GCN SC pics

[CaptainHowdy]

any texture is going to look less than stellar at that close range, they gave us no good pics to gauge by, no full screens with a lot of details, only close up moments in way too well lit sections.

from IGn's Mailbag tonight

Matt responds: Interesting, that. Ubi Soft a couple of weeks ago told me that the GCN version of Splinter Cell was on track with the Xbox version and that, in fact, it could turn out the visual superior. Not entirely true. The Xbox original is still the best looking. The lighting and shadowing effects are the most dramatic in the Microsoft incarnation of the game, no doubt. That's not to say that the GameCube burn is ugly, though: it's still detailed, features lighting and shadowing effects and it seems to run at an improved framerate, as far as I can tell, which is something. More on that soon, though.



so all in all, sounds likes its pretty much on par with the Xbox version, just the lighting isnt looking as lovely yet. that was to be expected.

 

[PC-Engine]

Improved framerate too 8)

 

[StefanS]

See the caged windows/door behind them? In the Xbox version there's an entire lit hallway behind there. Looks like they're being forced to cut down on the level size and complexity for the Cube version as well.

It's the little details that stand out the most

Look at the left top corner, there's some light shed there. It looks like it the roof of that hallway.

 

[CaptainHowdy]

"Look at the left top corner, there's some light shed there. It looks like it the roof of that hallway."

uhm, you do know that the statement that judging from a 3 foot view area, anyone could say exactly what part of what mission this is , is not only stupid, its insane... for all we know it could be one of the new missions

 

[cybamerc]

marconelly!:

> Just to point out, I'm pretty sure these shots are from the PS2 version
> of the game.

I'm not so sure. The night vision screen looks different to me (it's dithered to hell). Plus these screens were released by Ubi Soft... you'd think they are competent enough to send out the right screens.

That said I am truly puzzled by the decision to make the Cube version brighter (like the PS2 version). I don't believe at all that the Cube version is a port of the PS2 version like some ppl like to think considering that they are being handled by two different teams in two different countries, so why mess it up like that.

The GameCube screen in the print ad looked OK however. Very strange.



CaptainHowdy:

> uhm, it was said in the last interview that the GC version is an exact
> port, nothing was left out

Nonsense.

> Cory of IGN quoted one of the Developers in stating that the GC
> version is actually looking better than the Xbox version

No. What Cory (and Matt) has said is that they were told be some ppl at Ubi Soft that the Cube version looked better. Lots of ppl work at Ubi Soft. Never did they say it was the developers that said so.

> for all we know it could be one of the new missions

There won't be any new missions in the GameCube version. You can unlock 5 new missions in the GBA version however.

 

[CaptainHowdy]

thanks for having no idea what your talking about, and with no knowledge on the subject at hand, taking your opinions and treating them like fact...

Nonsense Eh? Im glad you think you know more about a game than the developers do, they say its an exact port of the Xbox version, thanks for setting use straight, what do game developers know about thier own game.

its already been said the GC comes stock with 2 extra missions(many many times, go read up on the port please) which arent exclusive,the PS2 version is getting them as well, the 5 missions are yet ANOTHER bonus on top of that if you have the GBA version at hand.

 

[cybamerc]

CaptainHowdy:

> Im glad you think you know more about a game than the developers do

Give me a link to this interview then (don't bother looking for it as it doesn't exist).

> its already been said the GC comes stock with 2 extra missions

It's been rumored but never actually confirmed (as it was made up).

> many many times, go read up on the port please

I'd suggest you do the same but I question your ability to comprehend what's the written word.

http://www.planetgamecube.com/news.cfm?action=item&id=4057

"In bringing Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell to the Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance, Ubi Soft focused on delivering a high-quality gameplay experience true to the high standards of the original Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell yet offering an experience unique to the Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance platforms. This includes state-of-the-art connectivity that allows game fans to link their Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance to access unique content and capabilities only available through linked play. Once connected to the Nintendo GameCube, the Game Boy Advance can function as a remote extension for Sam's OPSAT (allowing Sam to view his surroundings on a radar-like mini-map) and providing him remote control of computers and weapons, including the wall mine. Furthermore, the connected systems allow gamers to take advantage of a brand new weapon exclusive to the Nintendo GameCube, the sticky bomb! Playing through the Nintendo GameCube version will unlock five exclusive levels on the Game Boy Advance version."

http://cube.ign.com/mail/2003-03-12.html

"Matt responds: There are some visual differences. The game has an improved framerate. But, I'm looking at the features list now and basically the other upgrades all relate to the GBA/GCN connection. Whether that's enough for you, I don't know. It is rather disappointing that there are apparently no new levels to explore. I'm sure it will be a solid port all the same. It's just too bad we have to wait until May for it."


