14 DAY TRIAL // It may have been said that game makers aren't overly interested in hardware-accelerated physics, but it looks like any achievement in this field gets trumpeted either way, as was the case with Funcom's Dreamworld 2.5 game engine.
The thing with MMO (mega multiplayer online) games is that most of the computing is done on the servers that host them, while gamers' PCs have to mainly handle the graphics side of things and the connection.
This is because, the more the PC has to compute, the more data has to be sent and exchanged, and then synchronized with the main server itself, not to mention all other connected users.
As such, physics effects haven't really been incorporated in many titles, at least not server-side.
Apparently, Funcom thought it was high time that changed, so it incorporated server-side NVIDIA PhysX into its Dreamworld 2.5 game engine.
For those that don't know, this engine powers the Age of Conan and Anarcy Online games, two quite popular titles that will soon be joined by Secret World.
Dreamworld 2.5 should now be able to double the speed of in-game physics processing, compared to client-side technologies.
"We are excited to be working closely with NVIDIA to integrate PhysX technology into our Dreamworld 2.5 engine," said Rui Casais, chief technology officer at Funcom.
"Server-side collision using PhysX will allow us to add a new level of realism to our online worlds, and we look forward to implementing other enhancements as well, including NVIDIA APEX clothing and destruction, to make our games even more interactive and immersive."
Basically, the aforementioned games should start to see more realistic collision effects within the online gaming universe.
“We've been collaborating closely with NVIDIA in continuously improving the quality of the Dreamworld Render engine […].The launch of the new engine is a major milestone towards the high requirements for visual performance in virtual adventures required for The Secret World."