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[Kusagari]

WTF have you done GAF?

Good. They're the ones who hyped up Watch Dogs as the next gen for months before either system launched.

 

[TheContact]

This screenshot reminds me of GOLDENEYE on the N64. WatchDogs looks appallingly bad. Very disappointed.

Truly?

 

[Jack cw]

This may sound slightly defensive. But do you think people are coming to dislike the actual disadvantages in next gen computing power?

I mean, yeah watch dogs looks worse (in fact... way worse). But given the open world nature of the game, is it that surprising considering what we know about next gen graphical potential?

Reaching 1080p 30 is still a problematic proposition as we have seen elsewhere.

Is watchdogs going to be the sacrificial lamb for next gen backlash? (game companies over hyping the machine's power is a more indirect way of causing this)

So Sucker Punch are wizards with their open world game?
We all new the initial E3 reveal was done on beast hardware and probably faked with baked lighting and effects. But if I look at AC4 on PS4 or Infamous, I wonder what happened with Ubisoft. The hardware is good enough to deliver something like Infamous, so that excuse is off the table. This is simply disappointing as it only shows that a company and their devs simply cant deliver what they promised regardless of the system. It looks dull, flat and the code looks terribly like a mediocre PS360 title.

 

[tbm24]

Ubisoft and the people working on Watch_Dogs deserve the criticism and poor sales for misleading gamers since the first day of the reveal. Luckily for me Ubisofts reason for the delay gave me all the information i needed to know about the game play.

I find it amusing people are accusing Ubusoft of lying/or misleading anyone. Unless you're going to make the argument that they had 0 intention/or initiative to make watchdogs look like the early work they showed to the public and only made that demo in a nefarious scheme to reel in unsuspecting gamers, then I'd love to know how anyone was misled. The game doesn't look like the reveal, sure that's disappointing but that's just the way this goes sometimes. But instead you have a thread with people saying it looks like garbage and another who seems to have completely forgotten what a ps2 or n64 game looked like.

 

[TyrantII]

It's not just Ubisoft that do it though. GTA5 was another recent example. Although GTA5 did still look great, it didn't look as good as what were were first shown.

They do it to get the hype building straight up from the beginning, To start the buzz about it and keep it going by drip feeding you as little as possible until the eventual preview of the final product. Then the meltdowns happen, the 1080p vs 60fps analysis starts and the gif comparisons get posted and the tears flow and the boners go floppy and we fucking hate Ubisoft or whoever because we've been burnt. Then the cycle starts again with another game. The division will be the next one.

Problem is that's a high stakes game of chicken in a world of 10-100's of million dollar budgets.

Sometimes you win. Sometimes the train runs right over you. But, you made the decision to play that game.

 

[Ragnarsson]

WTF have you done GAF?

That downgrade was much stronger than anyone anticipated, so maybe they should have thought of that first.

 

[User Tron]

From the (shitty quality) video:

wall guy part 2?

 

[Can Crusher]

It's going to be very embarrassing when GTA V True HD edition ends up looking better than this "next gen" effort.

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

I find it amusing people are accusing Ubusoft of lying/or misleading anyone. Unless you're going to make the argument that they had 0 intention/or initiative to make watchdogs look like the early work they showed to the public and only made that demo in a nefarious scheme to reel in unsuspecting gamers, then I'd love to know how anyone was misled. The game doesn't look like the reveal, sure that's disappointing but that's just the way this goes sometimes. But instead you have a thread with people saying it looks like garbage and another who seems to have completely forgotten what a ps2 or n64 game looked like.

So showing a tech demo of a game that was clearly not possible to achieve with the soul intent of creating a massive amount of hype doesn't constitute misleading the consumer?

Besides, this is Ubisoft, I think people are starting to get really pissed at them when it comes to their reveals constantly looking multitudes better than the actual release.

 

[Sickboy007]

That downgrade was much stronger than anyone anticipated, so maybe they should have thought of that first.

Backlash may be strong but the stock price is soaring.

I find it amusing people are accusing Ubusoft of lying/or misleading anyone. Unless you're going to make the argument that they had 0 intention/or initiative to make watchdogs look like the early work they showed to the public and only made that demo in a nefarious scheme to reel in unsuspecting gamers, then I'd love to know how anyone was misled. The game doesn't look like the reveal, sure that's disappointing but that's just the way this goes sometimes. But instead you have a thread with people saying it looks like garbage and another who seems to have completely forgotten what a ps2 or n64 game looked like.

