Graphics are going to get SO good in the future.

[N3w_2_$kyr1min]

*Some people may have seen this*

This video has been around for a few months now, but it still amazes me and I wonder how more further they have progressed now. These guys have made a graphics system that does not use polygons, it uses 'atoms' or particles instead which allow for nearly unlimited detail. You can zoom in and see the little pieces of dirt that make up the pieces of dirt on the ground. You can scan a real life object, and import it in super high definition as if it were really there with unlimited angles (as there's no max polygon count), it looks real! There are literally millions and even billions of these atoms in any one 'map' or area (20 million atoms per square metre of ground). And you can do all of it without using many resources at all.. it's quite amazing.

The reason you can have billions of these atoms, yet not use many resources trying to render them or do physics with them, is because of a search algorithm they made to find and place only the atoms on your screen which are needed.. one atom per pixel on the screen. The rest aren't rendered until then. The graphics rendering in this video does not even rely on the graphics card for anything apart from displaying it on the screen. So you don't need good hardware to run it, it's completely software based (for now). Any working graphics card can display something on a screen.

Have a look at the video:

And for all the people claiming it's fake, or pre-rendered, a live demonstration:

Euclideon is an Australian company based in Brisbane city, they've been working on this for some time now and been able to prove it's a real technology. I just can't wait for it to come out, and be implemented by game designers.. their technology also allows you to convert current polygon games into games that use atoms, quite easily in fact.

Maybe, with any luck, Skyrim's successor will use this technology.. how amazing would that be? fluffing omg.

 

[Renegader]

That's amazing. I've seen one of these videos a few months ago with them saying they scanned an actual rock into the game and it's almost 100% realistic.

How awesome would it be to take down a building brick by brick? Perhaps the new consoles would use technology similar to this in the future?

 

[N3w_2_$kyr1min]

I sure hope so. I reckon once these guys are finished making this technology, it won't be hard for them to sell it.. gaming companies get quite competitive lol.

This amount of detail, combined with a great physics engine, would just make a near life-like game.. perfect for RPG's like TES games. They could also save a lot of time making the game by simply scanning in real life objects, rather than drawing and designing each one.

 

[Renegader]

You can't really scan Dragons, though!

 

[N3w_2_$kyr1min]

Yeah true. There'll be real life, and fictional objects in games. xD But I have no doubt dragons would be just as detailed.. you'd be able to see the saliva on its teeth! The cuts and scrapes on its scales that you've made with your sword, the blood on its claws, the steam from its breath!! Ahh I think I better stop before I have a stroke lol..

 

[Jeruhmi]

That's amazing! Our technology won't be able to handle it for awhile as it sounds.
That's why I've noticed some games you can see the polygons a lot easier than other games.
I swear in some modern games I don't even notice edges.
Can't wait for the new atom graphics to become standardised.

 

[N3w_2_$kyr1min]

Actually, technology being able to handle it isn't really an issue.. from what I can tell, it doesn't seem to be any more resource intensive than a fairly standard game today. It just has so much more detail.

 

[Jeruhmi]

That footage of the atom technology all reminds me of Fable 2 for some reason.
I can relate a lot to what they were saying about objects disappearing in the distance, etc.
I thought to myself the other day that game graphics were just about as good as it gets, I was wrong.
This is impressive.

 

[Renegader]

Fable 2? Why Fable 2?

Now they have to focus on things like optimising the graphics so it's as smooth as possible as well as make the physics as realistic as possible.

 

[N3w_2_$kyr1min]

Yeah, how good the physics will work with this technology is really gonna either make or break it.. I am pretty sure it'll work just fine though. I wonder if there'll be a point where games actually look more detailed than real life. xD

 

[Renegader]

How can something look more detailed than real life?!

 

[N3w_2_$kyr1min]

Our eyes are limited, perhaps it sends electrical signals directly to our brain rather than going through our eyes. I dunno, there's just one way. xD I never rule out something as totally impossible haha.

 

[Jeruhmi]

Well, in real life when you stare at something your eyes focus and the rest of your viewpoint is blurred (apart from the part you're staring at). In games your character doesn't do that, so it's always fully un-blurred.
I don't know if I'm making any sense right now, sorry >.<

 

[N3w_2_$kyr1min]

Yeah that makes sense. It would be pretty hard to simulate that in game though, as the only way for the game to know where you're looking on the screen is with a camera (similar to how the nintendo 3DS works in 3D without glasses, it tracks your eyes and sends the light towards them). But it's not entirely accurate, and could get annoying if it's not fast enough. :/

Probably the best it could do is focus on whatever is directly in front of you, which is similar to depth of field effects in games.. it's not entirely life like though.

 

[Demut]

I am also amazed by Unlimited Detail. I really hope that they can live up to their promises. There are a lot of people who claim that they are frauds and what not (Notch possibly being the worst and most arrogant of them all) but since Euclideon has already proven most of their previous arguments wrong I am confident that this might just be the revolution that they are claiming it to be.

In any case, if this technology delivers then we all will see a truly mindblowing advance in video game graphics.

 

[MellowGuy]

I liked the combo of artist (fiction) and real scan (non fiction) items and plants. I'm eagerly anticipating the leap in character model improvements. Lets see them be able to scan real life people and realistic facial gestures. That would freak me out in a horror game.

 

[Demut]

Hm, interesting idea. This might even remove the need for motion capturing (at least for facial expressions), right?

Furthermore, I thought that it was funny to hear that this technology could lead game designers to revert back to more “traditional” mediums such as clay and the like where they form a physical model and then just scan it in et cetera.

 

[Jeruhmi]

I just want to say that now every time I play a game I'm looking at all the polygons. I didn't used to notice them as bad as I am now
Really feel the need to be playing with atom graphics.

 

[Demut]

Exactly. I also noticed them much more when I played some recent titles. “Once you went UD, you never go back”, huh :| ?

 

[Travis]

I've seen a lot of stuff about how this is a crock, and that it's been done before. I hope it's real though, I would love to see graphics this good in real gameplay.