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Fun, games and new technology at GDC - News - 16th annual Game Developers Conference

SAN JOSE, CA -- Over 10,000 game developers from around the globe met in San Jose for the 16th annual Game Developers Conference (GDC) at the end of March. GDC (www.gdconf.com) featured more than 300 lectures, panels, seminars and interactive sessions across seven content tracks. Although this year's show was quiet compared to the last two years, where Nintendo and Microsoft had larger presences for the anticipated launches of GameCube and XBox, there was plenty of new technology on hand. While the benchmark that the now-defunct Square USA established with its Final Fantasy: The Spirit Within isn't expected to be reached with the current generation of videogame consoles, these interactive worlds are pushing the envelope in 3D technology.

Essentially, GDC is a job fair where top game developers and publishers roll out the red carpet for young and future game creators. The best way to woo new recruits is to show off what you've already done, as well as what you're working on. While the current generation of games were on display at various booths and pavilions, the real gems were shown by appointment only behind closed doors.

Epic Games and Digital Extreme were showing off the latest Unreal technology a best-selling first-person shooter (FPS) game franchise that has turned into one of the premier FPS game engines on the market. In addition to having early playable code of Unreal Tournament 2003, the developer showed off new technology demos. With over 18 months of development, the teams have been able to enhance the visuals and create an engine that allows game makers to play director. On the graphics side, the engine uses realtime shadows and particle effects and bump-mapping to create lush 3D environments that are nearly photorealistic and brimming with detail. A new matinee tool allows for swift camera scripting, bringing a very Hollywood feel of direction to the game. Unreal also makes use of Math Engine's Karma physics engine to create a sense of realism with vehicles and the destruction of bridges and other objects, which fall to pieces in a convincing manner.

GAME AUDIO

Epic has partnered with LIPSinc (lipsinc.com) to bring realtime voices to games that are naturally lipsynced to any language via .WAV files. This will allow players, using the Voice Commander communication device that Microsoft shipped, to talk in realtime, while playing online, and have their characters realistically speak their own voices to other players on the battlefield.

LIPSinc's technology which is available for license, requires any type of facial model that is morph point or bone driven to be modified for use in a couple hours or up to a day or two. Once modified, any type of audio or text file can be input and the character will fluidly speak in any language. The game works with every current animation package and game software, and is also modifiable. Upcoming games that incorporate this new technology which breaks the audio gap that has plagued most games, include Infogrames' Unreal franchises, Eidos' Deus Ex 2 and Thief 3, and Electronic Arts' Madden NFL and Medal of Honor.

Also in the audio department, PS2 will get Dolby's (dolby.com) Pro Logic II technology, which allows developers to create five-channel Surround Sound for games. Digital Theater Systems (DTS) launched a new surround-sound-capable DTS Software Developers Kit, which will allow game creators to incorporate realtime interactive multichannel audio during game play. GameSpy a content and technology company targeting gaming and entertainment industries, announced the availability of their In-Game Voice Toolkit for game developers, which will incorporate voice chat for developers of PC, PS2, Mac and Linux games.

CONSOLES

Microsoft hosted XBox Unplugged, a one-day tutorial to teach developers, artists, sound designers and producers the nuts and bolts of the next-generation console. While Microsoft will use this months' E3 show in LA to unveil its online gaming plans, Sony used GDC to show PS2's online capabilities with SOCOM: US Navy Seals and Twisted Metal Online. Sony had demos of both titles at the show, which are expected to ship in August with the $39.99 Network Adaptor, which allows the PS2 to use broadband or dial-up modem online connections.

Sony also had a running version of PlayStation 2 Linux release 1.0 at its booth. The unit ran X Windows, played MP3s with the X Multimedia System and searched the Web with the Netfront browser application. This device is aimed at consumers and hobbyists who would like to experiment with Linux. Looking further into the future, Sony's chief technical officer, Shinichi Okamoto, spoke of the development of PlayStation 3, which is focusing on the concept of distributed computing. If Sony opts to use a closed network that links all PS3s together with centralized processing hubs, the performance power of the shared PS3s would be 1,000 times greater than the current standalone PS2. Key to this decentralized computer entertainment network says Okamoto, is the Sony/IBM/Toshiba-developed Cell processor: This could change the very concept of traditional game development and distribution while opening up new doors for the distribution of traditional entertainment.

Speaking of distribution, Gigex will be providing a new one-stop-shop service for game developers, combining both Internet and on-demand CD distribution for beta tests, online game clients and broadband game downloads directly from developer Web sites. Valve Software has a new electronic content delivery application for broadband users called Steam, which gives developers the tools for content publishing, billing, version control and anti-piracy. This distributed file system is being tested by 75,000 broadband users.

Criterion Software unveiled version 3.3 of its RenderWare platform, which is available for PS2, XBox, GameCube and the PC. Criterion also entered into an agreement with physics technology provider Math Engine to become the exclusive worldwide distributor of the Karma physics engine. Zona joined the XBox Tools and Middleware Program and is developing an XBox version of its multiplayer online game server and network technology, Terazona, which can support up to 32,000 users in a game.