Come on, like the "Ubisoft bullshot" isn't a thing.

 

[MormaPope]

It's going to be very embarrassing when GTA V True HD edition ends up looking better than this "next gen" effort.

The best comparison will be GTA V PC vs. Watchdogs PC.

 

[Krappadizzle]

So there has been a downgrade, but at this point, this thread has become "Arm-Chair Developers, The Thread". We've gone from, "there's been a downgrade to the lighting" to it looks like Goldeneye on the N64.

 

[mocoworm]

Truly?

Yeah, the whole vibe of it reminds me of the Facility level.

 

[ArkkAngel007]

As ugly as that shot is, I can't laugh hard enough at the notion that it looks anything like Goldeneye. Have you seen Goldeneye lately? The railings in that shot probably use more triangles than an entirely level in Goldeneye.


They saved Assassin's Creed.

The first game was a mess but they've managed to deliver some excellent installments following that.

Probably closer to what I remember Rainbow 6 Vegas looking like in some scenes with environment textures and bullet effects
...though that may be another exaggeration.

 

[mrback]

So showing a tech demo of a game that was clearly not possible to achieve with the soul intent of creating a massive amount of hype doesn't constitute misleading the consumer?

This!

 

[nelsonroyale]

The best comparison will be GTA V PC vs. Watchdogs PC.

Not really, it will be Watchdogs Reveal vs Watchdogs PC.

 

[TyrantII]

This may sound slightly defensive. But do you think people are coming to dislike the actual disadvantages in next gen computing power?

I mean, yeah watch dogs looks worse (in fact... way worse). But given the open world nature of the game, is it that surprising considering what we know about next gen graphical potential?

Reaching 1080p 30 is still a problematic proposition as we have seen elsewhere.

Is watchdogs going to be the sacrificial lamb for next gen backlash? (game companies over hyping the machine's power is a more indirect way of causing this)

You should probably wait a few years before making that claim. We're still very much in the launch period, and this was a delayed launch game.

If anything needs to be pointed out at this moment, its that the game was being developed with 6 systems in mind (until they dropped the WiiU version needing to reallocate staff, and that its a cross gen game that needed to run on systems with less RAM than some peoples watches.

 

[nelsonroyale]

You should probably wait a few years before making that claim. We're still very much in the launch period, and this was a delayed launch game.

If anything needs to be pointed out at this moment, its that the game was being developed with 6 systems in mind (until they dropped the WiiU version needing to reallocate staff, and that its a cross gen game that needed to run on systems with less RAM than some peoples watches.

He seems to be ignoring the fact that there are open world games that look better anyway...

 

[N30RYU]

WTF have you done GAF?

Now we only need a GTAV port for nextgen consoles in the same timeframe.

 

[SeanR1221]

WTF have you done GAF?

Lol. This better come out at a time with absolutely nothing around it. Otherwise I won't touch it.

I also hope no one complaining about the graphics has posted how resolution and graphics don't matter, it's all about dat fun factor.

Oh well, at least ACIV turned out to be surprisingly awesome. Give me another pirate game, Ubi.

 

[TheCanisDirus]

WTF have you done GAF?

Good. Maybe loads of disappointed fans will drive them to change. Cause right now this looks like a janky 2008 PC Assassins Creed in a near future city. No thanks.

 

[MormaPope]

Not really, it will be Watchdogs Reveal vs Watchdogs PC.

I'm talking about visual potential in each game, not a comparison of what Watch Dogs looked like at E3 in 2012.

 

[StuBurns]

I am just saying that there is still possibility that PC version looks awesome and that some footage released before release can be mixture of last-gen/current gen. Also life taught me not to jump with conclusions until i know 100% true facts.

I am not defending Ubisoft because i don't have a reason i pay for games like everybody here. But i have problem if in the end all of this negativity is proven wrong and damage is done, nobody from this tread will apologize or feel any consequence, but devs will and they are not deserving that. There will be plenty of time to bash and hate game when it is released.

It's the marketing division's responsibility to control promotional material before a game launches, if they do a shit job, and mislabel SKUs, it's not GAF's responsibility. And it's the company's responsibility to manage expectations. If they don't know they can achieve a graphical standard, do not show it. Ubisoft jumped the next-gun by an entire year to be the first to demo a next-gen game, and this is the result. Moreover, they showed The Division last E3, and it looked hugely better than the Watch Dogs reveal, so they can't even pretend they didn't know what the consoles were like at that point.