Anyway, the press release mentions that the Cube version is developed by Ubi Soft Shanghai (there has been some confusing reg. this but now it's finally confirmed) which makes it far more likely that the Cube is indeed based on the PS2 port. This also explains why the Cube shots look like they do.

 

[CaptainHowdy]

jesus man, you just ignore every bit of news out there and make up your own mind dont you?
the GC version is being ported from the Xbox version, NOT the PS2 version, FACT
the PS2 and GC versions will come with Bonus Content(as it was put), FACT, we know that one of the GC exclusive features is the sticky bomb, and PS2 has an exclusive weapon, and both come with 2 new missions, the Xbox downloadable mission is not one of them, its exclusive to Xbox.

 

[cybamerc]

CaptainHowdy:

> jesus man, you just ignore every bit of news out there and make up
> your own mind dont you?

Normally, such ignorance would generate a response from me where I would call you a fucking moron but since the board rules state that name calling and personal attacks will not be tolerated I will refrain from doing so.

> the GC version is being ported from the Xbox version, NOT the PS2
> version, FACT

How is this a fact? Noone from Ubi Soft has confirmed this publically. The screenshots released resemble the PS2 version more than they do the Xbox original which makes sense considering that the Cube version is being done by the same studio doing the PS2 port (which was previously believed not to be the case).

> the PS2 and GC versions will come with Bonus Content(as it was put),
> FACT

Yes, but the exclusive content is described in the pressrelease (and Matt's feature list) and doesn't say anything about extra levels in the Cube version. The PS2 version has ONE exclusive level.

 

[Teasy]

Cybamerc

The GameCube version is being developed by the same people who developed the XBox version. The PS2 version is being handled by a different dev team in a different country.

Surely that means that the GC version is a port of the XBox version (not the PS2 version) while the PS2 version is a re-worked version of the game.

 

[DeathKnight]

uhm, you do know that the statement that judging from a 3 foot view area, anyone could say exactly what part of what mission this is , is not only stupid, its insane... for all we know it could be one of the new missions

LOL! Guess what? I have the game I know exactly where that screenshot came from in the game. It's the Georgian Defense Ministry. Want to know what's to the right? Couple of staircases leading down from the upper floor where a cafeteria and kitchen are located (the same kitchen that you come into through the window). Want to know who Sam's forcing on the eye scanner? It's a general that you snatch from the computer to the right (after he walks down the stairs). Want to know what's through the eye scanner door? A small room with a security camera that leads out into the laser-guarded courtyard (by now the lasers are off and three guards are patrolling). Behind the bar windows/door there is a lit hallway that you can not access (in fact, there is another one on the other side). It's not lit in the Cube version, and hell, it's probably not even there.

the Xbox downloadable mission is not one of them, its exclusive to Xbox.

Yes, along with about 8-9 other exclusive missions that will be released periodically

Surely that means that the GC version is a port of the XBox version

That doesn't mean that things can't be toned down, removed, or reworked in order for the game to run feasibly on the Cube. I'm surprised, Teasy, that you're completely ignoring how ports work in hopes of it being an exact replica of the Xbox version. Both the PS2 and Cube versions do not look as good as the Xbox version and they never will. Are they still excellent games? Sure

 

[Teasy]

DeathKnight

I said nothing about the GC version having to be a replica of the XBox version. I said that the GC version is being developed by the people who did the XBox version, rather then the seperate team who are working on the PS2 version. Which means that the GC version is a port of the XBox version not the PS2 version (hence closer to the XBox version then the PS2 version). So just stop putting words into my mouth.

Both the PS2 and Cube versions do not look as good as the Xbox version and they never will

You haven't seen the GameCube version, yet you know that it doesn't look as good as the XBox version? How exactly?

It might not look as good, but at this point we don't actually know do we?

 

[phat]

640x448 is actually also a common resolution for GC games.

640x480 is the common resolution for gamecube actually.

640x448 Viewtiful Joe
http://cubemedia.ign.com/cube/image/ccgcneventvj01.jpg

640x448 Sega Soccer Slam
http://cubemedia.ign.com/media/previews/image/soccerslam/soccerslammer1.jpg

576x448 Resident Evil
http://cubemedia.ign.com/cube/image/ccgcneventbh4_02.jpg

576x448 P.N.03
http://cubemedia.ign.com/cube/image/ccgcneventpN02.jpg

 

[Teasy]

Phat

Those are just the sizes of the pictures. That has nothing to do with the size of the actual frame when being displayed by GC.

