EA DICE Using Nvidia's PhysX For Mirror's Edge

Developer EA DICE announced that the PC version of Mirror's Edge, slated for January 2009, will take additional advantage of Nvidia's PhysX physics engine to include realistic affects from wind, weapons impact, and in-game movements. Released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 last week, Mirror's Edge is a first-person action adventure game starring a heroine named Faith as she uses acrobatic moves to transport confidential information across a cityscape of rooftops and aerial skyways to avoid being detected. With the enhanced version of Nvidia's PhysX technology in the PC version of the game, cloth, flags, and banners in the game now impact weapons and players; ground fog interacts with player footsteps; explosions send smoke and debris into the air; and weapon impacts are enhanced with interactive particles. PhysX is composed of a physics engine, API, and middleware software, and can be used in development for Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and the PC. On the PC, PhysX technology can leverage CUDA-enabled parallel processors, including Nvidia's own GeForce GPUs 8 Series and higher -- Nvidia says this lets it handle 10-20 times more visual complexity than traditional PC platforms. The company says all such GPUs are CUDA-enabled, creating an 80 million-plus install base. Over 140 shipping titles for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and PC use PhysX, according to Nvidia. "Faith's world in Mirror's Edge is visceral, immediate, and very dangerous; it is imperative that the gameplay reflect this level of urgency," says DICE senior producer Owen O'Brien. "PhysX technology affords us the ability to bring a totally new level of immersion to the game, and by doing so, gamers can truly become part of the world."