NVIDIA nTeresting Newsletter: 17 Feb 2012

In this Issue

· 3D Vision 2 continues to rock 3D gaming.

· The Tegra-powered Transformer Prime is setting the tablet world on fire.

· GPUs make the new Muppets movie possible.

· Take a tour of our Russian lab.

· Gamers raise millions because they want a new game.

3D Makes it Better

Gaming is better in 3D. 3D is better with 3D Vision. Case in point, Trine 2 and a perfect 10 out of 10 review."This is a real pearl for the 3D Vision. This is the most ideal implementation of the stereo mode at the moment. The world of Trine 2 looks so nice and toy-like on the monitor so I always want to cross the monitor border and chop skeletons, draw a bow and wave a magic wand myself." Trine 2 is the 4th game in their list of the best titles for 3D Vision, which were awarded with the maximum grade. Among its predecessors there are Metro 2033, BattleField 3 and Batman: Arkham City. These titles would look great on an Alienware M17x with 3D Vision. "Yes. There is not much to say. Once you try the 3D effect or the PhysX implementation in next generation titles, you cannot do without it anymore."

3D Vision 2 makes a good thing better. "NVIDIA continue to evolve their 3D Vision hardware and software and this latest generation is very impressive, simplifying the setup process and improving image quality."

3D Vision 2 is the best 3D gaming experience available. "Before we talk about the 3D Vision user experience in games we should make note of the AMD equivalent as it was tested too and as we have said before, we feel AMD have their approach to Stereoscopic 3D all wrong."

"Based on my experience, the combination of Asus' VG278H display and 3D Vision 2 glasses delivers a better visual experience than Samsung's S23A750D with its bundled glasses."

Transformer Prime Continues Awesomeness

The Tegra-powered Asus Eee PC Transformer Prime made a splash at CES this year. Now that reviewers can touchy-feely it on their own, the waves are getting bigger.

"Essentially, you end up with a netbook-style form factor that runs all day on a charge and can be used as a standalone tablet. But even on its own, the Transformer Prime is a powerhouse with an experience exceeding its peers thanks to Android 4.0 and the Tegra 3 processor. If I were in the market for a large Android tablet, this device would be atop my list."

Kermit <3 GPUs

How do you bring a talking frog, a sexy pig and a fuzzy bear to life in the age of CGI? The folks at Henson Studios turned to GPUs. "The Muppets have always been about artistic integrity, not cheap tricks," says Kermit at one point in the film.

You may not always be able to trust what you see on screen, but the combination of low-tech puppetry and hi-tech graphics that brings Fozzie, Miss Piggy and the rest of the gang back to life helped all those involved live up to their leading frog's standards.

See how the Muppets movie was created in these scene deconstruction photos on BBC.

NVIDIA Russia, Check It Out

Wondering about our office in Moscow is like? Take a tour with IXBT.

"In 2010, the Russian branch of PerfLab accompanied more than 70 games. The work with the majority of developers begins at alpha or beta stages of a game development and continues to the game release to the market. Last year over 300 detailed reports were sent out to the developers of the 70 mentioned games. Those reports included data on the game performance on a roughly 15 PC configurations, as well as some recommendations for correcting detected errors."

Money Where Your Mouth Is

Lots of people claim to have great fans. But NVIDIA knows better than most that fans of gaming are a cut above the rest. We built our company on their support an enthusiasm. A proof point, gamers put their money where their mouth is last week. When the Creators of Monkey Island & Day of the Tentacle needed funding to create a new game, they turned to the fans.

"That means around 10,000 regular humans on the internet (maybe you!) donated $400,000 out of your own pockets to see some legends of an old genre try and make something new, and dear, to your hearts."

Current tally is about 52,000 backers and over $1.7 million to date.

Comments have been disabled by the administrator.