It's the Physics, Stupid (July 22, 2007)

[Bandit LOAF]

Kotaku has posted a review of the Ageia PhysX physics card. Why is this Wing Commander news? Because the writer likens it to purchasing a sound card to hear Wing Commander Privateer talk:

I still remember the day I ponied up for a sound card. It was for Wing Commander Privateer. Before that game released a speech pack I saw absolutely no reason to spend my money on sound. How absurd, I thought, why would I want to do that. But then the voice pack hit and I was at the store buying both a sound card and the pack.

The idea of a separate 'physics card' in a computer is kind of interesting - and certainly suggests a movement back towards the days of PC Gaming being a hobbyists game rather than a mass market enterprise. We can only hope someday we'll be realistically dodging asteroids generated by similar devices in a future Wing Commander game...

--
Original update published on July 22, 2007

 

[QuailPilot]

Now Ageia has a game, which is a free download, to demonstrate the power of their PhysX card. You can play two maps with out it.

It's called Cell Factor: Revolution, and I love the (almost) fully destructible environments.

 

[Lt.Death100]

The reviews I've seen of Cellfactor don't rate it very high because of the failure to implement the new physics online, among other reasons.

 

[jaeger]

I am soo out of the whole computer realm... I used to know the cutting edge stuff! well I guess my dinosaur p4 1.7 is gonna have to go the way of the dodo and I will have to find the correct thread to ask everyone what is the most wing commander friendly setup that is know as modern systems! Either that or spend all that money on booze.