Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/33055
E-on Rolls Out Carbon Scatter for 3ds Max E-on software has released Carbon Scatter, the company’s instancing plug-in for use with the Mental Ray (Mental Images) and V-Ray (The Chaos Group) renderers within Autodesk’s 3ds Max software. Carbon Scatter lets users create complex and detailed populations using the native instanc- ing technologies within 3ds Max. Versions of Carbon Scatter for Autodesk Maya and Maxon Cinema4D also are expected, while versions for Autodesk Softimage and NewTek Light- Wave are being considered. Carbon Scatter integrates E-on’s EcoSystem algorithms directly inside of the end user’s 3D application, allowing the population of native Global PC Gaming Hardware Spending Expected to Jump New PC gamers worldwide who are hungry for the best may be giving the PC hardware industry a welcome boost this year. Jon Peddie Research (JPR) estimates that 2011 expenditures on PC gaming hard- ware are set to jump to over $22 billion globally, with a 27 percent gain in 2011 across the three segmentations of the market: mainstream, performance, and enthusiast. The unusual spike in PC hardware growth is due to various infl uences, scenes with millions of instances and render- ing them with the user’s renderer of choice. Carbon Scatter does not scatter objects randomly across the underlying surface, but instead computes their placement according to the relief of the underlying geometry. The tool features an EcoSystem painter tool for interactively painting instances over any surface or group of surfaces. Painted instances can be attached to the underly- ing surface so they move together with the surface or independently. Moreover, multiple plants can be dragged from the plant browser into the EcoSystem population list, making the process faster. Carbon Scatter is available for Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 for both 32 and 64 bit. The offering ships in three fl avors: Carbon Scatter Single, Carbon Scatter Multi, and Carbon Scatter Multi-CE (Content Edition) for $195, $295, and $395, respectively. The fi rst two versions ship with a small collection of plant species, while the latter contains more than 100. PRODUCT: EFFECTS says Ted Pollak, senior gaming analyst for JPR. These factors include the natural cycle of PC hardware purchases from historical infl ec- tion points, system demands of modern fi rst-person shooters (FPS) and real-time strategy (RTS) titles, cheaper high-resolution displays, solid-state drives (SSDs), and the convenience of digital distribution services, such as Steam and Direct2Drive. But Pollak also attributes growth to newly converted PC gamers tiring of the limitations of aging console platforms, the widely applauded advancements in Direct X 11, and the increasing appetite of PC gamers for high-quality speaker systems, headsets, mice, cases, cooling, and other accessories and customizations. JPR identifi es a strong growth trend for systems, accessories, and upgrades in Asia. China is approaching $2.7 billion in expenditures, as gaming continues to grow in popularity and as Internet cafés upgrade machines to run newer titles. Russia is also forecasted to make signifi - cant increases in PC gaming hardware expenditures, showing notable growth in the most expensive enthusiast class and an amazing 22 percent CAGR in the mainstream sector out to 2014. It’s worth noting that the profi le of the typical gamer has changed. Most gamers are technology enthusiasts equipped with the best cameras, several computers, new games, handheld consoles, and, often, a new phone every year. In addition to games, they are often photo and video enthusiasts who place extreme demands on their systems. Additionally, Jon Peddie, president of JPR, notes that interest in 3D- capable machines and displays is growing, and there is rising demand from PC gamers for monitors with higher resolution and better color capabilities. Traditionally used by graphic designers, wide-gamut displays are capable of showing more of the color spectrum, often making games look better. Peddie also says that enthusiast PC gamers are showing interest in displays that exceed 1080p (the maximum reso- lution that HDTV and game consoles are capable of utilizing). The report also highlights the multibillion-dollar market opportunity for semiconductor companies and system integrators that market the game capabilities of sub-$1000 PC systems. JPR has identifi ed signifi cant interest in the game capabilities of even the lowest level systems in the $500 range, as games offered through social networks and casual game sites claim more interest from consumers. This is of particular importance in Intel’s and AMD’s race to provide the best graphics processing with their integrated chips that include the capa- bilities of both CPUs and GPUs. “The Worldwide PC Gaming Hardware Market” report series by JPR covers notebooks and desktops. ` NEWS: GAMING May 2011 5