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[sonycowboy]

Full Interview: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/619/619046p1.html

Shane: Yes, it's a huge difference. Things that you saw, and I'll use another first-party title as an example, Project Gotham Racing 3, I think that gives you an indication of a visual bar that we're aspiring to. I mean, we wouldn't have shown that if we didn't believe that was absolutely reachable.

IGN: What kind of date are we talking about? Is Perfect Dark Zero a day-and-date launch title?

Shane: That's our ambition, I'll say. We're not announcing any details. But, believe that Perfect Dark Zero is going to be our premiere first-party title for launch of Xbox 360. So, the most important thing for us is to make sure that that title is great when the Xbox 360 launches. Because of that, we're more focused on things like making sure we're rounding out the gameplay, particularly with where the development kits are at today. We're ready to roll as the beta kits and the final hardware come out, and making sure we're there.

IGN: When we spoke with Steve (Balmer, CEO, Microsoft; read the interview), Peter and Robbie last night, I asked a question about the games that were shown at the conference. Because I wanted to know at what point the development kits were, and at what level these games are being shown. Are these games being shown at only 20% to 30% of the Xbox 360's capacity? Are they running on the Xbox 360 graphics chip? And Peter was saying that the games shown at the conference, for the most part, were in-game generated using the latest dev kits, and are PC based, and using a PC-based graphics chip. So, can you tell us about where these games visually are now, versus where they'll be at launch?

Shane: I think a safer approximation is that we're probably at 25% of the power of that we'll really be. I think as we progress in the hardware, you'll see a tremendous improvement in terms of graphical fidelity. And I think from a development standpoint, we've been using the time very wisely because we haven't been trying to make the games look as great as possible necessarily on the hardware development kits that we have today. We've been really working hard on things like gameplay, things that we really push now. So, visually? Probably 25% of where we can be.

 

[PhatSaqs]

He basically confirms Jade Empire 2, Fable 2 and Forza 2 . I wish they'd continue with Crimson Skies too tho.

IGN: There was an interview on Xbox.com with you about a month ago, and you said that in the future, yes, Microsoft would see sequels to the best sellers -- Forza Motorsport, Jade Empire, Project Gotham Racing, and Fable. Are you working with those developers right now on sequels on Xbox 360?

Shane: Yes. All of those. We have nothing to announce right now, but what I said in that interview still holds true going forward, which is that I think customers of those franchises can absolutely look forward to seeing them on the Xbox 360.

 

[DarienA]

Knowing nothing about this kind of thing I have to ask:

How based in reality are these % figures we always here tossed around? Well X game is only running at 25% so you'll see a big difference once we.... well if that's the case why the hell are you showing it to me at 25% power?

Conker's Live and Reloaded is hitting shelves shortly. We'll continue to support the Xbox titles that we have ongoing, and we haven't announced any additional Xbox titles. You know, we've talked about this before. Our job is to be the trailblazers on our respective platforms. It is true that we have shifted our attention and our focus on the Xbox 360. I'm not commenting on Xbox itself, but we have to make sure that we do our job and that we're driving Xbox 360's success.

Bail Out!

 

[sonycowboy]

Wait a second. Aren't we OUTRAGED that PGR was purely rendered? It's all pie in the sky, smoke and mirrors, bait and switch,etc, etc. Oh, wait, they're not Sony. Sorry

 

[mrklaw]

Knowing nothing about this kind of thing I have to ask:

How based in reality are these % figures we always here tossed around? Well X game is only running at 25% so you'll see a big difference once we.... well if that's the case why the hell are you showing it to me at 25% power?

Because they have to show something.

I think they have it the wrong way round, sad to say. They are 'concentrating on the gameplay' which is why the games look like shit.

They don't know early adopters very well. They need to concentrate on the graphics and say 'its running at a low framerate but will speed up'. That we can understand. Fast shit graphics we can already play on PS2/Xbox.

