Raytracing in games

Raytracing is the next big thing and while I would never recommend to buy into specific raytracing hardware right now, I am fascinated by the technology and what it brings to the table.

I just saw this and wanted to know of other demos or games have implemented real time raytracing. I am especially interested in the not so obvious titles, indie-stuff, 2D games on 3D engine and so on.

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If I remember correctly the original Doom but let me check.

Edit - Correction it was Quake 2 -

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While I’m currently more impressed by things like the demonstration of the Unreal 4 engine, raytracing sure is a “tool” that will and should be explored to some extent. Most game makers are still better off focusing on how to fake lighting even better (and Minecraft should probably move to an engine that doesn’t do a pretty poor job with everything), I too am curious to see how small developers might come up with novel ways to use it here and there. Like raytracing only portions of the screen, or use low quality techniques where it isn’t too obvious.

I’m afraid that beyond the “here and there” experience we won’t be much further ahead with raytracing in games even five years from now. Just maybe someone will come up with a technique that fakes it well enough for the average game.