170°

The SPU’s are hungry - Maximizing SPU efficiency on Far Cry 3

The Far Cry 3 PS3 engine is extremely SPU-intensive, with over 60 different job types and 1,000 job instances executed each frame. Much development effort has been spent optimizing the scheduling and execution of SPU jobs—in particular in reducing the scheduling load on the PPU. This article will describe some of the techniques used in the Far Cry 3 scheduling system APIs, which manage each of the dependencies and synchronization paths that a PS3 game needs: SPU job(s) to SPU job(s), SPU job(s) to PPU task(s), and SPU job(s) to RSX command buffer.

Read Full Story >>
engineroom.ubi.com
wishingW3L4206d ago (Edited 4206d ago )

Sony should have kept the Cell for the PS4. Devs already know how to work it and they would have saved tons of money on R&D too.

Those APU CPUs are way weaker than current console's CPUs! Cell with 16 SPE's, 4GB of Ram and a decent card like an HD 5770 would have been a beast console and really cheap. But now we are gonna get an overpriced weak console with a freaking APU. =/

DigitalAnalog4205d ago (Edited 4205d ago )

Thought I'm unfamiliar with the technical aspects in general but it seems to me they wanted a more unified RAM this time around since working on the "cell's" main criticism is that they have to not only deal with the smaller VRAM but independently work out the kinks of the cell architecture itself. However, it seems the latter is no longer the issue which makes your point a lot more sense.

On a side-note I really applaud developers like these that take their time not only to work on the PS3 but to be open about the details regarding the development.

sjaakiejj4205d ago

We don't even know what specs the Ps4 has, only a bunch of fabricated rumors come to mind.

I'd say wait with this comment until we actually know what the PS4 is made of.

dboyman4205d ago

Even if they don't use the Cell as main CPU for PS4, least offer a model with a cell included for PS3 backwards compatibility....

Computersaysno4205d ago (Edited 4205d ago )

CELL isn't a patch on the flexiblity/gaming performance of a 4 module 8 core x86 CPU, even if it happens to be a god forbid AMD (piledriver APU) bulldozer core.

The extreme lengths gone to make this game (and countless others) match up to the ridiculously simpler and no doubt cheaper and quicker to develop for Xbox 360 version are just not worth it in the current economic climate, nor the future where game development costs are only going one way.

Up.

CELL processor development is effectively dead for many good reasons. These reasons are why it seems ever more likely the next Playstation hardware would use an APU design/mildly customised off the shelf. A design that would be vastly cheaper and easier to create and produce than the huge costs sony were hit with creating CELL. It is the done thing these days to license hardware and then configure it as you wish. Apple do nothing else with Ipads and Iphones, everybody now just licenses ARM and GPU designs for their smartphones or tablets.

There are far too many pros using existing licensed designs these days over restarting a development project for an updated CELL and pouring easily hundreds of millions of dollars into it with no guarantee it'll actually work out better than something off the shelf.

In fact wasn't that the exact scenario we saw with PS3 and 360 anyway? The result is obvious. 360 is at no real disadvantage technically against PS3 for using more conventional and cheaper hardware, and never was. 360 even came out a whole year earlier, PS3 was delayed because of hardware niggles.

Does anyone expect the PS3 version of Far Cry 3 to massively outstrip the 360 version? Of course not, the non deluded of us. The safer bet is actually that 360 will edge it, as per maybe 8/10 multiplats.

Lets try to live in the real world.

Muerte24944205d ago

is superior on the 360. If that were the case then why would DICE lead console platform for BF3 be ps3? Also you narrow-minded way of thinking leads me to believe that you only own one console. You fail to mention the countless first party titles that look absolutely amazing on ps3, each one better than the last. Xbox360 only has Halo 4 and Gears 3. Spare us the whole "xbox360 and ps3 are equal in power" when almost every serious developers has claimed otherwise.

lonix4205d ago (Edited 4205d ago )

"PS3 was delayed because of hardware niggles."

No ps3 was delayed for the blu-ray standard to be finalized

MasterCornholio4205d ago

Microsoft released the hardware before it was finalized which is why so many launch 360s broke down. Sony on the other hand took their time to finalize the hardware which is why the PS3 barely had any problems at launch.

RROD< Reliable console

Motorola RAZR i

Motorola razr i

Computersaysno4204d ago (Edited 4204d ago )

You hopelessly miss the point as I knew many would. CELL has not enabled PS3 to outperform 360 so much that it is blatantly a better machine, despite costing sony a huge amount of money.

