Hydro Dynamo

Singing in the rain

I love water effects. Always have. Sometimes I'll stop playing a game for a few minutes to just watch a river or a waterfall, becoming almost hypnotized by the ripples and reflections. Sometimes I do this in real life too, commenting on the quality of the shaders or refraction, much to the confusion of my companions.



However, games still have a long way to go. While a game like Bioshock may feature stunning water effects, I doubt there will be the inclusion of hydro-dynamic physics; there does not seem to be much manipulation. I am still waiting for a game where I can take a large bucket, go to a lake, scoop up some water, lose some as it sloshes back and forth, throw it down a flight of stairs, watch it realistically flow and pool at the bottom. I have no idea how feasible this would be with today's technology, but we seem to have a pretty good handle on solids and gases. No, Mario Sunshine doesn't count, as the water evaporates too quickly.

Bioshock looks really good,
Warren Spector