AGEIA, azienda che ha sviluppato e commercializzato PhysX, la prima PPU (Physics Processing Unit) della storia dell'informatica, ha annunciato la disponibilità sul mercato delle implementazioni dell'acceleratore grafico firmate Asus e BFG.

Le nuove schede sono acquistabili singolarmente o incluse in computer pre-assemblati da numerosi system builder tra cui Alienware, Dell, Falcon Northwest, Systemax, VelocityMicro e Voodoo.

L'impiego di schede con la PPU Physics, in aggiunta al controller grafico principale, incrementa il realismo dei game introducendo un livello superiore di interazione con l'ambiente ed una nuova gestione degli oggetti, i cui movimenti ed evoluzioni rispettano le leggi della fisica.

L'utilizzo di una PPU richiede però che i giochi siano compatibili: UbiSoft, Cryptic Studios, NCSoft, Epic Games e Sega sono tra le più note software house che hanno annuciato il loro supporto per Physics.

Segue il comunicato ufficiale di AGEIA.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – May 9, 2006 – AGEIA Technologies, Inc., the pioneer in hardware-accelerated physics for games, today announced the availability of its PhysX processor on add-in accelerator cards from ASUS Computer International and BFG Technologies, Inc. The first physics processing unit (PPU) designed to power pervasive real-time physics in PC gaming can now be purchased by consumers worldwide, thus delivering true physics interaction on a massive scale to serious gamers everywhere.

Retailers, etailers and distributors carrying the ASUS and BFG physics accelerator boards include: Best Buy, Circuit City, New Egg, TigerDirect, D&H and many others.

PhysX accelerators powered by the AGEIA PhysX processor can also be purchased in systems from some of the world’s leading gaming system and personal computer manufacturers including Alienware, Dell, Falcon Northwest, Systemax, VelocityMicro and Voodoo.

The AGEIA PhysX processor, with its massively parallel interactive PhysX engines, has been specifically designed to accelerate dynamic physical motion and interaction in games at a scale and quality far beyond what has previously been possible. Exciting new games optimized for the hardware-accelerated physics provided by the PhysX processor feature complex characters and objects in environments that fully interact based on real-world, real-time properties.

“The use of physics in games adds another dimension to gameplay, making the experience much greater than ever before,” said Jon Peddie, Principal analyst for JPR Research. “With the release of its PhysX Processor AGEIA is blazing a trail that will benefit you, me and every other game player for years to come.”

Now that PhysX accelerators are available in systems and as add-in cards, gamers can finally have different experiences every time they play a game. Explosions happen in real-time and specific to the interaction of objects, not just replays of the same animation over and over again. Now game objects can smash, bounce, deform, shatter or explode and cause a different chain reaction every time, depending on physical laws such as force, speed, volume, pressure, or density.

“With AGEIA PhysX accelerator cards now available to consumers from gaming hardware leaders ASUS and BFG, we welcome gamers around the world to real-time physics gameplay that brings a new level or realism to gaming,” said Manju Hegde, CEO at AGEIA. “The fist games are hitting the shelves now and this is only beginning. Over the next year dozens of highly anticipated titles from the world’s best developers and publishers will add to the fast-growing library of great games that exploit PhysX power.”

More than one hundred games designed for and supporting the AGEIA PhysX processor are in development from over sixty leading software developers and publishers. Game developer and publishing partners include UbiSoft, Cryptic Studios, NCSoft, Epic Games and Sega, among many others.

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