970°

More reasons why PS3's blu-ray is needed for gaming

The PS3 version of Rage will be on 1 Bluray whereas the Xbox 360 and PC version will take up 2 DVDs. Click on story for full details.

ShiftyLookingCow6113d ago (Edited 6113d ago )

yeah might cause flame wars

[edit] hehe WTF lets all flame to eternity in hell

Carmack said in 1up interview "With this game and this engine, we have one set of data assets (textures and such). You're able to see right away if, for example, if the damn PS3 version isn't working [Carmack and other members of id continue to gripe about the wasted RAM overhead involved with a PS3 game]."

JsonHenry6113d ago

I dont care if I have change discs once on my Xbox. And I wont have to change discs PERIOD on my PC after I install directly to my hard drive. : )

BLACKJACK VII6113d ago (Edited 6113d ago )

Sony's reason for the BD being in there was to win the *Movie* Format war. While more than enough space is useful, in a lot of ways, I can't argue that. They forced developers into justifying the Extra space, while most of the early games are still lack luster.(of course that may change, but on the real tip, if BD and space, have been the real deal, then Xbox 360 wouldn't have won these awards:

Best E3 Console Game--Mass Effect
Best E3 RPG-- Mass Effect
Best E3 Action Game--COD4
Best E3 Action/Adventure--Bioshock
Best E3 Sport Game--Madden 08(@60 FPS)
Best E3 Online Multiplayer--Halo 3
Best E3 Fighting Game--Virtua Fighter 5(Online via XBL)
Best E3 Game not Mentioned--GTAIV(episodic content)

Wow, alot of awards for dvd9 games... where are the exclusive PS3 awards ?

BluRay Gaming ?

SONY is *4.3 MILLION* consoles behind M$ & slippin' everyday. Xbox360's software currently outsells Nintendo & PS3, & that's BEFORE Bioshock, Mass Effect, & Halo3 ! Just wait for the M$'s pricecuts & the *2007* software releasing this Fall - Ouch. Unless the PS3 dramaticly increases it's abysmal hardware & software sales, more & more developers are going to CONTINUE to drop off.

*The extra space that has been used on Bluray disks for PS3 games has been used for...

1) The duplication of data (so that the INCREDIBLY slow laser read speed doesn't handicap the system with respect to increased loading times - think Oblivian!)
2) Carefully placed filler and/or junk code so that Sony's first party developers could come out and say that they could not have made the game if not for the increased capacity of Bluray (i.e. Resistance anybody?).
3) Hours & hours of CG footage. Exactly how does that contribute to gameplay ?

The bottom line here is that both Bluray and HD-DVD was not yet ready to be implemented into video game consoles because of the very slow read speeds of the first initial drives (*including the one found in the PS3 today).

Oblivian only takes up 4.6GB of data - UNCOMPRESSED! - but on the PS3 it requires far more space because the developers HAD to carefully and tediously DUPLICATE DATA at various parts across the duration of the game so that the laser wouldn't have to read back and forth as many distances as a typical DVD-9 drive. Prominant developers have come out and publically stated that drive read speed is far more important this generation than disk storage capacity and anybody with any form of technical insight whatsoever knows that the only reason why Sony was FORCED to include a hard drive *standard* was because they needed to give developers the option of caching off of the hard drive - inorder to reduce slow loading times.

So why then do most PS3 games have inferior texture quality to 360 games & why do 360 games run smoother ? ...well it's because you will never see more than 256mb of texture memory used in a PS3 game EVER! ..and yes you can blame that on the partitioned RAM found in the PS3 which was a technical necessity to adapt the floating point monster (which is the Cell) to more general gaming functions.

The bottom line here is that DVD-9 is more than fine for games this generation and compression technology is only improving and has to continue to improve if all of the space offered by Bluray and HD-DVD is going to ever be used in future generations of consoles WITH MORE RAM because optical disk read speeds will never be fast enough to blankly make all of Sony's claims founded - as to why they justified including a trojan horse in their console so as to leaverage Sony fanboy's pockets to gain a lead in the *movie* format war and thereby collect royalties from Bluray disks in the future!

