God of War 2 Screens [PS2]

[bapenguin]

The Playstation 2 isn't dead yet, your god still loves it. God of War 2 is set to be released this Spring on the PS2. Sony has just released 23 new screenshots for the PS2 action title so check them out, or Kratos will make you his bitch!

http://www.evilavatar.com/images/previews/godofwar2/thumb.Grapple0004.jpg (http://www.evilavatar.com/images/previews/image.php?image=www.evilavatar.com/images/previews/godofwar2/Grapple0004.jpg)
Click the above image for all 23 new screenshots.

[Kamalot]

Nothing on MY PS2 runs screens at that resolution! :O

[crashedout]

Love those dev kit shots. I will still get it asap but expect a ton of jaggies, albeit a great game. I woulda got a ps3 for it....

[bapenguin]

Nothing on MY PS2 runs screens at that resolution! :O

And that's resized down. They were 2048x1792.

[Kamalot]

And that's resized down. They were 2048x1792.
PS2 is an Ultra-HD system? :eek:

[Kweli]

Surprised they arent trying this for the PS3.... but part one was killer.... Never had so much fun killing things

[Kamalot]

Surprised they arent trying this for the PS3.... but part one was killer.... Never had so much fun killing things
Agreed. They should delay this a year and make it for the PS3 instead. It could be a killer app to help sell the PS3.

[Borys]

Won't click on any of them.

I want to live the experience as fresh as it is possible.

Borys has MEDIA BLACKOUT ON GOD OF WAR 2 SINCE GOD OF WAR COMPLETION!

[menage]

Looks good, but a year too late. I still have Okami and FFXII to buy on PS2 and that will probably be the end of my PS2 buying days. Too much next gen things I'm looking forward too.

[Ph00p]

I must be the only person on earth that found that God Of War got boring and repetitive around the middle and never really reedemed itself til the bitter end. That being said it was good fun, and YES I did use combos but still it got old, I hope although doubt they'll get more enemy variation into the sequel, but the grappling hook parts do look rather neat and should change shit up a bit. I'm going to def buy it day 1 but still lets hope they refine it.

[Vermillion]

And yet another reason the PS3 can't get any traction. They release AAA titles on their last gen tech. I kinda understand why, because the PS2 is the only thing making them money. It's a big cycle of pay me now, rape me hard later.

Thumbs up Sony. You are teh awesome.

[DaedalusFolly]

I must be the only person on earth that found that God Of War got boring and repetitive around the middle and never really reedemed itself til the bitter end.
I stand with you. Never completed the game, though I will rate it highly. I have crossed over from the realm of requiring myself to beat games; I am now perfectly content to abort gameplay once I find myself less than "enthralled".

[Xerxes]

Hell they just sold another Ps2. lol

[UnderHero5]

And yet another reason the PS3 can't get any traction. They release AAA titles on their last gen tech. I kinda understand why, because the PS2 is the only thing making them money. It's a big cycle of pay me now, rape me hard later.

Thumbs up Sony. You are teh awesome.
You won't hear me complaining that they are supporting a platform I (and, what, 100 million others?) still own and love.
EvAv doesn't accurately represent most gamers. Many are quite content with their "last gen" systems and happy to have them supported still. It's a hell of a lot better than completely dropping support for a system as soon as the new one's out. This gives people time to save money up for the next one, while still having decent games to play. Remember, Sony makes their money off the games sold, not so much the hardware (though I'm sure they make money off PS2 hardware by now. Definitely not PS3) so who is this bad for, exactly?

[Siraris]

And yet another reason the PS3 can't get any traction. They release AAA titles on their last gen tech. I kinda understand why, because the PS2 is the only thing making them money. It's a big cycle of pay me now, rape me hard later.

Thumbs up Sony. You are teh awesome.

Why does every thread related to Sony in existence on this site have to turn into why the PS3 isn't selling, how arrogant/stupid/out of touch Sony is, or why someone isn't buying the PS3 and how much the Wii/360 rocks? In particular something extremely positive, ie. a sequel to a absolutely fantastic game, and support for a last generation console as opposed to forcing people into spending hundreds on a next-gen console to play a game that was supposed to be last gen.

It's beyond the point of fanboyism, it's seriously inexplicable.

[cp#]

Damn when did the PS2 start outputting at 1600x1400?

[KingGorilla]

Where is the pic of Kratos getting his F-on? I mean cm-on, he got to bang two chicks at once...he is owed a Harem now.

