| NVIDIA nTeresting Newsletter - 19 June, 2012 |
| Tuesday, 19 June 2012 | ||
NVIDIA nTeresting Newsletter - 19 June, 2012In this Issue:· A Kepler-based GeForce GPU is powering the stunning new Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display. · E3 is a big arena for game debuts, and most of them debuted on PCs, not consoles. · Max Payne brings bullet time to NVIDIA Tegra-powered devices. Back in the MacLast week Apple announced two new MacBook Pro notebooks at its Worldwide Developers Conference, and both are powered by NVIDIA GPUs. "Alongside speedy, brand new Ivy Bridge Intel processors, the new lineup of Apple MacBook Pros packs a remarkably decent mobile graphics punch with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M." The all-new 15-inch MacBook Pro the next-generation MacBook Pro features a stunning 2880x1800 pixel Retina Display, the highest resolution ever for a notebook. It's sleek and thin, with a battery that lasts all day. "The unprecedented high-resolution screen on the new MacBook Pro with Retina Display makes images -- even simple text -- look beautifully clear. Despite a redesigned, lightweight body, the powerful components, including an NVIDIA GPU, compare well to recent high-end desktop replacements." To get the energy efficient performance to power its dazzling display, Apple chose the Kepler-based NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M notebook GPU. "Just when the laptop competition thinks it's closing in on Apple, the company launches a new product that raises the bar for the entire industry. For the new MacBook Pro with Retina Display, it's the screen -- all 2880 x 1800 pixels of it -- that will leave others scrambling to play catch-up. Of course, to push that many pixels you need serious horsepower. And the next-gen MacBook Pro (starting at $2,199) delivers just that with a quad-core Core i7 processor, NVIDIA Kepler graphics and super-fast flash memory. Did we mention the MacBook Pro is only 4.5 pounds and is nearly as thin as the Air? Yeah, it's almost not fair." And reviewers are raving: "The reviews are in for Apple's MacBook Pro with Retina Display, and you can probably guess what they say. Critics are thrilled by the ultra-thin, fairly light, power-packed Apple laptop, with its 2880-by-1880 resolution "Retina" display. What's not to like about a MacBook whose individual pixels can't be told apart by the human eye?" PC Gaming Shows Off at E3E3 is a coming out party of sorts for games on all platforms. It is their time to make a great first impression. Console games tend to make a lot of noise at E3, but the man behind the curtain is always a PC. "You know what? It's a bit ironic to see a platform winning E3, even without having a press conference dedicated to it. Of course most of you are drooling over Far Cry 3, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Medal of Honor: Warfighter, Tomb Raider, Dead Space 3, Dishonored and other multi-platform titles, right? Well, time to let you know that all those games were demoed on a PC and not on a console." A PC you say? "Did you know that nearly every multiplatform game demoed at E3 - especially during press conferences - is running on PC? I've asked, and so far, I've yet to get a "no." A GeForce PC packs a bigger graphics punch than a console. "And, to be honest, this is not surprising. Even if the companies had refused to admit that they were using a PC to show off their titles, one has to simply look at the aliasing level to find out whether or not a game is running on consoles. Take for example both Beyond: Two Souls and The Last Of Us. Those two PS3 exclusive titles have noticeable jagged graphics. This does not mean - in any way - that they are not great looking games. They are gorgeous. It simply proves the difference (when it comes to resolution and AA) between a console and a PC game. Aliasing is more noticeable in The Last Of Us that is packed with an open world environment (compared to Beyond: Two Souls that has simply two detailed rooms)." A PC will let you make a great first impression. "Demoing your game on PC is the new CG trailer. Once again, these demos aren't representative of what console players will be seeing, but oooo, look at the pretty particle effects, perfect frame rate, individually rendered hair follicles, and no aliasing anywhere ever. Is it sketchy? Absolutely. But PC hardware's so advanced that I almost find it funny when people at these events complain about the lack of a "next generation." Look in front of you. It's already here." If you want to give a great E3 demo, you better get GeForce. "And yet, PC gaming's still steering this ship. That, I think, is pretty damn cool." So do we. Max Payne Goes MobileTegra-toting Android owners are in for a treat as NVIDIA and Rockstar Games have launched Max Payne Mobile, optimized for Tegra-powered devices. The award-winning, critically-acclaimed classic Max Payne experience has been brought to life - in full - for mobile devices using Bullet Time as its chief gameplay mechanic, to pay homage to the bullet ballet style of Hong-Kong action cinema. The game's presentation included noir-inspired graphic-novel cutscenes that, in addition to Max's inner monologue, created a lead character that went beyond the caricatures typical of action shooters at the time. Max's complex storytelling and dark atmosphere shine through with NVIDIA Tegra 3's 4-PLUS-1 quad-core mobile processor featuring additional antistrophic texture filtering and enhanced lighting effects. Press have begun raving about Max Payne Mobile on their Tegra-powered devices stating, "In collaboration with NVIDIA and their Tegra 3 quad-core devices this game looks to be even more impressive than ever." "(it's) a shoot-em-up adventure that every Tegra lover will certainly have to pick up;" "Make sure your Tegra 3-toting device is amped up to 11 and that you're off ‘power-save' mode if you have one: this ain't Angry Birds." "Seriously, why haven't you downloaded this yet? Do it, NOW!" To download Max Payne Mobile for yourself, check it out on TegraZone and Google Play.
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