Home Gaming We’ll soon see the next generation of OpenGL

We’ll soon see the next generation of OpenGL

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opengl

There’s a great deal of focus at the moment on Microsoft’s next generation API, DirectX 12, and indeed on AMD’s own low-level interface, Mantle. Both promise a more console-like approach, with lower-level access to the hardware, unobstructed by layer upon layer of abstraction. There is another though; OpenGL. The Silicon Graphics API that let you play Quake with hardware rendering is set for an update – and it’ll be revealed next month. Interestingly, it’ll be revealed by – amongst others – Valve.

At next month’s Game Developer’s Conference, a group of graphics engineers from Valve, Electronics Arts, Unity, Epic Games and other will present a panel titled “glNext: The Future of High Performance Graphics (Presented by Valve)”

It’ll be used as a platform to unveil a brand new “upcoming cross-platform graphics API designed for modern programming techniques and processors.”

The panel will be hosted by Johan Andersson, technical fellow on the Frostbite Engine Team, Valve developers Pierre-Loup Griffais and John McDonald, Niklas Smedberg, senior engine programmer at Epic Games, Dan Baker, graphics architect at Oxide Games, and unity engine graphics architect Aras Pranckevicius.

They’ll be doing a full technical breakdown of the API, and show off the power of their new software API.

It’s the Valve bit that has me intrigued. Valve’s been trying to make a greater push in to gaming with its Steam OS – which does away with things like DirectX, favouring instead open source and royalty free software. OpenGL has always been the cornerstone of SteamOS’ graphics rendering, and this next generation of it could bring with it the impetus it needs to finally get SteamOS off the ground.

The delusion, over-excitable part of me though, hopes we may finally catch a glimpse of Valve new Source engine, running on a next generation API. With that comes all sorts of possibilities: Left 4 Dead 3? Other things ending in 3?

Who knows! We’ll get to find out on March 5 (via PCGamer)

[Thanks to Erwin for the tip]

Last Updated: February 4, 2015

51 Comments

  1. Blood Emperor Trevor

    February 4, 2015 at 13:33

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief

      February 4, 2015 at 13:43

      Bowchickawowow

      Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      February 4, 2015 at 13:43

      Erwin is a gentleman

      Reply

    • RinceThis

      February 4, 2015 at 13:59

      That’s all there is. Be nice.

      Reply

      • Tosh MA

        February 4, 2015 at 14:01

        Ouch.

        Reply

      • Admiral Chief

        February 4, 2015 at 14:02

        Haha, imagine how odd that would look, ALL HEAD!

        Reply

        • Blood Emperor Trevor

          February 4, 2015 at 14:03

          But then you’d be able to shout things like “ALL A HEAD FULL!”

          Reply

          • Admiral Chief

            February 4, 2015 at 14:03

            ALL STEAM A HEAD

          • Admiral Chief

            February 4, 2015 at 14:04

            Dammit should be FULL STEAM A HEAD

          • Tosh MA

            February 4, 2015 at 14:05

            “Full” is a bit optimistic, don’t you think?

          • Admiral Chief

            February 4, 2015 at 14:06

            Indeed, half a meter is not a full meter, I apologize

          • Ceyber, The Metal Rabbit

            February 4, 2015 at 14:05

            XD

        • RinceThis

          February 4, 2015 at 14:11

          What a big helmet you’ve got! 0_O

          Reply

          • Admiral Chief

            February 4, 2015 at 14:12

            I’m surrounded by assholes

          • RinceThis

            February 4, 2015 at 14:14

            Trevor tries very hard. We should appreciate that!

          • Blood Emperor Trevor

            February 4, 2015 at 14:17

            No one ever does 🙁

            Just the other day I was being an asshole in the office & I got told to fuck off, loudly. It was so rude & hurtful.

          • RinceThis

            February 4, 2015 at 14:20

            BWAHAHAHHAHAAHHA! Brilliant 🙂

          • Admiral Chief

            February 4, 2015 at 14:22

            Serious?

            Geez, some people. I hope you farted in that general direction

    • Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim

      February 4, 2015 at 13:59

      Read that in Archer voice. Mission accomplished?

      Reply

  2. hairyknees

    February 4, 2015 at 13:37

    OPENGL3 CONFIRMED! Wait…. :'(

    Reply

    • Blood Emperor Trevor

      February 4, 2015 at 13:37

      YOU SHUT UP, AND DON’T EVEN THINK OF MENTIONING CABBAG3.

      Reply

      • hairyknees

        February 4, 2015 at 13:40

        DOTA3*******

        Reply

        • Blood Emperor Trevor

          February 4, 2015 at 13:43

          I WARNED YOU! NOW I’M ANGRY! ON THE INTERNET!