[Kamalot]

Where is the pic of Kratos getting his F-on? I mean cm-on, he got to bang two chicks at once...he is owed a Harem now.
Um, you really wanna see that?

[Vanthar]

Nothing on MY PS2 runs screens at that resolution! :O

The PS2 can easily render that resolution. It just can't sustain more than a frame or two a second.

[Xerxes]

Why does every thread related to Sony in existence on this site have to turn into why the PS3 isn't selling, how arrogant/stupid/out of touch Sony is, or why someone isn't buying the PS3 and how much the Wii/360 rocks? In particular something extremely positive, ie. a sequel to a absolutely fantastic game, and support for a last generation console as opposed to forcing people into spending hundreds on a next-gen console to play a game that was supposed to be last gen.

It's beyond the point of fanboyism, it's seriously inexplicable.

Cause this is a damned good reason why it isn't selling. I think support for a system you are still supporting is great. BUT! This is killer app material. The first one set them up big. Hell, I'd lean more in favor of a PS3 with this bad boy. Doesn't mean I'd buy, just lean towards it a whole lot more. And I'd lean, a lot of folks would plunge. But hell, like I said, they WILL be selling a Ps2 cause of this. And copy of God of War 1 and God of War 2, RE4, Devil May Cry Games, Okami, and some other shit I missed out on.

[Kamalot]

And copy of God of War 1 and God of War 2, RE4, Devil May Cry Games, Okami, and some other shit I missed out on.
You can play RE4 on your Wii. :D

You can also pick up a used PS2 fairly cheap these days. I know a LOT of people who are trading them in.

I've also seen people loiter around the GameStop entrance and offer people cash for trade-in PS2s. You could probably save a bit on that, since the trade-in value is low but the used price is high.

Edit: Don't forget Guitar Hero. :eek:

[Vermillion]

It's beyond the point of fanboyism, it's seriously inexplicable.

And throwing your hands over your eyes while yelling "ZOMG fan boys r the suck" doesn't faze me, so I guess we're even.

I have no problem with them supporting the PS2. I have no problem with them releasing AAA titles on it (which God of War definitely is). If that was their goal as a company, then they'd be doing cartwheels at corporate.

I'm saying as a company trying to sell a NEW hardware/software product (which is what this thread is about), you are shooting yourself in the foot. Yes, you are keeping the install base happy. Yes, you'll move more of your antiquated units at a profit and get a surge in software sales. But by doing so, you are undercutting the market you hope to expand. The answers in this thread prove it ("I have no need to update. Lots of us are perfectly content with our current system and like that Sony is supporting us with new titles"). They are proving that there is no need for you to own their new, fancy product. Sony is causing a need not to adopt up for their own base.

Sony's future isn't in supporting the PS2. If it was, they wouldn't have made the PS3. Both Nintendo and Xbox quickly shut down their old lines to focus on the new and it seems to be working for them.

All I'm saying is great product, wrong platform. Imagine God of War II on the PS3 coming out next month. That shit would move units like crazy. Hell, I wish it wasn't an exclusive, cause I sure as hell would pick it up for 360/PC.

[Xerxes]

Ummm I'd be more interested in Drum Hero or Bass Hero. Maybe even Violin Hero. Or the ability to actually play a instrument. And still not sure if I want a Wii. Wii Sports yeah, but I'm still looking to sii where they going with it. And i was thinking about the platinum ps2 but I might see if i can find a loiter although I'm concerned about going home with broken shit and jipped money. :-/

[dotbomb]

I will own this game and it will be mine.

Oh and it will be played on a PS3 cuz I'm a fanboy!!!! GO SONY GO!!!

[Soul182]

This game looks good. That screenshot is questionable though. It looks a little too clean. I am glad it is coming to PS2. Should be good I want a PS3 but there are no games "yet" and that price YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEouch

[Spigot]

Hello last game I'll likely ever buy for my PS2! Well, that and Lumines Plus and maybe Chulips.

Hello last AAA action game I'll likely ever buy for my PS2! I like not having anything 'next-gen'... I'll keep my game costs down for at least another year or so until I crack.

[Fartacus]

The PS2 can easily render that resolution. It just can't sustain more than a frame or two a second.

