Dark Void getting the PhysX treatment

by: John - posted: 4/28/2009 2:53:00 PM

I first saw Dark Void at CES 2009 and I thought it looked like a pretty fun game. It evoked some memories of Rocket Ranger when you turned on the jet pack and started to take off. Well, today it was announced that Dark Void will be implementing PhysX into their game for thing such as smoke effects for the jetpack, UFOs, and spaceships. It will be one of the first games to have it all hardware accellerated on the PC when the game comes out. All the console versions also will be PhysX enabled but I'm going to be interested to see how it works on a PC system rigged up with NVIDIA hardware. Hopefully, we'll see it in action when E3 rolls around.

NVIDIA PHYSX TECHNOLOGY MAKES THE THRILLING SCI-FI WORLD OF DARK VOID COME ALIVE
Upcoming Action Adventure to Combine Stunning Physics Effects with Unique On-Foot and Mid-Air Game Combat System

SANTA CLARA, CA—APRIL 28, 2009—Capcom Entertainment, Inc., the publisher of Dark Void™, an upcoming science fiction action adventure that combines aerial and ground-pounding combat for a thrilling third-person shooter experience, are reaching for the skies in the way they have adopted NVIDIA® PhysX® and APEX technologies to deliver stunning in-game physics effects. In fact, when it ships in the fall of 2009, Dark Void will have the distinction of being the first game to use dynamic, accurate smoke effects and smoke trails for the game’s innovative jetpack, UFOs, and spaceships, all of which will be hardware accelerated by GeForce® GPUs when played on compatible desktop PCs.

Developed by Airtight Games and Capcom, Dark Void incorporates a unique vertical combat system that allows players to dangle from thousand foot drops as they take cover and drop enemies from above and below, bringing a whole new sense of vulnerability and thrill to gamers. The game’s jetpack allows players to fly with reckless abandon while performing hair-raising stunts, taking the 3D action to a whole new level. Airtight Games is utilizing both NVIDIA PhysX and APEX technologies to deliver an inspired, interactive experience, complete with a GPU-accelerated particle system that is used extensively for weapons and debris effects.

“The extensive capabilities that NVIDIA PhysX and APEX technologies provide to developers is colossal,” said Jim Deal, President at Airtight Games. “For example, the new APEX turbulence module that NVIDIA recently introduced allows us to have infinite artistic freedom in the way  the game looks, plays, and feels. We hope that gamers will appreciate these fine touches when they play Dark Void later this year.”

The NVIDIA PhysX development platform consists of a robust physics engine, API, and middleware designed to give developers and animators unprecedented creative control over the look of their final in-game interactivity by allowing them to author and preview physics in real time. NVIDIA PhysX technology works across all major gaming platforms, including PC, Xbox360™, PLAYSTATION®3, Nintendo Wii™, and the iPhone, and can be accelerated by both the CPU and any CUDA™-enabled NVIDIA GPU.

Dark Void will be released in the fall of 2009 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the PC, which will feature numerous GPU-accelerated PhysX effects for a truly immersive game experience.

For more information on Dark Void, please visit: www.darkvoidgame.com
For more information on NVIDIA PhysX technology, please visit: www.nvidia.com/physx.