Applications in Gaming Technology

In many ways, gaming technology represents the future of many other aspects of technology, including the desire for realistic 3D graphics, HD-quality resolution and reliability for discerning consumers. Electronic Products interviewed some of the leaders in gaming technology to discuss what types of trends in gaming products and applications they are seeing.

Keys to gamers’ hearts
According to John Hill, director of marketing for North Andover, MA-based WIN Enterprises, adaptability is the buzzword in gaming technology today.
“We need to create rich content faster and graphics hardware must work with modern, established software environments such as Windows, Linux; and OpenGL- or DirectX-based APIs,” he says.
For instance, he suggests using mature software environment ts to speed up development, adding that newer board-level digital circuits are more flexible, while integrators now have the ability to increase performance and upgrade by replacing relatively few components.
The reason this is so important, he adds, is because “it lengthens the life of their hardware platforms and this enables the development of games that provide a hybrid experience with classic lever/button/switch interfaces with today’s high-resolution, 3D graphics and HD sound.”
Dirk Schapeler, CEO of Artificial Muscle in Sunnyvale, CA, agrees: “”We think gaming is moving to become a much more immersive medium than it is today. Through controllers that move hundreds of different sounds to how the next generation of headphones will pull you further in the gaming world. Making the player feel more a part of the game will be critical.”
Kevin Tanguay, Embedded Gaming Manager, AMD Embedded Solutions adds: “There is definitely a fight for eyes. The games are becoming more sophisticated and this is done in part by using machines with more advanced processor and graphics technology that can run a number of different games and multiple screens to enhance the overall effect.”

Reliability strategies
Hill also notes that reliability remains a key issue as well.
“The hardware people like is the traditional golden fingers connectors because it helps ensure system reliability. This reliable connector accommodates the fact that games are often and regularly moved on the game floor in order to present a continuous fresh look to casino gamers.”
He continues:  “Exciting graphics performance isn’t typically found on the single-user, single-screen systems.  A developer can leverage the increased graphic capability of boards by increasing display size or number of screens for multiple players.”
Hill adds: “People expect superior graphics support plus response and performance at reasonable cost. In addition, the ability to support more than a single display hints at the demands to come, which will be increasingly immersive to meet the expectations of increasingly savvy users.”   
Shapeler adds: “While major advances have been seen in both graphics and audio quality in gaming, touch sensations in game control have had the same one-buzz-fits all vibration for over a decade. The days of one-rumble-fits-all are numbered!”
Tanguay concludes: “First and foremost is graphics performance. The second is the number of screens a solution will drive. In addition, like most other embedded uses the industry is also interested in greater energy efficiency and reduced size.”

WIN Enterprises, Inc. offers the MB-63020 and AMD G-Series processor-powered gaming board. According to the company this single board computer (SBC) offers onboard 3D graphics performance with support for DirectX 11 and Open GL 4, independent dual display by VGA + DVI-D and full bit stream decoding of H.264/MPEG4 AVC, VC-1, DivX, Xvid, MPEG2 and Blu-ray 3D.
WIN Enterprises:  www.win-ent.com

The ViviTouch HD Feel technology from ViviTouch enables the user to feel physical sensations through a Moving Touch Sensor. Among its key features are an actuator with a flex circuit to the power source, an optional HIC module and an output bar.
Vivitouch:www.vivitouch.com/company.html

The AMD Embedded G-Series SOC is the world’s first embedded quad-core x86 SOC and first available SOC based on AMD’s “Jaguar” microprocessor design.  It combines a low-power CPU, advanced AMD Radeon™ 8000 Series GPU and I/O on a single die, ideal for small form factor, energy efficient solutions.

AMD:  http://www.amd.com/us/products/embedded/Pages/embedded.aspx