The PS2 can't easily render that resolution. You can make it do it, if you bend over backwards and sacrifice a chicken. The GS only has 4MB memory on it. With an almost 4 megapixel framebuffer, you're talking about almost 16MB just for a 16 bit framebuffer and 16 bit z-buffer (if the GS even supported buffers that large, which it doesn't). So the only way you could achieve it would be render the framebuffer in tiles. After each tile is rendered, you would have to DMA it back to main memory to make room for the next tile. Of course you'd be taking up half the main memory with the rendered image. Not to mention that there would be no way to actually display the image.

So sure, you could make it do it if you really wanted to, but by no stretch of the imagination could you call it easy...

[Phades]

I agree that Sony should have held this over and redid the graphics for the PS3. It's kind of a catch-22. It's nice that Sony supports their previous system so well and that builds loyalty, but at the same time that support takes away from their development on their new system which they need to help it become a viable platform as well.

[Kamalot]

I agree that Sony should have held this over and redid the graphics for the PS3. It's kind of a catch-22. It's nice that Sony supports their previous system so well and that builds loyalty, but at the same time that support takes away from their development on their new system which they need to help it become a viable platform as well.
How about this...

What if Sony sells the Ps2 version, but also releases a PS3 version that runs in a high-resolution, like those in the screen shots. I bet the PS3 could even run this game at 1080p. All of a sudden, you aren't screwing over PS2 owners, but you are still giving a reason to pick up a PS3! :D

[51|RandoM]

I must be the only person on earth that found that God Of War got boring and repetitive around the middle and never really reedemed itself til the bitter end. That being said it was good fun, and YES I did use combos but still it got old, I hope although doubt they'll get more enemy variation into the sequel, but the grappling hook parts do look rather neat and should change shit up a bit.

I was like that.

This is great. This is great. This is great. This is great. Go to bed. Wake up next day entirely free of the urge to play God of War.

[rein]

Screw holding it over. I have a PS3 and I am very happy Sony is still supporting the PS2. It's not like I can't play it on the PS3. After all, it is backward compatible. The way I see it, Sony is doing something right in this situation. They are not fucking their loyal customers over by forcing them into this generation prematurely. Of course it is Sony so there are a few of you that I expect to make your appearance in this thread to spread your ignorant hate.

[Kamalot]

Of course it is Sony so there are a few of you that I expect to make your appearance in this thread to spread your ignorant hate.
Please indicate the 'ignorant hate' in this thread. Everyone seems civil here.

[Zaro]

Anyway, people must agree that a game like God of War can sell PS3.
I've never play God of War but i have many time heard good thing about the first one.

[Please indicate the 'ignorant hate' in this thread. Everyone seems civil here.]

Exacly what i think, i've not seen any hater.

[Siraris]

I'm saying as a company trying to sell a NEW hardware/software product (which is what this thread is about), you are shooting yourself in the foot.


Are we in the same thread? Last I checked this thread is about new screenshots for God of War 2. There are dozens of threads on this site about the PS3, and what is holding it back from being a success. Sony is perfectly capable of realizing the must have factor of God of War 2, and are perfectly capable of deciding where their priorities are. Obviously God of War 2 was far enough in development to not warrant completely redoing the game for the PS3. You know, it's not as simple as just going "Oh, hey, PS3 is coming let's just throw it together on there and fuck the PS2 version!". It would probably take at least another year before it came out, at which point it might get lost in the hype around other games that they have plans of releasing, or other big games from other systems.

The best part is, had Sony released it on PS3 only, there would be post after post about how fucking stupid and shitty Sony is because it was supposed to be for PS2, and now people are being forced to buy a PS3 just to play God of War 2.

[Kamalot]

The best part is, had Sony released it on PS3 only, there would be post after post about how fucking stupid and shitty Sony is because it was supposed to be for PS2, and now people are being forced to buy a PS3 just to play God of War 2.
And Sony would have sold a lot more PS3s.

[BlackPete]

The best part is, had Sony released it on PS3 only, there would be post after post about how fucking stupid and shitty Sony is because it was supposed to be for PS2, and now people are being forced to buy a PS3 just to play God of War 2.

Just point them at the Zelda threads if they did that. End of story.

Count me as one of the guys who thinks that GoW2 should've been a PS3 title to help move units. And this is coming from a guy who owns a PS2 and will pick this title up in a heartbeat for it.

[UnderHero5]

And Sony would have sold a lot more PS3s.
Not necessarily. I know I wouldn't buy a PS3 just for God of War. I doubt many people are willing to throw down 500-600 bucks to play a single game.

