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Developer and manufacturer of STALKER: Clear Sky providing new details shooter set in the Area, which is a true prequel to Shadow of Chernobyl. STALKER Clear Sky is set one year before the events narrated in the first degree, when the area was transformed forever by a huge and abnormal release of energy.

From the press release: “In STALKER Clear Sky, the player as the role of Scar, a mercenary stalker. With an explosive mixture of combat first hand and elements from role-playing game, Scar fights for survival in the Area, within the sectors hostile. The new territories are explored by groups of stalker, and these individual factions are soon involved in clashes between them. As a mercenary, Scar takes part in an all-out war for control of space, energy and manufactured products: going to the player to decide which side, hoping to survive. “

It has been improved artificial intelligence, as enemies and allies now make decisions in light of the situation, affecting the course of events. The outcome of battles is never predetermined and only in the last level the player is “guided” towards the conclusion of the story, which serves as introduction to the events at the base of Shadow of Chernobyl.

The game world also is very large, given that the levels of Shadow of Chernobyl, however widely reviewed, they added new ones. Now, the enemy factions are fighting among themselves, while the mutant hunt anywhere without respite. You can also move quickly from one part of the game map, and weapons and armor can be repaired and modified.

The graphics engine of Clear Sky supports DirectX 10 graphics libraries, and includes effects such as rays of light, environmental particles, dynamic volumetric smoke, dynamic wet surfaces with rain effect and more. Also the engine behind the animation has been revised. The graphics engine is able to handle the dynamic transition between day and night with realistic weather effects.

Is also enhanced support for the game in multiplayer, with different arrangements and the possibility of playing up to 32 simultaneously on the Internet and LAN. STALKER: Clear Sky will be released in the upcoming International Contemporary August 29th, only on PC.

NVIDIA is preparing to present a new set of drivers with support for the PhysX API, through the use of their GPU with unified shader architecture and Cuda.

Underlying these drivers are of course the acquisition of Ageî by NVIDIA, which occurred in recent months and that will soon take the first concrete in the form in fact a driver that provides compatibility between these APIs and GPU NVIDIA Series GeForce 8, GeForce 9, and the next-generation GeForce GTX 200.

The PhysX API is particularly widespread in both the console and in the PC, allowing you to implement the physical effects of 3D objects. Until now it was possible to exploit these APIs with the PhysX hardware solutions, the so-called PPU (Physics Processing Unit) developed by Ageî, but following the acquisition by NVIDIA all research and development efforts will go in the direction of using the GPU for calculations related to physics.

The unique feature of the PhysX API is currently not implemented via Cuda GPU is in the management of rigid bodies, it is not clear at present moment if and when this function can be somewhat accelerated by the GPU.

The processing power of recent GPUs with NVIDIA physical processes linked to is much higher than that made available by the PPU Ageî on the market. On the other hand, the GPU must provide for all the processes related to traditional 3D rendering, so only a part the resources available can be used for the management of physics.

This obviously opens up space for hybrid-type approaches, in which one or two GPUs are used for the traditional rendering 3D GPU while another is specifically designed for use with PhysX API in order to obtain the highest possible acceleration of the effects related to physics.

Rod Cousens, President of the British company, has revealed the first details in an interview published on the official site of Formula 1. Codemasters could develop a Formula 1 title because it has recently acquired the license, ripping a Sony.

What is of greater curiosity is the approach: arcade or simulation? Here as expressed in the way: “We would like to offer both: simulation for hardcore gamers, but also for arcade players. I believe we have found the right equilibrium with the Grid and then we can also do it with the title Formula 1. “

Big attention will be placed on the management of the cameras, making the replay of the most spectacular possible. Physics will be advanced and will cover not only the destruction of individual elements of the cars but also their simple deformation. The technical sector, moreover, will be borrowed from the Race Driver Grid: the Ego engine, an evolution of technology Neon seen in Colin McRae Dirt.

Among the main components, speaks of integration of online services. Players can, in fact, exchange views on race, data, structures, tracks and more, even during competitions. Of course you can play multiplayer over the network.

As for the target platforms, is not very clear. If at first you had talked about next-generation consoles and PC, the PC now seems ruled out. “Of course we watch the platforms that have sold more, and for which no games were released in Formula 1 in recent years. On top of this list is Nintendo Wii, and in this case, the Wii remote will be used as if it were a steering wheel. We are developing on XBox 360 and PlayStation 3.