Watch Dogs isn't going to bomb because some people on GAF have made fun of it's graphics, but even if it did, it would be Ubisoft's fault, not GAFs.

 

[franknbeans]

Where the hell is the game that Jimmy Fallon was playing last year. This new footage reminds me of The Getaway for PS2. If the gameplay is solid I'll still buy day one but damn at the down grade

 

[Can Crusher]

The best comparison will be GTA V PC vs. Watchdogs PC.

And why is that?

 

[MormaPope]

And why is that?

PC's have the capacity to be more powerful than current gen consoles, obviously. So if both games had to be compared visually the PC versions would allow for the most visual options, effects, ect.

 

[lifa-cobex]

Warn them off of what? You're going to tell people not to buy a game they might be interested in because the graphics didn't turn out to be what the developers tried to make it? Don't push yourself and your ridiculous principles on to other people and let them enjoy the dam game if that's what they want to do.

Tried to make or publicized as?

 

[Skinny Pete]

WTF have you done GAF?

Haha what did they expect? When we compare this to infamous it looks like a damn PS3 title.

 

[ricardo_sousa11]

That looks awfull, if its confirmed it will look like that, I hope they dont sell more than 10 units.

Please start showing ur dislike for this type of marketing by not purchasing the games.

They completely f*cked up the mood of the game.

 

[BigTnaples]

Warn them off of what? You're going to tell people not to buy a game they might be interested in because the graphics didn't turn out to be what the developers tried to make it? Don't push yourself and your ridiculous principles on to other people and let them enjoy the dam game if that's what they want to do.

Whoah there buddy. Calm down.


Warn them off of a productive is not going to look the way they had every expectation of it looking like.

This is not shooting for something and missing, that could be said of Crysis, FarCry 3, Oblivion, Halo Reach, Halo 3, etc etc etc. Those are all very forgivable or at least understandable.


This int comparable, this is like saying you are making one thing and at the last minute revealing it is completely different. It's not that it just got downgraded, in fact I was defending it as recently as the last gameplay trailer saying it still looks great even after the downgrade. This looks like a generational downgrade. And that is unacceptable.


If you think I have ridiculous principles than I think there are a handfuls of people that would like a word with you. I am not pushing anything on anyone, just warning my friends that it's not going to look like the trailer I showed them to show off the game in the first place. Because you know, that's what friends do and what not.

 

[scsa]

I have no idea what the hell happened to this game.

Ubisoft happened to this game.

 

[Future PhaZe]

I'd have written ubi off for this but splinter cell and far cry were amazing so I'll give them a shot

 

[tbm24]

So showing a tech demo of a game that was clearly not possible to achieve with the soul intent of creating a massive amount of hype doesn't constitute misleading the consumer?

Besides, this is Ubisoft, I think people are starting to get really pissed at them when it comes to their reveals constantly looking multitudes better than the actual release.

Whose to say it was "clearly" not possible? It's not misleading to have a target that they want to game to reach and clearly since they had a demo, call it a tech demo if you want but it was essentially what they wanted the game to ultimately look like. Unfortunately they were simpy unable to do it. Why? Who knows but I bet if it was a PC only title they may have hit it.

 

[Poetic.Injustice]

A lot of criticisms could have been avoided if Ubisoft openly stated that it was a target tech demo in the first place.

 

[Skinny Pete]

Ubisoft happened to this game.

Yep. Any excitement I had for the Division went right down the drain.

 

[BobTheFork]

I smell another delay.

I do love that they knew there would a backlash but they hoped people wouldn't notice too hard.

 

[lifa-cobex]

Yep. Any excitement I had for the Division went right down the drain.

Sad but true

 

[gamerforever]

Imagine if Ubi dropped this on us on PS4 launch day - the fallout would have been epic.

 

[Timurse]

My video back from September 2013 already said enough about the state of the game at that moment (PS4 version)

 

[Famassu]

I wouldn't say it's ugly and to me it looks pretty comparable to Infamous on the PS4. It has been noticeably downgraded though and while I'd love to be able to play the old version on a powerful PC, I won't be holding my breath.

It looks nowhere near inFamous:SS. There's almost a generational leap there, especially when we start to consider all the crazy detailed texture-work, massive shitton of effects happening at times, environmental destruction, incredible draw distance etc. In comparison, this looks like a slightly upgraded 1080p PS3 game.

 

[gamerforever]

Sad but true

The Division does not even exist in my eyes now.