Despite this, even *IF* they are "running" out of space - I would still take the DVD-9 drive in the 360 over the incredibly slow Bluray drive in the PS3 (for gaming applications) anyday! It's a trade-off, BUT it is not as easy as saying "more space = better". It's technically alittle more complicated than that my friend.

bung tickler6113d ago

the title is the only thing thats gonna cause a flame war simeply because *NEEDED* would imply that the 360/pc WONT have the game because it can only fit on blu-ray.... however obviously it ISNT *NEEDED* cuz the 360/pc ARE getting the game on 2 dvd's... big deal i say. so xbox owners have to change the disk one whole time... WOW. major problems there.

hella whip6113d ago

@1.3 The title of this story was the same on the source website. However the site has since changed its title to: "More Reasons why PS3’s Blu-Ray wins over the 360’s DVD"

Gorgon6113d ago

Best E3 Action/Adventure--Bioshock

Since when is Bioshock an action/adventure game???

tehcellownu6113d ago

@1.2= all the games you listed is not even out yet..and bioshcok is on pc..and most likely comin to the PS3..also mass effect is barely fits into one disk!! you xbots got to understand that swappin disk isnt the future..lol..games will get bigger and blue ray will help out devlopers out a lot..this wont be only the game that will have mulitple disk..just look at blue dragon.its uses 3 disk.and that game isnt even amazing lookin at all..lol..

how many more games will come out in mulitple disk before lemmings stop sayin dvd is enough..lol.i feel so ashame for you guys..

Daewoodrow6112d ago

"you xbots got to understand that swappin disk isnt the future"

Nobody ever said it was. I'm just not willing to pay extra for this "future". I'd rather wait for the future and get a discount for the present.

Skizelli6112d ago

"you xbots got to understand that swappin disk isnt the future"

*Gasp* God forbid having to swap a disk or two. Are you really that lazy? It certainly isn't an inconvenience to me. With wireless controllers and all, it doesn't hurt getting up once in a while and working a muscle or two. As long as the game is good, I don't really give a crap what format it's on.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 6112d ago
paracardium6113d ago

It's true ..this day and age you shouldn't have to swap discs.

JsonHenry6113d ago

You don't, it is called PC gaming!!

Hypnotic6113d ago

Are you really that lazy you can't get your ass off the couch to change the disc? If anything it's going to be good for you. Do you only play one game? Or do you call your mom over to change the disc for you?

That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.

Skizelli6112d ago

I bet when he's done going potty, he cries out, "Mom, I'm done!"

Vip3r6113d ago (Edited 6113d ago )

I'm glad the PS3 uses BD. I'd really hate to pay lots of money on a console and then have to swap the disks.

eLiNeS6112d ago (Edited 6112d ago )

there are so little games for the PofS3. Less games to swap out.

They need to change the name of this site to News 4 Flamers. It's really getting old.

pts6113d ago (Edited 6113d ago )

NCAA football sold 89,000 copies for PS3, compared to 468,000 for the Xbox 360. We also know that counting PS3 as a Blu-ray player lowers the attach rate for movies, diluting the higher attach rate of standalone players. Some are using it for games, some are using it for movies. Unless you're using if for both, it is really hurting Sony.

As a videogame device, PS3 is turing into a major flop. It's losing exclusives to the 360. Both EA & Midway expressed disappointment in the PS3 last week. Even Ninja Gaiden Sigma, the PS3 exclusive AAA title has yet to sell 90,000 copies. The Xbox price is lowered next week and Halo 3 comes out a month later, I don't see much hope for PS3 as a game machine. Despite the $100 price drop, PS3 only outsold Xbox by 50,000 units in July. It would take 8 years for them to catch Xbox at that rate.

As a Blu-ray player, PS3 is doing slightly better. The sheer numbers of people who would blindly buy the next Playstation has given Blu-ray a huge advantage early on, but is it really helping Sony? If someone buys the $499 60GB PS3 as only a Blu-ray player, instead of the BD-300 for example, this is the worst thing that can happen for Sony! It means Sony is paying for a 60GB hard drive, a CELL processor, Wi-Fi adapter, memory card slots, an Nvidia video card and PS2 emotion engine chips for a device that is only going to watch movies. No wonder they are losing $200 on each system sold! On top of that, PS3 is all but killing standalone Blu-ray sales. Why does everybody think everything is rosey in the Blu-ray camp?

MJY2K6113d ago

Why don't you look and see how much 360s were sold at the start of it's life cycle? The number is very close to that of the PS3 and it's only competition was the PS2. Not to mention that the lauch of the PS3 in Europe was delayed by a couple of months, if it launched sooner, even more PS3s would have been sold.

