World in Conflict PS3 dev 'more challenging' than 360

Videogamer writes: "Development of upcoming RTS game World In Conflict has been "more challenging" on PS3 than on Xbox 360, developer Massive has said.

However, it also revealed that despite some "minor graphical differences", overall "gamers of either platform are going to have virtually identical experiences".

World In Conflict was originally released on the PC in 2007 to universal praise. We gave it a deserved 9-out-of-10 score in our review back in September last year. Hype has been building steadily for a title many console-owning RTS fans are hoping will finally crack the console RTS control scheme conundrum developers have struggled with in recent years."

[LinuxGuru]

Duh?

[MediaStream]

Let's get this straight...

A mediocre ->PC<- developer....

Who doesn't know how to handle anything other than ->DirectX<-...

Is looking to cash in on the console market as the PC gaming market continues to die...

So they are dumping their ->RTS<- onto consoles...

And whining about how they can't handle modern graphics hardware like the PS3!

LOL!

Shocking, absolutely shocking!

I'm sure everyone is eagerly awaiting the gametrailers 'side by side' comparison of this hotly anticipated title where 'teh 360 version looks better' and the 'teh PS3 version looks washed out' obviously because 'teh PS3 is hard teh program'

LOL!

What a wonderfully idiotic news item to liven up the morning.

[solidt12]

If I here another story about how it is more challenging to make a game on the PS3 im gonna smack someone. We know already this isn't news.

[Montrealien]

news is news kids, don't like it, don't comment and jump to the next story.

[ericnellie]

This isn't a negative article, it's simply a couple of quick quotes by a PC developer stating that it's a little bit more difficult for them developing on PS3. You've got to give them credit for trying. There's no surprise here, everyone knows the PS3's architecture is "different" from the PC and 360?

"I think it's safe to say that we're tackling it pretty well!"

Don't make this article flame bait!

[JoelR]

people also forget that the game is programmed originally in DX so it does take extra effort to convert it to openGL

Oo... that's cool... 0.1? how did I do a reply to a nonexistent post?

[Martini]

Another game that will look and play better on the 360 and so is GRID and Quake wars....

[power of Green]

Just don't gimp too much we all know what *there will be some differences* means, the RaceDriver GRID devs said the same thing word from word off the top of my head.

[JoelR]

And yet another developer who said it is better on the PS3....

[Montrealien]

yep, the PS3 has won yet another fractional war over the 360, Duh? lol

I love how we all know for a fact that the PS3 is 2-4% more powerful then the 360 and yet when a dev claims this, fanboys jump on the bandwagon claiming victory....har har har. Fanboys are so cute.

These minor differences mean nothing to a real gamer, as long as we get to play quality games on both consoles and keep them fighting over these little differences. It is only good for us to have the two most powerful consoles this gen fighting all the time, competition is good for us.

[JoelR]

I would say the gap is closer to 40% if you use a dedicated programmer team and don't try to "level the playfield" as it were. But since all developers try to create level playing fields across similar generational consoles when creating crossplatform you get the minor 1-2% differences.

Similar to the ps2/xbox multiplatform situation... the Xbox was approximately 40% more powerful as well but due to crossplatform requirements it most of the time didn't show.

Multiplatforms are not a means of comparing console "power" or "quality"

and lest we forget

THE PURPOSE OF VIDEO GAMES IS TO HAVE FUN - AS LONG AS A GAME IS FUN THEN THE GOAL HAS BEEN MET!

[JoelR]

Actually not Duh.
It really depends on the depth of your programmer talent pool.
If they can learn new methods then the PS3 is not hard but if they are stuck in the PC mindset then the development is much harder.
Most dev's with diverse talent pools are not finding it hard - those who are PC centric are. <PERIOD>
Asymmetric/Symmetric Multiprocessing is the order of the day for Big Iron programmers.

[Montrealien]

Asymmetric/Symmetric Multiprocessing is the order of the day for Big Iron programmers?

That sucks, and here I though games where about fun. silly me.

[JoelR]

Just means that there are programmers out there with the skills to create great games on PS3 - but they probably are not PC programmers.

[Montrealien]

lol, I know, I was just joking, "Asymmetric/Symmetric Multiprocessing " made my eyes go crooked so I had to say something.

[JoelR]

people really can't take a joke eh montralien....
guys cut out the disagrees on him. - Mont is right in this case and it really does make you go buggy!

I know when I learned asymmetric and symmetric multiprocessing algorithms my eyes went buggy to... still am walleyed from the effort. LOL

[jaja1434]

The only really hard part about programming on the PS3(as told to us by a PS3 programmer) was because of the absolutely horrible branch prediction the system has. So I can very well see why it would be hard to code if you had to limit your BEQ statements.

[Ri0tSquad]

"There are naturally some minor graphical differences, but overall, gamers of either platform are going to have virtually identical experiences."

[JoelR]

"Nearly all of our DX10 features are possible to do on the consoles if you give it enough time and resources, so we'll keep on working on them and see what happens."

from the interview... gives you pause:DX10 features for consoles.

"Multiplayer, on the other hand, will be very similar to what our PC community is playing right now. The only real change is that we've limited the number of players to 5v5, which, in our opinion, is the perfect game size. We've always recommended clans and pro gamers to focus on 5v5 in professional leagues, and I'm sure that console gamers will agree."

Hmm 5v5 - I tend to think that is to small for most genres but for a RTS it may even be to many.

