Messages

451

TalkBack / RE:EDITORIAL: The HD Debacle

« on: June 25, 2005, 03:45:42 PM »

"As for the per-pixel lighting, the X360 and PS3 can handle fairly advanced stuff at 1080p. If there were shaders that required so much more they'd work only in SD you could expect devs to make them optional, i.e. they only trigger when the game is run at 480 on the X360 and PS3."

Most devs will be lazy and optimize the game for the min spec though.  Also it may not be quite so easy to just turn on better shaders for a game that is simultanously being optimized for a number of different resolutions.

But it is defintely possible for a 360 or PS3 dev to have better shaders at regular resolution.

452

TalkBack / RE: EDITORIAL: The HD Debacle

« on: June 24, 2005, 07:28:09 AM »

"A Rev game will still be more expensive to make than a GC game"

A good looking rev game.  Not all games have to be good looking.  Look at the number of 2D DS games in the works.  Nintendo gamers are known for valuing gameplay over graphics.  If a publisher thinks they can publish a fun game with mediocre graphcis that exploits the rev's unique interface and make a few bucks, they'll do it.

"Not really. Not many objects need pixel shaders and you'd have to pretty much overload the scene with them to make much of a difference. Besides, most stores will just throw a multiplatform game in there and there goes your advantage."

I'm not sure what you mean by this.  In the latest pixel shading engines (Doom 3 and Unreal 3) EVERY single pixel needs shading, and most pixels need the same amount of shading.  What you can do with 3x the shading power is increase shader quality across the board.  Or add new shading effects.  It has nothing to do with adding more objects that need pixel shading.  Every object needs pixel shading.  And Nintendo can send out demo disks (with multiple games and videos) which will give stores an obvious and completely Nintendo controlled catalogue of demos.  Of course Nintendo will focus on the rev's unique capabilities not graphics.

453

TalkBack / RE: EDITORIAL: The HD Debacle

« on: June 23, 2005, 09:19:02 AM »

"Putting a better rendered 480p up-scaled image on a plasma screen side-by-side with a less-well rendered image on the same screen at 720p, I bet the average consumer will be more impressed with the 480p version. Just my 2 cents."

Well, it depends on how much better obviously.  A minor bump would not look as good as HD.  But if the full power of an HD console was devoted to making a good 480p game instead of a720p capable game, it could be significantly better.  But will the rev have the full power of an HD console?

"Unless the Rev is the dominant console and has good third party sales the third parties will make their games for the X360 first and then try to port to PS3 and Rev. If porting to Rev doesn't work they'll skip that. Especially if the Rev ends up like the GC with ports not exactly being worth the effort bewcause noone buys them."

That's exactly it.  What if the rev's controller is so different and the graphics so much worse that they didn't bother with ports, but went for unique games.  Revolution adopters would be much more likely to by unique games and they may not cost any more than a big budget port.

I don't think the Revolution will be that weak though.  I think it'll be at least as capable (although in non HD resolution) as the 360 and PS3.

454

TalkBack / RE: EDITORIAL: The HD Debacle

« on: June 22, 2005, 05:13:05 PM »

Don't assume that developers will avoid the rev because it's weak.  They may flock to it because it's weak (much cheaper to make a game).  If the installed base is high enough and there is a need for games, publishers will fill it.  Especially if it's relatively inexpensive to do so.

455

TalkBack / RE: EDITORIAL: The HD Debacle

« on: June 22, 2005, 06:32:34 AM »

"At e3 didn't someone say the rev can hook up to a computer monitor? So why not mod the wire and hook it up to a HD-TV? The only bad thing from doing that is it be in a 4:3 HD TV."

True.  And of course this is a 4:3 signal, but a widescreen TV can stretch the signal just as it would any 4:3 signal, so if the game has a 16:9 mode then you're good to go.

A game doesn't even need 480p to use 16:9.  You can plug a plain old 480i signal into a widescreen TV and use a 16:9 mode.  For example, Perfect Dark and Goldeneye on the N64.

456

TalkBack / RE:EDITORIAL: The HD Debacle

« on: June 21, 2005, 10:56:24 PM »

Yeah, PC games are far beyond 640x480 now.  Only the oldest of cards have to run any game in that resolution.  At the same time, a console chipset optimized for that resolution could have the additional power targetted in such ways that would not be useful in PC development.  FMV proves that there is still plenty to squeeze from good old 480i.  The worst thing is that 480i just doesn't look good on a 16:9 digital tv.  And that's the optimal way to play the system that will be on the market a year earlier, and also the system that is the successor to the current market leader (by far).  Unless the revolutionary feature of the Rev (which I won't even bother to speculate about at this point) is unbelievable, Nintendo will be starting in third place.  It may be a superficial third place, but for many, especially at the start, that's all that matters.

457

TalkBack / RE:EDITORIAL: The HD Debacle

« on: June 21, 2005, 01:39:18 PM »

2D games are certainly noticably improved by resolution bumps.  Of course, the art has to be properly scaled for each resolution.

