Game Developer - January 2000

88 Pages·263.8 MB·English

by  CMP Media LLC

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VOLUME NUMBER
7 1
'1* '+r
Suhdivision Surfoce Theory
b
SubcJir,.ision surfac-es ttroke into tl-re technolctgical
lirnelight in Pix;rr's Academy Aw,ard-n inning short - itffi"- + -r 6- - JU ,.irt. ,^
Geri's (]ante. In t}-re first of ;r t\,\ro-part series on the sub- f.',,,8-.,..
ject, Sharp explains different surfat-e sr-hernes and hort,
thern r-an be applierl to real-time 3D devekttrtment.
BY BRIAN SHARP
Ploying for Kesps: Deueloping
Cusino Gomes
Electronic gambling devices har.e lor-rg remainecl cor-
doned off frclm the rest of the game de"reloprnent
inrlustr\r, bttt technolctgy in casino galnes is finallv
starting to catch up. ()ne ttring is certain about ttre
fnture of these clernices - there's mr)ne). in them.
BY STEVE BOELHOUWER
Postmorteil: lnsemhle Studios'
Act ot EtlplRES ll' THr Acr or l(lltcs
Holn, do von follolr, Llp a rnulti-million-selling, rlln-
arva\r hit? \Ier\, carefulh,, as Pritchard explains. Find
out holv the team at Ensernble fought the urge to rest
on their laurels ancl c-omrttitted themselves to turning
ottt'et anothcr stttt-tner'
By MATT pRrrcHARD
e Game Plan ay Alsx Durre
nS Graphic Content
BY ,|rrr LnTDER
Research cln thr. Rhine: T Says You LerreRs FRoM ouR READERS
Reflections on \,\Iater Sirnulation
9 Bit Blasts
HE Artist's View BY Mrl GuvMoN Credo finds intelligent Life Forms, 53 splits Dia-
Mor,ning N{onntains: mond, and Kelly Kleider reviews 3D Studio Max 3
Terrain (ieneration lvlethodologv
## Hard Targets BY Orvrro RexMAT The Vikitrgs were sonte of the rrost prolific- traders snd
Ttre Burdens of Nen, Tecttnolog), fearsome raiders of the Mitlclle Ages. Tltis "Mitlrtight Roitl" wrzs ren-
derecl itr 3D Sfirclio Max with textures created fu Plrotoshop 5.0. Art
6r* Soapbox BY Bnran Hoox by hrsenfule Sfidios artisfs Scott Whrsett, Bryan Hehmsrur, And
Ship Yonr Damn Garne! Brimr Sorrsrr. lilore b(o is trt
http:llwww.gdmag.com IANUAR\', 2oo0 GAm E DEYELOPER
PLAil
ti DEYELOPER.
600 Harrison Street, San Francisco, CA94107
Betting on the t: 415.905.22OO f: 415.905.2228 !v: www.gdmag.com
Puhlisher
Cynthia A. Blair [email protected]
lndustry's Future EDITOilIAL
Editorial Director
Alex Dunne a clunne@)sirius. c:om
Managing Editor
ur industry has, by recent What intrigues me is the potential for Kimberley Van Hooser [email protected]
accounts, overtaken videogames to influence EGD design. At Departments Editor
movies and spectator some point in the not-too-distant Jennifer Olsen [email protected]
sports in terms of annual future, I believe casinos and other con- ArLt aDuirraec Ptoorol lpool@:mfi.com
revenue in the U.S., but there's anoth- trolled gambling establishments - Editor-At-Large
er form of entertainment that's still far those from which children are restricted Chris Hecker [email protected]
ianhdeuasdt royf iuss s: og ahumgbel,in ign. fTahcet, gthaamt binling -im mweilrls siveee kg oaumt eE pGlaDys tthhaant fteoadtauyre's msoimre- CJMoeneftfrl i LbGauntuindyg me Ero di inteof rfrsln@edl@ariwnfiinn3e xcul.sc.ocmom
1997 (the last year for which data was ple, traditional poker and slot machine Omid Rahmat [email protected]
available) it dwarfed the annual rev- games. If that day arrives, the opportu- Advisory Board
Hal Barwood l,ucasArts
enues of videogames, movies, specta- nities open to videogame developers Noah Falstein The Inspiracy
tor sports, recorded music, and theme will widen considerably. Game develop- Brian Hook Verant Interactirre
