PGR4: New Snow on the Ring trailer

The post-processing method of motion blur (which we've seen in PGR3, Capcom titles, Gears of War) selectively blurs the image based on an of-screen buffer containing a 2D velocity vector for each pixel. Since the velocity info for each model is generated the same exact location that you see the model on-screen, anywhere outside the object silhouette the velocity is zero (or its set to velocity of a model behind it) and therefore won't be blurred as it should. However the blurring *should* extend past the silhouette, because with true motion blur an object appears "stretched" in the direction of movement relative to the camera.

The "proper" method of motion blur, which you see in the photo mode, is done by actually rendering several images across a set period of time (this period of time corresponds to the time the camera's shutter is open). It's actually a method of anti-aliasing, since you get temporal aliasing when you sample at discrete time intervals. When you render multiple times to an accumulation buffer and apply a filter, you're actually doing the same kind of super-sampling you do to combat jaggies. While this isn't necessarily impossible in real-time, you can imagine how much it would kill your performance to actually render each visible frame multiple times. However since the photo-mode doesn't have to be in real time, they can just quickly render 16 or so sub-frames and produce a beautifully blurred image.

 

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=83294

 

Before the post processing, when you render a car in realtime you only affect pixels within the car silhouette. You can, however, render some information about which way to blur in the post processing.

When performing the post-process blur on a pixel outside the silhouette, however, you have no information about the car that's nearby. The only way you could know that part of the car needs to be blurred in that pixel is if you searched all the pixels in a substantial region around the pixel you're currently processing, and this is too expensive (e.g. 50 pixel radius means ~8000 texels to fetch). Then you might find neighbouring pixels that are supposed to blur onto the current pixel.

The realtime appromation is different. Even though your per pixel blur vector says "this pixel should be blurred onto other pixels along this direction", instead you assume its equivalent to "all pixels along this direction should be blurred onto this pixel". The former involves scatter (which GPUs suck at) and the latter involves gather (which GPUs are fast at). For regions of similar blur direction, the two interpretations are the same. Outside the sihouettes of moving objects, however, they're very different indeed.

I'd love to see someone try a scatter implementation with Cell or even Xenon.

 

just love how every MS game turns into a "what is it NOT doing" thread on this forum.

although it has been salvaged somewhat by some good technical info lately.

 

They reflect the whole environment; buildings, sky, markings on the road (not in bonnet view under "normal" conditions), etc. Think of it as a similar effect to Forza 2 realtime reflections, they are like cuboidal photos. If you played that game you'd probably get the picture on this. It's deeper than it sounds, though.

There are significant differences. Unlike FM2, I didn't see any popping artifact (especially trees and Suzuka's big wheel), the reflections are nowhere near as pixelated as FM2 realtime reflections were, and they look more complex because some of the reflected buildings are human being-made wonders IRL and the game (mainly) features city tracks, not actual race tracks.

You can see this clearly in this video:

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/24830.html
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/24831.html?type= (SD version)

See you later

 

It does look very odd though doesn't it. The reflection in one hood view doesn't looks like it's mapped properly at all. Looks like a bug.

 

http://www.gamersyde.com/leech_4490_en.html

Quebec in the snow in a FXX. The sound is beautiful!

 

game goes GOLD

more pics


I'm in love

again

 

IN GAME screens from Blim


Direct feed gameplay vid from Gamersyde

 

Wow that looks exactly like what you see in the off screen trailer posted earlier, very impressive indeed. Looks gorgeous, the motion blur is done really well, feels CG-ish. I also like how the camera bops up/down over the bumps from the highspeed+stiff suspension..

 

I liked this one:

 

Oh sH*t they've got an RX-7? Hell yeah!! I didn't see any Mazdas in the official cars list prior to this. That SS is insane btw, lighting/compositing is Perfect. Look at the water on the rear windshield so real.

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2007/255/reviews/935830_20070913_screen045.jpg
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2007/255/reviews/935830_20070913_screen046.jpg
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2007/255/reviews/935830_20070913_screen047.jpg
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2007/255/reviews/935830_20070913_screen048.jpg
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2007/255/reviews/935830_20070913_screen049.jpg
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2007/255/reviews/935830_20070913_screen050.jpg

Class A

Aston Martin DBR9
Caparo T1
Ducati 999R Xerox
Ferrari FXX
Ferrari F50 GT
Gumpert Apollo
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14
Koenigsegg CCX
Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT
Mclaren F1 LM
Mercedes CLK-GTR SuperSport
MV Augusta F4 Senna
Panoz GTR-1 Coupe
Radical SR9 LMP2
RUF Supercar Concept
Saleen S7 Twin Turbo
SSC Ultimate Aero TT
Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa Ltd
Suzuki GSX-R1000
Toyota GT-One

