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Remember when the Gamecube's spec.s were announced?
The 12 million poly's compared to the PS2's 70 million?
This was followed with a quick note that the PS2's count was technical stats, while the Gamecube's 6-12 mil was based around estimated games performance.
So why wasn't the PS2's stats based around games performance?
And why wasn't the Gamecube's reading the technical stats?
That's because these values were impossible to judge.
The systems has been designed in completely different ways.
The Gamecube's stats were clearly of better use to the devellopers as it gave them a better performance estimation.
I.E.
In usual conditions (relatively basic AI, special effects, etc), it would throw around 12 million polygons.
If you put the AI, special technique, etc on full, then it went down to 6 million per second.
These calculations were vital as it made it easier for the develloper to know how much they could cram into a game before the performance suffers (I.E. no more slowdown! Wehey!).
Such calculations are much, much more complex on the PS2 and Xbox and involve a lot of guesswork.
The Gamecube's different hardware sections were designed to work together making it easier to calculate how much one factor affects another.
This is partly why for most devellopers, the Gamecube is a dream to work with.
It also means they can toy with it, knowing how far they can go in certain directions, and knowing what sacrifices they need to make as a result.
On other systems this takes complex caculations with a lot of trial and error.
Look at Perfect Dark on the N64.
Even the programming masters at Rare failed to optimise the multiplayer so that polygon+AI simulants could work through 4 player split screen.
With the Gamecube, they'll find it a piece of cake, dumbing down the visuals enough to keep things running at a smooth 60FPS.
And you can see that devellopers are enjoying pushing their games in certain directions.
Take Rogue Leader and Resident Evil.
Notice how these two are the best looking games on the cube right now?
Is it a coincidence that they're very cinematic?
These games focus on the sound and graphics to produce an effective atmosphere, trying to be as much like a film as possible.
The Gameplay hasn't suffered as a result, but you can tell that other area's of the processing has been dumbed down in favour of the graphics and lighting effects.
Pikmin on the other hand is based around AI, with 100 individual Pikmin to control and lots of enemies, hazards, operating at once.
The graphics are still very nice, but you can tell that this game is geared towards AI while Rogue Leader is based towards media.
There's Sega's Monkey Ball.
They used the Gamecube's maths capabilties for physics.
Smash Brothers Melee has clearly used most of the power for character.
The gameplay is 2D, the backgrounds are relatively sparse, the but the characters and moves are as detailed and well animated as anything.
This suits a game based on Nintendo characters.
Luigi's Mansion also put a lot into character as well.
What will be interesting is when a develloper uses all aspects to the best the Gamecube can manage.
Slick graphics with strong character, complex AI and anything else the little box can do.
Who knows what Shigsy has in mind with Mario and Zelda...
The 12 million poly's compared to the PS2's 70 million?
This was followed with a quick note that the PS2's count was technical stats, while the Gamecube's 6-12 mil was based around estimated games performance.
So why wasn't the PS2's stats based around games performance?
And why wasn't the Gamecube's reading the technical stats?
That's because these values were impossible to judge.
The systems has been designed in completely different ways.
The Gamecube's stats were clearly of better use to the devellopers as it gave them a better performance estimation.
I.E.
In usual conditions (relatively basic AI, special effects, etc), it would throw around 12 million polygons.
If you put the AI, special technique, etc on full, then it went down to 6 million per second.
These calculations were vital as it made it easier for the develloper to know how much they could cram into a game before the performance suffers (I.E. no more slowdown! Wehey!).
Such calculations are much, much more complex on the PS2 and Xbox and involve a lot of guesswork.
The Gamecube's different hardware sections were designed to work together making it easier to calculate how much one factor affects another.
This is partly why for most devellopers, the Gamecube is a dream to work with.
It also means they can toy with it, knowing how far they can go in certain directions, and knowing what sacrifices they need to make as a result.
On other systems this takes complex caculations with a lot of trial and error.
Look at Perfect Dark on the N64.
Even the programming masters at Rare failed to optimise the multiplayer so that polygon+AI simulants could work through 4 player split screen.
With the Gamecube, they'll find it a piece of cake, dumbing down the visuals enough to keep things running at a smooth 60FPS.
And you can see that devellopers are enjoying pushing their games in certain directions.
Take Rogue Leader and Resident Evil.
Notice how these two are the best looking games on the cube right now?
Is it a coincidence that they're very cinematic?
These games focus on the sound and graphics to produce an effective atmosphere, trying to be as much like a film as possible.
The Gameplay hasn't suffered as a result, but you can tell that other area's of the processing has been dumbed down in favour of the graphics and lighting effects.
Pikmin on the other hand is based around AI, with 100 individual Pikmin to control and lots of enemies, hazards, operating at once.
The graphics are still very nice, but you can tell that this game is geared towards AI while Rogue Leader is based towards media.
There's Sega's Monkey Ball.
They used the Gamecube's maths capabilties for physics.
Smash Brothers Melee has clearly used most of the power for character.
The gameplay is 2D, the backgrounds are relatively sparse, the but the characters and moves are as detailed and well animated as anything.
This suits a game based on Nintendo characters.
Luigi's Mansion also put a lot into character as well.
What will be interesting is when a develloper uses all aspects to the best the Gamecube can manage.
Slick graphics with strong character, complex AI and anything else the little box can do.
Who knows what Shigsy has in mind with Mario and Zelda...
Page:
I just realised thats pritty much what you wrote! You sumed it up pritty damn good!
Good points raised.
But would this not mean that Gamecube games would reach thier technical peak very early?
This could be actually good in a sense. Think about it, if the developers reach the technical limits of the Gamecube early in its life, then will they not be more than likely to concentrate on the Gameplay aspects? resulting in better games for us :D what ya think?
