04
April
2007
|
10:22 AM
America/Los_Angeles

Next gen games will drive Vista adoption says HP, shows new gaming technologies

I just got back from HP's Gaming Summit at Dogpatch Studios, which showcased some rather nifty gaming technologies from HP Labs (video is coming.)

During a panel discussion, Rahul Sood, chief technology officer at HP Gaming, and founder of Voodoo PC said that next generation PC games based on Microsoft's new DirectX 10 technology will do more to drive sales of Vista than anything else.

"DirectX 10 is going to provide a dramatically improved gaming experience that will drive adoption of Vista," said Mr Sood.

Some of the technologies on display or discussed were:

... a curved, seamless display that fills a gamer's field of view for an incredibly immersive visual experience and a way to superimpose multimedia digital experiences on physical landscapes so people could, for example, play a game throughout a city using wireless handheld devices. The company also demonstrated a "super projector" capable of high resolution, brightness, deep contrast and a wide color gamut, ideal for projecting games for multiple players on a big screen.

HP Press Release HP Puts on its Game Face

Panoply and Pluribus- using multiple projectors to create a seamless giant screen for game playing or other "immersive" applications. It doesn't require precise projector positioning, all the calibration and focusing is by computer.

Memory Spot - This is an intriguing technology, a small coin sized device that can store about 4MB of data and can be read by a computer. That's about all HP was willing to say about this technology, but promised more information and applications later this year.

Coffee Table Display - Imagine a large rectangular coffee table with a huge high definition touchscreen that lets users manipulate images, drag around virtual puzzle pieces, and also transforms into a virtual aquarium! Where do the coffee cups go, I asked Susie Wee, Lab Director of the HP Labs Mobile and Media Systems Lab (video will be posted soon.)

Also:

HP TouchSmart PC
» Fact sheet
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HP Labs Gaming Demonstrations


HP Labs researcher Mike Harville tries out a race car video game on a special curved screen designed to increase the realism and immersive experience for gamers.
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Notes: Interestingly, I tried to video a panel discussion between representatives of Intel, HP, NVIDIA, Trion World, and Microsoft but after a few minutes I was told no videos were allowed. I asked why and was told that video camera made some of the panelists uncomfortable, yet they were in front of about 80 journalists(!)