parks combined. That year it took in ment skills might be in high demand MSuasrakn MLeilele-Mr eI'{rarormw ol.nuicxas l,earning
$50.9 billion, according to the recently from the likes of Bally, Williams, Silicon Paul Steed icl Sofil.r,,are
released findings of the National Gaming, and Casino Data Systerns, and Dan Teven T'erren Consulting
Rob Wyatt Dreaml,Vorks In teractive
Gambling Impact Study Commission shows such as the GDC and E3 might
(available at h t tpr://rt,rtrrr," uruisr--.gnr'). begin catering to EGD companies. At}VTfiTISING SALES
And it will likely continue to grow. Of course, the future of EGDs rests NJaetinonniafel rS aOlesr vMika nea: [email protected] t: 415.905.2L56
One of the fastest growing sectors of largely in the hands of the federal and
the gambling industry is "convenience" state governments, which are currently Ayrien Houchin e: ahouchin@mfi .com t: 47 5.905.2788
gambling, which currently rakes in in the process of evaluating the long- Account Executive, Eastern Region
about $9 billion per year. This sector term effects of gambling on individuals Afton Thatcher e: athatcher@mfi .com t: 415.905.2323
Account Executive, Western Region
comprises stand-alone wagering and communities. As for the EGf) mar- Darrielle Sadle e: [email protected] t: 415.905.2182
machines like video poker, video black- ket, the NGISC report noted that conve- Account Executive, Northern Ca I iforn ia
jack, slot machines, and video keno, nience gambling was not as beneflcial as Dan Nopar e: [email protected] t: 415.356.3406
which are collectively known as elec- other forms of gambling, in that it pro- Account Bepresentative, Silicon Valley
Mike Colligan e: [email protected] t: 415.356.3406
tronic gambling devices (EGDs). I sup- vides "fewer economic benefits and cre-
pose the growth in EGDs over the last ates potentially greater social costs by ADVERTISING PRODUCTION
decade shouldn't come as much of a making gambling more available and Senior Vice PresidenVProduction Andrew A. Mickus
surprise, because more and more states accessible." The commission recom- Advertising Production Goordinator Dave Perrotti
Reprints Stella Valdez t: 916.983.6977
have turned to gambling as a way to mended that states stop authorizing
bring in revenue and keep tax rates convenience gambling establishments, MILLEB FREEMAFI SAME GBOUP MARKETING
down, and gambling machines require and even advised shutting down exist- Marketing Director Gabe Zichermann
little administration. Consequently, ing operations. Wtrether these recom- MarGom Manager Susan McDonald
EGDs have cropped all over the place - mendations actually are adopted is an Junior Mar0om Project Manager Beena Jacob
SIfiCULATION
gas stations, airports, convenience entirely different matter, but EGD mak-
stores, supermarkets, bars, and other ers may face further regulation. Vice PresidenUcirculation Jerry M. Okabe
Assistant Circulation Director Sara DeCarlo
places where people have money in Fortunately, within casinos EGDs face
Girculation Manager Stephanie Blake
their pockets and time to kill. Because little regulatory threat, and that is where
Assistant Girculation Manager Craig Diamantine
of their growing prevalence, we decid- the most interesting opportunities exist. Circulation Assistant Kausha Jackson-Crain
ed it was time to take a look at EGD (Because children are banned from casi- Newsstand Analyst Joyce Gorsuch
development in this issue. nos, games can be developed that
INTEBNATIONAT LIO[N$IruG INTORMATIOf{
Currently the EGD market is some- appeal to the adolescent in all of us
Rohert J. Abramson and Associates lnc.
