Ben-DutkaMaybe you're not into the whole simulated racing idea. Maybe you're the kind of person who wants to take hairpin turns at absurd speeds.
You've probably got a couple Burnout titles in your collection, right? If that's the case, you'll likely skip Gran Turismo 5 when it releases on November 2, and wait a few weeks for Criterion's Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit . EA has released a new trailer for the game, which is looking better than ever. In this one, the cops "are tracking a silver Porsche, speeds in excess of 150 miles per hour," and it's clear the driver has no interest in stopping.
You have to be completely out of your mind to drive at those speeds on a wet road, but hey…it's NFS. We're not supposed to ask those questions. And it should be super fun to try to avoid the authorities as you break every road law in existence. Or, if you'd rather try it from the good guys side, you can always step into a black-and-white supercar.
By the way, there's another trailer that has been available on the PSN for some time; you should check that one out, too. …it has the cop version of a Bugatti.
Related Game(s): Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
My name is Criterion. It's too hard and takes too much time to optimize games for each platform so we'll just use the lowest common denominator between 360 and PS3 and call it good.
Lemme reference that…
"… We aren't putting anything back on CPU. We could and see how we go, but a simple architecture is simple – you can change it and it's easy. Well… easier. As soon as diverge from that, things get a lot more complicated. It's something you might choose to do if it's a decision you take early on. We chose not to do that and we've not paid for it." –Alex Fry from Criterion.
I wouldn't complain too much about a developer that typically produces AAA products that receive 9s from…well, everywhere.
I am going to complain, but not too much=p
I don't like hearing excuses from devs who choose not to optimize their games on the hardware I pay for. Especially when there are other 3rd party devs who do make use of hardware idiosyncrasies.
I understand, for them, it's beneficial to keep costs low, but for me, I want better than another multi-plat washout.
This isn't to say I don't think the game will and can still be good, but I do know now it could've been better.
I just don't think it's an issue when the game is great. I only look into the development process if there are significant failures, and my brain starts to think it's due to a shoddy multiplatform approach.
But if I don't notice…what do I care how they did it? 😉
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 9/24/2010 12:05:17 PM
I hear you Temjin001..
But.. I was very happy with Burnout Paradise, and I don't see Criterion offering an inferior product.
I won't be playing this game much due to one infamous GT5, but it will eventually get my attention long after it already has my money.
Burnout Paradise was an awesome game.
Really, back then when devs were still coming to grips with the new gaming hardware on the market it was understandable that they didn't have the tools, and knowledge to extract deep into SPU processing.
Times have changed; years have passed.
When I read that newer games like Force Unleashed 2 have had a specialized team working on understanding the SPU abilities of the PS3 it reaffirms Sony's belief that the Cell processor is a worthwhile venture.
The guys at Lucas Arts have nearly figured out how to get a game to look as smooth as a 60fps game but while only actually being rendered at 30fps! This is amazing, and it's being done by the SPU's.
Unfortunately, that specific processing wont make it into FU2 but the enhanced, better than 360, motion blurring process will.
Other devs like Bizzare, and Black Rock studios have spoken out about how they've offloaded lighting and effects tasks on SPU's as an example of devs who are going the extra mile to bring to pass Sony's vision. This also helps close the gap between the performance deficit of the RSX and Xenos.
Really when I read that Criterion is only working off of the GPU, and then making the game nearly identical for both 360 and PS3, then it looks like even the 360 folks will suffer. In most scenarios the Xenos GPU offers a few unique benefits over the RSX that we've seen demonstrated many times. And several devs like John Carmark and Black Rock (including several more) have specifically said the GPU for 360 is all around a better GPU.
So at the end of the day the lowest common denominator wins out.
Neither platform gets to flex it's inherent strengths over another.
But all of this is on the graphics end of things.
I know that bleeding edge graphics aren't the reason we play games. And I'm sure Criterion will do well at delivering an enjoyable game that's worth anyone's time for those who are interested.
I have specific sensitivities to game design that places my expectations on a different level than most others.