Also where did I say that every multiplat is better on 360? You can't read. I said 8/10 multiplats roughly are better on 360. CELL certainly didn't help there either did it? It has been unarguably a hindrance for multiplatform parity this generation.

PS3 was delayed because bluray wasn't finalised? Well, even if you believe that to be the sole reason, bluray is hardware. So that statement is still entirely true. What was your point exactly????

Microsoft we know had plenty of problems with their hardware.

All besides the major point I made. CELL has done absolutely nothing to help PS3 beat xbox 360 in terms of sales or games or profitability. Whereas Microsoft's choice of hardware, timing and pricing has done everything to help 360 take a huge chunk out of the market.

360 is not significantly less powerful despite the fact the PS3 hardware cost so much more to develop, manufacture, and then sell. Sony's hardware choices were less than brilliant when you consider this generation in hindsight and microsoft's were particularly clever.

You can bang on and on about exclusive this and game that but unless you are a massive liar, you won't deny that 360 has been successful for microsoft and Ps3 somewhat underwhelming in context of the state of the industry prior to this generation. PS3 has undoubtably underperformed, which is why sony have lost so much money on it. This isn't rocket science, its sheer logic at work.

How obvious is it now sony trying to out tech everyone has really done it no good whatsoever. CELL is an absolute perfect example of that, the hugely expensive architecture adding nothing to the games industry.

CELL is still dead, and it'll never be in the next playstation for all the reasons I cited.

No amount of denial can change this, I'll guarantee that now. when you see this, you'll have to remember my comment and accept it is accurate and true.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4204d ago
soljah4205d ago

wishingw3l i was thinking the same think. all the ps4 needs is a faster updated cell. a good graphics card update, increase the on board memory and add wireless n and increase blue ray speed.
have all sku's come with a internal 16gig flash drive and a empty hard drive bay thats able to accept any size and speed hard drive including optimized for ssd's.
the system could be a beast

Shaman4205d ago

Everything is going into exact opossite direction. Great GPU, decent CPU. There is really no reason to "outsource" something graphics related to CPU when GPU does it much faster. It only adds complexity and it costs more (time and money).

Alot of 3rd party big houses like Ubi, EA, R* and the rest have great SPU heavy engines, but its obvious it still doesn't beat 360 easily. 360, as the programmer on this blog said, has VMX units. These are heavy vectorized units similar to SPUs (smaller though) that can be used to aid GPU when needed in some situation. MS put MEMEXPORT function in GPU that acts like primitive GPGPU, it was pretty cheap and smart. So, its pretty understandable why Sony won't go with Cell again.

ProjectVulcan4205d ago (Edited 4205d ago )

Indeed. CELL is mostly a moot point and side note in computing history now when we live in the age of CUDA and OpenCL APIs with GPUs designed with compute in mind from the get go, which didn't really exist mainstream when CELL was conceptualised. Now it does. So PS3's CELL can do a couple hundred gigaflops single precision compute. A midrange Radeon can do more than 10 times that.

The things that CELL does better than a conventional x86 CPU(parallel tasks), a modern GPU would do vastly better than CELL for the largest part.

The things CELL and GPUs are hopeless at (branching for example), a modern multicore x86 CPU does very well.

Which leads to the inevitable conclusions that you may as well have two masters of their trades working together than a jack of all and master of none, like CELL.

When you have a really big demolition job, you use a GPU. You use a bulldozer.

When you want to crack a nut, you use a CPU. You use a nutcracker.

CELL is a sledgehammer. It can often do either job, but it'll be a poorer choice for either task...

Muerte24944205d ago

you're anti-Sony and everyone knows it. You commenting on speculated spec of a system not even announced yet. Why are you reacting negatively to an article about a developer who chose to share how they were able to program a game for ps3? So it's bad that a developer actually took the time to develop a game for the ps3 instead of just porting it? How many awards has 360 taken for best graphics? I distinctly remember GOD of War 3 (exclusive) winning it in 2009.

sjaakiejj4205d ago

VulcanProject - That's a really poor analogy.

The size of the job doesn't matter in terms of performance, it's the nature of it that matters. There are quite a few graphical calculations that a CPU is much better at performing.

Shaman4205d ago

I dont understand what you are talking about. I'm just replying to post that PS4 should have Cell, it shouldn't, IMO of course and everything points out to the fact that it won't.

