Game Industry Overview and Trends Michel Kripalani Senior Games Industry Manager

Worldwide Trends in the Games Market Image courtesy of Bethesda Softworks LLC, a Zenimax Media Company

WW Video Game Market (US$ billions) Software sales * PriceWaterhouseCoopers – Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2006-2010

Video Game Market (US$ billions) Geographic comparison * PriceWaterhouseCoopers – Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2006-2010

Next-Gen unit sales by month

“ Next gen” adoption will be fast

Next-Generation Challenges and Requirements Assassin's Creed, image courtesy of Ubisoft Montreal

Higher consumer expectation The bar is being raised…quickly Games are harder to develop than just a few years ago All studios worldwide have been in scramble mode adjusting to new consoles and workflows New production processes, new art techniques and new business models are emerging Image courtesy of Arkane

The bar is being raised…quickly

Games are harder to develop than just a few years ago

All studios worldwide have been in scramble mode adjusting to new consoles and workflows

New production processes, new art techniques and new business models are emerging

Some of today’s problems… Requirement to produce HD quality content High-end hardware shaders Complex data maps (i.e. normal maps / ambient occlusion / HDR) High fidelity animation Produce much more content in the same (or less) time Very large datasets Expanded art teams Outsourcing Requirement for efficient pipelines Multiple SKU support One major game may require 8 (or more) major versions

Requirement to produce HD quality content

High-end hardware shaders

Complex data maps (i.e. normal maps / ambient occlusion / HDR)

High fidelity animation

Produce much more content in the same (or less) time

Very large datasets

Expanded art teams

Outsourcing

Requirement for efficient pipelines

Multiple SKU support

One major game may require 8 (or more) major versions

Next-Gen systems are complex New, unique, varied core architecture CPUs are highly multi-threaded Shaders have replaced the fixed function pipeline Massive data sets and highly complex geometry Image courtesy of Bethesda Softworks LLC, a Zenimax Media Company

New, unique, varied core architecture

CPUs are highly multi-threaded

Shaders have replaced the fixed function pipeline

Massive data sets and highly complex geometry

PS1 generation 560 polygons 4x 256 textures PS2 generation 2,500 polygons 2x 1024 textures PS3 generation 2,000,000 polys 12,000 base 2x 2048 textures Data complexity illustrated… Images courtesy of Epic Games

Data complexity has two parts Each individual model is significantly more complex Normal mapping begins with a highly detailed source model Each source model may be many millions of polygons The game displays a low-res mesh of the object with the normal map applied as a surface The quantity of models is much higher Work is done twice (once for high-res and once for low-res) This may represent a 4x increase in work for artists Also, next-gen simply requires many more assets

Each individual model is significantly more complex

Normal mapping begins with a highly detailed source model

Each source model may be many millions of polygons

The game displays a low-res mesh of the object with the normal map applied as a surface

The quantity of models is much higher

Work is done twice (once for high-res and once for low-res)

This may represent a 4x increase in work for artists

Also, next-gen simply requires many more assets

Autodesk’s Primary Products for the Games Market Image courtesy of High Moon Studios

3D DCC tools for US game releases in 2005 Total represents more than 100% due to some games using multiple tools

Autodesk ® Maya ® 8 / 8.5 Game development features Core Performance – 64 bit support. Geometry cache threading. Enhancements through multi-threading and algorithmic speed-ups Viewport Control - Override viewport with Renderer of Choice (Exposure of Maya Draw Architecture) Python – Modern scripting language, robust alternative to MEL, API bindings Texturing workflow - Transfer Polygon Attributes and Transfer Maps (High poly to low poly pipeline tools). HDR support. Shaders - Hardware shader performance improvements for users of CgFX and ASHLI plug-ins Interoperability – Tighter integration with MotionBuilder and 3ds Max using Autodesk FBX technology.

Core Performance – 64 bit support. Geometry cache threading. Enhancements through multi-threading and algorithmic speed-ups

Viewport Control - Override viewport with Renderer of Choice (Exposure of Maya Draw Architecture)

Python – Modern scripting language, robust alternative to MEL, API bindings

Texturing workflow - Transfer Polygon Attributes and Transfer Maps (High poly to low poly pipeline tools). HDR support.

Shaders - Hardware shader performance improvements for users of CgFX and ASHLI plug-ins

Interoperability – Tighter integration with MotionBuilder and 3ds Max using Autodesk FBX technology.

Autodesk ® 3ds Max ® 9 Game development features Core Performance - 64 bit and mesh optimizations allows developers to work with very complex scenes. Hardware Shaders – Viewport display support for all shader types (DX9 and Cg) ProBooleans – For quick modeling, level layout & destructible geometry Render to Texture - Floating Point Output (key for rendering HDR reflection maps, light maps and sky maps) Programmability – Run 3ds Max from the Command Line. Use MAXScript to tag Per Face Data Animation Tools – Multiple animation systems provide flexibility. Rig your own character or use Biped. Layer animations.

Core Performance - 64 bit and mesh optimizations allows developers to work with very complex scenes.

Hardware Shaders – Viewport display support for all shader types (DX9 and Cg)

ProBooleans – For quick modeling, level layout & destructible geometry

Render to Texture - Floating Point Output (key for rendering HDR reflection maps, light maps and sky maps)

Programmability – Run 3ds Max from the Command Line. Use MAXScript to tag Per Face Data

Animation Tools – Multiple animation systems provide flexibility. Rig your own character or use Biped. Layer animations.

Autodesk ® 3ds Max ® 9 extension (productivity booster) Available as of March 29th to all subscription customers New DirectX 10 drivers “ Works with Windows Vista” including User Account Control (UAC) Note: Backburner does not work with UAC

Available as of March 29th to all subscription customers

New DirectX 10 drivers

“ Works with Windows Vista” including User Account Control (UAC)

Note: Backburner does not work with UAC

Autodesk ® 3ds Max ® 9 extension (productivity booster) New DirectX 10 driver Worked closely with Microsoft from the very beginning Per pixel rendering in the viewport User definable number of lights in the viewport 3ds Max 9 was limited to 8 lights Full support for DirectX 10 Effects – Shader Model 4.0 Including adjacency support in the Geometry Shaders Certain draw calls passed to the Geometry Shader for efficiency 3ds Max 9 can now read in all float formats (HDRi) and save out all supported formats including true floating point data, if generated by the renderer (Mental Ray)

New DirectX 10 driver

Worked closely with Microsoft from the very beginning

Per pixel rendering in the viewport

User definable number of lights in the viewport

3ds Max 9 was limited to 8 lights

Full support for DirectX 10 Effects – Shader Model 4.0

Including adjacency support in the Geometry Shaders

Certain draw calls passed to the Geometry Shader for efficiency

3ds Max 9 can now read in all float formats (HDRi) and save out all supported formats including true floating point data, if generated by the renderer (Mental Ray)

Autodesk ® 3ds Max ® 9 All sparkles generated on the GPU

Autodesk ® 3ds Max ® 9 Wireframe generated on GPU

Autodesk ® MotionBuilder ™ 7.5 Much more than MoCap Speed – Real-time animation tools. Instant playback of character performances. It’s all about speed and efficiency. Editing – Unified non-linear editing environment. Layer and edit animation on the fly. Retarget animation data between characters. HumanIK – Full body FK/IK manipulation rig. Automated character setup.

Speed – Real-time animation tools. Instant playback of character performances. It’s all about speed and efficiency.

Editing – Unified non-linear editing environment. Layer and edit animation on the fly. Retarget animation data between characters.

HumanIK – Full body FK/IK manipulation rig. Automated character setup.