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Blur |OT|

S

Sysgen

Member
Correct me if I'm wrong.

- Multiplayer Beta only for XBL Gold users
- No single player demo on any platform.
- Releases in the same window as Mod Nation racers and Split Second.
- $65 dollars on consoles (incl tax).

Missed anything? I wasn't even going to buy the game except for my trust in the developer. They've produced a really good game, one that's fun while being intense. It's ironic that they've built in social networking but the game can't get legs. Perhaps this will change but the online numbers are anemic (100 max tonight on PC). Blur just might wind up here.
 
V

vocab

Member
JRW said:
i7 920 @ 3.36ghz / 6gb DDR3 1600 / EVGA GTX 480 / Realtek audio (onboard) / Win 7 64bit

I noticed the game lacks Anisotropic filter settings but you can force it in Nvidia control panel.
Click to expand...


Love that my 5850 hitches on maxed @60-70 dropping to 49 regardless of AA. IT's better on high, but still hitches in both graphics and audio. Fucking Ati. I swear something is wrong with my card. From the low 2d speeds to the crappy performance in a lot of new games.
 
Dice

Dice

Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
vocab said:
Love that my 5850 hitches on maxed @60-70 dropping to 49 regardless of AA. IT's better on high, but still hitches in both graphics and audio. Fucking Ati.
Click to expand...
Is it the card, or something else? RAM or HD speed bottleneck, sound loading, etc? Things like what you mentioned seem more related to periodic processes like stream loading the next portion of a track or a sound that is being used. Of course, in some games with my 5850 I have come across a low framerate for the first few seconds of a new level while it loads up the new textures into the video memory, but that is usually only for a whole new level, not new sections of the same level, so I think it is also related to initiating the game engine.
 
S

Spookie

Member
KaYotiX said:
Just unlocked the team racing, damn that shit is fun!!!
Click to expand...

Waiting to try that but I imagine I'd be getting slated by my team mates for throwing away power ups they could use! :lol
 
JRW

JRW

Member
vocab said:
Love that my 5850 hitches on maxed @60-70 dropping to 49 regardless of AA. IT's better on high, but still hitches in both graphics and audio. Fucking Ati. I swear something is wrong with my card. From the low 2d speeds to the crappy performance in a lot of new games.
Click to expand...

Hm what are the rest of your PC specs?
 
S

see5harp

Member
Man singler player is tough. Thinking about buying this one from gamefly or I may wait until the game officially bombs and price comes soaring down. I can already tell that this game has tons of replayability.
 
Dice

Dice

Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
vocab said:
I5-750/ 4gb DDR3 1600/ Realtek onboard/ W7 Ultimate 64bit.
Click to expand...
What are your MB, HD and PSU? Are you overclocking? Is so, what Voltages?

It just seems suspicious that both video and audio are doing it, and that you have issues with 2D. There are many things that can cause hitches, so I wouldn't immediately say the videocard.
 
V

vocab

Member
Dice said:
What are your MB, HD and PSU? Are you overclocking? Is so, what Voltages?

It just seems suspicious that both video and audio are doing it, and that you have issues with 2D. There are many things that can cause hitches, so I wouldn't immediately say the videocard.
Click to expand...


MSI P55-GD65, WD 640 GB SATA HD, Corsair TX750W. No Overclocking. Everything is stock.
 
G

Guts & Puck

Member
I'm having a blast, single player is sort of meh but the multi is SO much fun. Went from level 1 to 10 in about 3 hours yesterday. One thing though, is it me or are the off-road vehicles a bit overpowered compared to the rest of the cars ?
 
