TransGaming Launches SwiftShader, the World's Fastest Shader-Enabled 3D Rendering Software
SwiftShader delivers full hardware independence for game and application developers
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Oct. 19, 2005) - TransGaming Technologies, the global leader in the development of software portability products for cross-platform gaming, today launched SwiftShaderTM, a software-based rendering product that enables the use of 3D graphics in games and applications, without the cost and complexity of dedicated graphics hardware.
SwiftShader empowers developers and publishers by allowing graphics-intensive titles to run on older PCs, expanding the potential buying market size for games and applications. SwiftShader also provides new opportunities for operating system and embedded system developers to bring high-performance 3D graphics to less powerful hardware and devices. TransGaming has applied its industry-leading portability experience to the development of SwiftShader, ensuring the code can be adapted to function on numerous platforms and devices.
Opening the Door to New Market Opportunities
SwiftShader delivers a significant advantage to game developers by broadening their potential market size to include lower performance PCs. As titles in the casual games market become more reliant on eye-catching graphics, developers and publishers are aware of the importance of serving the larger population of customers using older computers. With SwiftShader, game developers can continue to create increasingly sophisticated titles without fear of dramatically reducing their market size, as end-users enjoy many of the features of newer, high-end 3D games without investing in hardware upgrades. In turn, game players also gain a better user experience through higher quality graphics.
Oberon Media, a major publisher of casual games and the leading global provider of casual gaming solutions, has licensed SwiftShader for integration into its future titles.
"A large percentage of casual games players have no interest in spending money on the latest graphics card," said Scott Bilas, Director of Product Development, Oberon Media. "One of Oberon's missions is to expand the overall size of the casual gaming market. By including SwiftShader in our future titles, we will have the freedom to design and sell more appealing graphics-oriented game titles to a much broader market base."
SwiftShader opens other doors for developers as well. Modular components of the SwiftShader code can be implemented into device drivers or operating systems to provide critical graphics features such as accelerated 3D transformations or high performance raster operations.
"As an enabling technology, SwiftShader has a great deal of promise for hardware and software developers," said Gavriel State, Founder & CTO of TransGaming Technologies. "We see significant market opportunity for this type of technology, which allows companies to incorporate high-quality and high-performance software 3D rendering into products and devices, without the need for expensive dedicated hardware."
Full specifications for SwiftShader and a product demonstration are available for download by visiting www.transgaming.com/swiftshader.
About SwiftShader
TransGaming's SwiftShader technology provides the world's fastest pure software 3D renderer with DirectX® 9.0 class features, including support for Pixel and Vertex Shaders. SwiftShader is built to provide the same APIs that developers are already using for their games and applications. This makes it possible to directly integrate SwiftShader into applications without any changes to source code. Direct3D® 8 and Direct3D 9 compatible APIs are available immediately, and OpenGL-compatible APIs are also under development. Vertex Shader 1.1 and Pixel Shader 1.4 features are currently supported, along with the majority of features used by most developers when producing 3D games and applications.
SwiftShader can perform over 50 times faster than Microsoft's Direct3D Reference Rasterizer in tests with sample applications, and can rival the performance of low end hardware 3D graphics solutions in some cases. SwiftShader achieves this unprecedented level of performance by dynamically compiling highly optimized code specific to an applications 3D rendering needs.
SwiftShader is currently available for x86 CPUs with Intel's SSE multimedia instruction set extensions. SwiftShader runs on Microsoft Windows 98 and higher, and on Linux through TransGaming's Cedega portability technology.
About TransGaming Technologies Inc.
TransGaming Technologies is a global leader in the development of software portability products that allow game developers and publishers to develop games for one system and deploy them across multiple platforms - faster, cheaper and better than anyone else. The platforms supported range from Linux, Mac to Xbox®, PlayStation® 2, and next generation devices. TransGaming Technologies is a registered Microsoft Xbox developer and a licensed Sony PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable® developer.
TransGaming's portability technologies have been applied to some of the hottest franchises and marquis blockbuster titles in the industry including Buena Vista Interactive's TRON 2.0®, Electronic Arts'TM James Bond 007TM: NightfireTM and The SimsTM, Legacy Interactive's Law & OrderTM, Lucas Arts' Indiana Jones® and The Emperor's TombTM, just to name a few. TransGaming's Linux product, Cedega, supports hundreds of the hottest and most popular games on Linux, out-of-the-box, including hit titles such as Battlefield 1942TM, Battlefield VietnamTM, Medal of HonorTM, EverQuestTM, Star Wars GalaxiesTM, World of WarCraft®, City of Heroes® and many more.
TransGaming has a research and development centre in Ottawa, Canada, with business, strategy, and operational activities conducted at the Toronto, Canada office. More information about the company can be obtained at www.transgaming.com.
TransGaming, SwiftShader and Cedega are either registered trademarks or trademarks of TransGaming Technologies Inc. in Canada, the United States and/or other countries. All other products, company names, brand names, trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners.
CONTACT INFORMATION
MAVERICK Public Relations for TransGaming Technologies Inc.
Chris Wood
416-640-5525 ext. 243
chrisw@maverickpr.com