IGN: The Engine That Makes The Conduit Go

About a month from now, SEGA will ship High Voltage Software's anticipated Wii-exclusive first-person shooter, The Conduit. The game is coveted for its robust control system and online play, but also for its technical prowess. Using the proprietary Quantum3 engine, the team at HVS has worked hard to ensure that its title looks better than the majority of products on Nintendo's system.

To learn more about the cutting-edge offering's tech, IGN caught up with chief creative officer Eric Nofsinger and advanced tools and technology supervisor Scott Williamson.

[ChickeyCantor]

" Not only were we able to do normal mapping but we implemented a full unified lighting model that allowed for true per pixel lighting calculation from many dynamic lights, combined with radiosity light maps, and a projected texture light (more to come), on complex multitexture materials with detail mapping, UV animation, specularity, color gloss maps, HDR and much more, all in a unified configurable pipeline."

(Full normal mapping*)

WTF is wrong with developers? If HVS can achieve all of this, then WTF have other developers been doing all this time ?=/.

Would be cool if Sega did F-zero again, and is allowed to use this engine from HVS...XD

[hay]

Well, actually current machines are capable of running more complex and detailed application but it's a matter of optimization. Apps are made to run on some specific set level. Devs can push it farther with speed and performance but why?
PC apps are intentionally optimized to certain level so they can push new hardware to user's homes. Thing is a bit different with consoles where devs are actually trying to get as much as they can from them since there's no upgrading till the next generation of consoles.

Quantum3 is great engine and it's a proof what level of detail can be achieved Wii(and along with that how on other systems).
I would love to see what it can offer for PC/X360/PS3 since it offers really cool technology on Wii(which is basically a bit upgraded GameCube).

[ChickeyCantor]

I understand that, but the reason developers should push perfomance is because artists and designers have less "constraints" as HVS is saying.

The more you can get out of a system the more you can do with your product.
Optimization is essential, I develop some things in flash AS3( i know its nothing compared to that) but everyone knows that due the Virtual machine its not the fastest thing around when you try to do allot with it. So the more i tweak on performance, the more i can get out of my application, the more i can do and add.

We all know Wii won't do the same level of detail as PS3 and 360, but even with those systems, performance is essential to the end users( talking about developers not gamers).

" Wii(which is basically a bit upgraded GameCube)."
as for this, keep in mind that, while its indeed derived from the GCN, its also more "optimized" and the hardware works better with each other.
So even if its a Gamecube, it offers more power for developers.

I would really like to see an F-zero/Metroid game with this engine.
( And since the engine has already been updated and tweaked for new features i wonder what their next game will be, since The conduit isn't using the updated engine because it was to far in development).

HVS = awesome now xD

[N4g_null]

hay the tech for this uses a unified shader system. The new APIs are the reason why people don't try as hard any more. It cost money to make these engines work really good and the UT3 engine along with other middle ware tools have given developers an excuse to save money. Another thing is lots of Wii developer are trying to use old , old engines from the GC on the Wii. With mostly the only thing bolted on is the Wii mote. Actually they made that pretty easy to do.

Back in the day the GC was one of the best unified shader techs out and ati was on top during that time in the PC realm. Now direct x 9 and the HD console are set up totally different yet it is suppose to be easier now.

The GC and Wii hardware are very straight forward but you have to know what you are doing. Most PC developers will not develop for this system because of that. If you remember the PS2 did not get a graphical boost till the new tools came out.

I get the feeling HVS wants to hold on to this engine to see if conduit sells. If they make enough money they may make it available yet if they need funding for the sequels selling the engine is a big option and would actually help them sell more games as it would bring the graphical standards up higher for the Wii and thus bring in more eye candy people.

[ChickeyCantor]

"unified shader techs'

I think you meant the multi-texturing system,
The interview does say the shaders are locked, but you can achieve the same results by understanding the multitexturing renderer.

Either way HVS must be one of the few developers who actually took time to understand the system.
They also said it was even possible on the GCN( of course not with the same stuff on screen like the Wii) but the shader results could be reached.

[N4g_null]

Oops I meant fixed shader pipelines the current tech is unified, sorry. Also the Wii has more of these pipelines than the GC. If you look up the cards right before voodoo died you will find out more on this subject. I forget why they went the other way instead of this method but I'm dead tired righht now.