Technological forecasts of GDC 2015 – Multiplayer.it

There are many new technologies presented over the years at the Game Developers Conference, and the reason is simple: given the nature of the event, the producers want to show off to your potential customers, ie developers, devices that can capture their attention, that inspire new experiences. In recent times this has meant especially virtual reality, with Oculus Rift to take the lead in a new concept in this sense, technologically advanced and ready to take up the challenge, whether it’s gaming or entertainment to three hundred sixty degrees. This year the display produced by founded by Palmer Luckey should appear in its final version, while the horizon stand out possible new competitors: on the one hand the reality of Project Morpheus, probably improved since the start; the other, the unknown factor of SteamVR, announced only a few days ago and still shrouded in mystery. And then the “fourth inconvenience”, HoloLens, the display for augmented reality that Microsoft will try to offer an alternative experience without asking, therefore, in direct competition with the products mentioned above. Redmond will act on several fronts in that of San Francisco, focusing above all on DirectX 12 and what these libraries can bring, in terms of improved performance, Windows 10, and Xbox One.

Between libraries …

Microsoft aims to play a leading role in that of San Francisco, judging by the size of its stand, by far the largest among those on the showfloor. As previously reported, the Xbox division will be out in force at the event and will speak thus of games but also and above all of the technologies that will yield even better performance in this area. Last year the Redmond presented at GDC own DirectX 12, and this time aims to deepen the discussion by showing the graphics libraries work on several fronts, so as to provide to professionals and ordinary visitors a taste of what you can make using them in games. As we know, the basic concept of DX12 is similar to what AMD has tried to propose with Mantle, that is a direct relationship, as much as possible at a low level, between hardware and software. Without intermediaries to slow the computational process, DirectX 12 promises a significant increase in performance, and the latest test speaking of exciting results. Even the new libraries may allow two different GPUs, AMD and NVIDIA, to work in parallel, which makes us understand better what are the ambitions of Microsoft. At GDC will probably shown concrete examples and direct comparisons on the functioning of the new library, which will be included natively in the operating system Windows 10 and then will land on Xbox One. Redmond does not say it openly, but the challenge is to optimize the development on his console to fill the current gap with PlayStation 4, particularly evident in the production platform. And if the team first party will be able to do even more, the better.

… and holograms

Superb a bit ‘all, Microsoft has embraced the virtual reality, which seems to be the new trend but still sins of some degree of technological immaturity, but has proposed something different: holograms. The project responds to the name of HoloLens and was revealed for the first time during a special presentation event of Windows 10. Using a particular viewer, suppose that aims to become smaller and lighter, along the lines of Google Glass, this technology increases the reality in various ways, by interacting with the software we use to create a space of three-dimensional work. You know the interface used by Tony Stark in Iron Man film series? Here, something very similar. Imagine, therefore, to see, for example, a CAD gravitating over your desk, rotatable, zoomable and editable through simple finger movements. In short this is the future to which Microsoft aims, and precisely during the GDC must understand at what point is the company to do so, so if HoloLens will hit stores in a reasonable time, or if it is a product not yet ready for the market consumer.

The return of Oculus …

The Game Developers Conference is a great stage to consolidate certain projects, in this specific case the viewers for virtual reality. Strong acquisition by Facebook, which has certainly provided a boost to the production in terms of budget, Oculus Rift will return to San Francisco to establish the rules of the game, given that several rumors damage the device as ready to debut later this year. As evidenced by our recent test, the popular viewer for virtual reality seems to have solved the problems of the previous versions, eliminating the effect “beehive” and motion sickness in favor of an ever so immersive and spectacular, able to lend in so much excellent for use with video games as watching movies. Of course, there remain some concerns related to the practical implications of the use of such a device, the location of the sensor to movement in space, but the progress made by Oculus over the years are evident and the technology is now mature. Likely, in short, the presence in the San Francisco of a final prototype, perhaps the same one that we will find in stores.

.. .and what Morpheus

Just one year after the debut of Project Morpheus, the viewer for virtual reality produced by Sony back to GDC, the protagonist of a presentation lasting four hours will be held Tuesday 3 March. Our impressions of the device, however, based on a test performed eleven months ago, showed the great potential of a product aesthetically and ergonomically planned, able to adapt perfectly to wear glasses, but somewhat immature in terms purely technical. To manage a convincing virtual reality serves a power that PlayStation 4 may not provide, according to some experts, but the project has certainly been optimized over the last year and thus prepares to play his cards on the stage the Game Developers Conference 2015. In addition to a hardware revision, almost obvious, we expect to be able to prove Project Morpheus in a real field of gaming, with titles that support this technology to better and demonstrating what its real implications. A Sony serves a killer application, something that users do not see to try wearing the viewer, and no matter whether it’s an exclusive software or something that already exists (Driveclub?). A count, in this case, it will be the exclusivity of the experience.

Here comes a new challenger!

Just a few days ago the announcement that Valve will debut in the field of virtual reality, presenting his own viewer to GDC. The technology, which answers to the name of SteamVR, is a first for the company led by Gabe Newell and do not yet know what to expect in this regard, particularly on the hardware front. With the Oculus Rift to take the lead, it is likely that the device proves quite advanced, while maintaining a connotation that allows him to arrive on the market at relatively accessible. What is certain is that this move goes in the direction of creating a real ecosystem Valve, composed SteamOS, from Steam and Steam Machine Controller. All things that we will see just at the Game Developers Conference: will show the final version of the interesting controller with dual trackpad, which could hide some surprises sensational in terms of design, and in the same way there will be a return of the machines, which last year had both made headlines, only to come back in the shadows because of a situation still in flux and configurations objectively too expensive in terms of price / performance ratio. In San Francisco we understand so if the time is ripe for Steam Machine, if SteamOS can represent a compelling solution in the field of gaming, especially in terms of compatibility and if, more generally, Valve has been able to make substantial progress in ‘ Optical his original plan: to conquer the world … the gaming tables.