Can AISeek give games an add-on brain upgrade?

Vikingod · Sep 20, 2005, 02:02 PM

Back in March, there was a burst of enthusiasm in the gaming community for Ageia's PhysX Physics Processing Unit (PPU), which promises to do for game physics what 3Dfx's Voodoo cards did for real-time 3D rendering. September brings news of a new accelerator chip in the works from a different company, this time for game AI. According to this ExtremeTech article, a company called AISeek plans to announce a launch date for their first dedicated AI acceleration processor for in-game AI sometime in 2006. (I realize that I'm a bit late with this link, but my month was interrupted and I'm just now getting back on track.) Like Ageia, AISeek hopes to mimic 3Dfx's success by creating a market for an add-on board that gamers didn't know they needed. Will their AI acceleration idea fly? Maybe, but the whole idea of AI acceleration faces a fundamental technical obstacle that 3D rendering and physics acceleration never had to contend with.
__________
Read More / Source: ars technica

Dragunov · Sep 20, 2005, 02:22 PM

graphical board, soundcard, network card, physics card, AI card

a complete pc full of boards just to play a game

maybe combination of those physics card and AI card in one

Greetz

Dragunov

daedal · Sep 20, 2005, 03:32 PM

Cooool. I think.

MSX · Sep 20, 2005, 07:38 PM

... Uh, I thought thats what the processor was for. Same with physics.

The real problem with their card that they will discover is that game makers have map made vector points and hint boxes for a reason. To make the AI appear a lot more intellegent than they actually are. With this card we will have farcry like AI in all games. While thats not a terrible thing, I would never say the AI in farcry seems as intellegent as the HL2 combine. Though it does make them a little more unpredictable.

Anyway it seems like another segmented bit of hardware. The main thing with games now a days is that if everyone doesn't have it game makers won't include support. Its just that simple.

The guy had a good point(about the proc. based), but I'd prefer my PPU or AIPU to be in my MB or graphics card. If they were in every single one I'm sure it would fly eventually. Though unless they go about that kind of push for support I doubt they will break into mainstream use.

Vikingod · Sep 20, 2005, 07:47 PM

I think it is a long wasy away before something like this is usable and implemented (if ever). Things like this would more complicate programing for games, IMO. We would be waiting for even longer to get good games. maybe if the things were dirt cheap (not likely) they would fly.

Logla · Sep 20, 2005, 08:11 PM

If this sillyness continues, we're gonna end up having 4-5kilowatt psu's in our machines to power all these cards.

Think as well, the differences between gpu's. Apply a similar situation to AI chips and you could end up with a completely different gaming experience if you dont use the card which has been made by company who paid the game developers to promote their card.

MSX · Sep 21, 2005, 12:21 AM

... You mean like nividia is doing now?

Logla · Sep 21, 2005, 06:10 PM

yup, exactly like that

Sep 20, 2005, 02:02 PM	#1
Vikingod Int'l Fish Liaison Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: By the light of lamp I sit and type... Posts: 16,197 Rep Power: 112 System Specs	Can AISeek give games an add-on brain upgrade? Back in March, there was a burst of enthusiasm in the gaming community for Ageia's PhysX Physics Processing Unit (PPU), which promises to do for game physics what 3Dfx's Voodoo cards did for real-time 3D rendering. September brings news of a new accelerator chip in the works from a different company, this time for game AI. According to this ExtremeTech article, a company called AISeek plans to announce a launch date for their first dedicated AI acceleration processor for in-game AI sometime in 2006. (I realize that I'm a bit late with this link, but my month was interrupted and I'm just now getting back on track.) Like Ageia, AISeek hopes to mimic 3Dfx's success by creating a market for an add-on board that gamers didn't know they needed. Will their AI acceleration idea fly? Maybe, but the whole idea of AI acceleration faces a fundamental technical obstacle that 3D rendering and physics acceleration never had to contend with. __________ Read More / Source: ars technica

Sep 20, 2005, 02:22 PM	#2
Dragunov DriverHeaven Addict Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 316 Rep Power: 0	graphical board, soundcard, network card, physics card, AI card a complete pc full of boards just to play a game maybe combination of those physics card and AI card in one Greetz Dragunov __________________ - Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 + Zalman 9700 LED - MSI P6N (Nvidia 680i chipset), BIOS: P33 - 2GB DDR2 ram Corsair Dominator 1066Mhz - MSI Geforce 8800GTS 640MB - Creative X-Fi Elite Pro - Seagate 320GB 7200/10 - WD Caviar 750GB - Logitech MX-518 - Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit NL

Sep 20, 2005, 03:32 PM	#3
daedal Uber Coffee Drinker Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gatineau, Quebec Posts: 2,250 Rep Power: 0	Cooool. I think. __________________

Sep 20, 2005, 07:38 PM	#4
MSX Burning the frozen... Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 1,201 Rep Power: 0	... Uh, I thought thats what the processor was for. Same with physics. The real problem with their card that they will discover is that game makers have map made vector points and hint boxes for a reason. To make the AI appear a lot more intellegent than they actually are. With this card we will have farcry like AI in all games. While thats not a terrible thing, I would never say the AI in farcry seems as intellegent as the HL2 combine. Though it does make them a little more unpredictable. Anyway it seems like another segmented bit of hardware. The main thing with games now a days is that if everyone doesn't have it game makers won't include support. Its just that simple. The guy had a good point(about the proc. based), but I'd prefer my PPU or AIPU to be in my MB or graphics card. If they were in every single one I'm sure it would fly eventually. Though unless they go about that kind of push for support I doubt they will break into mainstream use.

Sep 20, 2005, 07:47 PM	Thread Starter #5
Vikingod Int'l Fish Liaison Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: By the light of lamp I sit and type... Posts: 16,197 Rep Power: 112 System Specs	I think it is a long wasy away before something like this is usable and implemented (if ever). Things like this would more complicate programing for games, IMO. We would be waiting for even longer to get good games. maybe if the things were dirt cheap (not likely) they would fly.

Sep 20, 2005, 08:11 PM	#6
Logla HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 3,311 Rep Power: 0	If this sillyness continues, we're gonna end up having 4-5kilowatt psu's in our machines to power all these cards. Think as well, the differences between gpu's. Apply a similar situation to AI chips and you could end up with a completely different gaming experience if you dont use the card which has been made by company who paid the game developers to promote their card.

Sep 21, 2005, 12:21 AM	#7
MSX Burning the frozen... Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 1,201 Rep Power: 0	... You mean like nividia is doing now?

Sep 21, 2005, 06:10 PM	#8
Logla HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 3,311 Rep Power: 0	yup, exactly like that