Xbox 360 & PS3 COD 3 Tech Questions

["Nerve-Damage"]

First, let’s not turn this into an Xbox 360 –Vs- PS3 thread…please!!

In an old EGM issue (June) a developer stated that the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of COD 3 will look the same, except that the PS3 version will have more light sources and other touches.

Let’s for a moment ignore the “other touches” comment, and focus more on the more light sources comment.

My questions being!?
1) What type of light sourcing beyond the obvious will COD 3 be using or doing?
2) What are the possible Xbox 360 hardware limitation that would keep it (or developers) from; using all the light sourcing material or assets?

 

[Jesus2006]

Check here:

The main difference between the Xbox 360 and the PS3 versions will be an improved lighting system in the latter. The Cell processor's abilities should allow multiple lights and shadows placed one upon another, so that the final effect should be one of the most realistic ever seen in a next-gen game so far. Unfortunately, no additional work will be done on the character animations or level detail; that will stay the same as the Xbox 360 version.

http://ps3.gamespy.com/playstation-3.../733814p1.html

2) What are the possible Xbox 360 hardware limitation that would keep it (or developers) from; using all the light sourcing material or assets?

Simply performance and/or flexibility.

 

[Hardknock]

If you notice that quote says "should allow". Nothing of the sort has been implemented as of yet. Quite the contrary actually. We'll have to wait til the finished product to judge.

 

["Nerve-Damage"]

Check here:



http://ps3.gamespy.com/playstation-3.../733814p1.html



Simply performance and/or flexibility.

Thanks!!

 

[MfA]

If they use shadow volumes I can easily see how the use of some "idle" SPEs can make a difference, silhouette extraction is simply well suited to them.

 

[Arwin]

Since this thread isn't going to be very exciting anyway, I just wanted to express my admiration for the team to manage to churn out a convincing PS2 version (at least according to the Dutch OPM2), with amazingly few sacrifices. Makes me wonder if the Wii has anything to do with that ...

 

[slider]

Since this thread isn't going to be very exciting anyway, I just wanted to express my admiration for the team to manage to churn out a convincing PS2 version (at least according to the Dutch OPM2), with amazingly few sacrifices. Makes me wonder if the Wii has anything to do with that ...

Arwin, anywhere I can go on the 'net for fuller details of the coverage in the Dutch OPM? You mentioned it in another thread and I meant to ask there but got sidetracked.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Simply performance and/or flexibility.

Or in other words, Cell is good for something after all

 

[blakjedi]

why would teh Cell allow for better lighting...? and not RSX... conversely why wouldnt the Xenos allow for similar lighting...

 

[London Geezer]

why would teh Cell allow for better lighting...? and not RSX... conversely why wouldnt the Xenos allow for similar lighting...

Wild guess here but i would have thought it's because they could offload a big part of lighting calculations on Cell, which would work very nicely as it seems to be good at that, then send the results to RSX (through that big fat pipe between Cell and RSX) to be rendered.

Not sure why they couldn't do the same on X360 but i'm guessing bandwidth might become a problem as there is much less bandwidth to play around between Xenon and Xenos...

 

[aselto]

Let's not forget that one version runs @60fps wheres the other runs @ 30fps.

 

[blakjedi]

Wild guess here but i would have thought it's because they could offload a big part of lighting calculations on Cell, which would work very nicely as it seems to be good at that, then send the results to RSX (through that big fat pipe between Cell and RSX) to be rendered.

Not sure why they couldn't do the same on X360 but i'm guessing bandwidth might become a problem as there is much less bandwidth to play around between Xenon and Xenos...

Thanks mate... I wish someone would expose the making of their games in detail... I hope Turn 10 does for FM2...

 

[MixedGuy]

I don't want to lead this to a flame war and I think it's nice that PS3 is getting these nice graphic improvements in the games since I will be buying one later down the road but I have a question thats always been on my mind. Ive been hearing all these developers saying there adding this at that to the PS3 version to make it look better then any other console version so my question is does anyone know if 360 can do any effects/things in games that PS3 cant or is PS3 everything 360 is plus more tech wise?

I don't want to turn this into a war between PS3 and 360 graphics I just wanted to ask the techies from what they know so far about the 360 and PS3 architecture if 360 has any pluses for in game effects over its competition...

 

[22psi]

I don't want to lead this to a flame war and I think it's nice that PS3 is getting these nice graphic improvements in the games since I will be buying one later down the road but I have a question thats always been on my mind. Ive been hearing all these developers saying there adding this at that to the PS3 version to make it look better then any other console version so my question is does anyone know if 360 can do any effects/things in games that PS3 cant or is PS3 everything 360 is plus more tech wise?
I don't want to turn this into a war between PS3 and 360 graphics I just wanted to ask the techies from what they know so far about the 360 and PS3 architecture if 360 has any pluses for in game effects over its competition...

Yeah I think it's nice as well but with only a few weeks to it being shipped, the 360 version looks better and runs at 60fps. I think maybe you've been doing a bit of selective reading

 

[LunchBox]

Let's not forget that one version runs @60fps wheres the other runs @ 30fps.

didn't the development team say they were aiming for both to be 60 fps?

 

[Oboro Shogun]

If all this is true, it's strange that they'd give up fraps for lighting on just one console. If their goals is 60 fraps on PS3 they're starting to cut it close if they plan on double what they currently have.

Man I love the specualtion of new console launch time !!!!

 

[Bigus Dickus]

2) What are the possible Xbox 360 hardware limitation that would keep it (or developers) from; using all the light sourcing material or assets?

Not speaking of this case in particular, but in general the answer is "none." The biggest factor when one console has a little addition over the other in a multiplatform game is simply time. Whichever comes out later will have more development time for tweaking.

Secondary factors are the quirks of each console, making some things easier or harder on one console vs. the other (thus you will see the "additions" show up or surpassed in later titles on the "other" console), and in some cases probably some "prompting" from MS or Sony to add exclusive content or effects.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Not speaking of this case in particular, but in general the answer is "none."

I don't think that's particularly true. Every console has strengths and weaknesses, but you can't overlook the fact PS3 has a stonking great Cell processor in it that's pretty good at some of these graphics things and lends a lot of support to rendering. Adding some extra effects to PS3 games could just be a matter of PS3 having more processing hardware to throw at the problem. Similarly on XB360 you may find effects that are possible because of eDRAM or some other configuration that can't be done on PS3 (when keeping everything else equal).

If we assume the GPUs in both consoles are approximately capable, the key differentiating factor between the machines is the CPU, and if Cell can be leveraged (the old question being could devs actually make any use of it?) then PS3 ought to be doing more calculations per frame. Thus I don't find it surprising that PS3 might show some features over XB360 in multiplayer titles, other than the fact I'm surprised development teams would bother as it's more work for them and at what gains?!

 

[Bohdy]

More important COD3 question: What band of monkeys did they source the Wii version to to make it look so crap?

 

[aselto]

other than the fact I'm surprised development teams would bother as it's more work for them and at what gains?!

They probably want their game to be competetive with PS3 exclusive titles?