NBA 2K7 First Look (PS3)

[aldo]

Pics and video:
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/737/737118p1.html

They also put in extra time in the motion capture studios to enhance the realism on the court, so players really had a sense of being in a game situation. In fact, Greg Thomas, the president of Visual Concepts pointed out that as they've been spending more and more time with the hardware, they've started realizing that future game titles for both the 360 and PS3 will have to have different development cycles to fully take advantage of each console's power.

Speaking of taking advantage of the PS3's power, the team has been using the computational power of the system to enhance a large number of the standard features that the game is known for. For instance, the cloth physics of jerseys and shorts has been assigned to one SPU on the PS3 instead of multiple cores on the 360 so that it can move more realistically than ever without taking away processing power for the rest of the game.

Players will be able to shoot free throws by tilting the controller back and then leaning it forward. While you can do it with minor movements, you can also hold and tilt the controller as if you were actually shooting with a basketball. - see video demonstration

Visually, the game has been taken up to a new level, particularly in how the game action is rendered. Not only have the in-game visuals been beefed up thanks to the power of the system, but according to Thomas, the way the PS3 renders pixels gives the game a richer appearance than the 360 version. It looks much more organic and lifelike, and if you thought you were watching a real game on the 360, just wait till you see it on the PS3.

-aldo

 

[mckmas8808]

Visually, the game has been taken up to a new level, particularly in how the game action is rendered. Not only have the in-game visuals been beefed up thanks to the power of the system, but according to Thomas, the way the PS3 renders pixels gives the game a richer appearance than the 360 version. It looks much more organic and lifelike, and if you thought you were watching a real game on the 360, just wait till you see it on the PS3.

Ruh-oh. I can see this being something that many people will argue over. I wonder what he means by renders pixels?

And the shooting free throw mechanic looks cool as hell. Maybe Nintendo was right.

 

[rounin]

I'm impressed by the little extra effort that they're putting into the PS3 version. However, I can only wish that collision detection, "skating" and clipping issues are completely eliminated sometime in the near future.

 

[aldo]

I'm impressed by the little extra effort that they're putting into the PS3 version. However, I can only wish that collision detection, "skating" and clipping issues are completely eliminated sometime in the near future.

I was disappointed there as well, but that seems to be the norm for now.

Check out the the people alongside the court and the mascot in the "Mavs vs. Heat 2" video. Almost more fun than watching the game.

-aldo

 

[mckmas8808]

I'm impressed by the little extra effort that they're putting into the PS3 version. However, I can only wish that collision detection, "skating" and clipping issues are completely eliminated sometime in the near future.

What would you rate the Xbox 360 version?

 

[DeathKnight]

I'm getting sick of these comparisons that people are trying to draw insinuating that the PS3 is more powerful than the 360, completely glancing over the added dev time and the rethinking/retooling of how the game's coded.

For instance, the cloth physics of jerseys and shorts has been assigned to one SPU on the PS3 instead of multiple cores on the 360 so that it can move more realistically than ever without taking away processing power for the rest of the game.

Multiple cores? Rushed and/or schedule constraints would be be the culprit. You can't honestly tell me that any competent developer with enough time can't get cloth physics down to one core (or even one thread) on the 360 CPU when they're supposedly doing it on just one SPE with the PS3.

Visually, the game has been taken up to a new level, particularly in how the game action is rendered. Not only have the in-game visuals been beefed up thanks to the power of the system, but according to Thomas, the way the PS3 renders pixels gives the game a richer appearance than the 360 version. It looks much more organic and lifelike, and if you thought you were watching a real game on the 360, just wait till you see it on the PS3.

I'm going to have to call BS on the whole "the way the PS3 renders pixels" shpeel. Increased dev time along with art and coding changes account for the visible differences.

Very little of this, if anything, has to do with PS3's supposed "power superiority" over the 360.

 

[Tap In]

What would you rate the Xbox 360 version?

it's simply the best basketball (maybe sports) game EVER made.

It looks great and plays great with incredibly real gameplay and animation.

good to see VC taking more time to get the most out of the PS3 although I'm not sure what to make of the "power" statements.

 

[mckmas8808]

I'm getting sick of these comparisons that people are trying to draw insinuating that the PS3 is more powerful than the 360, completely glancing over the added dev time and the rethinking/retooling of how the game's coded.

Multiple cores? Rushed and/or schedule constraints would be be the culprit. You can't honestly tell me that any competent developer with enough time can't get cloth physics down to one core (or even one thread) on the 360 CPU when they're supposedly doing it on just one SPE with the PS3.

I'm going to have to call BS on the whole "the way the PS3 renders pixels" shpeel. Increased dev time along with art and coding changes account for the visible differences.

Very little of this, if anything, has to do with PS3's supposed "power superiority" over the 360.

Well he is there making the games so....

Maybe he knows something that you dont.

 

[Tap In]

Well he is there making the games so....

Maybe he knows something that you dont.

I'm thinking it has more to do with this....

Greg Thomas, the president of Visual Concepts pointed out that as they've been spending more and more time with the hardware, they've started realizing that future game titles for both the 360 and PS3 will have to have different development cycles to fully take advantage of each console's power.

meaning they both have strengths and with more time on each system, they will tap new resources separately for each machine.

 

[aldo]

I'm getting sick of these comparisons that people are trying to draw insinuating that the PS3 is more powerful than the 360, completely glancing over the added dev time and the rethinking/retooling of how the game's coded.

Multiple cores? Rushed and/or schedule constraints would be be the culprit. You can't honestly tell me that any competent developer with enough time can't get cloth physics down to one core (or even one thread) on the 360 CPU when they're supposedly doing it on just one SPE with the PS3.

