There is a current push for gaming content that is optimized for virtual reality, extremely high resolutions, and sixty frames per second (minimum) framerates. Achieving these objectives consumes massive amounts of processing power; they are effectively halting the progression towards near photorealistic games. Instead of pushing towards the best possible graphics at ordinary but perfectly acceptable frame-rates and resolutions (for example 720P/1080P and 30FPS), developers have incentives to create content for high resolution displays and virtual reality devices.
My understanding is that while maintaining the same frame rate and resolution (lets say 1080P and 30FPS) pushing further towards true photorealism eventually costs more in terms of money and manpower than GPU power. A developer can potentially save money by making an artistically appealing but stylized game (with characters that are still stuck in the uncanny valley) that is optimized to run acceptably at a much higher frame rate and resolution.
I'll provide an example. Star Wars Battlefront is a game on both major consoles that provides fairly high-end graphics. However, on both consoles, the game is designed to run at 60FPS at 720P or 900P resolution. My short experience playing the game on a 1080P display indicated to me that the resolutions were certainly more than adequate. What I can't help but wonder is how much more realistic the game could have looked if developers had targeted 30FPS -- a frame rate which works just fine for fast paced games like Drive Club.
My guess is the game would have been even closer to being photorealistic.
The Playstation "NEO" will be offering a significantly faster GPU (probably a Polaris 10 variant with at least three times the performance of the GPU inside the PS4). This could allow a game like Star Wars Battlefront to be made at 30FPS at 900 or 1080P with tremendously advanced graphics -- perhaps really pushing the limits like the "Toddymod" videos show. However, I fear this is unlikely, because developers will have a greater incentive to optimize the next Star Wars to run at 60FPS (minimum) at 4K resolution. I doubt there will be an option included in console versions to only have the game rendered at 1080P with photorealistic graphics.
My dream has always been to play a video game that looks as close as possible to real life. I know that I'm getting setup to be mocked, so let me say that I'm not saying there cannot be elements of the game that are dramatized or exaggerated: explosions, bullet time, more damage than would be produced by the same incident (car wreck, gunshot, etc) in real life. I'm talking about the foliage, the grass, the walls, the cars, and especially THE CHARACTERS THEMSELVES.
In my life, I've seen the progression towards photorealism in gaming slow dramatically. But now I fear, at least for a period of time, it might come to a near stop.
I'd like to make a prediction: there won't be a single game come out for PS4 and PS4K in which the PS4K version focuses ONLY on producing a more photorealistic experience at 30FPS and no greater than 1080P resolution (of course the game would allow televisions to upscale the image). I'm talking about a full length game and not a demo. Instead, to save money, time, and labor there will probably be few games that come out for the PS4K that are not optimized for 60FPS and 4K.
I would like to plant an idea that I've mentioned before. I think it would be enormously attractive to many gamers if a developer intentionally produced a game for PS4 and PS4K that ran at 480P at no more than a 30FPS resolution. I've never owned a high definition television in my life and all of my memories of my favorite shows are in standard definition. I would like to see if after ALL THIS TIME since the gaming era started with perhaps the Atari that we can make a game that seems photorealistic -- even at a low resolution.
In conclusion, I'd like to ask if anyone else here hopes that game developers will produce at least some games focused on graphics instead of high frame rate and high resolution on the next consoles released.
My understanding is that while maintaining the same frame rate and resolution (lets say 1080P and 30FPS) pushing further towards true photorealism eventually costs more in terms of money and manpower than GPU power. A developer can potentially save money by making an artistically appealing but stylized game (with characters that are still stuck in the uncanny valley) that is optimized to run acceptably at a much higher frame rate and resolution.
I'll provide an example. Star Wars Battlefront is a game on both major consoles that provides fairly high-end graphics. However, on both consoles, the game is designed to run at 60FPS at 720P or 900P resolution. My short experience playing the game on a 1080P display indicated to me that the resolutions were certainly more than adequate. What I can't help but wonder is how much more realistic the game could have looked if developers had targeted 30FPS -- a frame rate which works just fine for fast paced games like Drive Club.
My guess is the game would have been even closer to being photorealistic.
The Playstation "NEO" will be offering a significantly faster GPU (probably a Polaris 10 variant with at least three times the performance of the GPU inside the PS4). This could allow a game like Star Wars Battlefront to be made at 30FPS at 900 or 1080P with tremendously advanced graphics -- perhaps really pushing the limits like the "Toddymod" videos show. However, I fear this is unlikely, because developers will have a greater incentive to optimize the next Star Wars to run at 60FPS (minimum) at 4K resolution. I doubt there will be an option included in console versions to only have the game rendered at 1080P with photorealistic graphics.
My dream has always been to play a video game that looks as close as possible to real life. I know that I'm getting setup to be mocked, so let me say that I'm not saying there cannot be elements of the game that are dramatized or exaggerated: explosions, bullet time, more damage than would be produced by the same incident (car wreck, gunshot, etc) in real life. I'm talking about the foliage, the grass, the walls, the cars, and especially THE CHARACTERS THEMSELVES.
In my life, I've seen the progression towards photorealism in gaming slow dramatically. But now I fear, at least for a period of time, it might come to a near stop.
I'd like to make a prediction: there won't be a single game come out for PS4 and PS4K in which the PS4K version focuses ONLY on producing a more photorealistic experience at 30FPS and no greater than 1080P resolution (of course the game would allow televisions to upscale the image). I'm talking about a full length game and not a demo. Instead, to save money, time, and labor there will probably be few games that come out for the PS4K that are not optimized for 60FPS and 4K.
I would like to plant an idea that I've mentioned before. I think it would be enormously attractive to many gamers if a developer intentionally produced a game for PS4 and PS4K that ran at 480P at no more than a 30FPS resolution. I've never owned a high definition television in my life and all of my memories of my favorite shows are in standard definition. I would like to see if after ALL THIS TIME since the gaming era started with perhaps the Atari that we can make a game that seems photorealistic -- even at a low resolution.
In conclusion, I'd like to ask if anyone else here hopes that game developers will produce at least some games focused on graphics instead of high frame rate and high resolution on the next consoles released.