Square Enix today announced “WITCH CHAPTER 0 [cry],” a real-time tech demo that utilizes DirectX 12, a Windows10 based new generation API, at the Microsoft Build Developer Conference.

Square Enix conducted extensive research on real-time CG technology utilizing DirectX 12 in collaboration with Microsoft and NVIDIA. As the press release reads, the results of this research will be incorporated into Square Enix’s LUMINOUS STUDIO engine, and is intended for use in future game development.

WITCH CHAPTER 0 [cry] has achieved some of the world’s highest-level quality of real-time CG. It portrays the human emotion of crying– one of the most difficult representations for existing real-time CG technology. The emotion is displayed in a level of quality which has never been seen before with a real-time CG animated character teemed with life.

WITCH CHAPTER 0 [cry] was created mainly by the developers of AGNI’S PHILOSOPHY – FINAL FANTASY REALTIME TECH DEMO, a tech demo for LUMINOUS STUDIO revealed in June 2012. Square Enix research enabled the real-time CG to feature even more refined graphics and improved processing capabilities in WITCH CHAPTER 0 [cry].

Hajime Tabata, head of the next-generation technology research project and Division Executive of Business Division II of Square Enix, said:

“Our team has always pursued cutting-edge pre-rendered and real-time CG. As a part of the technical development, we created this demo using world-class, real-time CG technology with generous support from leading-edge software and hardware providers – Microsoft’s Windows10/DirectX 12 and NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX. The efforts from this project will power future game development as well as FINAL FANTASY XV, currently a work in progress.”

Yosuke Matsuda, president and representative director of Square Enix, added:

“Square Enix is working on this next-generation research project as a showcase for our technology and creativity which will lead the future of Square Enix. The results will be used to further advance the quality and technical expertise of our games. We will continue to pursue this research on cutting-edge technologies including high-end real-time graphics using the innovative DirectX 12.”

Furthermore, this tech demo was made possible by using NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X-4-way SLI PC. Yeap, you read that right. The monstrous rig that was used was equipped with 4 Titan X.

Steven Guggenheimer, corporate vice president and chief evangelist at Microsoft, also said:

“We’ve designed DirectX 12 to deliver industry-leading performance across the widest range of form factors and graphic cards. The work Square Enix is doing plays a valuable role in exhibiting the potential of DirectX 12 to enable even greater innovation and optimized game performance.”

Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO at NVIDIA, concluded:

“WITCH CHAPTER 0 [cry] features the most ambitious real-time, cinematic-quality graphics ever undertaken. Square Enix’s achievement is nothing short of breathtaking. I am delighted that their amazing team turned to the NVIDIA GAMEWORKS EFFECTS STUDIO to help bring WITCH CHAPTER 0 [cry] to life. This is a preview of the beauty and artistry of video games to come.”

Enjoy!

John Papadopoulos

John is the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming. He is a PC gaming fan and highly supports the modding and indie communities. Before creating DSOGaming, John worked on numerous gaming websites. While he is a die-hard PC gamer, his gaming roots can be found on consoles. John loved – and still does – the 16-bit consoles, and considers SNES to be one of the best consoles. Still, the PC platform won him over consoles. That was mainly due to 3DFX and its iconic dedicated 3D accelerator graphics card, Voodoo 2. John has also written a higher degree thesis on the “The Evolution of PC graphics cards.”
Contact: Email