Nvidia Buys Ageia to Boost Gaming Performance Options

[Mole]

Nvidia Buys Ageia to Boost Gaming Performance
Mark Long

Nvidia is acquiring gaming-technology developer Ageia Technologies under undisclosed terms. Ageia says its PhysX hardware and software are currently featured in more than 140 games for the Sony Playstation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii platforms as well as specialized computers from Dell and other PC vendors.

PhysX is all about making radical changes to the ways in which physical objects move and react to one another in the gaming environment. The technology allows game developers to abandon the use of scripted animations for dynamic interactions that more closely emulate real-world physics.

The technology enables characters with complex, jointed geometries to display more life-like motion and interaction. Even better, dense smoke and fog billow around objects in motion, and explosions generate dust and collateral debris. The goal is to create a more immersive environment for game players.

"The Ageia team is world-class, and is passionate about the same thing we are -- creating the most amazing and captivating game experiences," said Nvidia Chief Executive Jen-Hsun Huang.

Pervasive Parallel Programming

Huang said the computer industry is moving toward a model that combines a flexible central processing unit (CPU) with a massively parallel processor. The combination allows computer-intensive applications like real-time graphics to be rapidly crunched without dragging down CPU performance, he said.

To spearhead the transition, Nvidia has developed a Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA), which enables software programmers to code sophisticated algorithms with the standard C language and simplified extensions.

"Nvidia's CUDA technology, which is rapidly becoming the most pervasive parallel programming environment in history, broadens the parallel-processing world to hundreds of applications desperate for a giant step in computational performance," Huang said. "Applications such as physics, computer vision, and video/image processing are enabled through CUDA and heterogeneous computing."

Getting Physical

Ageia's PhysX currently requires the use of a separate processor, but that's about to change. Nvidia said it intends to port the technology directly to its GeForce 8800GT graphics-processor unit (GPU).

By combining the teams that developed Nvidia's graphics processors and Ageia's physics-emulating technology, "we can now bring GeForce-accelerated PhysX to hundreds of millions of gamers around the world," Huang said.

With 128 processors, Nvidia's GeForce chip is capable of processing parallel applications at up to two orders of magnitude faster than any dual-core or quad-core CPU, Nvidia said. By making Ageia's solution compatible with Nvidia's CUDA, computing functions otherwise performed by a CPU can be handed off to the GPU -- especially data-intensive calculations for real-world physical interactions.

Ageia was founded in 2002 by five entrepreneurs from America, Germany, Egypt and India. The privately held company, which gained its name from the first initials of the founders' home countries, has offices in Santa Clara, Saint Louis, Zurich and Beijing.

[Brotoi]

Looks like I'll wait another year before replacing my current game machine. :)

[Mole]

If you are looking to replace your game machine, I think it might take longer than a year to see integrated products from Nvidia/Ageia. The acquisition was just announced, so expect "all-in-one" products to hit the market in 18 months or so.

It will definitely be time for an upgrade then!

[njpaul]

And this is why I love Nvidia. My favorite graphics card meets my favorite physics library for an orgy of goodness.