458

TalkBack / RE: EDITORIAL: The HD Debacle

« on: June 21, 2005, 10:15:53 AM »

I'd like to see 480p and 480i side by side, but I don't need to see 720p side by side.  HD resolutions are instantly noticable with proper HD content (some HD content is badly compressed and you start to wonder if it's really HD).

459

TalkBack / RE:EDITORIAL: The HD Debacle

« on: June 21, 2005, 09:08:35 AM »

"Why? so you can read your email on a Television and the text won't look fuzzy. That way, Microsoft can sell you the hardware and the software that you use to get on the internet and do your computing. The Xbox losing billions is done so Microsoft can establish domination in the living room. "

And yet Sony is doing the same thing.  Just because there are potential side benefits for MS doens't mean that HD isn't worth it in its own right.  How many people play PC games in 640x480 anymore?  That's the minimum resolution now.  Doom 3 (since I used it to demstrate anisotropic filtering) doesn't let you choose a resolution lower than that without console trickery.

vudu: look at the floor as it recedes into the distance and also ribbed wall behind the pipe in the upper left.  With trilinear filtering, the detail is blurred as it recedes into the distance.  Anisotropic filtering isn't needed for the portions of the picture close to the viewer and it isn't really need for surfaces that are parallel with the screen (such as the door).

460

TalkBack / RE:EDITORIAL: The HD Debacle

« on: June 21, 2005, 07:45:33 AM »

pro666: that's your fault for buying a weird tv... 4:3 HD?  I don't even know why they ever sold those.  What stretching options do you have?  If you have the option to display the whole 720p (1280 pixels wide) full screen, then a game could use 720p in 4:3 mode.

ruby_onx: there were proscan tv's in Nintendo's booth.  Zelda was running on giant plasma's or lcd's of some kind.  Obi saw geist running in proscan so that suggests the regular tv's were progressive also (although many games weren't properly booted in pro scan mode).

KnowsNothing: true, Nintendo will have its own unique feature that the other guys won't.  The question is how will people react to it?  And you haven't read the article... it looks like no one has.

Lokno: finally someone who read it ; )  Yeah.  That's my point abou 16:9 and 480p support.  The media is reasonable enough to understand what Nintendo gains by leaving out HD support and if Nintendo throws them a bone in the way of 16:9 and 480p gauranteed for every game, I think it would go a long way to defusing the PR mess.

" don't like that because it's a restriction. In principle it's no different than Microsoft forcing devs to support HD or Nintendo forcing devs to not support HD. The ideal solution is to put the damn port on the Rev and tell third parties to do whatever they want. "

That could work if Nintendo themselves rigidly support 16:9 and 480p.  In that case cheap developers could do what they want, but any developer that wants good media attention had better include 16:9 and 480p.

461

TalkBack / RE:EDITORIAL: The HD Debacle

« on: June 20, 2005, 10:24:41 PM »

p666: what makes you think that all 360 and PS3 games won't be forced to support both 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios?   The idea is that Revolution games should support 4:3, 16:9 480i and 480p in whatever configuration the player needs (same as 360 and PS3 games except they'll also have 720p).  I haven't heard that the 360 and PS3 are definitely supporting 4:3 ratio, but it'd be crazy not to (as you've pointed out).  And there's little reason why 480p couldn't be supported if they're supporting 720p and 480i.

462

TalkBack / RE: EDITORIAL: The HD Debacle

« on: June 20, 2005, 10:21:43 PM »

Why is this debate a farce?

"I object. HD resolution is nothing you're going to notice in a game unless the screen is really huge but who will put a huge screen on a demo kiosk?"

You can easily notice the difference between 640x480 and 800x600 on a 15 inch computer monitor.  I'm quite sure people will see a significant difference between 720p and 480i even on 20 inch sets.

And who would put a large HDTV in a store?  MS and Sony would.  Unlike Nintendo, they actually place kiosks in stores themselves sometimes if I'm not mistaken.

Anyway, one of my points is that good FSAA and AF will help mitigate the lack of HD.  I'm not too worried about image quality (although there will be a significant difference), I'm mostly concerned about Nintendo losing another major PR battle.  

463

TalkBack / EDITORIAL: The HD Debacle

« on: June 20, 2005, 09:21:04 PM »

This thread is for discussion of my latest editorial.

464

TalkBack / RE:Yamauchi Retiring from Nintendo Board

« on: April 27, 2005, 08:02:51 PM »

No, this is because he knows it will suceed so he can now retire in peace.

465

TalkBack / RE:In-Game Advertising Predictions

« on: April 18, 2005, 12:17:07 PM »

You wouldn't see "McDonald's Man", you'd see a McDonald's on every corner in GTA and True Crime.  And McDonald's bill boards in racing games.  McDonald's hamburgers on people's desks.  That sort of thing.

And here's my comment from the article:

What worries me is that if the revenue from product placement in games becomes high enough, it may cause many publishers to think twice about putting their money behind a game with a setting that won't accommodate product placement (remember folks, Link uses only the finest Port Orford Pre-Finished Cedar Arrows).