Class B

Ariel Atom 300 Supercharged
BMW K1200R
Dodge Viper Competition Coupe
Ducati 998
Ducati Monster S4RS Testastretta
Ferrari GTO Evoluzione
Ferrari Enzo Ferrari
Harley Davidson VR-1000
Honda CBR600RR
Jaguar XJ220S
Joss Supercar
Lamborghini LP640
Maserati MC12
MV Augusta Brutale 910 R
Pagani Zonda F
Palmer-Jaguar JP1
Radical SR3 Turbo
RUF RT12
Suzuki GSX-R600
Ultima GTR
Yamaha YZF-R6

Class C

Aston Martin DBS
BMW M1 Procar
Callaway Sledgehammer
Caterham R500
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Dodge Viper GT-2
Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
Ferrari F430
Ferrari F40
Ford GT
Honda NR750
Lamborghini Concept M
Lamborghini Gallardo
Lotus Exige GT3
Mclaren-Mercedes SLR
MTT Turbine Superbike
Rossion Q1
RUF CTR Yellowbird
RUF RGT
Triumph Speed Triple
TVR Typhon

Class D

Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Aston Martin Vanquish S
Audi R8
BMW F 800 S
BMW M5 E60
Chevrolet ZR1
Ducati Paul Smart 1000 LE
Ferrari 355 F1 GTS
Ford GT40 MKI
Honda NSX-R
Lamborghini Diablo VT 6.0 SE
Light Car Company Rocket
Mercedes CLK DTM AMG
Mitsubishi FQ400
RUF RK Coupe
Shelby Cobra 427 S/C
Spyker C8 Laviolette LWB
TVR Sagaris

Class E

Audi RS 4
Bentley Continental GT
Cadillac Sixteen Concept
Dodge Challenger Concept
Ferrari Testarossa
Ferrari 250 GTO
Ferrari 365 GTB/4 ("Daytona")
Honda RC161
Lamborghini Countach LP400
Maserati 250F
Mazda RX-7
Norton 500 Manx
Saleen S281E
Shelby GT500E
Subaru Impreza 22B STi
Tesla Roadster
Toyota Supra Turbo
Triumph Trident
Vanwall GPR V12

Class F

Alfa Romeo SZ
Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato
BSA Gold Star DBD34
Buell RR 1200
Buick Regal GNX
Chevrolet Stingray
Chevrolet Camaro Z28
Ford Mustang GT 2+2 Fastback
Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500
GMC Syclone
Jaguar D Type
Lamborghini Miura P400 SV
Lancia Stratos
Lancia Delta Integrale Evo
Lotus Esprit Essex Turbo
Plymouth Hemi Cuda

Class G

Austin Mini Cooper S
Delorean DMC-12
Lotus Cortina
Lotus Europa
Mazda MX-5
Pontiac Firebird
Toyota 2000GT


Why no NISMO Skyline GT-R Z-Tune?

 

Here it is..

Direct feed of the famed intro.

http://www.gamersyde.com/news_5044_en.html

Turns out the blur effect isn't really excessive as it looks off-screen (and not even *present* in most of the trailer).

In any case..it looks amazing and parts that looked great in the off-screen capture, look lots better in this version.
Save for a few stylized and/or shaky cam moments, its what you get in-game.

Enjoy.

 

@ nAo. You were right. It appears, based on the gameplay footage, that the St. Petersburg rain movie was using non-realtime motion blur. Good eye, and thanks for educating everyone.

@ The vids... nice! The use of high resolution textures on the buildings is vindicated... again... by this media. Looks great.

 

We eagerly await a follow-up from N4G recognizing nAo's point was smart deduction, and maybe they can ask Bizarre Studios developer Ben what the hell he was talking about...

 

What the hell is the R500 doing in Class C when the supercharged Ariel Atom is in Class B?

The R500 still should beat it on track.

 

Motion Blur seems to depend on the speed you're traveling and the tightness/confines of space (which is how it should be)
http://images.gamersyde.com/misc/pgr4.png Look nice!

Shanghai on a bike at night:http://www.gamersyde.com/news_5046_en.html Just beautiful.

 

Very beautiful video. It took me 1 hour to download it but it was worth it. I think I'm enamored with this game.

3 new pics :

http://images.gamersyde.com/gallery/public/6334/1163_0016.jpg

http://images.gamersyde.com/gallery/public/6334/1163_0001.jpg

http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360...project-gotham-racing-4-20070904000408567.jpg

 

1up interview: http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3162824

 

A video on the making of PGR4 sound. 4 wheel independant tone based variations for grip and sliding is one of those subtle things that is pretty cool. The work that goes into a title like this, that most people never notice, is crazy.