 

[DarienA]

Wait a second. Aren't we OUTRAGED that PGR was purely rendered? It's all pie in the sky, smoke and mirrors, bait and switch,etc, etc. Oh, wait, they're not Sony. Sorry

I saw that quote... which I originally had in my post.. is that what he's saying? That PGR3 was rendered?

 

[Redbeard]

Wait a second. Aren't we OUTRAGED that PGR was purely rendered? It's all pie in the sky, smoke and mirrors, bait and switch,etc, etc. Oh, wait, they're not Sony. Sorry

You're right, Sony would say "It's gameplay!". :lol

 

[rastex]

Knowing nothing about this kind of thing I have to ask:

How based in reality are these % figures we always here tossed around? Well X game is only running at 25% so you'll see a big difference once we.... well if that's the case why the hell are you showing it to me at 25% power?

Because that's all they can muster right now on the given hardware. I mean, that type of logic can be made for games that are at 30% of development (like Shadow of the Collosus). And it might be a valid argument there, but remember E3 is a trade show and meant to show publishers and retailers what to expect, people who understand the 30% development figure. I don't see any commercials (MTV special excluding) showing off these games.

And the 25%-40% these numbers are not hard figures. They depend on many many factors on how the game is coded up, hell some parts of the game could probably run SLOWER than on the Alpha kits.

 

[PhatSaqs]

Wait a second. Aren't we OUTRAGED that PGR was purely rendered? It's all pie in the sky, smoke and mirrors, bait and switch,etc, etc. Oh, wait, they're not Sony. Sorry

Maybe because this was already known and poured over? Also, maybe because they're *gasp* actually admitting it and not causing conflict? You dont have a Bizarre rep saying one thing and Kim saying another :lol

 

[CabbageRed]

" But, believe that Perfect Dark Zero is going to be our premiere first-party title for launch of Xbox 360."

Yikes, there are far too many conflicting reports about when PD0 will launch. I'll just take his word for it and move along.

So many of Microsoft's people are saying different things (in general). They should email each other once and again. I get the feeling that MS's Xbox 360 PR machine really needs to get on the ball and come up with a solid spin and stick with it (MS run by K/E election campaign?).

 

[Pug]

You could say MS are being Honest in showing what they have at the moment Yep PDO looking okay nothing spectacular. But you could play it and get a good idea of the multiplayer gamneplay mechanics.
Or however you could say they should have done what Sony did and rendered much of the stuff saying this is how it will look. We think! But we have no idea what they will play like. Funny thing gameplay very rarelt get mentioned does it?

 

[Mrbob]

So MS is planning a WW launch. That's nice. However, what launch games are going to appeal to the Japan audience? Are 99 Nights, Blue Dragon launch games? I guess FFXI will launch with the 360 in Japan but is that really a system seller?!?!

 

[Spider_Jerusalem]

Wait a second. Aren't we OUTRAGED that PGR was purely rendered? It's all pie in the sky, smoke and mirrors, bait and switch,etc, etc. Oh, wait, they're not Sony. Sorry

The difference is that MS never hid that the PGR3 movie is pre-rendered. Not *purely* rendered, however: Bizarre told the cars are all rendered by the game's engine, while the backgrounds were prerendered. And, obviously many 360 games were playable at E3, so noone felt like MS was throwing sand in their eyes with fantastig but non playable movies ;-)

 

[PhatSaqs]

So MS is planning a WW launch. That's nice. However, what launch games are going to appeal to the Japan audience? Are 99 Nights, Blue Dragon launch games? I guess FFXI will launch with the 360 in Japan but is that really a system seller?!?!

I know the FromSoft RPG (enchant arm) is slated as a Japan launch title. They certainly cannot expect to appeal to that audience with whats been announced as apperaing for the US launch so far. They'd better have some nice aces for X05 and TGS lined up.

