Add HAZE to the Sub-HD Generation

Patrick Steen — Tue, 06 May 2008 19:21:21 +0000

As seems to be the norm this console generation, not all games can hit that elusive 720p HD resolution. First Halo 3, then GTA4 (PS3) and now the PS3 exclusive Haze.

As previously reported, a demo of Haze can be found on the Playstation Store, supporting 4 player co-op. Graphically it’s solid, but what’s most impressive is that it runs silky smooth. It runs at a locked 30fps, and even with a host of foliage and enemies on screen – it never dips.

Though there are more impressive looking games on the PS3, it’s with Haze’s gameplay and story that show off its true colours. (More on this in our upcoming preview of both the four player co-op and multiplayer modes.) Nonetheless, for Free Radical to achieve a solid PS3 engine with no loading throughout the game, they’ve had to make some concessions.

Qua51 of Beyond3d now confirms Haze’s resolution to be 1024by576 with no anti-aliasing. That is, going by the demo, and there’s yet to be a difference in resolution from a game’s demo to its final release. At the end of the day, this is something we’re going to have to get used to. If developers find they can put the saved power into a solid framerate, or better graphics – then should we really be complaining?

When we visited Free Radical at Sony’s 3 Rooms earlier this year, script writer Rob Yescombe had this to say about the game’s graphics::

We’ve got a 12 hour streaming experience and for someone to put that next to a game where they can spend 2 minutes loading a level every half an hour. Well good for them, but it’s a totally different game. Just because it might be first person, just because it might be on the same platform, they’re totally different games, totally different things that we’ll be able to do.

So we want to give people variety of gameplay, and if that means you’ve got a texture that doesn’t look photo realistic, well guess what, you’re going to enjoy the game more than you would looking at a photo realistic texture.

And it’s hard to disagree with that. Let us know what you think about the HAZE demo in the comments section and in our forums.

*Update* - Quaz51 of Beyond3d Forums has now confirmed that Haze uses 2xAA as opposed to the original 0xAA.

Sony Understands American Advertising: New Game Trailers

Patrick Steen — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 22:31:47 +0000

Sony’s advertising has always been prone to the weird and the wonderful. Cornering the European market with their “This Is Living” advertisements has left many bemused. The following ads for Heavenly Sword and Ratchet restore faith in Sony’s comprehension of their market.

Trailers for Playstation 3 titles have not been terribly successful, mainly due to minimal exposure on important TV channels. I happen to be a fan of subliminal advertising and Sony have some of the most creative ad directors under their belt for their European campaigns, so I’m not complaining. However, the American market doesn’t take as kindly to this direction, preferring the more in your face “buy this product because it’s cool” type of advertisement.

CGI trailers have been Sony’s recent obsession, with Uncharted and Heavenly Sword joining the ranks, but I believe this generation’s graphics can stand up for themselves. Ubisoft took this direction with Assassin’s Creed, which I think is directly correllary to the game’s sales.

What may be lacking is a good sense of humour. Sony have created an image of a company that takes itself too seriously, so a good dose of the funnies is perfect to get consumers on board. This appears to be the route of these following two adverts for Heavenly Sword and Ratchet and Clank Future.

RipTen Videogame Blog » s_graphics

Add HAZE to the Sub-HD Generation

Sony Understands American Advertising: New Game Trailers