Turn 10 responds to Forza graphics backlash

[Sethos]

Turn 10 responds to Forza graphics backlash

Tuesday 29-Sep-2009 11:30 AM In-game car models "could be better" admits dev

Since the playable demo for Forza Motorsport 3 went live last week, gamers have complained that the game's in-game visuals don't live up to screenshots previously released by developer Turn 10.

Complaints focus mainly on the car models, which appear to be of a noticeably lower detail than when in the game's photo mode. A Turn 10 rep explains: "One clarification about photomode and screenshots we've released so far. Aside from the added effects such as AA, DOF, and motion blur, all assets you see in photomode are the same," said Turn 10's Che Chou.

"Although I do stand corrected on one factor which is the player car. They do have higher detail in photomode while all other cars, the environments, etc. are exactly what you see in game," he went on to admit.

"Anyway, did not mean to mislead or 'play dumb' with earlier statements as I misunderstood how LODs were being used in the various modes," added Chou.

He went on to defend the overall look of the game against forum user complaints. "Games with bad graphics distract me from my experience. That said, when I play FM3, I do not think about how awful the graphics are or low in-game car models, etc. simply because the overall effect is that the game looks good. Can it look better? Yes, totally and I agree it is not perfect. But does it justify the vitriol of some of the threads I've scanned this morning? I'm not sure that it does."

What did you think of the demo?

CVG

[Draken]

were they aiming to run at 60fps? mmmm that was a bad thing that they apparently lied with the screenshots ....well kinda

May be that LOD is impossible in-game for this generation hardware?

[Chasethebase Veteran]

It looks nice, and even though I haven't played it yet, I'm sure it's still going to be a great game. In the end a quality release is all I expect.

I wouldn't complain about this, because I'm the sort who wouldn't care about a slight difference in graphics, oh wait, it's people whining about graphics in games again? Things never change... :rolleyes:

EDIT: I can see why they're frustrated yes, but still I'm just happy with a game that's fun to play and looks reasonably good.

[George P Global Moderator]

So this all started because in photomode, the players car graphics and overall look is upped a bit using more AA and so on compared to in-game? Is that right?

If so, I don't see why the moaning is taking place. The game can obviously do this because in playback/photomode/replay etc, it's free to put a little extra processing time on the models compared to the actual in-game race where loads of other things are being processed. It's a simple trade off that has to be made imo. That said the game could've looked better as they say, but it's at 2 DVDs already, they didn't want to make it 3 I'm sure.

[Defiantly]

I tried the demo. Didn't think it looked that bad at all. But, I dunno, it was kinda boring. I'm still getting it though.

[Smashing Pumpkin]

I tried the demo. Didn't think it looked that bad at all. But, I dunno, it was kinda boring. I'm still getting it though.

Try activating the clutch and manual gears, if you havn't already, I found that made things a lot more fun.

[Smigit]

It's not like this is the first or will be the last title to have models look better in replays. I thought it was a given that the shots shown earlier would generally have more processing applied to those in an actual race.

[jonhapimp]

i would troll all over this but i wont, everybody knows they prep screenshots

[Kronir]

i would troll all over this but i wont, everybody knows they prep screenshots

+1

[ViperAFK]

The environments look really nice, but eh cars are unimpressive. I actually think shift had better graphics, particularly the cockpit view.

GT5 is probably gonna own them both :p too bad I don't have a ps3, I used to love playing gt3 on my ps2.

[Mr_Edwardo]

I hate to say "I told you so", but it was obvious from the release of Forza 2 that the pics released all along were from photo mode, which does look slightly better, as I said in my post here :rolleyes:

[HawkMan]

I hate to say "I told you so", but it was obvious from the release of Forza 2 that the pics released all along were from photo mode, which does look slightly better, as I said in my post here :rolleyes:

aaaand ? of course they where form photomode, that was already a known, that's also why most of the screens had no driver. those that did however would most likely be from replay though.

oh well, I'll give you some praise.

Good boy! You noticed the obvious. :rolleyes:

In any case, you'd be hard pressed to call the Forza 3 graphics anything resembling bad. I rather they put the processing power towards the actual racing and simulation/physics rather than looks unlike other most other sim racers anyway. Even though I do like a good lookign car game, but if the sim part is mere arcade, then I'd rather play an actual arcade game like PGR.

[Dotdot]

This all effects gameplay how?

[AbandonedTrolley]

Well Forza does look good, no it's not at GT5 standards, but you have to remember the cost of consoles in comparison to their PC counterparts. The console itself is normally less than a single graphics card that some people seem to be cmparing it to. People need realistic expectations of what the machine can achieve with what it has to work with. Agreed sometimes PR companies shoot themselves in the foot with bullshots but that's what they seem to do best.

[jonhapimp]

It's funny because there were so many people saying that forza 3 will look alot better than GT5 which i find funny when it's not

[Bhav]

*insert trolling here* :p

Ah well..not a big fan of racing sims anyway so I'm not too involved in the Forza vs GT debate. Tis a shame so many companies use "false" screenshots.

[Lamp0]

So the photo mode makes the images look better, this was obvious. You'd have to quite an anal nerd to make a fuss. The game looks amazing.

The environments look really nice, but eh cars are unimpressive. I actually think shift had better graphics, particularly the cockpit view.

Unimpressive? Really?

I seriously think some people either have eye sight problems or issues with their TV.

[carmatic]

so this kinds of splits forza3 , and other games that do this , into 2 different parts... the low quality graphics part where you focus on the gameplay, and the high quality replays where you show off your driving... after all they didnt put the high quality models there just so people skip the replays

[BajiRav]

So the photo mode makes the images look better, this was obvious. You'd have to quite an anal nerd to make a fuss. The game looks amazing.

Unimpressive? Really?

I seriously think some people either have eye sight problems or issues with their TV.

My TV is fine, but I had set my expectation set low after Forza2 and let's just say I wasn't disappointed. The game doesn't look as great when playing. I don't care much about replays and am more of a NFS/PGR person(I mean arcade). :/ The graphics are good but they should show actual game footage.

Edited October 1, 2009 by dhan

[Remysaus]

so, is there a photomode in the demo? cause I can't find it...

[NoLiMiT06]

No photomode in the demo. The samething was true in Forza 2 as well, the game looked much better in photomode than in real time. To me the game is beautiful and way ahead of Froza 2, but when I am driving at 100 mph+ I am not paying attention to the door locks and lug nuts on the opponents cars or the bolts holding up the grand stands lol :D Still keeping my pre-order for the LE edition :)

[Briandl79]

I'm going to have to disagree with a few of you here.

There was a time when we would see screen shots and we all knew they were from FMV's and/or were not actual game play. Then there was a time that we would all be in shock when we found out screens were of actual game play, think Gears Of War, Assassins Creed, etc.

So now we've gone back to faking screen shots, I didn't get the memo on that one.

[NoLiMiT06]

Well they are not lying, photomode is technically in-game :D

[George P Global Moderator]

It's not faking anything. I like how some of you are trying to spin this like it is for some unknown reason (though maybe I can guess why).

All they do is add some AA and other effects, plus a little more detail in photomode which they can because the game itself isn't using the GPU/CPU like it is during a race. They made it very clear. Photomode is FROM THE GAME, not a doctored up photoshop image some of the designers did just for kicks and PR.

Fake, in this instance doesn't apply.

[Mr_Edwardo]

Give me 60FPS over prettier graphics any day.