New Heavenly Sword Info (screens included)

[DeanoC]

If I remember it correctly DeanoC said they where using a SPU dedicated to MP3 and audio-mixing. I doubt they are using uncompressed audio on this title.

We use a mixture of compressed and uncompressed, but lots were compressed for the reasons people have stated.

Make no doubt, fitting all the audio in and not stuttering and being the the highest quality we could get wasn't easy, it was quite a problem even with the size of blu-ray.

At one point we seriously considered dual layer Blu-ray cos of disk space issues.

But personally I think the audio is really really good, but maybe i'm biased

 

[wco81]

Care to comment on how much bandwidth the audio takes up?

And whether that is using bandwidth which could have been used for other things (which is what some people were trying to get at)?

 

[Gradthrawn]

And whether that is using bandwidth which could have been used for other things (which is what some people were trying to get at)?

I'm not sure why some feel audio quality should be reduced, just simply because it can be. Why wouldn't a producer/director want higher quality audio for their game, just the same as higher quality visual fidelity (effects, character models), and higher quality acting? Of course its going to use additional resources, just as every other improved aspect of the game would. These comments and questions aren't directed at you wco81, per say, but at people who feel the bandwidth and resources given to audio should somehow be limited to what could have been done with less space. It seems like some of these people feel higher quality audio is somehow a waste. Which would seem counter to the whole idea of pushing things forward, which is why we buy these new consoles and computers every generation.

 

[wco81]

Because it goes back to the old anti Blu-Ray arguments:

- games don't need more than DVD9
- Blu-Ray drive is unnecessary
- Sony should have used DVD and then add more RAM or better GPU or a juice blender, etc.


I'm also curious if BD50 is a real option for developers. The BR detractors will say BD50 is "science fiction,' that it's too costly, that it can't be produced in any volume. (never mind we're getting more and more BD50 movie releases and they're priced no more and often less than HD-DVD releases).

 

[DeanoC]

Care to comment on how much bandwidth the audio takes up?

And whether that is using bandwidth which could have been used for other things (which is what some people were trying to get at)?

It doesn't use any bandwidth used by other things (or at least very little). We split our streaming between blu-ray and hard disk. Audio on blu-ray, when you start a level (and watch the FMV) we pre-cache all other level data onto the hard disk, which is then streamed in as required. On PS3 hard disk and blu-ray don't affect each other so yay!.

 

[DeanoC]

I'm also curious if BD50 is a real option for developers. The BR detractors will say BD50 is "science fiction,' that it's too costly, that it can't be produced in any volume. (never mind we're getting more and more BD50 movie releases and they're priced no more and often less than HD-DVD releases).

Dual Layer BD is very real, as I said we very nearly became the first PS3 title to use it and this wasn't just a random thought, it was seriously considered (including our publisher doing costing and manufacturing calculations).

So its possible and I expect the first title using it will be quite soon (whoever needs it first, we in the end didn't).

 

[Shifty Geezer]

So its possible and I expect the first title using it will be quite soon (whoever needs it first, we in the end didn't).

Perhaps the strongest argument against BRD was the cost of creating content to fill it. Having worked on a game that's generated that much content, do you think cost will be prohibitive for all but the most expensive titles, or do you think run-of-the-mill titles could end up exceeding DVD's capacities? Are the tools for creating content making it cheaper? eg. ID's megatexturing starts with procedurally generated maps at 20GB worth. That's 20GB of source data created with button presses, far quicker and cheaper than the DVD content of GOW for example. Can automated tools viably create content at little expense? I'm sure staple content like rocks, trees, small walls, villagers, etc. ought to be automatable. Or is it still the remit of artists to create everything, and you just need lots of artists to generate 20+ GB of content?

 

[wco81]

Thanks, that's good to know.

So developers don't have to fill up Blu-Ray disks for the hell of it or waste precious bandwidth on audio.

And BD50 is a viable option in 2007, less than a year after the PS3 launch.

Will that silence the Blu-Ray/PS3 detractors?

 

[tanksrule]

Heavenly Sword Animated Series

Sorry if its already been posted in this thread (too many posts to go through) but Part II of Heavenly Sword's animated prequel series is up and here it is: http://www.heavenlysword.com/animatedseries/#/en_GB
While the short-animated-tie-in thing isn't really that original, it is winning points for its awesomeness. It's doing a really good job of telling the game's backstory in order to make everyone a bit more familiar with the setting and also a very good job of getting me hyped up about it! I also really like the style of animation they decided to use as it is very dark and moody, but I also like the amount of detail in it, must have taken ages!