U

user_nat

THE WORDS! They'll drift away without the _!
Beta must have done some good on the 360. About 1k people online right now, which would be about the quietest part of the day.
 
mr stroke

mr stroke

Member
Impressions so far-

-

-single player is boring
-graphics are bland
-sound is average
-no car customization

+
+Online Multiplayer is amazing-20 person race with people trash talking=awesome
+no Lag online
+your never out of a race even in last place or if you have a slow car
+Online player progression and leveling(COD4)
+great sense of speed(even more so in first person)


even with its faults the game is a blast online, hopefully the community stays around for a while. Had no problems finding games even at 1am(360 version)
 
A

ascully

Member
The single player is awful the difficulty spikes early and makes it hard to enjoy. The multiplayer on the other hand is amazing, been playing all night on Xbox live in the 20 player races. At peak time tonight there were only 1000 players online though so I assume the online community for Blur won't last long :(
 
L

Lotan

Member
After banging my head against the wall for 3 hours last night getting beat left and right by the AI I tried online and it is loads better. At least when I lose online I can't blame the games programming for my drop from 1st to last in the last 10 seconds of a race.

I actually did much better online vs real people than against seemingly endless barrage the AI throws at you. I swear every time I play single player it's like the AI only attacks me and not each other. Also, starting in a random spot each time is way better than 19 every time. My biggest pet peeve about racing games is that you always start in the back of the pack and are forced to work your way up.



Also, to answer a question from earlier, PSN had roughly 200 people online last night.....
 
U

U2NUMB

Member
Bisonian said:
It's the same way on PSN... two nights in primetime, both times between 150-180 total users online. Starting to get worried a little bit =/
Click to expand...


Yikes that is it? Both nights on the 360 I have seen 2500+ which I was worried about but under 200 in prime time. That sucks. Such a shame that the game is obviously not selling well. Would have been a much easier sell at 39.99 or something lower. How many of our friends could we all sell a 29.99 downloadable version to?
 
A

Alex Connolly

Member
I really do think it'll pick up. Perhaps ModNation Racers caught a lot of people's attention on the PS3?

Anyway, glass half full and all that.
 
S

Spookie

Member
mr stroke said:
-graphics are bland
Click to expand...

Some of the tracks look a bit dull (ok Hackey is a shit hole but you didn't have to replicate that!) But the lighting is great in comparison to other games, the way the tracks are created brings your eyes towards the power ups and effects.
 
C

Chorazin

Member
lawblob said:
Only 200 people playing on PSN last night at one point?

*waits for bomba pricing*
Click to expand...

Player count is per race mode. So unless he checked them all he wouldn't get an accurate count. Most likely that was the beginner races, which many people have moved on from already.
 
U

user_nat

THE WORDS! They'll drift away without the _!
Chorazin said:
Player count is per race mode. So unless he checked them all he wouldn't get an accurate count. Most likely that was the beginner races, which many people have moved on from already.
Click to expand...
Tells you the total player count in the corner.
 
D

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
You know what really helped the performance for me? Uninstalling my current version of Phys-X and installing the version included with the game. Made a big difference.

I mean, previously, the menu looked kind of jerky to me despite FRAPS reporting 60 fps, but now it's butter smooth. Performance is pretty solid now.
 
C

Chorazin

Member
noneofexion said:
Even on easy?

I'm still on the fence about this, I'd be on SP with this at least half the time but really get no fun out of being annihilated by AI. My understanding was easy was a lot more tolerable?
Click to expand...

My GF is kinda terrible at games but isn't finding the difficulty to be too hard, and she's on Medium. She might not finish first but she's happy just placing.

I never have a problem placing first on Medium. It might take a few times, but that's racing games, right?
 
A

AgentOtaku

Member
lawblob said:
Only 200 people playing on PSN last night at one point?

*waits for bomba pricing*
Click to expand...

No kidding
I mean, I don't know how much Activision put into marketing and hype ...I didn't seem like alot


Sysgen said:
Correct me if I'm wrong.

- Multiplayer Beta only for XBL Gold users
- No single player demo on any platform.
- Releases in the same window as Mod Nation racers and Split Second.
- $65 dollars on consoles (incl tax).

Missed anything? I wasn't even going to buy the game except for my trust in the developer. They've produced a really good game, one that's fun while being intense. It's ironic that they've built in social networking but the game can't get legs. Perhaps this will change but the online numbers are anemic (100 max tonight on PC). Blur just might wind up here.
Click to expand...