I don't think GoW was as massively popular as some of you think. It was a great critical success, but a system seller? I don't know about that. It's no Mario, Halo, or Final Fantasy, as far as popularity goes. I personally thought it was way too repetitive and stopped playing after about 2 hours.

Edit: Also, since when does everyone care so much about Sony moving units of PS3s? Doesn't any one care about playing the games any more? Many of you sound like you want to work for management at Sony. Would GoW have been a BETTER game if ported to PS3? Doubtful. It would have been prettier, I'm sure.
The PS3 will have plenty of system sellers in it's lifetime. GoW2 on PS2 isn't going to cause the PS3 to fail.

[Yeti2005]

GoW2 looks pretty damn fun. I think it would have been cool it if they pulled a Zelda and released it on both systems (ps2 and ps3). Throw some higher resolution textures in the PS3 and DON'T charge the extra $10 and most people would be happy. Sure people would bitch but the PS3 would have higher resolution textures and they shouldn't be any framerate hiccups.

[rein]

And Sony would have sold a lot more PS3s.


...a year from now? Who is to say they will not sell a lot without God of War 2. They do have some pretty good titles coming out next fall and early 2008. I would guess they are already planning to release a God of War game on the PS3 at some point.

As for the ignorant hate... ...Siraris pretty much summed it up. This is a thread about God of War 2 screen shots and it quickly turned into a thread about the PS3 and how Sony is screwing things up. IMO, Sony did the right/smart thing here. They promised their fans they were going to support the PS2 after the release of the PS3 and they are. They are not isolating current owners of the PS3 because it is backward compatible. They are releasing a popular franchise to a large install base.

You have to admit Kamalot, Siraris is right. If Sony had announced delaying God of War 2 for a year to bring it to the PS3 you would have been one of the first ones to chime in about Sony going back on their promise to support the PS2 and how they are screwing their customers over.

BTW, I did get to see the game in actions months ago (not much, one of the boss fights) when I worked at EB. It looks damn good.This (http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3155700) may be why.
It's Being HD Optimized: As many players have upgraded to HDTVs since the original God of War shipped, God of War 2's programming team has spent quite a bit of time on making sure the game looks solid if players run it in high definition. "We're aware that there's a lot more HDTVs in the marketplace than there necessarily was a couple years ago," says Moss. "We spent a lot of time on making the resolution a bit higher, making sure art looks really nice on TVs, progressive scan -- all that kind of stuff."
I'm not saying it is going to look like those screens but they have put some effort into optimizing it for HD sets and are at least running it at 480p.

[Zaro]

One thing is sure, the game will sell better on the PS2, with all the console sold.
If i have to buy a sony console, there's no doubt i'm picking a PS2. One day, maybe.

[Khash]

I'm fine with God of War 2 being on PS2 just as long as they release the God of War MMO on PS3.

[Kamalot]

...a year from now?It isn't like it is a big shock that the PS3 was released. People knew it was coming. They could have been working on the PS3 version for the PAST year. Yes, if they changed gears TODAY, it would take a while. Had they made the stragetic decision to make the game a PS3 game from its inception, then there wouldn't be any additional delay.
I'm not saying it is going to look like those screens but they have put some effort into optimizing it for HD sets and are running it at 480p.
There is only so much the aging PS2 can do. I'm glad that they are taking 480p into account though, but that's not HDTV.

To get a feel for what it could look like, I took one of the images and resized it to 480 pixels high, without anti-aliasing it. I'm not saying this is an accurate representation of the final game, but it is more accurate than the ultra-high def versions that are put out by the press. Here is a closeup of it compared to the same section of the press image.

http://www.iplayalot.com/gow2/realrez_closeup.jpg
http://www.iplayalot.com/gow2/highrez_closeup.jpg

There's only so much you can get out of 480p. It wouldn't kill the team to make two different versions, one that is PS2 and another that uses the same game assets on the PS3 but runs at a higher resolution. It would look much closer to these press shots and would move units without screwing over people who don't want to spring for the PS3.

[BlackPete]

There's only so much you can get out of 480p. It wouldn't kill the team to make two different versions, one that is PS2 and another that uses the same game assets on the PS3 but runs at a higher resolution.

Actually yes it would kill the team. For one thing, the art team would have to create a whole new set of hi-res textures for everything in the game, plus make sure the draw distance doesn't look so poly-jagged, grass is realistic, etc, etc. HD is not something you can simply drop in on the fly.

