Image Quality and Framebuffer Speculations for WIP/alpha/beta/E3 games *Read the first post*

[Richard]

The normalmap compression artefacts on the guy's left arm clothing tell me this is probably in-game but resized w/ superspampling as Shifty mentioned. I do have to disagree with the no jaggies comment. The amount of surface aliasing on the dash is distracting even for a screenshot!

Its not for PC... This one is console exclusive and the PC gets its own MMO type one apparently.

Link

I knew I should have put not PC shot since everyone would jump on that x_x.

Other sites on the net, including this interview with the EA guys, says the game is coming to PC, XBOX 360 and PS3.

 

[Neb]

Its not for PC... This one is console exclusive and the PC gets its own MMO type one apparently.

Link

I knew I should have put not PC shot since everyone would jump on that x_x.

I think they got it wrong at oxcgn.com. This is straight from EA.

http://www.ea.com/read/20090130-NFS.xml

Need for Speed SHIFT will be released on PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) and PC in fall 2009.

Need For Speed World Online - Winter 2009 in North America, (Summer 2009 in Asia)

Co-developed by Black Box and EA Singapore, Need for Speed World Online takes the race into the largest open world in the history of Need for Speed - designed exclusively for the PC. Beginning in Asia, this Play 4 Free action racing game will give Need for Speed fans access to licensed cars, parts and multiple game modes. Players will prove their racing supremacy through the sophisticated online matchmaking features and fully customize their profile and their ride.

 

[MazingerDUDE]

SF4 seems to have some very interesting properties regarding its rendering res, the game's normally running at the 720p, but when there're close ups (like when you're using supers) its resolution dynamically changes to 630p (1120 x 630) I did quite a bit of analysis on the shots posted at ruliweb, all the close up shots whether it's from cut scene or from middle of battle, they're all 630p. The link to the shots is..

http://ruliweb.empas.com/data/rulinews/read.htm?num=16730

However this is the case with the PS3 version only, the 360 version maintains its 720p resolution all time.

The 360 version incorporates 2 x AA as well (could be 4 x AA, the analysis is based on the movie files from ruliweb, so I'm not 100% certain) while the PS3 version has zero AA.

BTW, as far as I know the SF4 arcade hardware is based on the 7900, and it's got no AA as well

 

[SonComet]

Did you notice any other differences in lighting, shadows, framerate, etc. regarding SF4? If they are identical in every other respect except resolution during close-ups and AA then it should be a similar situation to SC4 on both consoles in terms of image quality. I can't find any 360 shots on that website, only the 360 videos. The videos are super compressed but the 360 version does appear to have smoother edges than the PS3 videos.

 

[Gitaroo]

I watch a few videos for the 360 and ps3 version from the site, they all have a lot of compression artifacts and I dont see any 360 shots. I think it might be something like a overscan thing when the camera zoomed in close up so the game looks like its running at a lower res. Kind of like TV overscan with 720p source. Im not a pro so I can't comment too much. From the videos they seems to work very smoothly, dont really notice any sudden drop in quality ( could be due to the video compression). 1 thing I notice however is both version seems to lag a little when even there is a lot dust effects on the screen, not sure if its done like that on purpose.

 

[Turok]

http://www.widgamer.com/screens/ps3/17537/large/screenshots/108761_uncharted-2--among-thieves.jpg

http://www.widgamer.com/screens/ps3/17537/large/screenshots/108760_uncharted-2--among-thieves.jpg

Are these Uncharted 2 screens bullshots?

 

[AlNom]

Are these Uncharted 2 screens bullshots?

Yup, rendered at high resolution and downscaled.

 

[jutl]

Eurogamer Portugal have published large comparison shots of the 360 and PS3 versions of Resident Evil 5 here.

 

[Avto]

Can anyone explain, why is the image in Killzone 2 single-player campaign, obscured at the corners? The corners are black there is no image. It reminds me of air vent crawling moments from MGS. I'm pretty damn sure in MGS it was something like a filter over the image, but what about Killzone? Is it made purely for design purposes (looking cool) or can it help improve performance?

 

[AlNom]

Can anyone explain, why is the image in Killzone 2 single-player campaign, obscured at the corners? The corners are black there is no image.

It's an artistic decision, and a post-processing effect. Mass Effect does something similar at the corners to simulate an old fashioned film camera.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Can anyone explain, why is the image in Killzone 2 single-player campaign, obscured at the corners?

Do you have an example pic? I don't recall black corners. From what you say and AlStrong's reply, it sounds like 'vignetting' applied as a post process to simulate a camera lens.

 

[Avto]

Sorry, I couldn't find any screenshots so I got this from a trailer, but you get the idea.

http://img18.imageshack.us/my.php?image=snapshot20090204210807qm0.jpg

http://img18.imageshack.us/my.php?image=snapshot20090204210934os6.jpg

So what's the diagnosis?

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Definitely artistic direction in a post-process. LBP does the same.

 

[Avto]

From what I can remember it was not present in the E3 build, I think they added it late 08 it was there in the preview build. So, when they showed the game at CES, they showed this different buffers they are using, and the 'vignetting' thing was right there with the z-buffer, so this is how it's done? "No shortcuts there"(about 720p) as Arjan Brussee said.

 

[morlock]

Can anyone explain, why is the image in Killzone 2 single-player campaign, obscured at the corners? The corners are black there is no image. It reminds me of air vent crawling moments from MGS. I'm pretty damn sure in MGS it was something like a filter over the image, but what about Killzone? Is it made purely for design purposes (looking cool) or can it help improve performance?

One minute in, Arjan shows the different buffers where the first one is the one you are looking for.

 

[Martin]

Star Ocean: TLH new SS (Feb 4)
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2009/034/reviews/946860_20090204_screen015.jpg
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2009/034/reviews/946860_20090204_screen009.jpg

And SS from 720p movie in Japanese official site
http://i41.tinypic.com/2gy54pk.jpg

These are upscaled only in battle scene. Can anyone count native resolution?

 

[Rebo]

Some 360 SF4 screens here ->http://superiorversion.com/?p=243

Comparing this 360 screen -> http://superiorversion.com/wp-content/gallery/streetfighter4ken/snap011.jpg
to for instance this ps3 screen -> http://ruliwebimg.empas.com/data/news10/02m/01/ps3/ruliweb_sf4kors_23.jpg
its pretty clear the 360 version has more AA.

 

[Gitaroo]

ya pretty sure that the 360 version has 2X AA while ps3 version doesnt like the arcade version

 

[user542745831]

Anyone here who figured out the native rendering resolution / AA in those:

http://www.shacknews.com/screenshots.x?gallery=11456&game_id=4537#img131139

?

 

[Laa-Yosh]

Definitely artistic direction in a post-process. LBP does the same.

Yeah, we do it sometimes in our CG stuff too, it's meant to simulate the effect of a real camera.

Not sure if it's required for a human's POV, but looks good anyway