          Reply

          • hairyknees

            February 4, 2015 at 13:54

            WANNA WEBCAM BATTLE?

          • Tosh MA

            February 4, 2015 at 13:55

            O_O

          • Blood Emperor Trevor

            February 4, 2015 at 13:58

            MY SCHWARTZ IS BIGGER THAN YOURS!

  3. Ghost In The Rift

    February 4, 2015 at 13:37

    Upgrade required costs, 2 internal body parts.

    Reply

    • Blood Emperor Trevor

      February 4, 2015 at 13:38

      Do they have to be from my body, or can I use someone elses. Asking for a friend.

      Reply

  4. Admiral Chief

    February 4, 2015 at 13:37

    AWWWJISSSS RECOGNITION!!!

    Reply

  5. Admiral Chief

    February 4, 2015 at 13:38

    Man, games need to do this again! 3 different paths to follow to choose difficulty level!

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      February 4, 2015 at 13:43

      Don’t forget the nightmare level

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief

        February 4, 2015 at 13:43

        Indeed!

        I miss Quake1 🙁

        Reply

  6. Hammersteyn

    February 4, 2015 at 13:49

    Sooooooo no new Quake game?
    *Goes home.

    Reply

    • Matewis Jubilai

      February 4, 2015 at 13:53

      I loved Q4, and hope that the next one is a mix between Q4 and http://www.mobygames.com/game/freedom-fighters: fighting on the Strogg homeworld, and you have to decide which facilities and areas to attack, which in turn has an effect on the equipment, enemies and support you can call in for each mission.

      Reply

  7. Blood Emperor Trevor

    February 4, 2015 at 13:50

    The best part of Valve’s involvement is that we know from day one it’ll have full hat support.

    Reply

  8. Tosh MA

    February 4, 2015 at 13:54

    OpenGL was never widely adopted if I’m not mistaken. it was around for a bit, but apparently it’s really difficult to code for?

    Idk, if it’s widely adopted and works as well or better than DX or Mantle, then maybe this is cool. If not, then this is forgettable.

    Reply

    • Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim

      February 4, 2015 at 13:56

      You’re mistaken. It’s used in CAD, and in a bunch of games too.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_OpenGL_programs

      Reply

      • Tosh MA

        February 4, 2015 at 13:58

        That’s very interesting.

        And twice in a day, dammit. Fluctuation… XD

        Reply

        • Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim

          February 4, 2015 at 14:01

          FLUCK YOU!

          Reply

          • Admiral Chief

            February 4, 2015 at 14:03

            Flucking flucks all over the flucking place

          • Blood Emperor Trevor

            February 4, 2015 at 14:04

            I hoped it was just a fluke.

          • Tosh MA

            February 4, 2015 at 14:05

            *prace

          • Admiral Chief

            February 4, 2015 at 14:07

            Nope, place, else it would have been “frucking frucks arr over the frucking prace”

          • Tosh MA

            February 4, 2015 at 14:28

            Then that.

    • z1n

      February 4, 2015 at 15:48

      I think it’s not widely adopted because ‘Windows is for gaming’ which pretty much forces you to used DX (the odd game allows OpenGL). I think with the rise of non-Windows gaming, OpenGL will start to enjoy some big success (ahem, Steam Machines).

      Reply

    • RustedFaith

      February 4, 2015 at 17:08

      OpenGL was widely adopted all over the world in the 90’s. It was the dominant API until 3dfx went bust.

      Reply

  9. loftie

    February 4, 2015 at 13:56

    i am almost at the halfway point in my life. half life 3 confirmed.

    Reply

  10. CrasH

    February 4, 2015 at 14:00

    what…
    5/03/2015..

    5+3+20+15 = 43….L4D3 revealed 😛

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief

      February 4, 2015 at 14:03

      Your math, it is very sound!

      Reply

      • Tosh MA

        February 4, 2015 at 14:04

        Like this?

        Reply

  11. z1n

    February 4, 2015 at 15:43

    I’m so glad OpenGL is getting more exposure and becoming a real option as a gfx language. Direct X bullshit has held us up for long enough. It’s been good sure, I can’t dispute that, but it’s Windows dependant which is so limiting in this day and age.
    It’s clear to see the reason Valve are in on this is because of Steam machines. And because OpenGL is, well… open, it has much more cross platform capability than DirectX while at the same time making it easier for devs (and importantly the indies) to access the potential of the hardware. The community has always been the best at making games/ideas because they do it for love, not money.

    TL;DR: Open source FTW!

    Reply

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