Aquanox Dev: We’d Do Async Compute Only With An Implementation That Doesn’t Limit NVIDIA Users

[Gregster]

while interviewing Digital Arrow about Aquanox Deep Descent, we have asked them if they intended to use Async Compute in their game. Here’s their reply:
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We aim to develop a game that is enjoyable to everyone who wishes to join the world of Aqua. Implementing and/or focusing on technologies that would limit certain people from accessing the game is entirely against our philosophy of being a community focused developer. If at any point, there will be an implementation possible that will not limit NVIDIA card users, then we will certainly explore this option as well.

This isn’t really surprising. According to the latest Jon Peddie Research report, NVIDIA has reached 81% of the discrete GPU market share; it wouldn’t be prudent at all for developers to focus on a technology that may not translate very well for the majority of their potential user base.
This is why it is unlikely that many games in the near future will make Async Compute central to their development. Besides, there are other DirectX 12 features to exploit, some of which (such as Conservative Rasterization and Raster Order Views) are only available on NVIDIA hardware right now; Digital Arrow is currently evaluating DirectX 12 options for Aquanox Deep Descent.

Read more: http://wccftech.com/aquanox-dev-async-compute-implementation-limit-nvidia-users/#ixzz3lPs91YEx

I expected to read things like this soon enough and even though Nvidia will have Async (albeit not as fast as GCN), developers won't want to alienate the majority of GPU users.

 

[Gregster]

AMD flavoured devs will go the route of Over-Asyncellation

An even playing field is good though I wouldn't mind seeing AMD ahead in the odd game in fairness.