter. Through a partnership with LucasArts, the material-based physics engine will help give in-game objects the kind of density and qualities that you'd expect from real-life objects, something that only the kind of horsepower that next-gen systems can make possible.
“Pixelux has been a fantastic partner in our effort to bring true next-generation gameplay to these new consoles,” giggled a giddy Peter Hirschmann, vice president of product development at LucasArts. “Digital Molecular Matter enables us to deliver game worlds that feel truly dynamic and alive – we can pack in dramatically more gameplay per square foot than was ever possible with earlier hardware generations.”
“When it comes to unlocking the potential of DMM – a technology that many engineers believe is still 10 to 15 years away – it’s hard to beat opportunities like next-gen Indiana Jones and Star Wars,” said Vik Sohal, Pixelux's COO. “Partnering with LucasArts is the perfect way to introduce DMM to the gaming public.”
DMM will first be used with the upcoming PS3 Indiana Jones game, where it'll be mapped to everything from crumbling walls and shattering glass to plant life, meaning wood will finally splinter and break at the moment of impact, glass will crack and shatter along actual stress lines and rubber will warp before whipping back into place. All this means games that-- you're not even listening anymore, are you? You're thinking about that Star Wars game that was mentioned, aren't you?
No, it's not an official game beyond a brief mention that there is going to be a next-gen Star Wars game, but then that's hardly a shocker, but examples included were Jabba's fat undulating with a sickening kind of awesomness, a Jedi Force push slamming a stormtrooper into a column before it and the building it supported coming crumbling down based on the point of impact, and carbonite actually denting (apparently DMM works on theoretical materials too).
Aw, crap, now all we can think about is how awesome a next-gen Star Wars game will be. Thanks a lot!