ProjectVulcan4204d ago (Edited 4204d ago )

Its a perfectly good analogy, for the layman it is good enough. Especially when you consider that CELL and GPU are designed to be massively parallel. Pointless arguing over semantics when the point was expressed more than adequately.

You unfortunately took an analogy just that as literally meaning size of a job which wasn't the case, it was more about use the right tools for the job in hand. Just as you wouldn't use a nutcracker to demolish a building you wouldn't use a bulldozer to crack a nut. You wouldn't use a sledgehammer for either, although you could, it would be cack handed and inferior.

If you have a massively parallel task, you would use a GPU these days and not CELL, because it is patently better.

If you have a lot of branching code and conditionals such as that, you would use something like an x86 because it is ridiculously better than CELL at it.

CELL is a master of no key aspects of game production. Sony failed in their attempt to use CELL as a GPU because it was no good at it versus a conventional GPU. But they still chose to use it as a gaming CPU with extremely limited success.

They would have almost certainly been better off with a better GPU and more conventional CPU, like a PC or Xbox 360. Cheaper too.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4204d ago
BitbyDeath4205d ago

Sony did buy back the Cell factories a few years back so it is still possible Sony will go with them again.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 4204d ago
yewles14206d ago

SPURS?

So they just chose to turn the SPU's into threads?

Ju4205d ago (Edited 4205d ago )

I have to admit I don't even know what SPURS is, but if I'd take a wild guess I'd say it's Sony's PS SDKs SPU job manager library.

Anyway, if you read that article it is pretty clear this is no simple "SPU thread scheduler".

They reduced latency on the PPU dramatically and can initiate low overhead jobs directly from the RSX (with minimal overhead) to basically turn the SPUs into a GPU co-processor (and they do this to avoid race conditions between PPU and RSX scheduling SPU jobs at the same time which would simply kill the benefits). The article mention what they offload from the RSX to the SPUs. Quite nice, actually.

Quite an impressive feed. Curious to see how the game plays. I hope there is a significant benefit which we can actually see. Looking forward to it.

yewles14205d ago

SPU Run Time System (SPURS) is a method of synchronizing the SPE's together efficiently as threads rather than the streaming co-dependent cores that they are.

http://research.scee.net/fi...

Ju4205d ago

Nice link to that presentation. Haven't seen this before. Interestingly, this does away with the argument that the PS3 has only 256MB video mem. Didn't know that either. See...so many things I don't know. Doesn't say how much penalty you get on using sysmem as vmem (yeah, they say it's slower, of course..but by how much?).

I would have thought most people write their own SPU scheduler anyway - I played with those a little when we still had Linux. Strict waterfall (= streaming) is/was always limited. SPURS unifies that all, huh?

But still, Ubi uses SPURS as a framework, this posted doc expands on that quite a bit it seems.

Knushwood Butt4205d ago

Sounds like they really make the effort to develop the PS3 version.

Looking forward to this one.

Dark_Overlord4205d ago

After all the crap Ubi have spouted in the past, and the usually disappointing final results of their games, i'll take a wait and see approach.

artdafoo4205d ago

Good to know there are still some developers out there trying to maximize each console to the fullest instead of rehashing their crappy old engine and using the games name to sell copies, yeah i'm looking at Treyarch, whats left of Infinity Ward, Clawhammer or whatever the eff you call yourselves ! Hope you hacks read the article and take notes.

450°

Ubisoft say AC Shadows protagonists will be "romantically attracted to different types of people"

Ubisoft recently shared more details about Assassin's Creed Shadows protagonists, confirming that both of them will romantically attract and be attracted to different types of people.

Hugodastrevas6d ago

That should please everyone I'm sure...

RpgSama5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

Feudal Japan DEI LGBTQ+ Samurai, sounds very accurate for the time period. Surely a decision made only with historical accuracy in mind.

Crows905d ago

Or even modern day accuracy.....

Lexreborn25d ago

You have no idea what you are talking about, bet you didn’t know nobunaga was bi-sexual. Or ran maru his is often depicted as androgynous was a “beautiful boy”.

So yeah, feudal Japan had tons of lgbtq and kawaii enough… A BLACK SAMURAI! All without the need of offending a Caucasian because the world is diverse.

VenomUK5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

This story has cracked me up so much! Bravo Ubisoft, bravo! 🤣. So last week everyone was upset that in the long-awaited first Assassin’s Creed: Japan game the protagonist is black. But NOW he is also LGBTQ+ ! It’s like the Ubisoft creative team sat around a table and said “How can we best impress our Kotaku/IGN/Polygon friends and antagonise gamers? Let’s make it woke x 100!’ And then they all silent clapped!