Also, the 360 is only just selling better than the origional Xbox if you compare them.

pts6113d ago (Edited 6113d ago )

Yes, PS3 is a major disappointment. It's not just me saying it... it's game publishers, retailers and industry analysts.

jwatt6113d ago

Blu Ray has nothing to do with a game selling more on the 360, it's the one year head start witch gave the 360 a higher install base.
Plus why are you so worried about how much money Sony loses, think about us the consumer who's getting a good deal.

pts6113d ago

The point is: including Blu-ray has increased the costs of PS3 to the point where it is too expensive as a game machine.

jwatt6113d ago

Saying that the ps3 is not selling well is getting old, your point would be valid two months ago.

Clap Your Hands6113d ago

In the last month or so:
- Blockbuster (largest video rental company) announced they are promoting Blu-Ray over HD DVD
- Target (nation's #2 retailer) announced they are only selling Blu-Ray standalone players and will have endcap display units playing BD movies. No equivalant HD DVD display will be setup.
- BJ's warehouse went BD exclusive
- Even though Blu-Ray standalone players cost almost 2x more than HD DVD standalone players, sales are almost equal with HD DVD having a 55% vs 45% marketshare advantage
- PS3 firmware update for DVD upconversion and 24fps support.
- PS3 pricedrop which seems to have helped jumpstart more sales
- Tons of smaller studios going Blu-Ray
- 5 free movie rebate on any new Blu-Ray player (PS3 included)
- Blu-Ray crushing HD DVD in the Nielsen Videoscan ratings in the month of July even though HD DVD has more than 2x the releases. It looks like Blu-Ray ended up with a 67:33 lead for the month, even with less releases and the huge price drops on Toshiba players over the past few months.

cdzie16113d ago

PS3 is losing money for Sony at the same time it's killing standalone Blu-ray player sales. The new November spec calls for new mandatory hardware to be added to Blu-ray players to encode picture in picture (a feature HD DVD already does). This will make most 1st generation Blu-ray players obsolete. Meanwhile, the Blu-ray promotional group is outspending the HD DVD group by a 10 to 1 margin, yet all they can manage is a 2:1 sales lead?

Oh yeah, things are looking great for Blu-ray.. this could turn out to be the biggest blunder in history for Sony! The gambled their video game empire to subsidize Blu-ray and it is not paying off at the moment.

Sony may have to swallow it’s pride and do another $100 price cut out of desperation. However they try to spin it, it should be clear that Sony is in real trouble this round.

ReBurn6113d ago

Well, Clap Your Hands, everything's pretty rosy until you compare HD-DVD and Blu-ray to standard DVD. People can throw out all of the percentages they want to, but neither Blu-ray nor HD-DVD has any sort of mass-market appeal.

The truth is that neither format is exactly setting the world on fire, much less destroying the other at anything. As of April only 1 million Blu-ray discs had been sold, which was less than the number of players installed when you account for PS3 sales.

This "battle" is barely a blip on the retail radar. It is nowhere near a full-blown format war.

MarioFromTexas6113d ago

As the console prices come closer and closer, why not have Blu ray when you are paying the same amount for the cosole. By this time next year PS3 will be $400 and xbox elite $400, which do you think looks better to consumers, Bluray player, wifi, bluetooth, card reader, free online all at the same price.. So did Sony make a mistake or 360? Even if 360 added bluray they still couldn't take advantage of it, that's the disapointing thing. Don't give me crap that Sony forced blu ray, when bill gates stated that 360 was going to be release with an HDdvd drive, oh did you forget about those claims...The reason 360 does not have an HDDVD drive is because they rushed their product to get a year headstart not because it wasn't needed......Like when a game gets delayed I don't mind waiting because I know the product will be better when it's not rush.

ozps36113d ago (Edited 6113d ago )

To PTS, "4 - Blu-ray has been a huge mistake for PS3"

Get a brain, steal one if u can

Umbrella Corp6112d ago

Sony fanboys and any fanboy for that matter shouldnt disagree someone becouse they told the truth JsonHenry was right you shouldnt get angry, the pc is more powerfull then the ps3 its the TRUTH!The ps3 has Blu-Ray which was in my opinion was a smart move by sony,a lot of space is great but that doesnt mean it is gonna win the console war,the wii 360 and ps3 all have the same chance to win so stop acting like know it all jerks!
EDIT:no offense you just act like that

+ Show (8) more repliesLast reply 6112d ago
jlemdon6113d ago

get off there lazy asses and make allow developers to make use of HD-DVD then they will come in last place.

