The agreement allows SEGA to use the AGEIA PhysX chip, a hardware Physics Processing Unit (PPU), for a radical increase in the extent to which physics can be used within PC games. This technology supports the dramatic use of realistic physical effects in games (e.g. explosions, demolition, fluids, particles, clothing and fabric simulation). The power afforded by this hardware also makes it suitable for the development of 100% physically simulated game characters.
SEGA evaluated several vendors' middleware solutions for physics simulation. The technical priorities were that of speed and stability. Commercial considerations such as freedom of use, and the extent to which AGEIA recognized the need to support cross-platform solutions resulted in SEGA deciding to use NovodeX under license from AGEIA.
This gives us the opportunity of replacing or augmenting key-frame based technologies with robotics based control technologies, for the creation of life-like creatures, previously only seen in academic research. SEGA believes that the combination of AGEIA physics technology together with complementary AI technology will bring in a new era of game development, without the need to sacrifice graphic appeal.
While SEGA remains open to the use of physics technology provided by other vendors, AGEIA physics technology is now a key part of SEGA's portfolio of core technologies. NovodeX as a cross-platform solution is attractive by itself. NovodeX coupled with the power of the AGEIA PhysX chip for hardware accelerated physics allows new creative opportunities that we are as yet only on the verge of starting to imagine.