Don't wanna be a cynic but yeah, I'm thinkin DOA.

...Then again, what racers out there have large/long lasting communities anyways besides Forza?
 
U

U2NUMB

Member
AgentOtaku said:
No kidding
I mean, I don't know how much Activision put into marketing and hype ...I didn't seem like alot




Don't wanna be a cynice but yeah, I'm thinkin DOA.

...Then again, what racers out there have large/long lasting communities anyways besides Forza?
Click to expand...


Burnout certainly does or did. PGR 3 had a solid community but PGR4 was sent to die. I agree that they needed a multiplayer demo for all platforms and not just a beta for one. I think the more people play it the more will like it.
 
K

Kai Dracon

Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
The nature of Blur should make it a game that survives offline and at lan parties for years to come, and it may develop a small but dedicated online community. Unfortunately, for all its multiplayer setup is impressive, the one thing it stumbles on are the Halo-esque features of: split screen over LAN to get more players in with fewer consoles, and split-screen online, to allow couchborn groups to get online together. It's kind of understandable with 20 car races full of explosions, but even so, it is a limiting factor.
 
T

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
isamu said:
If what you guys say is true, then I guess this game is not for me. I was aware the game had power ups and other MarioKart-esque style gameplay features, but I was unaware of its twitchy type control scheme.

It appears we have approached a sort of cross roads gentlemen: A developer that makes a racing game these days will make a game that will fall into one of two categories.....arcade and sim. Unfortunately, if it falls into the arcade category, it will undoubtedly be focused on Mario Kart-ish gameplay and hence suffer from things such as power ups, twitchy steering, quick reaction, and thus will control better with a pad than a wheel. Same thing happened with Sega and Sonic AllStar Racing.

Gone are the days of TRUE arcade racing games from the likes of Namco and Sega, where the focus was simply to race and win, while remaining somewhat grounded in reality :(

Daytona USA, Sega Rally, OutRun 2, Ridge Racer, Super GT....all fantastic games that don't rely on such gimmicks as power ups and twitchy controls.

Will we ever get a TRUE arcade racing game again?
Click to expand...
I want a new Daytona USA game as much as you do, but I'm still having fun with Blur.

Speaking of, there needs to be a Cat and Mouse multiplayer mode with Brock Lee and Pinky as the mice. :D
 
P

Pete Rock

Member
AgentOtaku said:
No kidding
...Then again, what racers out there have large/long lasting communities anyways besides Forza?
Click to expand...
Having a combined online player base of 2K for Forza 3 would be a miracle, the most I've seen online in the past few months between all the playlists has been well under a thousand most evenings. The "Class A - No Assists" lobby that forces an actual sim experience on players? Completely empty at nearly all times.

I'll give it a week or two for people to get out of campaign before passing judgment, as it stands now I can see why a lot of players would be hesitant. Unless you are playing on easy it is a very chaotic game where the AI can be extremely aggressive, so it's not like you need to look for an extra edge or challenge after plowing through a few marshmallow races. Anyways, if we're going to compare apples to apples that's generally the Forza argument - the campaign is so deep nobody can be bothered to get online! :lol

Split screen online would indeed have been nice, but you do get a great range of options through the Custom Game feature to adjust the AI and powerups as you see fit. Played for a couple hours yesterday with a few local buddies and would have liked to pull in some folks off my xbl list as well.
 
Liberty4all

Liberty4all

Banned
It would have been bad enough releasing so soon after RDR, but to release practically on top of Split/Second and Modnation Racers?

Insanity.

If it's not selling well it should be obvious why. As for online having low numbers, not only does Blur have all the above factors going against it, the online community is also going to be fragmented by console. At least with Modnation Racers there is only ONE platform players can buy it on which should help keep the community together.


Speaking for myself Blur would have been an auto buy .... but I ended up getting Modnation Racers and now I'm not sure I have time for "two" racing games.
 