The other extreme would be that games might have products advertised during loading screens if they won't fit into the game itself.  Obviously, that would be a travesty, but perhaps not enough of one to prevent it from happening.  However, backlash from gamers and especially reviewers should help to keep anything like that from happening, but that will just exacerbate the problem of publishers shunning games that don't lend themselves to product placement.

466

TalkBack / RE:Fake GameCube Discs Found in UK

« on: April 05, 2005, 10:50:46 PM »

It's very nice how you here very little about GameCube piracy.  Nintendo sure did a great job with their system design to prevent piracy.  Next step... preventing the buying/selling of used games and rentals

[Jonnyboy117]

467

TalkBack / RE:BLAH BLAH BLAH: GameCube 64

« on: April 05, 2005, 06:03:52 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Jonnyboy117
The other format is IRC-like because it takes place on IRC.  :-)

I don't think most people buy more than one game per month

I know I'm not most people, but 've bought probably 1 game a day so far this month (average).

"don't disagree with what Ubisoft is doing. I liked the technique in Pikmin 2. But I can clearly see games advertising things in loading screens and making ads painfully obvious in the future, and that's not something I ever want to see. This is a step toward that level, you realize.  Fortunately, Nintendo will probably keep us living without loading screens forever, so I'm thankful for that."

You answered your own question.  I think there will be a break through in media technology that takes everyone back to the days of no loading times (not just disciplined developers).  And until then, we have reviewers who will slam any game that advertises in an obtrusive way.

468

TalkBack / RE: BLAH BLAH BLAH: GameCube 64

« on: April 05, 2005, 11:48:31 AM »

Well, this sure sparked some debate.  We should do this more often.

"While Ubisoft in another story is promoting in-game advertisement like it's a good thing?"

What's the big deal?  For game's with realistic environments making deals with advertisers (as long as they don't take the Mac and Me approach) will increase realism and/or help finance the game.

If they do take the "Mac and Me" approach, the game will be marginalized by reviewers and gamers as a peice of trash.  This isn't a problem.  It will take care of itself.  If you want to discuss this further we should probably make another thread.

469

TalkBack / RE: Two Staff Birthdays

« on: March 27, 2005, 08:48:10 AM »

Yeah, I am rize the remixer not virt the remixer.  I'm not nearly as good as virt, but I guess I'm not that bad (although remixers like virt make me sound pretty bad to myself!)

470

Nintendo Gaming / RE: Castlevania Interview

« on: March 27, 2005, 08:46:20 AM »

That is very worrisome.

I've also seen him at other times say that he loves 2D though.  Wtf... he he loves 2D but doesn't think the GBA/DS are a good fit... does that mean there will be a 2D Castlevania on the PSP soon?  I wish they'd just make another one for consoles.

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TalkBack / RE: Two Staff Birthdays

« on: March 26, 2005, 01:50:11 PM »

haha, I wish I was virt on vgmix

No, I'm Rize just about everywhere unless I'm plain old davidst.

472

TalkBack / RE:Two Staff Birthdays

« on: March 26, 2005, 08:07:28 AM »

Quite true.  The IGN boards are a very, very old habit for me!  But I do enjoy my time here, and I should try to spend more time on our own forum.  Actually though, I became a mod at IGN about six months after starting to write for PGC the first time.

I always make a point to participate in the talkback threads that result from my editorials though.  And of course, feel free to email me if there's something you'd like to chat about.

473

TalkBack / RE: BONNIE RUBERG: What a Girl Wants

« on: March 20, 2005, 06:44:53 AM »

Great writing.

You know, my parents used to play Intellivision (our first console), but stopped when Nintendo came around and things became less abstract.  However, both of my parents played Tetris on Game Boy (they'd apparently heard about it somewhere at work or on TV as a game that even adults were playing because I don't remember introducing them).  That phenomenon is not likely to be repeated again though (unless Nintendo has something really surprising up its sleeve for revolution).

A here's something funny to consider though.  My mom (not my dad though) got *really* into Wolf 3d.  She was eventually playing the game on the hardest difficulty level (save/reload playing of course) and also keeping a book of every secret passage in the game (in her really neat "mom" handwriting).  It was very weird.  We couldn't get her to play Doom when it came out though.  Too bad... if she had gotten interested in that we might have gotten our computer upgraded years sooner  

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Nintendo Gaming / RE: Amazing Deals!

« on: March 16, 2005, 06:47:15 AM »

Check out Best Buy right now.  You can choose from a long list of games for all three major consoles where every pair of games costs you only 12.50 (that is 12.50 a game for any even number of games purchased).

Another way of saying that is that if there's some game you want for 20 bucks, you can get another one for just 5 more.  If you can arrange store pickup, you can even skip shipping costs (you'll have to pay taxes of course, but even in lousiana sales tax on a 12.50 game is barely a dollar).

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TalkBack / RE: Three Different Nintendogs Versions

« on: March 12, 2005, 04:39:27 PM »

Why not put all the dogs on one cart...