All Frostbite 3 Titles Will Be Optimized For AMD Only

[Sin]

All Frostbite 3 Titles Will Be Optimized For AMD Only (Updated)

According to a report from IGN, EA and AMD have entered an agreement which sees the latter benefiting from exclusive rights to optimization for games based on EA's Frostbite 3 engine. Titles like Battlefield 4, Need for Speed Rivals and Mirror's Edge 2 are subject to this rumored accord between AMD and EA, but also many other current and future EA titles. Of course, this will not completely remove NVIDIA from the Frostbite 3 table, they will simply be absent from it until the actual launch takes place, meaning that pre-launch testing and driver optimization can only be done by AMD, leaving NVIDIA at a clear disadvantage.

While still an unconfirmed rumor, AMD refused to deny it in a reply to Ryan Shrout's query regarding the story. AMD's reply below.
"It makes sense that game developers would focus on AMD hardware with AMD hardware being the backbone of the next console generation. At this time, though, our relationship with EA is exclusively focused on Battlefield 4 and its hardware optimizations for AMD CPUs, GPUs and APUs."



Update
EA and AMD have issued the following statement in response to IGN's initial piece on the subject:

"DICE has a partnership with AMD specifically for Battlefield 4 on PC to showcase and optimize the game for AMD hardware," an EA spokesperson said. "This does not exclude DICE from working with other partners to ensure players have a great experience across a wide set of PCs for all their titles."

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[ST-Cyclone921R]

Nope!
>>> https://twitter.com/repi/status/347160638000345088

"Johan Andersson ‏@repi:
Technical Director on Frostbite at DICE working on games of the future.

@Rndomuser incorrect. we do important optimizations when possible for all vendors, but not at the expense for other vendors"

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

so, by giving amd a huge advantage, their drivers might actually work at release, instead of a month later?

 

[Jorge]

In fact Intel and Nvidia have been doing the same thing for years. AMD is just trying to level the playing field. You don't really believe the bogus benches that have been used for the past 20 years to sway consumers, do you? If so you are pretty gullible.

 

[Sin]

Nope!
>>> https://twitter.com/repi/status/347160638000345088

"Johan Andersson ‏@repi:
Technical Director on Frostbite at DICE working on games of the future.

@Rndomuser incorrect. we do important optimizations when possible for all vendors, but not at the expense for other vendors"

If you read carefully you'll see he's not contradicting the initial point made by IGN & PCPer.

 

[Xzibit]

so, by giving amd a huge advantage, their drivers might actually work at release, instead of a month later?

As suppose to the recent drivers Nvidia been putting out?

Official NVIDIA 320.18 WHQL Display Driver Feedback Thread (Released 5/23/13)

Geforce R320.xx display driver stability feedback thread

Nvidia 320.18 WHQL Display Driver is Damaging GPUs

 

[BigMack70]

pretty sure this article is interpreting the source material in exactly the opposite of how it was intended

It was pretty clear that any optimization done for AMD is not to the exclusion of or at the expense of optimization for Intel/Nvidia.

Fail.

 

[cdawall]

How amusing. Is this one big suck it for TWIMTBP?

 

[Colihx2]

Hmmm... Not sure if you can consider this anti-competitive. It doesn't sound to serious, if it only means Nvidia can't optimise their driver until after a game is released (I haven't updated my video card drivers in over a year). Might be more significant for people with Dual GPU configurations though.

 

[HumanSmoke]

so, by giving amd a huge advantage, their drivers might actually work at release, instead of a month later?

As suppose to the recent drivers Nvidia been putting out?

So what? Do you think that anyone suffering from the driver woes of one company are mollified because another companies software stack has its own issues? Is the fact that both vendors suffer from driver issues negate the problems with one of the other?

That's like saying that the Ford Pinto's recall for exploding gas tanks weren't an issue because GM full size cars were undergoing recalls for turn signal problems at the same time.
:smfh:

Nice try at trying to provoke a flamewar though. I give it 2/10 (double your usual score ).

How amusing. Is this one big suck it for TWIMTBP?

Probably. At least until Nvidia get their compute shader architecture in order for anything other than the big die GPU.
Since this "optimization" will likely be a continuance of the compute shader <-> pixel shader variety ( HDAO etc.), its pretty safe to assume that not only will Nvidians not be seeing the max game i.q. settings, but also those using VLIW4 and 5.

The main problem of locking out a vendor is that it will be the user base that suffers. Any game review is (as is usual) going to come with the caveat that one of the vendors is seeing the game code late. If this becomes pervasive, I can see graphics benchmarking showing some inertia in moving to the contentious titles.

 

[techtard]

I don't see what the big deal is. nVidia has been doing this for years with NTWIMTBP. During the DX 10 era, they even had Ubisoft pull a patch for Assasin's Creed that enabled DX10.1 features which gave ATi hardware a boost.

As long as big money is involved in game development, there will be stuff like this going on.

 

[buggalugs]

I didn't like it when Nvidia did it, and I don't like it when AMD do it. Why should gamers be punished when they have spent hundreds on hardware? Theres only really 2 graphics companies so games should be optimized to run on both platforms. Both companies should be given equal access to games before they are released.

Now that AMD is doing this with some games, Nvidia will ramp up there TWIMTBP program and the end user will suffer.

 

[jboydgolfer]

EVEN if this were true, and EVEN though it Kills me to say, as an AMD owner for quite some time, Nvidia would STILL be the Better performer EVEN with a "head start" from EA to AMD. IF it were true, which I couldn't confirm nor deny.