I'm going to have to call BS on the whole "the way the PS3 renders pixels" shpeel. Increased dev time along with art and coding changes account for the visible differences.

Very little of this, if anything, has to do with PS3's supposed "power superiority" over the 360.

What Tap In said.

I'm thinking it has more to do with this....
meaning they both have strengths and with more time on each system, they will tap new resources separately for each machine.

And regarding the PS3 pixel rendering comment, you could easily interpolate the comment as "the way the PS3 [version] renders pixels gives the game a richer appearance than the 360 version." It may just signify that they arrived at a new technique which would have worked just as well on the 360 had they developed the technique earlier. A dev could perhaps vouch for this as a possible interpretation.

-aldo

 

[DeathKnight]

I thought he was fairly clear that the team may have realized they did not spend enough time on the X360 version.

It actually isn't that clear. There's only been one developer who has been outright blunt instead of beating around the bush as it were, and that was Bethesda concerning Oblivion on the PS3 compared to the 360 version.

And regarding the PS3 pixel rendering comment, you could easily interpolate the comment as "the way the PS3 [version] renders pixels gives the game a richer appearance than the 360 version." It may just signify that they arrived at a new technique which would have worked just as well on the 360 had they developed the technique earlier. A dev could perhaps vouch for this as a possible interpretation.

-aldo

Possibly, but it's absolutely amazing the frequency of people suggesting interpretation or having to interpret what developers say instead of reading it at face value. Either these devs like being vague or they mean exactly what they say. Choose one.

 

[mckmas8808]

I'm thinking it has more to do with this....



meaning they both have strengths and with more time on each system, they will tap new resources separately for each machine.

Yep you are right. This year the PS3 will look better. Next year who knows.

 

[22psi]

I find it impressive that they are finding great ways of utilizing the SPEs. :smile:

 

[bRoNx]

***deleted My Rant -- Borderline Flamebating! Sorry***

 

[ihamoitc2005]

Spe

Multiple cores? Rushed and/or schedule constraints would be be the culprit. You can't honestly tell me that any competent developer with enough time can't get cloth physics down to one core (or even one thread) on the 360 CPU when they're supposedly doing it on just one SPE with the PS3.

I do not know what is actual performance for 1 xbox360 xenon core but is it better than PPE of CELL? If it is the same as PPE of CELL then SPE is much faster than one Xenon core. For many "benchmark" demonstrations 1 SPE has very much better real world performance than 1 PPE core. Also, when he says he uses 1 SPE for all this calculations maybe what he says is 1 SPE dedicated or maybe he means 1 SPE equivalent of clock cycles in all SPE.

I'm going to have to call BS on the whole "the way the PS3 renders pixels" shpeel. Increased dev time along with art and coding changes account for the visible differences.

Maybe he is talking of AA and maybe Xbox360 does not have tiling for 720P AA. Also some review says small things like sweat is better in PS3 version. Sweat is also pixel shader operation.

Same developer says PS3 version has better graphics and CPU operations. Maybe this is because PS3 is different frame-rate or if frame-rate is same maybe PS3 has more hardware power, we cannot know without more information. What we can know is what developer has said for this software.

 

[mozmo]

Sounds like a bunch of marketing mumbo jumbo to justify why people wanting to play this need to spend more on a ps3 to play it. I can see a lot of devs doing this to try and help sell their ps3 efforts early on until the userbase grows.

 

[mckmas8808]

Sounds like a bunch of marketing mumbo jumbo to justify why people wanting to play this need to spend more on a ps3 to play it. I can see a lot of devs doing this to try and help sell their ps3 efforts early on until the userbase grows.

Or maybe the found ways to make the game run better on the PS3 for certain reasons. Oh what do you know they actually tell us one example.

For instance, the cloth physics of jerseys and shorts has been assigned to one SPU on the PS3 instead of multiple cores on the 360 so that it can move more realistically than ever without taking away processing power for the rest of the game

Maybe the way the coded for the PS3's SPEs allowed them to do certain things that got them a little bit more performance for this game.

Just a thought right?

 

[inefficient]

I'm getting sick of these comparisons that people are trying to draw insinuating that the PS3 is more powerful than the 360, completely glancing over the added dev time and the rethinking/retooling of how the game's coded.

Multiple cores? Rushed and/or schedule constraints would be be the culprit. You can't honestly tell me that any competent developer with enough time can't get cloth physics down to one core (or even one thread) on the 360 CPU when they're supposedly doing it on just one SPE with the PS3.

Well for something like cloth simulation, IBM has already demonstrated that in Cell a single SPE is faster than a 3.6Ghz P4. And much faster than the simulation running on the PPE core in the Cell itself.

If you assume the Cell PPE is roughly the same in performance to a XeCPU core. Based on those benchmarks, it should be safe to assume that for a task like this this even once SPU will out perform even a fully devoted XeCPU core.

Considering the PS3 has mutiple SPUs at its disposal, I think you may just have to hand this one to the PS3 & Cell. It's just one of the things the machine is well suited for.

 

[mckmas8808]

Well for something like cloth simulation, IBM has already demonstrated that in Cell a single SPE is faster than a 3.6Ghz P4. And much faster than the simulation running on the PPE core in the Cell itself.

If you assume the Cell PPE is roughly the same in performance to a XeCPU core. Based on those benchmarks, it should be safe to assume that for a task like this this even once SPU will out perform even a fully devoted XeCPU core.

Considering the PS3 has mutiple SPUs at its disposal, I think you may just have to hand this one to the PS3 & Cell. It's just one of the things the machine is well suited for.

YES! Finally somebody gets it.


Thank god.

 

[Lazy8s]

Screens look like the Xbox 360 version, and that's a compliment as the graphics already looked good.