Even Zelda was a bit sketchy, and that was only going from (essentially) 480i to 480p. Now try the leap from 480i/p to 720p or 1080i... not gonna happen without a HUGE amount of work from the art team.

[Magnanimous Gnome]

I'm with rein, Siraris, etc. on this one - Sony is smart to release this on the PS2. I have no doubt that many of the same people that have said Sony is stupid for releasing this on PS2 would also blast Sony for moving this to PS3. Hell some of you pop into EVERY thread with even the tiniest connection to Sony just to put in your two cents.

Bitching about it isn't going to make the site any better though, so I'll stop.

[Kamalot]

Actually yes it would kill the team. For one thing, the art team would have to create a whole new set of hi-res textures for everything in the game, plus make sure the draw distance doesn't look so poly-jagged, grass is realistic, etc, etc. HD is not something you can simply drop in on the fly.
Um...nope.

The press photos you see in the original post are using in-game assets, simply rendered at a higher resolution. Imagine this game running on your PC at 640x480, then you crank up the resolution. Same textures, same geometry, higher resolution.

I'm not talking about building the game as a PS3 native game, but building a version of the PS2 game that runs in a higher resolution on the PS3. That's basically what the team did for Gran Turismo HD, and it was reported to only take about a month to port the engine to the PS3. (granted, the team then added higher resolution textures to everything)

Yes, High-resolution textures and more detailed models would take a massive amount of time, basically building a new game. Running the same game at a higher resolution SHOULD not take a lot of time.

Hell, the 360 runs original Xbox games in HD with anti-aliasing.

[BlackPete]

Um...nope.

The press photos you see in the original post are using in-game assets, simply rendered at a higher resolution. Imagine this game running on your PC at 640x480, then you crank up the resolution. Same textures, same geometry, higher resolution.

There is a world of a difference between using strategically-placed cameras to create stunning looking photos vs. actually playing the game in motion where you can see the geometry they don't show in marketing photos.

I mean, you don't seriously expect the entire game's geometry to be so easily scaleable, do you?

I'm not talking about building the game as a PS3 native game, but building a version of the PS2 game that runs in a higher resolution on the PS3. That's basically what the team did for Gran Turismo HD, and it was reported to only take about a month to port the engine to the PS3.

And how long did it take for GTHD to ship? Porting the engine is one thing. That's trivial. Making it look good is a whole another ball game. Please don't confuse software issues with art issues.

Yes, High-resolution textures and more detailed models would take a massive amount of time, basically building a new game. Running the same game at a higher resolution SHOULD not take a lot of time.

Hell, the 360 runs original Xbox games in HD with anti-aliasing.

Number one, the XBox is much more powerful than the PS2 so it already had way better graphics off the bat, so scaling the resolution wasn't as big an issue as it is for PS2 games (a platform that doesn't even have hardware multitexturing, shaders, etc.)

Number two -- I smell a contradiction in where you say that if all they have to do is up the resolution, then why bother make a PS3 version at all? Just play the PS2 version using the PS3's BC functionality.

They cannot simply set the resolution to 720p and have the game render at that, because that would reveal all sorts of ugly art artifacts which all needs fixing... and that's not a trivial issue.

[Kamalot]

There is a world of a difference between using strategically-placed cameras to create stunning looking photos vs. actually playing the game in motion where you can see the geometry they don't show in marketing photos.

I mean, you don't seriously expect the entire game's geometry to be so easily scaleable, do you?



And how long did it take for GTHD to ship? Porting the engine is one thing. That's trivial. Making it look good is a whole another ball game. Please don't confuse software issues with art issues.



Number one, the XBox is much more powerful than the PS2 so it already had way better graphics off the bat, so scaling the resolution wasn't as big an issue as it is for PS2 games (a platform that doesn't even have hardware multitexturing, shaders, etc.)

Number two -- I smell a contradiction in where you say that if all they have to do is up the resolution, then why bother make a PS3 version at all? Just play the PS2 version using the PS3's BC functionality.

They cannot simply set the resolution to 720p and have the game render at that, because that would reveal all sorts of ugly art artifacts which all needs fixing... and that's not a trivial issue.
So, are you saying these marketing shots are not using in-game camera angles?

The marketing shots, if they are at all representative of the final game, are using in-game assets AND camera angles, but are rendered at a higher resolution than the console is capable of.