 

[cdawall]

EVEN if this were true, and EVEN though it Kills me to say, as an AMD owner for quite some time, Nvidia would STILL be the Better performer EVEN with a "head start" from EA to AMD. IF it were true, which I couldn't confirm nor deny.

At what because single card outside of the titan isn't exactly nv heavy...

 

[Rebel333]

They should not optimize to Nvidia at all, all future gaming machines are AMD...

 

[HumanSmoke]

At what because single card outside of the titan isn't exactly nv heavy...

Well, technically, the GTX 780 isn't Titan but is still in the same ballpark performance wise.
I'd also note that hardware is still only one side of the coin. Consider that CrossfireX seems to be broken in Nexuiz, while Far Cry 3 and Bioshock Infinite have also had issues....not a problem in itself, but given that all three titles are under AMD's Gaming Evolved banner, AND are bundled with AMD cards, it kind of tells the story that the driver team and the PR division aren't really on the same page.
Again, not a big issue until its noted that the competitors cards don't seem to suffer to the same extent. Having the opposition walking onto your home court and racking up the score on you generally isn't a good sign.

 

[NC37]

Hey awesome that means FB3 games will have realistic armpit hair!! Woo, just what we all needed!!

 

[cdawall]

Well, technically, the GTX 780 isn't Titan but is still in the same ballpark performance wise.
I'd also note that hardware is still only one side of the coin. Consider that CrossfireX seems to be broken in Nexuiz, while Far Cry 3 and Bioshock Infinite have also had issues....not a problem in itself, but given that all three titles are under AMD's Gaming Evolved banner, AND are bundled with AMD cards, it kind of tells the story that the driver team and the PR division aren't really on the same page.
Again, not a big issue until its noted that the competitors cards don't seem to suffer to the same extent. Having the opposition walking onto your home court and racking up the score on you generally isn't a good sign.

I am just happy that AMD's marketing team is actually doing something right now.

 

[TC-man]

And yet Nintendo Wii U (with an AMD GPU) will "never" work with Frostbite 2 & 3 game engines, while it got overall better hardware (e.g. GPU, more system memory) than the PS3 and Xbox 360 (both run Frostbite 2 & 3 games)?

 

[Shihab]

And yet Nintendo Wii U (with an AMD GPU) will "never" work with Frostbite 2 & 3 game engines, while it got overall better hardware (e.g. GPU, more system memory) than the PS3 and Xbox 360 (both run Frostbite 2 & 3 games)?

The CPU's still a problem IIRC. But yes, I got a feeling it isn't just about the hardware. Estimated revenue, perhaps?

 

[jigar2speed]

And yet Nintendo Wii U (with an AMD GPU) will "never" work with Frostbite 2 & 3 game engines, while it got overall better hardware (e.g. GPU, more system memory) than the PS3 and Xbox 360 (both run Frostbite 2 & 3 games)?

Exactly
Frostbite is even coming to mobile very soon. Isn't it alarming that if Frostbite can be ported on mobile device but EA is finding it tough to run it on comparatively much powerful Wii U devices ?

 

[Phobia9651]

I didn't like it when Nvidia did it, and I don't like it when AMD do it. Why should gamers be punished when they have spent hundreds on hardware? Theres only really 2 graphics companies so games should be optimized to run on both platforms. Both companies should be given equal access to games before they are released.

Now that AMD is doing this with some games, Nvidia will ramp up there TWIMTBP program and the end user will suffer.

Exactly, I facepalm whenever I see the AMD Gaming Evolved or Nvidia The Way It Is Meant to Be Played logo when I start up a game.
Fighting the GPU war at the expense of the end user is so low.
GG imbeciles.

 

[Fourstaff]

Even if they don't actively optimise for AMD, the fact that both serious next gen consoles uses AMD means that games will be better optimised for AMD by default.

 

[Recus]

As suppose to the recent drivers Nvidia been putting out?

Official NVIDIA 320.18 WHQL Display Driver Feedback Thread (Released 5/23/13)

Geforce R320.xx display driver stability feedback thread

Nvidia 320.18 WHQL Display Driver is Damaging GPUs

Nobody wrote article about it so AMD drivers are perfect?

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2325931

I don't see what the big deal is. nVidia has been doing this for years with NTWIMTBP. During the DX 10 era, they even had Ubisoft pull a patch for Assasin's Creed that enabled DX10.1 features which gave ATi hardware a boost.

As long as big money is involved in game development, there will be stuff like this going on.

DX10.1 was disabled due stability issues on Nvidia cards not for AA. And as I remember nobody forced you to update the game. Uplay didn't exist at that time.

-------------

A desperate move by AMD. Instead of bribing developers to limit performance on Intel and NVIDIA parts, they should spend it improving their own hardware and drivers. I'm not surprised that EA is involved, they have a habit of screwing their customers.

This. AMD has all consoles but locking performance on Intel/Nvidia hardvare because Big Three turned into Big One.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/06/14/e3-2013-ps4-outpacing-xbox-one-pre-orders

 

[DannibusX]

Nobody wrote article about it so AMD drivers are perfect?

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2325931



DX10.1 was disabled due stability issues on Nvidia cards not for AA. And as I remember nobody forced you to update the game. Uplay didn't exist at that time.

-------------



This. AMD has all consoles but locking performance on Intel/Nvidia hardvare because Big Three turned into Big One.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/06/14/e3-2013-ps4-outpacing-xbox-one-pre-orders

AMD>Nvidia