2000x GPU Performance Needed To Reach Anatomical Graphics Limits For Gaming?

Vigile writes "In a talk earlier this year at DICE, Epic Games' Tim Sweeney discussed the state of computing hardware as it relates to gaming. While there is a rising sentiment in the gaming world that the current generation consoles are 'good enough' and that the next generation of consoles might be the last, Sweeney thinks that is way off base. He debates the claim with some interesting numbers, including the amount of processing and triangle power required to match human anatomical peaks. While we are only a factor of 50x from the necessary level of triangle processing, there is 2000x increase required to meet the 5000 TFLOPS Sweeney thinks will be needed for the 8000x4000 resolution screens of the future. It would seem that the 'good enough' sentiment is still a long way off for developers."

Comments

Re:Development costs?

[hairyfeet]

Learn how to read FOSSie, its as far as the user is concerned there is no command line in Windows. You just sound like a moron when you can't even quote correctly. Just because you can't imagine in your perception bubble an OS that doesn't have to lean on CLI as a crutch doesn't mean everyone else has to live in such a backward ass world. Go write some Long PHP Codes and let the grownups talk, kay?

As for TFA how many companies are ALREADY going broke because of the graphics requirements of a single game? How many companies have we seen go under because all it takes is ONE flop with a 100 million dollar plus cost to torpedo a company?

And lets be honest folks, how many games have you played that this sentence is applicable "The graphics were great but the game sucked". Hell I'd be happy to play games that are at far Cry I level or even No One Live Forever II level of graphics if it has an engaging story, characters we can root for, good weapons that are nicely balanced, imaginative level design, hell give us SOMETHING besides just bling bling graphics. give us something fresh or a new take on an old idea and we'll be happy to put up with less impressive graphics, hell look at Terraria or Minecraft, both of those are wicked fun. the graphics in the Portal series aren't very impressive but the humor is damned funny and the puzzles fun. here is a game I keep coming back to everyone should try...Just Cause II. Does it have the most impressive visuals? no although it is pretty to look at, but what makes it fun is the completely bullshit reality thanks to the grappler. Rico handles like a cross between Spiderman and a totally batshit insane person, grappling onto helicopters flying by and chunking the guy driving it out before using it for a strafing run and leaping out 3 seconds before it blows to hijack a car and lead the cops on a 40 car chase, just completely nuts.

In the end the designers like this guy (when was the last time Epic made a truly memorable game? Hell they are known for their engines more than anything so I can see this guy wanting to push new tech as it sells new engines) seem to forget that ultimately its a GAME and games are supposed to be FUN with a capital F. Think a minute about the games you TRULY love, the ones you go back to, do you go back to them for the graphics? or is it something else, like great gameplay or a good story? Deus Ex, System Shock, Bioshock, No One Lives Forever I&II, Soldier Of Fortune I&II, Freelancer, these are the games that I keep permanently on my HDD and none of these were the most impressive games when they came out but they are FUN and THAT is what matters.

Oh and Indy game designers? Current FPS games SUCK HARD, so there are plenty of us who'd be happy to buy your games, even if they were at No One Lives Forever II graphical quality, if you'd give us something more fun that Call of Warfare:Gears of Killzone Edition, now with extra expensive DLC. Give us more than the halo dual guns bullshit, quit copying the same weapons over and over (kitty bomb anyone?) and jamming us into linear corridors. hell games like Duke Nukem 3D and Redneck rampage gave us more interesting levels to explore than the new games! There are plenty of us who'd buy your product, and plenty of places like Steam and GOG that you can sell it on. C'mon indy guys, there are plenty of us who miss the golden age of shooters when there was always something new and different to try, weird weapons or stealth or crazy mechanics or something.