what peripheral to our "traditional" without concern for luring minors into t: 914.723.4700 f: 914.723.4722
videogame market. Most E,GDs are still the dark world of gambling.) It's these e'. abr am s o n@t p ro d i gy . com
mechanical, but increasingly they're locations that hold intriguing potential Miller Freeman
going all digital, and some companies for more exotic, creative EGD designs. AG UEn0ite/dM Nilelwesr &F Mreeedima apunb licGat-lioonbal Tony Tillin
like Silicon Gaming are starting to Who knows, someday we might see a Chairman/Miller Freeman lnc. Marshall W. Freeman
market machines that feature 3D descendant of one of today's hit titles President & CEO Donald A. Pazour
graphics and full-motion video. (Go in a game cabinet at the MGM Grand, Executive Vice PresidenU0F0 Ed Pinedo
ahead and chuckle to yourself that spittingt outu coins to% a little old lady EGxaelceunti vPeo sVsice Presidents Darrell Denny, John Pearson,
EGDs are a bit behind the technology wearing a muumuu. t Group President/Specialized Technologies Regina Ridley
curve compared to videogames, but Sr. Vice PresidenU0reative Technologies KoAnn Vik6ren
fust remember who takes in more Sr. Vice PresidenUGl0 Lynn Reedy
money.) Sr. Vice PresidenflHuman Resources Macy Fecto
v
HAA
GAmE DEVELOPER JANUARY 2ooo
Deep Fighter: Dungeon: TrickStyle: Bedline Racer:
under development demo 9/1O - DC-UK Magazine 9O%o - Ultimate PC
'...with the excellent lighting, shadows, transparency, and other great vasual effects, it's clear that developer
Crateraon Software has put a lot of effort lnto the 3D engane that powers al! thas fast-paced action."
AamePower, August 1999
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Real
Aftist Chris LeBlanc Lrsed 3D Studi0 fqAX to create thrs rncredible, photo- Developing imagery llke this demands a high-performance graphics
realistic scene, Like other tG artists and designers, fhrrs is eonstantlin accelerator like the E&S Tornado 3000 Designed for pnofessional,
pushing the Nimits of technolcgy to produre irnages that niake it difficult to 0penrGL apptications and por,vered by Elans &. Sutherland's REAL|mage u
distinguish beti,ve€fl ,r/hf,t's real and 'r,nthat's rendered. technology, Tornado rneets the exacting requirements 01t today's antists,
sucir as [iiqh-polygon-count modeling and fast texturing perforrrrance. trf you're
"As an i//ustrafor, f uranf fo fccus on making fhe r/ienf s CesiEn /nok rfs besf, an artrst usrnE 3D Studio MAX, Sortrrirage JD, tvlaya, Liglrt\,t/ave 3D, Mirai,, or
HoudIni, unleash your creatiuity r,rrith E&5 Tornado 3000, the
/f s fhe flna/ produrf fhaf counfs, Producrng realisfic irragies iuiflrin a desigln
po\,iler behind the scenes"
srhedu/e dernarqds speed. Ihaf rneans hardl,,'are lhaf can keep up r,uifh rrle se To find nut rnore about Evans & Sutherland graphics accelerators 0r to
I can rreafe ltrithouf rcrnprn,rnlse, " purehase nn line through ESDirett, visit our l'ueh site at www,es.com/wg.
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fhe porver hehind the scenes
SAYS
ory than is justified by its information
content, as (2048x2048)/(1aOx140) is read carefully,you'll notice that I did point
U ai Martin's article "Automatic about 214. out that using the convolution filters I
ll Generation of Large-Scale Terrain Because of excessive smoothing, the described in the article does decrease the
Models" (October 1999) overlooked height values created by the artist will amount of locol detoil (that is, they chonge
some important issues. Basically, this not survive to the output. Peaks and val- the original image values proportional to
was an article describing a signal pro- leys will rnelt. Many trial-and-error the size of the filter):
cessing operation; but when we use the attempts will kre required for the artist to Page 50: "...choosing the size of your
fundamental ideas of signal processing achieve what he wants. With a proper convolution mask will depend on the
to analyze Martin's techniques, flaws upsampling of the input, the peaks and omount of filtering you need and level of
are revealed. Following the article's valleys would be reproduced exactly. detail your final image requires."
advice can lead to wasted artist hours To the end user, that 214-times- Page 57: "...there is a trode-off between
and a poorly-performing game engine. memory-bloat is going to hurt. A per- losing local detail from the original height
Figure Zb of the article shows a sistent-world online game requires the bitmop (since smoothing reduces noise by
bitmap ttrat has been "scaled up." Each ability to be auto-updated after spreoding it over a larger orea, making it
pixel of the original image has become launch. When it's more diffuse) and generating more terrain
a square block of pixels in the big tirne to data from a bitmap of given size."