If you were to take the PS2 game, and somehow invoke mystic otherworldly powers to run the SAME GAME at a HIGHER RESOLUTION, you would get the same results that appear in the screen shots above.

Yes, geometry is scalable. It is a series of triangles defined with math, that can be scaled to any resolution. Textures do not scale as well since they are a series of pixels. When textures are scaled, they become grainy and chunky. They are then filtered and look smooth, but lose definition and clarity. That is evident in the screen shots above.

Yes, it IS possible to play the PS2 version of the game on the PS3, but it does not gain any resolution by doing so. Playing PS2 games on the PS3 is NOT like playing BC Xbox games on the 360. the 360 upscales BC Xbox games and anti-aliases the screen to provide smoother polygons and textures. The PS3 does not. If the PS3 offered enhancements to PS2 games such as upscaling and anti-aliasing, I'd already have a PS3 in my rec-room.

When you say, "They cannot simply set the resolution to 720p and have the game render at that, because that would reveal all sorts of ugly art artifacts which all needs fixing." you are wrong. Simply look at the screen shots in the original post and you will see the game is beautiful, even when rendered at high-resolutions.

I simply want to play it that way, instead of playing it on the ancient, blocky PS2 hardware.

[Exodus]

Should have been and could have been are two different things. Having to work with ps3 architecture, and who knows perhaps they already are working on a new game for the ps3. It would probably screw over quite a few people who do not want to buy the ps3 who were planning on getting this for the ps2. I know I'd be pissed off if they changed it to being on the ps3.

Sorry I love games but I love being able to eat, affording hot water, and paying off school.

[Siraris]

I love the fact that Kamalot - someone who has never developed a game, and to my knowledge has any skills in 3D programming or art design - is arguing with someone who is actually in the game development field, about all the details of putting the game in HD.

LOVE it!

[bitwise]

The best part is, had Sony released it on PS3 only, there would be post after post about how fucking stupid and shitty Sony is because it was supposed to be for PS2, and now people are being forced to buy a PS3 just to play God of War 2.

I guess you forgot that Nintendo took the same shit from EA regarding Twilight Princess and their choice to release it for the Cube and the Wii. If something pisses people off, they're gonna say so. Doesn't matter who it's about.

Of course it is Sony so there are a few of you that I expect to make your appearance in this thread to spread your ignorant hate.

I agree with others in this thread. Things have been quite civil. In fact, this is one of the only non-civil things I've seen so far.

[BlackPete]

So, are you saying these marketing shots are not using in-game camera angles?

Let's pick that logic apart.

I said: These were marketing photos using strategically placed cameras.

Your conclusion/interpretation: I'm saying that these are not in-game camera angles?

Smells like a red herring (http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/red-herring.html) to me. Or, to be more precise, I'm saying that these photos were specifically selected by the marketing team for the most dramatic impact.

And yes, if that means using custom angles as opposed to in-game angles, then so be it.

The marketing shots, if they are at all representative of the final game, are using in-game assets AND camera angles, but are rendered at a higher resolution than the console is capable of.

You really sound like you don't know how marketing works. Take any EA sports games -- you'll see plenty of promo videos using in-game graphics but the cameras they use are nowhere in the actual gameplay. It's standard marketing practice that they must have access to in-game tools to place cameras at dramatic positions (while conveniently pointing slightly upwards to not reveal the ugly geometry where the skybox meets ground), etc.

Yes, geometry is scalable. It is a series of triangles defined with math, that can be scaled to any resolution. Textures do not scale as well since they are a series of pixels. When textures are scaled, they become grainy and chunky. They are then filtered and look smooth, but lose definition and clarity. That is evident in the screen shots above.

Think about what you just said for a second. Do you know what "alpha transparency" is? Bi- (or tri-)linear filtering? Or filtering in general? These are all strategies to make sure that geometry edges are softened and blends into the background.

If you're creating a vector-based game like Rez, Tempest, etc. then yeah, scaling geometry alone is a non-issue. Scaling geometry with texture is where you're opening a can of worms. Geometry with textures that have been tweaked at 480p to look good so that geometry blends into the background will suddenly look like an ugly mess at 720p. Suddenly all your alpha tricks made specifically for a 480p game looks ugly on a 720p resolution.

That's why it's a case of either "let the BC worry about it" or scale up the textures and fix up geometry artifacts with increased resolution.

The PS3 does not. If the PS3 offered enhancements to PS2 games such as upscaling and anti-aliasing, I'd already have a PS3 in my rec-room.

The PS3 does, however, receive firmware updates that revises how they handle BC. So the way it does BC is in a constant state of flux. It looked like shit last month. It looks reasonably good now. They didn't do this by upscaling, but they did it by changing their filtering strategies (which is MUCH easier than trying to scale up everything in resolution).

When you say, "They cannot simply set the resolution to 720p and have the game render at that, because that would reveal all sorts of ugly art artifacts which all needs fixing." you are wrong. Simply look at the screen shots in the original post and you will see the game is beautiful, even when rendered at high-resolutions.

Again, you're going by the shots that marketing wants you to see. Who knows how many photos/screencaps got rejected before they came up with those sets of photos?

Case in point: For the title I'm currently on -- our art director spent 3 weeks on the promo video with help from the programmers to provide custom in-game tools.

[Xerxes]

Black Pete what do you do may ask? Title wise.

[Rock Bandit]

How about this...

What if Sony sells the Ps2 version, but also releases a PS3 version that runs in a high-resolution, like those in the screen shots. I bet the PS3 could even run this game at 1080p. All of a sudden, you aren't screwing over PS2 owners, but you are still giving a reason to pick up a PS3! :D

Isn't that what Activision did at the 360 launch with THAW and Gun? Release the same exact game that was on last-gen but with a higher resolution...and for $10 more. I kinda remember that going over like a lead balloon.

[Xerxes]

Isn't that what Activision did at the 360 launch with THAW and Gun? Release the same exact game that was on last-gen but with a higher resolution...and for $10 more. I kinda remember that going over like a lead balloon.

Xbox 360 still has 10 million units shipped/sold(whatever they claiming)... :rolleyes:

[BlackPete]

Black Pete what do you do may ask? Title wise.

I've purposely avoided saying that because of the following reasons:

1) When I post here, I am posting for myself with my own views and my own opinions. And I strongly believe that I post "objective" opinions (or at least what my strong opinions are).... even if that means dissing on the place I work at. So, uh, it's kinda for my own protection ;) And no, I will not violate any NDAs so I've had to be VERY careful in what I post sometimes.

2) So I don't want to say where I work at because I don't want to be painted a "biased" paintbrush -- oh I'm just saying that because I work at so-and-so.
Again, I'm posting what I believe, not because what my workplace dictates.

[Rock Bandit]

Xbox 360 still has 10 million units shipped/sold(whatever they claiming)... :rolleyes:
Yeah, I know that, I have one of them. What I was saying is that people weren't that appreciative of being sold what was pretty much the same game on the original X-Box for $10 more despite the smoother resolution. And I do hope you're not trying to suggest that fucking Gun was a system seller.

[Xerxes]

I've purposely avoided saying that because of the following reasons:

1) When I post here, I am posting for myself with my own views and my own opinions. And I strongly believe that I post "objective" opinions (or at least what my strong opinions are).... even if that means dissing on the place I work at. So, uh, it's kinda for my own protection ;) And no, I will not violate any NDAs so I've had to be VERY careful in what I post sometimes.

2) So I don't want to say where I work at because I don't want to be painted a "biased" paintbrush -- oh I'm just saying that because I work at so-and-so.
Again, I'm posting what I believe, not because what my workplace dictates.

Dude, I just meant like Programmer, Producer, Concept Artist, QA, nothing fancy.

[BlackPete]

Dude, I just meant like Programmer, Producer, Concept Artist, QA, nothing fancy.

Hmm... tough to describe, funnily enough. Technically a programmer but I've been more involved in production/management lately than coding.

[Spigot]

Hmm... tough to describe, funnily enough. Technically a programmer but I've been more involved in production/management lately than coding.I was thinking that you should just be called "Thread Debunker" since you actually have some inside knowledge as to whether the pipedreams cooked up by the rest of us would work.

[Xerxes]

Hmm... tough to describe, funnily enough. Technically a programmer but I've been more involved in production/management lately than coding.

Cool... I'm a aspiring (aka wannabe) Producer. For some reason I fill the need to ask around and find out what people in the industry do and such. <shrug>

[BlackPete]

Cool... I'm a aspiring (aka wannabe) Producer. For some reason I fill the need to ask around and find out what people in the industry do and such. <shrug>

Funnily enough, so do I ;)

From time to time I may spout bullshit (I've made no secrets as to what I think of Sony's PR division), but at least I try to keep my technical details accurate. Of course I welcome it when people challenge me! Keeps me on my toes and forces me to constantly re-evaluate everything I say :)

[Dracula-X]

I love the fact that Kamalot - someone who has never developed a game, and to my knowledge has any skills in 3D programming or art design - is arguing with someone who is actually in the game development field, about all the details of putting the game in HD.

LOVE it!
Whoa whoa whoa, hold on now! I believe Kamalot has demonstrated some form of artisanship (photomanip/paintover), so let's not rush to judgment, Sir Siraris:

http://www.furnation.com/kat/taul/KAMA00.JPG (http://www.furnation.com/kat/taul/taul.htm)
<click img for some more art by the EvAv resident Sony hater extraordinaire himself, Sir Kamalot>

Then we can perhaps discuss things like fur techniques, sidestepping copyright infringement issues, etc. and how they might apply to game development. (?)

<shrugs>

[laggerific]

Um, you really wanna see that?

Sure...why not...

I personally don't think he needs to stoop to sex slavery, but he should be able to get it on...I mean, he could relax with a couple of pints, but he has enemies breathing down his back. Getting it on would help him relax...it's not like we're asking for a masturbation minigame where you control Kratos pleasuring himself.

[Xerxes]

Funnily enough, so do I ;)

From time to time I may spout bullshit (I've made no secrets as to what I think of Sony's PR division), but at least I try to keep my technical details accurate. Of course I welcome it when people challenge me! Keeps me on my toes and forces me to constantly re-evaluate everything I say :)

If I was in the industry I'd play the part as know it all as well...

[bapenguin]

Sony didn't want to release this on the PS3. Why? They don't want to sell more PS3s just yet. They lose too much money. By releasing it on the PS2, it's all profit from sales on this to help offset the half a billion dollar loss the PS3 brought them. At least...that's what I would do. :)

[UnderHero5]

...it's not like we're asking for a masturbation minigame where you control Kratos pleasuring himself.
Speak for yourself! ;)

[mrselfde_struct]

:( Would you believe i only pickd up the first one the other and have yet to play it. No time. Ugh. 2nd looks even better. WOW. itll be like 2010 before i play this one. LOL :eek: :o

[Kamalot]

I'd like to update this thread with the news that God of War 2 will run in 720p when played on the PS3 (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?p=650027&posted=1#post650027).

To everyone who told me that I didn't know what I was talking about, or that it would be impossible to do such a thing, I'd like to say :P

[Heretic Machine]

I still haven't gotten around to playing the original... I bought it for my cousin for Christmas (it was $20, and that is about the price range we use for each other), so I should probably go out and get a copy for myself sometime.

[Spigot]

You really should play the original, Perigon. It's fantastic. I'm torn between playing it through again or trying the insane difficulty out. Unfortunately, I can't get past the first Hydra head when trying it on the hardest difficulty level. Sigh.

[Xerxes]

Damn you PS3.

[Utils]

I'd like to update this thread with the news that God of War 2 will run in 720p when played on the PS3 (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?p=650027&posted=1#post650027).

To everyone who told me that I didn't know what I was talking about, or that it would be impossible to do such a thing, I'd like to say :P

Probably because they planned to do this. Not because of any "simple" upscaling or witchcraft.


So in essence, you were BOTH right.

:p back at ya.

EDIT: Ugh, I HATE graphical smilies.

[Kamalot]

Probably because they planned to do this. Not because of any "simple" upscaling or witchcraft.


So in essence, you were BOTH right.

:p back at ya.Well, I suggested they start work on making this work on the PS3 months ago instead of suggesting that it be a mystic, last moment voodoo rush. I mean, it isn't like developers didn't know the PS3 was coming, they should have had plenty of time to work on it. Hell, it was delayed for many months, you'd HOPE that someone did SOMETHING productive during that time.

[Utils]

Hell, it was delayed for many months, you'd HOPE that someone did SOMETHING productive during that time.

"Delays" don't ever bother me. It'll ship when it's READY dammit! Take your time and do it the right way the first time.


Luckily these guys don't have that terrible PC Developer habit of patching everything to hell. Of course, the very nature of PC Gaming means patches can't be avoided. And with console gaming (last gen anyway) patching is UNACCEPTABLE.