Ducks demo
Encyclopedia
The Ducks demo was a tech demo
that demonstrated the capabilities of the PlayStation 2
at E3 2000 and the PlayStation 3
at E3 2005. In the PlayStation 2 demo, only one duck is shown interacting with the water in the bathtub. In the PlayStation 3 demo, there are many ducks interacting with each other and their environment. A visual representation of the leap in processing abilities from the PlayStation 2 Sony executives promise the PlayStation 3 will deliver.
shows the crowd a small bathtub with some rubber duck
s in it. He uses these to demonstrate the real-time water ripples and dynamics. He then uses two toy pirate ships to demonstrate cloth dynamics. To show the Cell's
processing power, he adds a huge amount of ducks to the tub (all reacting as they would in real-life, due to the advanced physics engine).
to show the new technology the PlayStation 3 can use. Plugging a standard PlayStation 2 EyeToy into the PlayStation 3, he picks up two ordinary cups and proceeds to move the cups in a scooping motion, which scoops up the water pictured on screen. (animated and reacting as real water would). Phil comments dryly that "this is only possible with the use of LOD technology, for those of you that don't know, LOD stands for "Lots of Ducks"
which is a downloadable title for the PS3 produced by SCEE.
Tech demo
A tech demo is a prototype, rough example or an otherwise incomplete version of a product, put together with the primary purpose of showcasing the idea, performance, method or the features of the product...
that demonstrated the capabilities of the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
at E3 2000 and the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
at E3 2005. In the PlayStation 2 demo, only one duck is shown interacting with the water in the bathtub. In the PlayStation 3 demo, there are many ducks interacting with each other and their environment. A visual representation of the leap in processing abilities from the PlayStation 2 Sony executives promise the PlayStation 3 will deliver.
The 2005 Demo
In the demo, Phil HarrisonPhil Harrison
Phil Harrison is the former British corporate executive and a representative director of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. and Executive Vice President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe . At E3 in 2005 he showcased the first public realtime demonstrations of PlayStation 3 development hardware...
shows the crowd a small bathtub with some rubber duck
Rubber duck
A rubber duck is a toy shaped like a stylised Yellow-billed Duck , and is generally yellow with a flat base. It may be made of rubber or rubber-like material such as vinyl plastic...
s in it. He uses these to demonstrate the real-time water ripples and dynamics. He then uses two toy pirate ships to demonstrate cloth dynamics. To show the Cell's
Cell (microprocessor)
Cell is a microprocessor architecture jointly developed by Sony, Sony Computer Entertainment, Toshiba, and IBM, an alliance known as "STI". The architectural design and first implementation were carried out at the STI Design Center in Austin, Texas over a four-year period beginning March 2001 on a...
processing power, he adds a huge amount of ducks to the tub (all reacting as they would in real-life, due to the advanced physics engine).
The EyeToy
Phil Harrison then invites the creator of EyeToyEyeToy
The EyeToy is a color digital camera device, similar to a webcam, for the PlayStation 2. The technology uses computer vision and Gesture recognition to process images taken by the camera...
to show the new technology the PlayStation 3 can use. Plugging a standard PlayStation 2 EyeToy into the PlayStation 3, he picks up two ordinary cups and proceeds to move the cups in a scooping motion, which scoops up the water pictured on screen. (animated and reacting as real water would). Phil comments dryly that "this is only possible with the use of LOD technology, for those of you that don't know, LOD stands for "Lots of Ducks"
Trivia
The Ducks demo was the basis for Super Rub 'a' DubSuper Rub 'a' Dub
Super Rub 'a' Dub is a downloadable game on the PlayStation Store for the PlayStation 3 video game console. It was announced on February 8, 2007 at the 2007 D.I.C.E. Summit and was released in North America April 19, 2007...
which is a downloadable title for the PS3 produced by SCEE.