image. This is not the correct lvay to update the You olso say thot I don't
Brothen con you spore tulo cents?
enlarge an image. Programrners often terrain, ocknowledge that the filtering I
think that pixels are square, but rather how [-moil us 0t [email protected]. 0r rlrrite t0 described translates into o lot of
pixels must be treated as infinitesimal many 1sne 1evelope( 500 Horrison Street, wasted art work. l'd orgue that
sample points of a signal. To enlarge a hours will there is no work wasted whatso-
Son Froncisco, [A 94107.
bitmap correctly, you must "resample" your 56k- ever. lust because the original val-
it. Usually this is done bv interleaving modem user sit ues have changed slightly (due to the
the pixels with zero values, then apply- filtering) does not meon that it suddenly
ing a low-pass filter. This filter is there and turns into useless doto. lt's been my experi-
carefully chosen to limit the wait, cursing you? Or ence thot, depending on the amount of scal-
output to the frequency con- if you're making a sin- ing you Ltse, if you use some sort of scheme
tent of the original signal. gle-player game, that preserves the original data (like what
If the height map were prop- shouldn't you be wor- you later describe) vs. the filtering schemes I
erly scaled up, the result would ried about painful outline in the article, the difference isn't
be smooth and 100 percent load times? noticeable at oll once the terrain dato is
faithful to the original. This Martin suggests that inside the gome engine (which is what really
would eliminate the need for the rest the artist would fine-tune the motters in the end). I did try vorious interpo-
of the article. Instead, Martin performs upscaled height maps. This is a good lating methods (including curued surface fit-
the incorrect scaling, then notes that idea, but it doesn't require the maps to ting) and they just didn't end up being
the result is unpleasant. He devises ad eat so much storage. Instead, each worth it. Also, I never claimed that ony of the
hoc ways of eliminating the noise cre- 140x140 map should be resarnpled to methods I talked about would contain more
ated by the erroneous scaling. By filter- 2O48x2048. Then the artist makes his informotion in the true sense; they just gen-
ing with big gaussians, or by fitting changes. The engine subtracts the orig- erate more dota that you con use in your
loose splines to the terrain, he smooths inal image from the touched up ver- game. (lt sounds like we're splitting semon-
the imafJe se\rerel1,; this destrol,s its sion, yielding a " delta image." This tic hairs here, doesn't it?)
high-frequency information. delta image is 2048x2O48, but it is Speaking of the digital signol processing
When you knolt, a signal's frequency extremely compressible. Any modern technique you tolk a bit about, I don't have
range, the Nyquist Sampling theorem compression algorithm would make it much of a background in DSP so I wasn't
tells you at rt'hat resolution to store it. verf, r,r€ry small. Meanwhile, the input oble to validate what you proposed in the
By srnoothing excessivelv, Martin is stored at its original size, 140x140. time I had to write this response. lt does
reduces the terrain to a frequencln band During game play, when it's time to sound like an interesting idea, though.
that can be represented by a much load a block of terrain, the engine adds
lor,l,er resolution. Most of the rremorlr the two images. Thus storage require- I n the part of Kai Martin's terrain-gen-
used to store the image is rvasted. ments are shrunk drarnatically. I eration article about B-splines, the
The map designer's effort is l^"asted, I would like to have described these author lists the basis functions for a uni-
too. Suppose he draws the terrain as a issues w,ithout argon. But regardless of form cubic B-spline. Unfortunately, the
f
series of 256x256 blocks. You pass each specific technical issues, the most first basis function is incorrect. It should
block through a svstem that enlarges it important point is this: Today, knowl- be written (l-tr)316 instead of (1+tt):r16.
to 2048x2018, adds noise, then edge of signal processing is important This is due to using Alan and Mark
smooths it to an effective resolution of to game prograrnmers. Tomorrow it Watt's book Aclt,anced Anintatisn and
140x140. Seventy percent of the artist's will be more so. Rendering Techniques as a source for this
work is wasted (25 6x256 is 65,536; Jonathan Blow information, which contains a misprint.
140x140 is 19,600). Furthermore, the Bolt Action Software Scott
l.naefer
final image uses ZTl times more rnem- via e-maiI via e-mail
http://www.gdmag.com JANUARY 2000 GAmE DEYELOPER