S

Sysgen

Member
NinjaFusion said:
Is this better than modnation racers then?

Thinking of trading modnation in for this....
Click to expand...

I haven't played MNR so I can't speak specifically to your question. I've played most of the arcade racers this and last gen. The 1st one that gave me that wow factor was Burnout 3. Racing online in Blur when you can get a good number of racers in a room is second to none. When you get to near the front the game becomes intense as players battle for power-ups and position. The chaotic nature of the game, often also in single player makes the game a rush.

Other points; do not be discouraged as a level 1 player online. In about 20 races with level 50 players they've won only 2 beaten by low to mid leveled players. Concerning the AI, this isn't FUEL, you don't need to come in 1st. Playing on normal and while the difficulty seems a bit too spread it's by no means impossible or I would say hard once you learn the power-ups. In s/p once you've met stage goals you go one on one with an NPC. Unfortunatley so far these have been a joke difficulty wise but I would consider this the only blemish on an outstanding game.
 
S

Spectral Glider

Member
So, can anyone tell me how this compares to one of my underrated and forgotten gems, Rumble Racing? I loved the piss out of that game would like a new game in that vein.
 
D

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
Will we ever get a TRUE arcade racing game again?
Click to expand...
In all honesty, Split/Second really captures the feeling of those games. It obviously isn't as "pure" in that there are explosions and what not, but it feels like an arcade game. Like a mix of a Sega racer and Hydro Thunder or something. It's an awesome game.

Blur is great too, but a bit less arcadey in terms of handling.
 
U

U2NUMB

Member
NinjaFusion said:
Is this better than modnation racers then?

Thinking of trading modnation in for this....
Click to expand...


Well I only played the demo of Modnation but it certainly was not for me. I felt that the driving left a lot to be desired. Being stopped in your tracks when you are hit by certain powerups is a killer for me. One reason I enjoy Blur is the fact that you get hit and you still maintain forward progress.

Even though they are both kart type racers or concepts they are far apart from each other in style and design. I really do not think they compete.. Modnation is for those that want to create and enjoy that sort of thing where blur is pretty much PGR with powerups and much more speed.

How popular is the online community for Modnation?
 
P

Pete Rock

Member
noneofexion said:
Anyone try local split-screen on 360? Graphics and framerate hold up OK or is it choppy?
Click to expand...
Match AI fills in slots up to 10, rear view mirrors are removed so if you want to look around you need to make sure of the right analog stick, which isn't really all that bad. Performance was fine, even when things got busy.

The weirdest part is by default it emulates the matchmaking interface, to the point of throwing up a split map vote between races, even if there are just two of you. If you want to pick the map, power options and difficulty you create a custom game which is more in line with what I was expecting.
 
B

betweenthewheels

Member
I've only played a couple races online and i'm already having more fun than the beta (which I loved). Seems Bizarre listened to feedback from the beta as well, i'm happy with the improvements.

Really liking the tracks especially the smaller, figure eight style ones, reminiscent of Baby Park in Double Dash...that shit is insane

A lot of players are already rank 25-30 so I don't know if the levelling is easy or these guys haven't stopped since Tues?
 
K

Kai Dracon

Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
Pete Rock said:
Match AI fills in slots up to 10, rear view mirrors are removed so if you want to look around you need to make sure of the right analog stick, which isn't really all that bad. Performance was fine, even when things got busy.

The weirdest part is by default it emulates the matchmaking interface, to the point of throwing up a split map vote between races, even if there are just two of you. If you want to pick the map, power options and difficulty you create a custom game which is more in line with what I was expecting.
Click to expand...

I like that though, it creates a more elaborate local multiplayer experience than the typical cast-off presentation we get. Plus I suspect it would make for easier setup of games for a full party of 4 people who just want to jump in and play quick games.

Really impressed by how well the split screen runs too. As far as I'm concerned, it's tied with Mario Kart Wii for the local split-screen experience. There's more options than MK. But the lack of being able to take split-screen online hurts it.
 
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