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Real-time Graphics: Issues and Trends in Games

Real-time Graphics: Issues and Trends in Games. Tobi Saulnier CEO, 1 st Playable Productions November 5, 2007 Computer Graphics, Fall 2007. Graphics in Games. Notable for Real-time graphics Actually, a blend of prerendered and real-time rendered

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Real-time Graphics: Issues and Trends in Games

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  1. Real-time Graphics: Issues and Trends in Games Tobi SaulnierCEO, 1st Playable ProductionsNovember 5, 2007Computer Graphics, Fall 2007

  2. Graphics in Games • Notable for Real-time graphics • Actually, a blend of prerendered and real-time rendered • Migration of graphics techniques as technology advances (from film world) • Each game platform has a unique architecture, optimization techniques need to be tailored for each • Genre enforces priorities for processing • Game art and design production creates bottlenecks • Lifespan of a game platform <5 years

  3. Console Platform Transitions … PSX (’94) N64 (’95) Dreamcast PS2 XBox Gamecube Xbox360, PS3, and Nintendo Revolution GBC (’98) GameBoy Advance N-Gage Dual Screen PlayStation Portable 1999 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2005 2010 2009 2008 2000 2007 Video Games technology introduction is driven by intense industry competition.

  4. Types of platform issues Every game platform has quirks and shortcomings, is only partially thought through, and decided well before most developers see the specs • Embedded platforms – do more with fixed platform • Optimize for specialized needs = differentiation • General purpose platforms • Phones, PC’s • Graphics frameworks to isolate from low-level dependencies

  5. Graphical Data Types • Scene data • Character data • Special Effects data • Lighting • Weather effects • Particle systems

  6. Why Graphics Optimization? • More graphics in the game … • More AI • More realism • More multiplayer • More characters

  7. Nintendo DS • Arm 7 and Arm 9 processors • Tony Hawk DS versus Spiderman DS

  8. Unreal III Engine (PC)

  9. Trend in pipelines • Fixed function pipelines • Typical of GBA, DS, PSP, PS2 • Programmable pipelines • Pixel shaders • Vertex shaders • Shader languages • Major transition for Xbox 360, PS3

  10. Lighting • Shadows • Lighting • Scene lighting • Character lighting • Resident evil – lighting tied into facial animation • Doom – global illumination, shadow volumes

  11. Doom XBox

  12. Rendering • Tris, polys • Multipass, single pass techniques • Prerendering versus real-time rendering choices • Architectural impact – GPU, memory, bus

  13. Unreal III Engine (PC)

  14. Procedural graphics • Problem = generation of enough content to utilize hardware capabilities • Manual generation is harder • Terrain generation • Scene generation • Spore – real-time generation • Trees • Returning to the same scene – pseudo-random sequences • Game challenges – design mapping

  15. Procedural Trees

  16. Trends • Fixed function to programmable • Deferred rendering • Progression of 3D onto handheld • Multiprocessing/multipurpose • Networked play • Procedural texturing, geometry • Lighting / cinematics

  17. Takeaways • Now is an exciting time in graphics for videogames • On all platforms! • The problems being faced require a new level of engineering discipline, a transfer of knowledge from non-realtime to realtime • You need to bridge hardware and software to be competitive • Not just games – Impact of innovation in other important areas

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