I understand where you're coming from Temjin, I read the same Digital Foundry interview. They said that by following the process that they did, they were able to make changes to the game and have that iteration integrated across all three platforms in far less time compared to past game engines.
Seeing as Need for Speed is EA's franchise, and EA asked them to do it, perhaps EA wanted this in time for Christmas, which necessitated a streamlined development process. Who knows, perhaps Criterion will take a different development stance on their next title, so long as EA doesn't ask them for something else.
At the end of the day, at least Hot Pursuit isn't a 360 port!
WTF are you talking about!?
criterion actually had burnout running allot better on ps3 than the 360.
True __________, Criterion did lead with the PS3 for BP, but they did set out to make an equal product on both consoles. There were somethings about the XBOX LIVE architecture that caused them grief (VOIP was a huge issue 360 players) and prevented them from offering somethings on both systems, ie. the Web interface on start up (the name of it escapes me right now). Also there was that Discovery Map (aka the cheatalator) that was only on the PS3 too.
all EA games since early 2007 were developed on the ps3 than ported across, tis why ps3 versions of said game normally perform better.
burnout paradise had so many more features, and had a much better frame rate, less pop in and less screen tearing than the 360 version.
same for dead space, was not as drastic but the ps3 version was still clearly better.
EA are one of the few publishers supporting sony.
Ha, perfect choice of music. 🙂
(Bombshock by Hadouken)
I listened to "Breakerfall." Went rather well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6bUAmKzSno
Stay tuned for an interview with Hadouken. 🙂
Wonder why this runs at 30fps while Burnout Paradise runs at 60fps.
In interview, if I remember right, Criterion really wanted to show off the detail of the cars as they feel that the pedigree of the NFS series is really about the good looking cars. You can get more detail when running with 30fps.
Personally, when it comes to fast racers I'd take 60fps any day over detail. And sometimes you can have both from games like GT5–and 3D too! woohoo!
Memory. And this probably relates to what Temjin says about detail. In Burnout Paradise a separate thread was used to handle rendering, usually a frame behind the rest of the game calculations, this required a memory buffer. By doing everything in one specific thread, memory doesn't have to be set aside and controller latency is minimised.
Criterion's games have been consistently brilliant and this one seems no different. Even with the NFS name on it, I may still have to take a look.
And holy smokes! Choppers?! Niiiice.
This looks awesome but I probably won't be getting it anytime soon for a couple reasons:
1 — I own Burnout Paradise and played it for a while but then I got bored of the open-world concept. I'm still crossing my fingers that we'll eventually get a direct follow-up to Takedown.
2 — I still want to buy Split/Second because to me, that was Burnout meets Michael Bay and it was awesome.
"Demo available from October 26"!! Not needed for me as it'll be a day-one purchase, but still nice to know that I'll be able to whet my appetite until then! Can't wait!!
A demo has been announced?
They say so in the video! Did you stop watching without taking in the credits? 😉
This and GT5 should hold me over nicely until Dirt 3 (hopefully) next May. My wallet hopes the GT5 rally somehow stays fresh enough to stave off the Dirt 3 purchase entirely.
Way off topic, but what ever happened to Arnold's car reviews?
Here is some late breaking news from our field reporter on the scene: "WANT!" We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.
Always been a fan of the NFS series, ESPECIALLY with Hot Pursuit 2. However, Criterion's just plain stupid if they think I'm going with them in November, over the 600lb Gorilla in the room, that is GT5.
Will probably get it, but definitely not a launch title. Doubt it'll get any attention until early next year/midyear when I decide to take a break from GT5 lol.
I'm in the same exact boat, I will be playing GT5 for a while, I don't see me even taking a break from it for a while. But when I do this game will be added to my collection.
Last edited by StangMan80 on 9/24/2010 6:07:17 PM
Yep, basically between November and sometime next year, the only game in my life is going to be GT5, so I'll probably wake up from that daze having missed a bunch of game launches lol.
