Friday, December 03, 2004
Graphic ladies of the night
The internet is abuzz, as it were, with speculation, discussion, and the odd bit of actual information regarding the next-gen consoles. In a recent presentation, EA showed off a couple shots of what future iterations of Madden and Need For Speed could look like. Emphasis on 'could':
Personally, I think the Madden pic is a little bit too far while the NFS one is a little conservative. I suppose football games could end up looking that good by the end of the next generation, but I don't see it being quite as impressive right off the bat. It will still be impressive as hell, sure, and I'll rave about it like the whore I am, but depth of focus changes in the grass? That's a little much. As for that sleek-looking car, Gran Turismo 4 doesn't look all that worse. The tree leaves aren't quite as random and the shadows and reflection mapping aren't quite that complex, but I think they're selling themselves short with this render. Regardless, the thought of a Burnout game that actually makes me feel like I'm involved in a 200 m.p.h. wreck is intimidatingly cool, to say the least.
And then there's WarDevil. What I really like about this glimpse into the future (well, a year from now anyhow), is the emphasis on animation and art design over sheer pixel-pushing (though that's mighty impressive as well). The way those robo-dealie beasts move their heads is sweet, and simple things like that can add a lot to an actual gameplay encounter. I actually think that animation and lighting will see the most improvement over the next couple of years, or at least be the most noticeable. It's personal taste of course, but I'll always think Otogi looks better than Ninja Gaiden because of the soft lighting. And why do you think your mom commented on how good Prince of Persia looked as she walked by? That's right - your good friend lighting. And as great as all the current basketball games look, not one isn't laughably bad at depicting the ball leaving the player's hands (when you replay it, zoom in, and scrutinize, of course).
Anyhow, just figured I'd join the party and post the pics. Comment away.
Personally, I think the Madden pic is a little bit too far while the NFS one is a little conservative. I suppose football games could end up looking that good by the end of the next generation, but I don't see it being quite as impressive right off the bat. It will still be impressive as hell, sure, and I'll rave about it like the whore I am, but depth of focus changes in the grass? That's a little much. As for that sleek-looking car, Gran Turismo 4 doesn't look all that worse. The tree leaves aren't quite as random and the shadows and reflection mapping aren't quite that complex, but I think they're selling themselves short with this render. Regardless, the thought of a Burnout game that actually makes me feel like I'm involved in a 200 m.p.h. wreck is intimidatingly cool, to say the least.
And then there's WarDevil. What I really like about this glimpse into the future (well, a year from now anyhow), is the emphasis on animation and art design over sheer pixel-pushing (though that's mighty impressive as well). The way those robo-dealie beasts move their heads is sweet, and simple things like that can add a lot to an actual gameplay encounter. I actually think that animation and lighting will see the most improvement over the next couple of years, or at least be the most noticeable. It's personal taste of course, but I'll always think Otogi looks better than Ninja Gaiden because of the soft lighting. And why do you think your mom commented on how good Prince of Persia looked as she walked by? That's right - your good friend lighting. And as great as all the current basketball games look, not one isn't laughably bad at depicting the ball leaving the player's hands (when you replay it, zoom in, and scrutinize, of course).
Anyhow, just figured I'd join the party and post the pics. Comment away.
// posted by Nick @ 1:43 PM 
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