I think HS is going to be one of the few games with an incredible storyline (Like the Metal Gear Solid series), that accompanies some pretty decent gameplay.

 

[patsu]

The game seems to be dubbed/translated to 13+ languages, my native included, so that should greatly increase the amount of gigs needed.

I'm not sure why some feel audio quality should be reduced, just simply because it can be. Why wouldn't a producer/director want higher quality audio for their game, just the same as higher quality visual fidelity (effects, character models), and higher quality acting?

Very good points. If it's shipped with multiple languages, I will definitely try other spoken languages.

It doesn't use any bandwidth used by other things (or at least very little). We split our streaming between blu-ray and hard disk. Audio on blu-ray, when you start a level (and watch the FMV) we pre-cache all other level data onto the hard disk, which is then streamed in as required. On PS3 hard disk and blu-ray don't affect each other so yay!.

Thanks DeanoC for clarifying. If possible, Sony should provide a similar framework (to PSSG, EDGE) in this area. Even though the main cost is probably content creation, they can introduce some Game 3.0 elements as part of this streaming framework.

 

[phat]

Sure that's not per channel?

I'm pretty sure. The math is as follows:

Full-range channels

7 channels * 48k samples/second * 2 bytes/sample = 672,000 bytes/second

The LFE channel, assuming it only contains frequencies less than 200 Hz

400 samples/second * 2 bytes/sample = 800 bytes/second

 

[morlock]

I'm pretty sure. The math is as follows:

Full-range channels
7 channels * 48k samples/second * 2 bytes/sample = 672,000 bytes/second
The LFE channel, assuming it only contains frequencies less than 200 Hz
400 samples/second * 2 bytes/sample = 800 bytes/second

Oh, so you were talking about bytes, and not bits which I think is more common when talking bandwidth . Sorry.

That would be around 5-6 Mbit/s,

 

[phat]

Oh, so you were talking about bytes, and not bits which I think is more common when talking bandwidth . Sorry.

That would be around 5-6 Mbit/s,

I forget that not everybody follows the convention b = bits, B = bytes, e.g. kb = kilobits, kB = kilobytes. But, really, everybody should.

 

[joker454]

Very good points. If it's shipped with multiple languages, I will definitely try other spoken languages.

Yeah, thats one on my wish list also! For example sometimes I'd prefer to just hear all audio in the games original intended language (say japanese audio with english subtitles). Multiple languages on disk would be an excellent use of blu-ray space.

 

[Arwin]

Yeah, thats one on my wish list also! For example sometimes I'd prefer to just hear all audio in the games original intended language (say japanese audio with english subtitles). Multiple languages on disk would be an excellent use of blu-ray space.

I suspect that the demo already indicates as much. It came with 13 languages included (and separate settings for spoken and interface languages too), and I doubt they would go through the trouble if they aren't going to do it for the full game.

It's quite fun anyway. I surprised my gf by playing it in Dutch and another friend by playing it in Finnish, where her parents are from. I myself speak about 5 of the languages on there, and I find it great fun to know I can use it a little to practice Spanish, where my mother lives these days (a language which I don't speak yet).

It reminds me of Broken Sword, which you could play in both English and Italian, the latter which was spoken with a beautiful accent in the game (especially the narrator), and I used it to try and learn some Italian by repeating the description of a paper blown against a lamppost. Lovely.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Does the, lip-sync work with the different voices? I'm guessing not because AFAIK it was motion captured from the actors.

 

[DJ12]

I didn't rate the lip syncing in English, so don't hold out much hope for other languages.

I wouldn't say it's worse than any other game, but it wasn't brilliant either. Guess proper lip syncing just isn't worth the effort.

 

[deepbrown]

I didn't rate the lip syncing in English, so don't hold out much hope for other languages.

I wouldn't say it's worse than any other game, but it wasn't brilliant either. Guess proper lip syncing just isn't worth the effort.

The lip-synching is almost perfect. I was really impressed. I expect they've tightened it up now though.

The game has got another review score - it was 9+ from a Polish mag.

 

[morlock]

I was really surprised at how good the lip-sync worked in Swedish and Norwegian.

 

[DJ12]

The lip-synching is almost perfect. I was really impressed. I expect they've tightened it up now though.

The game has got another review score - it was 9+ from a Polish mag.

I guess I will have to have another run through, my first impression was that it wasn't great, especially when Ki talks.