[Montrealien]

This is not your typical RTS multiplayer experience. 5vs5 will be sick on consoles, this game is the perfect console RTS if you ask me, fast paced and more on par with game like Counterstrike then Command and conquer.

[JoelR]

Hmm never played the PC version.
They have a mechanic that works 5v5 for a RTS? Most RTS would die from that situation.
Guess I will pick up it for the PC to see what's up.

[Montrealien]

you should, this game is very fun when it comes to multiplayer,

[TheIneffableBob]

Close to all of the so-called "DX10 features" are possible in DX9 or OpenGL.

And World in Conflict is an excellent game. It really does almost feel like a Counter-Strike for RTS'; the action never stops. An 8 vs. 8 match with artillery raining down from the sky, tanks plowing across the fields, and helicopters raining down destruction is really a visual feast.

[Fishy Fingers]

lol guess that's all those Dx10 features.

Either way, this isnt anything new, PS3 developerment IS harder.

[JoelR]

not really harder but different. If you are not versed in multiprocessing theory it's hard to optimize for.Sequential Algorithms do not scale well on none sequential hardware - thus you need to learn a new set of algorithms.

Challenging is definitely the proper word rather than harder. You need to learn new thought processes and methods (the challenging bit) but once you understand it it's actually quite easy.

[MediaStream]

"Either way, this isnt anything new, PS3 developerment IS harder."

Oh god...

[Fishy Fingers]

"Oh god" What?

360 programming is very similar to that for PC so obviously portiung their PC title to the consoles is going to be more challenging with the PS3 than 360.

JoelR: I agree with you, I only used "harder" to keep it simple.

[g3nkie]

What?! Since when??

[MK_Red]

WTF? When did this happen? I didn't know they were making it for PS3.

[g3nkie]

Ya, I was surprised by that too..

[SpartanGR]

Translation: PS3 version will be graphically inferior.. AGAIN

[jspc1989]

the point in that post was? lol. he basically said nothing that any1 might want actually want to know and gave the ''fanboys'' something to go crazy about in the process.

More b!tchy 13 year olds, thanx!! (sense the major sarcasm) xxx

[power of Green]

Its PR making excuses not so much telling you that PS3 is hard to develope for.

[kewlkat007]

..you know the Sega Saturn was a b$%^h to program for with it's 2 processors, as well.

[Trekster_Gamer]

Same story I hear again and again. It is harder to make a game of the same quality let alone better than it is to make for the 360. This is why the PS3 is losing and losing badly!

All the hype the PS3 gets and we see even the big titles ala GTA IV it just can't seem to give people that WOW factor of what it supposedly can do.

When they lower the price for the XB360 across the board then it will continue to pull away from the PS3.

[zypher]

it is more challenging to get the same quality out of the PS3 as the 360 when you're a developer who has spent majority of his/her time on a platform (PC) that shares a lot of similarities with the latter system. everyone should know by now that it is moronic to judge a system (especially the quality of its graphics) based on multiplatform games, especially since most multiplatform developers cater to the lowest common denominator (which usually has the highest install base). in this case we have a developer largely familiar with the PC porting a game to consoles, one of which just so happens to share similarities with the PC. considering all this, only a fanboy will blow Massive's statement out of proportion.

all that said just enjoy the game. like in most other cases before this, the difference in graphics between the PS3 and 360 versions will be negligible at best. unless you're an obsessive who pauses the game, zoom in by 1000% and notice that the 360 version has a few more sprites than the PS3 version.

[InMyOpinion]

In the end it's what comes out of the box that counts, not what's inside it...

[LenHart]

that makes anything on x360 look like outdated crap.

This is why we have Heavenly Sword --1000e enemies on screen. This is why we have MGS4 on a 50 gig Blu ray.We have Uncharted which beats out anything on x360 graphically and that includes Gears 2

MGS4 is goty 2008 and will also be the best selling game of 2008

All good exclusives are on PS3

[J@D]

I got the feeling the PS3 version will look inferior(graphically) compare with his counterpart.

[Ali_The_Brit]

The ps3 is just more complex. but once you figure out how to use it right its unstopable. currently only 20% of the PS3's power is used on most games, just because its different dont make it worse. its TRUE next gen

[ravinshield]

how the fuk do u know developers r using 20%.are u a developer,thats waht i tough.and no its not true next gen or else all of its games would be 1080p like ur game haze.

[DJ]

The developer already stated this. Though for some reason the director said the PS3 version may end up looking better, despite being behind in development most of the time. He was talking specifically about anti-aliasing, not other elements.

[Varsarus]

So he's saying the PS3 is more challenging, but they are both identical? hahahahahaha

[ban fans]

If you are playing a game on PS3 and you actually find yourself saying, "Wow, the colors on this game is just a micro-shade lighter than it is on Xbox360, the PS3 sucks," then you have way too much time on your hands and don't play games for the sake of enjoying the game at hand. I have yet to see any multiplatform game that is so substantially superior on either system as to make me take a step back and claim a victor in the "graphics war".

This "my system can beat up your system" crap is a joke! I don't know anyone who is truly disappointed in the system they own; thinking that maybe they should have chosen the other one. Enjoy the system you have and shut up about the competition if you can't look at it objectively.

[Vino]

The my console is better than your console stuff got old for me too, I get sick when people do that. Anyhow I haven't played the world in conflict games, the only rts game I played was star craft when I was at a friends house back in 1998.

[tk]

Minor differences - so the game will be enjoyed on both platforms. Good news.