Looks good but i didnt see any vehicle damage…GT5 for me 🙂
It's Criterion…there will be damage…just not what you're expecting from GT5..Keep in mind that this game isn't in the same class as GT5, It's not trying to be a simulator, it's an arcade racer. it's going to be competing against games like Split/Second and Burnout.
I can't wait for this one to come out. It's nice to see NFS return to it's roots with some good old fashion police chases, instead of trying to do the "legal" racing series that their last few installments have been.
I don't get the hype for this game, GT5 looks a lot better.
GT5 is on a whole different world in a far, far away Galaxy and most likely in another universe,
where only perfection is accepted.
People really need to stop comparing NFS and GT5 as if they're even in the same racing category. It just has to stop.
@ Ben: Doesn't help that Criterion are releasing it in the same month as GT5, the comparison is only natural really. Agreed that they're entirely different games, but it's hard to ignore what's offered in GT5 versus an NFS game, when they're both coming to us so close together.
how is it natural?
its like comparing apples to bananas, yea there both fruit but both are totally different!
like comparing a Ferrari to a holden.
yea, there both cars, but ones a lighting fast, beautiful high quality super car.
and ones a bottom of the bin rubbish all rounder.
you dont want to hear some of the horror storys i have seen about holden!
a friend of mine had a brand new 100 thousand dollar signature club sport, and he had to have his engine replaced 5 f*cking times in the space of 2 years!
ill just leave it at that.
They're both games that have elements of racing in them, and are releasing in November. The fact that you're calling NFS rubbish metaphorically is silly, as those games especially the hot pursuit series have traditionally done very well.
I think it's a rather unfair metaphor also, NFS is hardly a PoS, does it have as much to offer as GT5? Most definitely not, but that doesn't mean it's crap either.
im not saying its crap, im saying in comparison to GT5 it is.
but than to say that is silly, because you cant compare a arcade racer to a sim racer.
yes there both racers, but as i said before you might as well compare a apple to a banana.
sure there both fruit, but there completely different!
just because a game is in the same genre as another game does not mean you can compare them.
GOW for example you can compare that to dantes inferno because the gameplay is almost exactly the same, but you cant compare it to something like ninja gaiden or DMC because the gameplay is completely different.
just because a game is in the same genre as another does not mean you can compare the 2.
just like dead rising 2, you cant compare it to RE5 just because both have zombies in them.
same for L4D.
Well, in so far that I'm only getting one of those games, I can and will compare them. Gran Turismo 5 gives me more of what I want. But, that doesn't mean I won't ever buy NFS, it just won't be anytime soon as GT5 will be encompassing my world for the foreseeable future.
I'm probably gonna be neg'd to death for this comment, but I am in fact skipping GT5 for Hot Pursuit.
Don't get me wrong, GT5 is gonna be awesome and the closest racing simulation to perfection until GT6 but it's a simulation.
It's gonna take a lot of time to experience it fully and playing it with a DS3 is kinda pointless.
I don't wanna dish out extra money for a racing wheel + pedals for GT5 – which it unquestionably deserves – and I'm not much into simulations where you need to take every aspect into consideration to be a successful racer.
That's why arcade racers are for me ^^
I enjoyed NFS: Most Wanted a lot and knowing that Criterion are reinvigorating the race-or-chase theme for NFS instantly sold me on Hot Pursuit.
Honestly I don't give a rat's ass about 60 fps. I don't notice the difference between 60fps and 30fps anyways and I'm completely satisfied with a rock steady 30 fps game.
Besides, GT5 is gonna sell a few million PS3s during Christmas anyways, so one sale more or less ain't gonna matter X)
NFS for me as well. GT is just too darn slow for a racer. I like an actual perception of speed.
Me 3 for NFS,
I wanna steal that Bugatti right out from under the PD's noses.
really looking forward to this, little disappointed its only 30FPS.
you cant have a fast paced game like this running in 30FPS, its just far too slow!
oh well, happy to have what made NFS, NFS finally back!
Last edited by ___________ on 9/25/2010 3:15:01 AM