Here is another image of P.N.0.3 also from IGN which has a totally different resolution to the P.N.0.3 image you showed:

http://cubemedia.ign.com/cube/image/pn03xlxlxl_19.jpg
641x499 resolution

 

[Glonk]

uhm, it was said in the last interview that the GC version is an exact port, nothing was left out, Cory of IGN quoted one of the Developers in stating that the GC version is actually looking better than the Xbox version(which you can find in the chat logs if you like), the game still has 2 months to go in porting, thats quite a while.

Maybe you should look at yesterday (or the day before's) N-Query.

Matt says Ubi Soft told them a while back that the GCN port would actually look BETTER than the Xbox version, but Matt concedes it was just marketing. In fact, SC is missing lots of the lighting effects from the Xbox version. I can also understand why some of the levels may need to be resized, 24MB vs 64MB of RAM and all...

Here's what Matt@IGN said:

Matt responds: Interesting, that. Ubi Soft a couple of weeks ago told me that the GCN version of Splinter Cell was on track with the Xbox version and that, in fact, it could turn out the visual superior. Not entirely true. The Xbox original is still the best looking. The lighting and shadowing effects are the most dramatic in the Microsoft incarnation of the game, no doubt.

Edit: I didn't see page 2, I guess you already saw it.

Fact is, SC on GC won't look as good as the Xbox's version, contrary to what some people keep saying.

 

[Glonk]

Improved framerate too 8)

It's pretty easy to improve the framerate when you remove the complicated lighting model and replace it with a simplistic one, cut back on the amount of textures, and don't render everything the Xbox version has (stuff in the distance is hidden and whatnot in the GCN and PS2 versions I've seen in many places where it's visible on the PC and Xbox versions)

Not to mention, there's only a couple places on the Xbox where you can notice some frames dropping. The only one off the top of my head is at the start of the oil rig...

 

[phat]

Phat

Those are just the sizes of the pictures. That has nothing to do with the size of the actual frame when being displayed by GC.

Here is another image of P.N.0.3 also from IGN which has a totally different resolution to the P.N.0.3 image you showed:

http://cubemedia.ign.com/cube/image/pn03xlxlxl_19.jpg
641x499 resolution

My pictures do reflect the internal rendering resolutions. I was careful to select ones that are direct frame buffer dumps, and not recaptured from video, or rescaled. The image you linked, OTOH, has black borders and blurry pixel edges, and is hence a video capture and does not indicate internal frame buffer resolution. An odd-ball resolution like 641x499 is also indicative of recaptured/rescaled images.

Both the PS2 and GC use a lot of 448-raster framebuffers. Both also happen to have eDRAM for framebuffers.

 

[LogisticX]

I don't know why anyone is getting their panties in a bunch over this issue....if you really want to play the game, then get the Xbox version or PC version as they'll have downloadable content. If you're worried that this will somehow damage the image of your beloved console, then just look at Resident Evil 4 and Silent Hill 3 respectively.

 

[Blade]

Glonk: Actually, SC-Xbox has a lot of slowdown (below 30fps) albeit most of the time it's not severe.

Me, personally I love my 'Cube but I don't give a damn about SC on it. I got the Xbox version and loved it, now I'm done.

 

[Teasy]

Phat

Looking at which pic looks fuzzy ect isn't exactly a perfect way to see if an image is a frame dump or not. In the end you can't really tell if a pic is definitely a frame dump or not just by looking at it.

The image you linked, OTOH, has black borders

There aren't any black borders on the pic I showed.

An odd-ball resolution like 641x499 is also indicative of recaptured/rescaled images.

I didn't say my pic was the true res. I posted it to show that there are loads of different resolutions for pics and none of them are neccesarilly the true resolution. Not that I'm saying P.N.03 isn't using that res. I'm just saying that you really can't be sure of the res by looking at a picture.

I don't really see why any dev would want to use a res of 576x448 on GC (that seems like a pretty odd ball res itself).

Glonk

Matt said that the GC version is like the XBox version appart from less dramatic lighting effects (he didn't say simplistic lighting) and a better framerate. So where do you get this cut back textures and cut back levels stuff?

I'm perfectly prepared to believe that the GC version could be cut down in some ways. I just don't see why your so sure of it. Appart from Matts comments all we've seen is some early pictures, with 2 months of dev time left (they might even improve the lighting in that time).