 

[Mrbob]

The difference is that MS never hid that the PGR3 movie is pre-rendered. Not *purely* rendered, however: Bizarre told the cars are all rendered by the game's engine, while the backgrounds were prerendered. And, obviously many 360 games were playable at E3, so noone felt like MS was throwing sand in their eyes with fantastig but non playable movies ;-)

The Sony damage control team gets shot down again. Too bad.

I know the FromSoft RPG (enchant arm) is slated as a Japan launch title. They certainly cannot expect to appeal to that audience with whats been announced as apperaing for the US launch so far. They'd better have some nice aces for X05 and TGS lined up.

Ahh, nice. That FromSoft RPG looks cool.

 

[monchi-kun]

The Sony damage control team gets shot down again. Too bad.



Ahh, nice. That FromSoft RPG looks cool.

Too bad they've never shipped a good RPG......PS2 launch remember anyone does?

 

[eso76]

Well, when we found out PGR3 wasn't on the show floor in any form, it appeared pretty obvious the teaser was CG.
On the other hand bizarre's website states those pictures are real-time...

What worries me is "an indication of a visual bar that we're aspiring to" and the fact they had nothing to show last week...will PGR3 make it for launch ??

 

[jarrod]

Too bad they've never shipped a good RPG......PS2 launch remember anyone does?

Lost Kingdoms was solid. King's Field/Shadow Tower has a strong following too. Plus it's being made by the Otogi team, how can it turn out bad?

 

[Fafalada]

hell some parts of the game could probably run SLOWER than on the Alpha kits.

Switching from G5s to XCPU it's kinda expected some things would run slower on a core-vs-core comparison

But I'm sure graphic part will only get faster, and by a large margin.

 

[mrklaw]

obviously many 360 games were playable at E3,

Playable maybe, but not watchable

 

[dorio]

Switching from G5s to XCPU it's kinda expected some things would run slower on a core-vs-core comparison

But I'm sure graphic part will only get faster, and by a large margin.

Why would things run slower if the chip is clocked higher and has 3 cores?

 

[dorio]

Well, when we found out PGR3 wasn't on the show floor in any form, it appeared pretty obvious the teaser was CG.
On the other hand bizarre's website states those pictures are real-time...

What worries me is "an indication of a visual bar that we're aspiring to" and the fact they had nothing to show last week...will PGR3 make it for launch ??

Maybe they didn't want to show it because the framerate was poor.

 

[Shogmaster]

Wait a second. Aren't we OUTRAGED that PGR was purely rendered? It's all pie in the sky, smoke and mirrors, bait and switch,etc, etc. Oh, wait, they're not Sony. Sorry

STOP JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS! She never said it was pre-rendered! She says it was a target for everyone else to reach! For fuck sakes....

I mean how can you even begin to tell if she's talking about the video (which is obviously pre-rendered, and never bandied about as realtime), or realtime pics that's been released from that blurb? I sure can't!

These shots are the visual target for everyone else she is talking about. And they are realtime. Get over it.

 

[DarienA]

STOP JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS! She never said it was pre-rendered! She says it was a target for everyone else to reach! For fuck sakes....

I mean how can you even begin to tell if she's talking about the video (which is obviously pre-rendered, and never bandied about as realtime), or realtime pics that's been released from that blurb? I sure can't!

These shots are the visual target for everyone else she is talking about. And they are realtime. Get over it.

You're responding to a post almost 4 hours old..... that's ancient in net time man...

 

[Shogmaster]

You're responding to a post almost 4 hours old..... that's ancient in net time man...

I can't be at GAF all the time ya know.....

 

[op_ivy]

The difference is that MS never hid that the PGR3 movie is pre-rendered. Not *purely* rendered, however: Bizarre told the cars are all rendered by the game's engine, while the backgrounds were prerendered. And, obviously many 360 games were playable at E3, so noone felt like MS was throwing sand in their eyes with fantastig but non playable movies ;-)

where did you hear this? its my understanding that everything in the trailers and screens is from in game assets... so even though its prerendered for a great framerate, its should represent the final version quite well