What resolution and framerate should next-gen target *spawn

[Andrew Lauritzen]

Yeah I don't see how you can make a statement like that without being on a platform where you can vary the resolution and measure the performance delta (i.e. a PC). The differences between separate engines and games on console games that render at different resolutions far outweigh the actual resolution variable. And yeah, make sure you're running it through a good scalar too obviously...

 

[function]

There are "HD Ready" tvs in the UK with 1024 x 768 panels. As long as you cover the 720p bit you qualify for "HD Ready" - the 1280 horizontal resolution isn't necessary.

The terminology is there as a simple way to help customers get what they think they're getting. The values they represent mean absolutely nothing with regards to the optimal tradeoffs for a given game and judging a game by whether it matches an arbitrary resolution is crazy.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I am qualifying that by what I see in similar games from other developers. I look at MLB: The Show running at full HD and 60fps. I compare it to MLB 2K? running at 720p/60fps. I look at Motorstorm: Apocalypse running at 1280x1080/30fps. I compare it to Split/Second running at 720p/30fps. I look at GT5 running at 1280x1080/60fps. I compare it to any other racer running at 60fps. They are NOT lacking, when compared to games with over 2x less resolution. It's hard to talk your way around those things. Seeing is believing.

That's non-sequitur. What would happen to the visual quality of those game you have mentioned if they dropped resolution and targeted 720p? The per-pixel quality would increase. The only way that could not be true is if increasing resolution doesn't consume any resources, and we know it increases all resources (computation, fill, BW). The only situations where that won't be true are if the art style is undemanding (2D for example) so you are never hitting the limits of the hardware at a lower resolution, or if we have enough power to render photorealism at a higher resolution so there's nothing to be gained dropping the resoltuion. In all other cases increased resolution comes at significant cost. You can't have been a member of B3D for 3 years without having learned that much, surely?! Especially when everyone's repeated that in this thread.