Just you wait until the Star Wars: Outlaws details come out, there better not be anybody complaining about Kay Vess’ dating preferences and the gay droid armies.

Christopher5d ago

It actually is.

Japanese were very Greek in their sexual experiences.

lodossrage5d ago

Lexreborn2 is right

Go read up on Japan's feudal era homosexuality and bisexuality was a very common thing in that time.

I just have to laugh because the same people complaining about this are the same ones crying about wanting "historical accuracy". When it's clear most of the whiners don't even know history themselves.

Christopher5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

Facts don't care about downvotes, btw. You either claim to understand historical accuracy or you just admit you don't like the stuff people did throughout history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wi...

thorstein5d ago

Japan had no Christian stupidity about sexuality.

That's where your nonsensical puritanical view comes from: the Abraham's faiths.

It's feudal Japan, they don't believe in your religion's made up nonsense.

I mean, if you're going to embrace a particular viewpoint, you should at least be aware of where it comes from. Most of the world doesn't care about your ideals.

In those days, they certainly didn't care about your religion.

Get over yourself.

RpgSama5d ago

All of you guys missed the point, I even said I'm very sure they did it ONLY because they wanted to be historically accurate. Stop defending this, we all know why they did it and who they want to pander, it's not out newfound respect for history.

lodossrage5d ago

@RpgSama

Nobody is defending anything.

People are just pointing out the fact that after they just cried about the game not being historically accurate, when they SHOW they're accurate, they cry about it because they don't like certain parts of history

Not to mention you contradicted yourself RPGSama. You just pointed out you said they "ONLY because they wanted to be historically accurate". Then turn around and accuse them of pandering and/or having an agenda. Those two things are opposing statements

Cacabunga5d ago

Dumbest decision ever.. always online was a pass for me but now not even for free I’ll try it..

LordoftheCritics5d ago

It's made by Ubisoft Montreal.

Obviously we'll be allowed to bang anything that moves.

RiseNShine5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

Yeha pretty sure.

H95d ago

People actually telling you that Japan had sexual deviancy which is correct however what's hilarious is that they will act as if it holds the same moral value that the LGBT community holds today, oh the things men used to say about themselves when they are attracted to other men, it's not empowering in the least bit

senorfartcushion5d ago

It was more common to be attracted to the same sex before the crusades.

4d ago
Tapani4d ago

You are completely lost on Japanese history. Japan was one of the most liberal places in the world, and in many ways still is. You can slice and dice it from your western hubris and whatever point of view, but the reality is that history tells great stories about freedom of choice and people not being judgemental on this island. Also one of the reasons I want to raise my family here, no need to have those whatever Western woke bullshit here, because everyone just respects each other without using all that nonsense.

+ Show (14) more repliesLast reply 4d ago
CrimsonWing695d ago

Geezus, just make a good game… holy sh*t this is becoming insufferable.

Crows905d ago

Oh yeah!!!! What about being inclusive???

I'm sorry
..please replace the word inclusive with stupid.

Hofstaderman5d ago

You asking UbiSoft to make a good game? This is not 2002.

thorstein5d ago

I thought you crybabies wanted "historical accuracy." Now that your going to get it, you're going to cry more.

PRIMORDUS5d ago

It's past the point of retarded, everyone seems forced to do this bullshit now in games. 😑

Barlos5d ago

Hell no. A good game or film is secondary now to the agenda and the 'message'.

It's not enough to be simply entertained these days, there has to be an overarching real world narrative. I mean look at Dr Who as a recent example. Disney have completely destroyed it all in the name of 'diversity'.

senorfartcushion5d ago

You sound like you don't have a very active sex life ,😅

CrimsonWing695d ago (Edited 5d ago )

Are you projecting? 😝

senorfartcushion5d ago

It's the only thing that explains the incel crap. They can't simply be angry virgins who don't get any, so then a lack of a sex life i.e. a dad of three or something, is also a good additional explanation. They're either lonely and don't get any or too busy to get any. There's a horrible news for sexual control with incels, and they're angry because they simply aren't the right people to achieve that control. They're weaker animals.

notachance4d ago

dude’s too busy commenting on other people’s sex life to actually stay on topic.