But would this not mean that Gamecube games would reach thier technical peak very early?
This could be actually good in a sense. Think about it, if the developers reach the technical limits of the Gamecube early in its life, then will they not be more than likely to concentrate on the Gameplay aspects? resulting in better games for us :D what ya think?
Remember when the Gamecube's spec.s were announced?
The 12 million poly's compared to the PS2's 70 million?
This was followed with a quick note that the PS2's count was technical stats, while the Gamecube's 6-12 mil was based around estimated games performance.
So why wasn't the PS2's stats based around games performance?
And why wasn't the Gamecube's reading the technical stats?
That's because these values were impossible to judge.
The systems has been designed in completely different ways.
The Gamecube's stats were clearly of better use to the devellopers as it gave them a better performance estimation.
I.E.
In usual conditions (relatively basic AI, special effects, etc), it would throw around 12 million polygons.
If you put the AI, special technique, etc on full, then it went down to 6 million per second.
These calculations were vital as it made it easier for the develloper to know how much they could cram into a game before the performance suffers (I.E. no more slowdown! Wehey!).
Such calculations are much, much more complex on the PS2 and Xbox and involve a lot of guesswork.
The Gamecube's different hardware sections were designed to work together making it easier to calculate how much one factor affects another.
This is partly why for most devellopers, the Gamecube is a dream to work with.
It also means they can toy with it, knowing how far they can go in certain directions, and knowing what sacrifices they need to make as a result.
On other systems this takes complex caculations with a lot of trial and error.
Look at Perfect Dark on the N64.
Even the programming masters at Rare failed to optimise the multiplayer so that polygon+AI simulants could work through 4 player split screen.
With the Gamecube, they'll find it a piece of cake, dumbing down the visuals enough to keep things running at a smooth 60FPS.
And you can see that devellopers are enjoying pushing their games in certain directions.
Take Rogue Leader and Resident Evil.
Notice how these two are the best looking games on the cube right now?
Is it a coincidence that they're very cinematic?
These games focus on the sound and graphics to produce an effective atmosphere, trying to be as much like a film as possible.
The Gameplay hasn't suffered as a result, but you can tell that other area's of the processing has been dumbed down in favour of the graphics and lighting effects.
Pikmin on the other hand is based around AI, with 100 individual Pikmin to control and lots of enemies, hazards, operating at once.
The graphics are still very nice, but you can tell that this game is geared towards AI while Rogue Leader is based towards media.
There's Sega's Monkey Ball.
They used the Gamecube's maths capabilties for physics.
Smash Brothers Melee has clearly used most of the power for character.
The gameplay is 2D, the backgrounds are relatively sparse, the but the characters and moves are as detailed and well animated as anything.
This suits a game based on Nintendo characters.
Luigi's Mansion also put a lot into character as well.
What will be interesting is when a develloper uses all aspects to the best the Gamecube can manage.
Slick graphics with strong character, complex AI and anything else the little box can do.
Who knows what Shigsy has in mind with Mario and Zelda...
The 12 million poly's compared to the PS2's 70 million?
This was followed with a quick note that the PS2's count was technical stats, while the Gamecube's 6-12 mil was based around estimated games performance.
So why wasn't the PS2's stats based around games performance?
And why wasn't the Gamecube's reading the technical stats?
That's because these values were impossible to judge.
The systems has been designed in completely different ways.
The Gamecube's stats were clearly of better use to the devellopers as it gave them a better performance estimation.
I.E.
In usual conditions (relatively basic AI, special effects, etc), it would throw around 12 million polygons.
If you put the AI, special technique, etc on full, then it went down to 6 million per second.
These calculations were vital as it made it easier for the develloper to know how much they could cram into a game before the performance suffers (I.E. no more slowdown! Wehey!).
Such calculations are much, much more complex on the PS2 and Xbox and involve a lot of guesswork.
The Gamecube's different hardware sections were designed to work together making it easier to calculate how much one factor affects another.
This is partly why for most devellopers, the Gamecube is a dream to work with.
It also means they can toy with it, knowing how far they can go in certain directions, and knowing what sacrifices they need to make as a result.
On other systems this takes complex caculations with a lot of trial and error.
Look at Perfect Dark on the N64.
Even the programming masters at Rare failed to optimise the multiplayer so that polygon+AI simulants could work through 4 player split screen.
With the Gamecube, they'll find it a piece of cake, dumbing down the visuals enough to keep things running at a smooth 60FPS.
And you can see that devellopers are enjoying pushing their games in certain directions.
Take Rogue Leader and Resident Evil.
Notice how these two are the best looking games on the cube right now?
Is it a coincidence that they're very cinematic?
These games focus on the sound and graphics to produce an effective atmosphere, trying to be as much like a film as possible.
The Gameplay hasn't suffered as a result, but you can tell that other area's of the processing has been dumbed down in favour of the graphics and lighting effects.
Pikmin on the other hand is based around AI, with 100 individual Pikmin to control and lots of enemies, hazards, operating at once.
The graphics are still very nice, but you can tell that this game is geared towards AI while Rogue Leader is based towards media.
There's Sega's Monkey Ball.
They used the Gamecube's maths capabilties for physics.
Smash Brothers Melee has clearly used most of the power for character.
The gameplay is 2D, the backgrounds are relatively sparse, the but the characters and moves are as detailed and well animated as anything.
This suits a game based on Nintendo characters.
Luigi's Mansion also put a lot into character as well.
What will be interesting is when a develloper uses all aspects to the best the Gamecube can manage.
Slick graphics with strong character, complex AI and anything else the little box can do.
Who knows what Shigsy has in mind with Mario and Zelda...
Page: