More PGR3 Screenshots (X360)

[Goronmon]

Looks like there are more screenshots available...

Three more similar to previous ones. (http://www.bizarreonline.net/page.php?p=screenshots&f=pgr3)

...as well as another close-up of the buildings.

Building Close-up (http://www.bizarreonline.net/index.php?action=fullnews&showcomments=1&id=31)

These are supposed to be in-game on the actual hardware. Pretty darn impressive, especially the amount of detail in the buildings.

Edit: Also a high-def trailer (http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/driving/projectgothamracing3/media.html). Thanks sTubbs.

[sTubbs]

In addition to those screens, GameSpot has a trailer including in game footage right here (http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/driving/projectgothamracing3/media.html). As good as it looks in the screens, seeing the game in motion is downright amazing. At times, it is easily the most realistic looking video game I have ever seen. I am not a racing fan, but simply seeing what the 360 is capable of continues to impress me.

[danhoo]

That close-up is very impressive. The level of detail on the buildings is really good. Interestingly, the give-away for me that it's generated is the paper-thin railings on the fire-escapes.

Strange, though, that so much detail work went into the buildings in a game where the object is to drive by the surrounding environment fast enough that everything should be mostly a blur.

[Goronmon]

Strange, though, that so much detail work went into the buildings in a game where the object is to drive by the surrounding environment fast enough that everything should be mostly a blur.
The funny thing is, the better the surroundings get, the less you'll notice them. I still notice the crappy environment when I am playing GT4 even in the middle of a race.

[Thenetcase]

I think that the developers want to get the experience so close to real racing that you stop worrying about "dang that tree looks like crap" and start paying attention to "wow I had mad understeer on that drift". I know I've gotten that way on Forza Motorsports because the game looks so good... Now watching replays is actually a real joy. Heat waves, focus on the camera, realistic smoke, GREAT looking scenery, etc.... makes it look like you're watching a TV presentation on how (not) to drive. ;)

-TNC-

[bapenguin]

The color depth is simply amazing in these pics. Everything is so vibrant....but still very realistic looking.

[Reanimated]

That building close-up looks freaking real.

[Bone]

I have seen the mountain, and it is good.

[Keeperofpeas]

These shots are approaching photorealism. together with the rest of the next gen stuff, I predict that this generation is where some games will break the barrier.

However, this level of graphic performance highlights a lack of animation quality. This is due to not to inadequate animators, but because of the increasing contrast between the visual fidelity and the limitations of hand animation.

Ofcourse PGR3 dosent suffer much from this, but games like Alan Wake and Oblivion for example do. The visuals in Alan Wake are breathtaking, but as soon as Alan hops out of his car and does his twitchy run to the lighthouse, we are unfortunately jolted back to the reality that this isn't a movie but a videogame.

Bethesda on the other hand REALLY need to get some decent animators. everything that moves in that game looks so fake that its just like Morrowind with fancy lighting. no doubt these games will be fantastic, but I feel that the realism that some next gen games are aiming for dosen't lie in graphics alone.

[TrackZero]

Jesus, I usually am not even a racer fan, but I want to give this game a try. C'mon next-gen, I'm ready now!

[Deadend]

I am gonna be the cynical one today.

If I don't see a HUD, it ain't real.

Baring that, if this is real, and in-game, I will have a copy.

The high detail building shot is too fucking good, I can't find any telltale signs of being CG or computer done at all, and that is scary.

[Furious Wang]

Where are all the obligatory ps3 fanboy "Yawn, this is Next Gen? Meh" posts now?

[RMan]

Well, although there's clearly nothing technical here that looks off (IOW, I would have no problem believing that's running on "real" hardware) I do doubt the texture detail will be representative of a real game (unless these textures repeat horribly, then they will have to be a lower resolution to get enough of them). Considering that the thing that makes it impressive is the texture detail, I'm finding it pretty difficult to get real excited. Just another example of where content quality is way more important for a technology demonstration than the technology.

[mister_slim]

That's some very nice texture work. I've a feeling this generation will have very erratic game quantities and qualitities.

[Phades]

That's some very nice texture work. I've a feeling this generation will have very erratic game quantities and qualitities.

I was thinking the same thing. The difference between a AAA title and the rest will be huge. Eventually, I think that could drive down the number of games coming out. Obviously the AAA games are going to so vastly outshine the rest that people may not be willing to buy them. I'm not sure that's a good thing.

[bumgut]

The sad thing is it will run at 30fps....

[RMan]

Obviously the AAA games are going to so vastly outshine the rest that people may not be willing to buy them. I'm not sure that's a good thing.
I don't think that's true, at least there's no indication that it'll be any different than the current generation. Everyone's games will benifit from the same tech improvements.

[DannoHung]

I was thinking the same thing. The difference between a AAA title and the rest will be huge. Eventually, I think that could drive down the number of games coming out. Obviously the AAA games are going to so vastly outshine the rest that people may not be willing to buy them. I'm not sure that's a good thing.

As a developer you aren't FORCED to try and make a title look realistic. Look at Jet Set Radio and Psychonauts for instance. Both are still really great looking games though they look nothing like reality.

A different tack you could take on it might be this: You will REALLY be able to tell who has a good art team and who doesn't with the next generation.

As for the shots in question, I *want* to believe those are real, but they look too good.

[Bone]

A lot has to do with the lighting model. Take a previous generation game and light it better and it instantly looks more realistic (although it may make the low texture resolution stand out even more).

I just finally got around to installing the Darkplaces mod for Quake 1 last night and was amazed at how good everything looks when you add stencil shadows and real-time lighting.

[dragonstomp]

Jesus, I usually am not even a racer fan, but I want to give this game a try. C'mon next-gen, I'm ready now!

Just buy a dual core pentium and a new geforce 7800gtx card :P the card is *only* $600 bucks

[Rommel]

Woah! Sweet baby Jesus. These almost look like they used FMV with an extremely high resolution camera. Or some type of new pre-rendering technique that allows for depth to be added? I cannot believe those are fully rendered, on the fly or otherwise.

[mister_slim]

A different tack you could take on it might be this: You will REALLY be able to tell who has a good art team and who doesn't with the next generation.

But I can already tell from the current generation: Essentially fucking no-one. The next gen looks no better: Gears of War has some nice detail, but the silly designs lessen the impact. Saint's Row has a somewhat cohesive style, but it's aiming at an animated or comic look.