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

Whose to say it was "clearly" not possible? It's not misleading to have a target that they want to game to reach and clearly since they had a demo, call it a tech demo if you want but it was essentially what they wanted the game to ultimately look like. Unfortunately they were simpy unable to do it. Why? Who knows but I bet if it was a PC only title they may have hit it.

Go read up on the Halo 2 E3 2003 demo.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/bungie-halo-2-e3-demo-was-a-fake

This is a carbon copy of what happened then.

 

[xMuku]

I think a lot of people are looking into this a little too seriously. It's pretty common knowledge that most of the demos we see at E3 are run on PC during their developing stages. Also I just want to point out that games that come out with a new consoles within the first year of its release never usually have the best graphics because they are still learning to build games with it.

Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3 Launch Title):

Last of USs (PS3 game released only last year):

and this is an Xbox 360 lunch title:

I think the games will get better over time when the developers have more time to learn the new dev kit. Learning from mistakes.

 

[tbm24]

Whoah there buddy. Calm down.


Warn them off of a productive is not going to look the way they had every expectation of it looking like.

This is not shooting for something and missing, that could be said of Crysis, FarCry 3, Oblivion, Halo Reach, Halo 3, etc etc etc. Those are all very forgivable or at least understandable.


This int comparable, this is like saying you are making one thing and at the last minute revealing it is completely different. It's not that it just got downgraded, in fact I was defending it as recently as the last gameplay trailer saying it still looks great even after the downgrade. This looks like a generational downgrade. And that is unacceptable.


If you think I have ridiculous principles than I think there are a handfuls of people that would like a word with you. I am not pushing anything on anyone, just warning my friends that it's not going to look like the trailer I showed them to show off the game in the first place. Because you know, that's what friends do and what not.

You are still going to make it a point to dissuade others based on just visuals and not about the game itself. You did not make it sound like you were casually going to go to your buddies and say hey it got downgraded ah well. You can call it a generational downgrade, that's fine not like I don't see where is and isn't there compared to the reveal. What I don't like is the immediate reaction of laying blame in the people making the game for not being able to hit their target for whatever reason. If the game truly looked like garbage I would be able to understand but the fact is that it doesn't unless we saw different trailers.

 

[mercenar1e]

I find it amusing people are accusing Ubusoft of lying/or misleading anyone.

Ubisoft has a record of downgrading games since its first reveal. We had a similar discussion a few months ago and the people working on the game went on twitter to deny that it wasn't graphically downgraded and wait for direct feed etc.. now it just looks like trash. I'll see you next year in the The Division downgradeaton confirmed thread.

 

[lifa-cobex]

Imagine if Ubi dropped this on us on PS4 launch day - the fallout would have been epic.

In this day an age I think that would be impossible.
Some reviewer would have called it long before.

However for arguments sake, fuck yes. No one would ever trust them for a loooong time.

 

[ArkkAngel007]

You should probably wait a few years before making that claim. We're still very much in the launch period, and this was a delayed launch game.

If anything needs to be pointed out at this moment, its that the game was being developed with 6 systems in mind (until they dropped the WiiU version needing to reallocate staff, and that its a cross gen game that needed to run on systems with less RAM than some peoples watches.

I think the excuse of cross platform can only go so far. We were told that the lead platform was PC. Ubisoft has demonstrated cross gen, open world capabilities with AC4. The current gen systems have the RAM to where there shouldn't be so many issues if they are optimizing each port from the PC base platform. So this isn't asking the impossible of them expecting more than what we're seeing.

If they were having so many issues with resource allocation, then they should have late ported the 360/PS3 versions as they have with the likely-is-cancelled-but-isn't-officially Wii U version.

Will be interesting to see how BioWare will fare with Dragon Age Inquisition. So far looks beautiful, probably on PC, but they may have similar issues in overextending the development net.

 

[Night_Trekker]

after all this years, you all should've learned to never trust a game trailer.

Yeah. As if this doesn't happen every damn generation. Anyone who is shocked by this should be ashamed.

 

[Stone Ocean]

WTF have you done GAF?

This makes it sound like they're honestly surprised lol

"People aren't eating our bullshit anymore PANIC BUTTON PANIC BUTTON"

 

[Dictator93]

I

I think the games will get better over time when the developers have more time to learn the new dev kit. Learning from mistakes.

1. Your last of us screenshot is a bullshot, the game has horrible anti-aliasing.

2. Your Perfect Dark Zero screenshot is from the xbox version of the game. Not the xbox 360 version (the retail one everyone got)