Unreal Engine In Game Vs. Publicity Shots

[Meyers]

Usually the marketing shots companies put out have some extra anti-aliasing on them but the actual graphics, lighting, model detail, textures look the same. But with Unreal Engine based games the actual in game graphics look like a completely different with a huge overall reduction in detail compared to the marketing shots.

Is there something particular about this one engine that makes it easy for companies to put out screenshots that have such a huge difference in quality from the actual graphics you see in game?

 

[L. Scofield]

Can you provide an example?

 

[Boxercide]

Every company does this with every engine. there's a reason the term "Bullshot" was coined.

 

[woundingchaney]

The majority of both screenshots and videos one sees one the net are doctored. This is extremely common, though like suggested it would be easier to speak specifically about the UE3 engine if you were to post something on the matter.

 

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

Is there something particular about this one engine that makes it easy for companies to put out screenshots that have such a huge difference in quality from the actual graphics you see in game?

Not really, it's just the case that Unreal engines allow incredible scalability, so it's easy to build a single room or a demo level that has everything cranked to the max. You can even pose stuff in the editor and do nice virtual camera paths and actors. This is especially the case on the PC platform where the hardware platform is not fixed like it is with the consoles.

However, try putting that into a game with AI, other players, projectiles flying, full levels, and targeted at the wider audience with average hardware (rather than that small minority with bleeding edge gaming hardware), and you will have something unsellable or unplayable.

That's why when the game finally arrives, it doesn't look anywhere near as good as the faked screenshots that the likes of Epic are very good at using to market their products.

 

[grandmaster]

Epic often have in-game cinematics that are obviously captures taken from this 'bullshot' mode. Unreal Tournament 3 for example has FMV sequences clearly engine based, but somewhat beyond what the game itself is pumping out.

 

[Dominik D]

They do that so game doesn't have to load assets just to show the cutscene. That's much better option than game installation, IMO.

 

[Neb]

I once had a look at the UE3 archives. IIRC there was some lighting/SSAO options "hardlocked" to medium with high as an option. I never got to cook the files though to get it to work ingame.

 

[DeadlyNinja]

While we're on the subject of UE3, does anyone know whether Rainbow Six Vegas uses UE3 or a heavily modified UE2.5? I heard some say its UE3, while others say it's 2.5 but modified.

 

[jlippo]

Epic often have in-game cinematics that are obviously captures taken from this 'bullshot' mode. Unreal Tournament 3 for example has FMV sequences clearly engine based, but somewhat beyond what the game itself is pumping out.

On UE3, just having SSAA improves graphics quite much as the surface aliasing is reduced and jittered shadow samples are added together to create very nice looking shadows.

 

[homerdog]

While we're on the subject of UE3, does anyone know whether Rainbow Six Vegas uses UE3 or a heavily modified UE2.5? I heard some say its UE3, while others say it's 2.5 but modified.

I was under the impression Vegas was the first UE3 game aside from Roboblitz.

 

[_phil_]

UE3 or a heavily modified UE2.5? I heard some say its UE3, while others say it's 2.5 but modified.

UE3 is basically a modified UE2.5 you know...

 

[Acert93]

UE3 is basically a modified UE2.5 you know...

Define modified in terms of what and how much...

 

[_phil_]

Define modified in terms of what and how much...

no real need. Ue3 is built on UE .It's an evolution of the same engine.No fundamental rewriting.The 3.0 version of the same engine.

 

[Dominik D]

Do you know any developer that writes new engine from scratch (zero lines of code reused) every title/generation of hardware? Not to mention it's pretty much off-topic...

I for one am still waiting for some screenshot comparison that would help me understand what Meyers had in mind. I'm sure screenshots for games based on UE are very often rendered with ridiculously high AA, but that's the sad standard in the industry. UE engine or not.

 

[RenegadeRocks]

I guess he is talking about the UT3 screenshots and GeOW screens which never end up looking the same in-game. Apart from the AA, I think there is some change in the light setup for characters which is not the same inside the games.

I have played only the demo, but I don't think it the characters had such three lights on them with soft shadows.

 

[zed]

I for one am still waiting for some screenshot comparison that would help me understand what Meyers had in mind. I'm sure screenshots for games based on UE are very often rendered with ridiculously high AA, but that's the sad standard in the industry. UE engine or not.

as Ive said before a few times on these forums, yes they render at super high resolutions (ok true other companies are sometimes guilty of this) + also often they also use much higher resolution textures (less so other companies).

but what theyve also done in the past is use a much higher quality lighting/shadowing model than what actually shows up in the final game.

Something that Im surprised with is that ppl havent complained about more about this deception previously, the only reason I can assume is ppl are embarrassed that they got conned.
If ppl dont kick up a stink about there misleading practices they will keep on doing it

Of all the companies they are perhaps the king of the bullshot

 

[the ignoramus]

as Ive said before a few times on these forums, yes they render at super high resolutions (ok true other companies are sometimes guilty of this) + also often they also use much higher resolution textures (less so other companies).

but what theyve also done in the past is use a much higher quality lighting/shadowing model than what actually shows up in the final game.

Something that Im surprised with is that ppl havent complained about more about this deception previously, the only reason I can assume is ppl are embarrassed that they got conned.
If ppl dont kick up a stink about there misleading practices they will keep on doing it

Of all the companies they are perhaps the king of the bullshot

Do you have examples of this?

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I guess zed is thinking of the spectacular promo materail for Gears such as
this and this and this.

 

[the ignoramus]

In regards to the first linked 2005 bullshot: Epic was advertising a UE3 with a more advanced lighting model pre-Gears, but they dropped it in favour of the current, more simplistic model. (i believe this removed feature was alluded to in the Silicon Knights lawsuit papers.)