That or he’s angry but didn’t have half the brain needed to refute back so he went for the classic ad hominem fallacy.

senorfartcushion4d ago

Notachance

It's a fact that remains true. The only way it can't be true is if humans were not greedy and heavily reliant on procreation.

Your username is fitting.

CrimsonWing694d ago (Edited 4d ago )

dude, let’s be real, you’re on a video game news site going into the comments section and taking time out of your life to go to war with people you think don’t f*ck. You sound as much of a virgin as any incel does.

Let’s be real, bub you’re just as pathetic as the rest of them. Anyone who would look at this who doesn’t waste their time on a video game news site or video games in general probably thinks the only thing you f*ck is your crusty ass pillow.

C’mon, man. Anyone who f*cks doesn’t immediately go into a comment section claiming others have no sex life. It’s just one of those things if you are getting your d*ck wet. It just comes off like you’re projecting in hopes to god nobody figures out you can’t get any, so you try to flex, even though you’re completely full of sh*t.

I mean, that’s the only thing that makes sense to me 😅.

senorfartcushion4d ago

I'm engaged without children - I'm doing just fine.

This is just nerd sites now. Users are just so angry and for basically the same reasons. Most people go through phases with this type of stuff but it's scary seeing the same attitudes being regurgitated over and over again. From what I've seen it's a strange mix of sexual frustration, lack of proper financing and the need to have 100% control over both so that they aren't taken away from the users.

CrimsonWing693d ago

@fartcushion

Look, man, people are allowed to have opinions and show frustration with stuff. It has no bearing on them not getting sex or not making money.

I have no idea how people commenting on being tired of hearing about SJW sh*t being shown in the spotlight like some carnival sideshow where publishers are wanting some pat on the back for means they’re financially unstable and don’t have a sexual relationship.

What, are you on the spectrum? Like how do you come to that conclusion and make multiple responses to the discourse with “virgin alert” or “you need to have sex?” That right there is kind of sus to me.

I don’t know in what world you lived in where this hasn’t been a nerd site, but people are allowed to comment their thoughts on things and still have relationships. You’re just as much of a nerd as everyone in here.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 3d ago
+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 3d ago
5d ago Replies(3)
darthv725d ago

Is that genuinely a selling point for people?

RpgSama5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

They sure as hell want to see if it is, time and time and time again.

VincentVanBro5d ago

You have to understand they’re incapable of writing a good story so this is the best they could come up with

thorstein5d ago

Well, after last weeks crying about historical accuracy. Now Ubi days, " Oh, okay, historical accuracy: here you go."

Now you're saying you don't want the accuracy? Can you guys just make up your minds?

5d ago
notatallsurprisinggg5d ago

It's a genuine click-bait snippet to rile up people like you to push traffic.

5d ago
5d ago
+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 5d ago
Show all comments (117)
210°

Ubisoft to Focus on "Return to Leadership" in Open World Genre, Expand Live Service Experiences

Ubisoft says they are focusing on two "core verticals," and that's to return as a leader in the open world genre, and live service games.

enkiduxiv13d ago

Calling Ubisoft a leader in open world gaming at any point in time would be like calling Dollar General a leader in retail.

excaliburps13d ago

Well, to be fair, they did pump out good open world games before. It was used as a template so much that people now know what it means when you say it's like an Ubi open world collectahon.

shinoff218313d ago

What though? I can't think of one game they had where I liked anything about it. Atleast since the ps3/360 Gen

Kornholic13d ago

If they have never been the leader in open world gaming, then explain me this: why does almost every open world game follow the same tired old Ubisoft open world formula?

Follow the Leader.

Aphrodia12d ago

YO dont' talk bad about the General. There'll be problems...

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 12d ago
isarai13d ago

You were never the leader bro 🤣

shinoff218313d ago (Edited 13d ago )

I don't think they were ever the leader tbh. I've never really cared for any of their open world games. I do wanna try watch dogs 2 because it looks like it's set in San Fran. Looked interesting

Show all comments (36)
60°

Ubisoft's Recent Antics Have Me Fearful For The Sands of Time Remake

Hanzala from eXputer: "With Ubisoft's practices becoming increasingly anti-consumer lately, the destruction of The Sands of Time Remake looks almost inevitable."

thorstein41d ago (Edited 41d ago )

Hey Ubi, here's a gun, don't shoot yourself in the foot.

*Ubi takes gun, aims at foot, empties clip*

Chocoburger41d ago

At this point, only dummies have any hope left for Ubi-junk games.