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Originally posted by: nemo_83
Nintendo refuses to show pics or vids of graphics of Revolution games because, they claim, the last secret (some technology we are still in the dark on that is suppossed to be as revolutionary as the controller) will affect how the importance of the graphics is judged by the industry.
That's not true. Nintendo doesn't claim their last secret will how affect how important graphics are. They have merely said there is another secret to the Revolution.
Here's why NIntendo stayed at 480p.
1. No one has hdtv yet.
2. Many 480p sets look just as good as hi-def TVs.
3. Viewing distance and screen size greatly affect whether you'll even notice the difference between 720p and 480p.
4. IT's cheaper.
1. The most optimistic estimates have 25% of households with an hdtv by the end of the year. Still not all those households are going to be gaming households. Consdering most households have multiple TVs, the chances that you're going to be gaming on an hdtv even if you have one are even slimmer than the chances of your household having one.
2. NOw this isn't something that's in the conventional wisdom. But many 480p sets have better color and contrast and sharpness than the crappier true hi-def sets. This tho goes hand in hand with #3. Consumer Reports recently said they'd take the best EDTV over the lesser rated hdtvs.
3. Estimates that I've read say you need a 68" screen from 9' away to make out all the details in 720p. What am I saying? The farther you sit away from the screen and the smaller the screen is, the greater the chances are that hi-def won't look that much better. If you sit 9' feet away and have a small TV then you'll be hard pressed to tell the difference between 720p and 480p. IT's one reason consoles don't look that bad at 480p while 480p on my pc monitor looks like crap. You're generally farher away from a TV. With hdtv you have to be even closer to get the full benefit.
4. Obviously it costs less if you don't have to render 4x as many pixels. And you don't force folks to go out and buy brand new televisions to fully experience your console.
I think on top of this Nintendo knows how to design for 480p. They know their medium. They know how to make 480i/p look good. If you play WindWaker or Metroid Prime or Mario Sunshine those games look good. Are any of those games photo-realistic? No. But they look good. And I play them in 480i. And they still look good. OTher companies don't know how to make good looking 480i/p games. They cram too much detail into the games and it looks like a muddy mess. Sometimes less is more. Certainly less is more fps.
I think 480i/p will shine with thru with flying colors. 480p will still look pretty good on hdtvs. If you're sitting back far and have a smaller than ideal TV then you'll be hard pressed to notice the difference.
Topic: Considering Nintendo's emphasis on making their console small and quiet... (Read 9729 times)