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110°

Xbox Deals With Gold and Spotlight Sale Discounts – 4th-10th Aug 2020

Neil writes: "Just been paid? Fancy getting a new game added to that backlog of shame? The Xbox Deals With Gold and Spotlight Sale is back with even more discounts on a variety of great Xbox titles. If you've got time in your life for a new gaming experience, the following bargain basement titles are available for your cut-price purchasing between 4th-10th August 2020."

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Rage from id Software and Bethesda Softworks was largely overlooked, yet its handcrafted FPS open world and memorable characters transcend genre convention.

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Fist4achin1620d ago

I enjoyed the first game. I plan to play the sequel soon!

210°

Here are Star Wars The Force Unleashed, Crysis 2, RAGE & Resident Evil 2 Remake with Ray Tracing

YouTube’s members ‘Digital Dreams’ and ‘Jose cangrejo’ have shared some videos, showcasing Pascal Gilcher’s Reshade mod – which adds Ray Tracing/Path Tracing effects – in some really old games such as Star Wars The Force Unleashed, Crysis 2, RAGE and Resident Evil 6.

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traumadisaster1773d ago

I'm still learning how to look for the differences. At first I was focusing on shadows for some reason but I don't think that changes much, is it reflections that change?

rashada071773d ago (Edited 1773d ago )

It is supposed to be simulating how light actually works- so yes if light is reflecting off a surface accurately it should show reflection or an effect that matches what you are looking at in the environment. Next time you play a game look at a puddle of water there may be just a "baked" in texture that if you aren't paying attention seems like it is reflecting but it isn't. I would say though if the light is reflecting more accurately I would think that would give more accurate shadows as well.
I am still not 100% sold on it- it looks okay but I can't get over the hardware price jump for better reflections..

Taz X141772d ago

While games won't look immensely better, it opens up more possibilities overall. Understandably, the price jump is huge. But, that can be said for being at the forefront for any new technology. I'm currently using a 2080ti and while I've played a few games that enable it, the gpu also plays everything else incredibly well so it's not like you're buying this tech for ONLY that option. Enthusiasts will pay top dollar to check out the newest things, but this will eventually become an everyday consumer and by then they'll have optimized and become a lot cheaper.

warriorcase1772d ago

Ray/path tracing can be used how the developer wants it to be. Tracing can be used to calculate shadows/lighting, reflection and even audio, where audio waves are calculated on the bounce off material types to simulate enviroment and echos accuratly.

Should also keep in mind that this ray/path tracing system is different and less accurate option from Nvidias RTX branded type. McFly's is a reshade that layers over the top of the game and therefor the quality will vary drastically. For example you can see nice reflection in the Star Wars demo here but it then introduces colour clipping with the light saber. On a video of GTA 5 for example it was incorrectly projecting a reflection of a red car onto the road which caused a very faint red glow on the ground around the car.

If you want to see a good example of a game developed with ray tracing reflection and lighting in mind then you could look up the youtube video of "Control - Exclusive E3 RTX GAMEPLAY Trailer".

DigitallyAfflicted1772d ago

It supposed to add more realistic light Not actually more light effects and explosions

traumadisaster1772d ago

I hate to say it but I’m fine with fake lights, shadows, reflections. I just kind of like the effect, it’s also great it saves resources for other things.

I’ve been checking out some original Xbox games on x360/x1x and the engine has fake light streaming in through a stained glass window, and I love it even though I know it’s not real time lighting. Heck it even shifts as I move about.

I’ve about convinced my self rt and hdr just doesn’t work for me. Before hdr I would even complain damn why are the headlights killing me they are so bright.

I notice most frame rate, then jaggies, then resolution; with the last two interchangeable depending.

Other day watched an enthusiast rave over 4k and the poor guy was in 1080p. I played the same game the night before and thought wow this is clean, I wonder if it’s 4k, but knew differently and I thought wow even resolution is not always important. The next day he apologized and was surprised he could be fooled.

RaidenBlack1772d ago

EA should have released the Crysis Trilogy Remaster for this gen.

FGHFGHFGH1767d ago

How come the lightsabers don't give off any light? Even in the EA star wars game the guy uses it to light up a dark cave. I guess if it is using frostbite it will support rtx cards.