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Why, oh why do manufacturers not take us seriously? With Europe having overtaken America and Japan in profit generated we still get sub-standard consoles with horrendous delays between releases in Japan and over here.
Take 60 Hz modes in games. A mode that lets UK gamers play faster, smoother games just as they should be. Sega and Nintendo have both taken the time to build in code to their development kits to make 60 Hz mode almost standard in their consoles’ games. Yet the biggest market player, Sony has happily been ignorant of the benefit of such modes. Even worse, they allow publishers to release games with huge borders and so much slowdown that my dead grandma could run faster than some of them!
Not only is 60 Hz not at all hard to implement, thus meaning that it should be standard, but a lack of 50 Hz optimisation is something that should have been eradicated years ago. The lack of these just demonstrates manufacturers’ complacent attitudes- not feeling that they should provide us with games of the highest standard.
Then there’s the pricing of consoles and games. Not only is it insulting that most manufacturers use a conversion rate of £1 = $1 so that a console is £300 in the UK and $300 in America, but that the exact same console (made to UK spec) is sold in Australia for less!
Now, I can easily see manufacturers saying that the higher UK price (compared to America) is due to having to convert the console to play through PAL TVs, but when those same consoles are sold at a lower price in Australia then you have to question them.
But the one biggest complaint I have about the treatment of UK gamers is the delays we suffer to play new consoles and games. If every game were to be optimised and include a 60 Hz mode then I wouldn’t have a quarrel with waiting a few months. However, they’re generally not.
Even more amazingly, Australians (yes, them again!) get their games often before us and at a cheaper price. They even get special edition games- like the gold Zelda carts- that we miss out on. All this despite them being a smaller market and using exactly the same games as us. The whole thing shows a blatant disregard for the quality of treatment of UK gamers.
You might wonder the reason for this rift between the Australians and ourselves. Well, it’s simple. Game shipments and release dates in the UK are controlled by the European branches of manufacturers (e.g. Sony Europe). Meanwhile Australian game shipments are controlled by the Japanese branches of manufacturers and publishers.
Isn’t it obvious that manufacturers and publishers are getting complacent with the UK market? As long as they get sales they continue to charge us over-the-odds for sub-standard consoles and games. Isn’t this exactly the sort of thing that the Euro is meant to stop? If so then I’m all for it!
Sonic
Take 60 Hz modes in games. A mode that lets UK gamers play faster, smoother games just as they should be. Sega and Nintendo have both taken the time to build in code to their development kits to make 60 Hz mode almost standard in their consoles’ games. Yet the biggest market player, Sony has happily been ignorant of the benefit of such modes. Even worse, they allow publishers to release games with huge borders and so much slowdown that my dead grandma could run faster than some of them!
Not only is 60 Hz not at all hard to implement, thus meaning that it should be standard, but a lack of 50 Hz optimisation is something that should have been eradicated years ago. The lack of these just demonstrates manufacturers’ complacent attitudes- not feeling that they should provide us with games of the highest standard.
Then there’s the pricing of consoles and games. Not only is it insulting that most manufacturers use a conversion rate of £1 = $1 so that a console is £300 in the UK and $300 in America, but that the exact same console (made to UK spec) is sold in Australia for less!
Now, I can easily see manufacturers saying that the higher UK price (compared to America) is due to having to convert the console to play through PAL TVs, but when those same consoles are sold at a lower price in Australia then you have to question them.
But the one biggest complaint I have about the treatment of UK gamers is the delays we suffer to play new consoles and games. If every game were to be optimised and include a 60 Hz mode then I wouldn’t have a quarrel with waiting a few months. However, they’re generally not.
Even more amazingly, Australians (yes, them again!) get their games often before us and at a cheaper price. They even get special edition games- like the gold Zelda carts- that we miss out on. All this despite them being a smaller market and using exactly the same games as us. The whole thing shows a blatant disregard for the quality of treatment of UK gamers.
You might wonder the reason for this rift between the Australians and ourselves. Well, it’s simple. Game shipments and release dates in the UK are controlled by the European branches of manufacturers (e.g. Sony Europe). Meanwhile Australian game shipments are controlled by the Japanese branches of manufacturers and publishers.
Isn’t it obvious that manufacturers and publishers are getting complacent with the UK market? As long as they get sales they continue to charge us over-the-odds for sub-standard consoles and games. Isn’t this exactly the sort of thing that the Euro is meant to stop? If so then I’m all for it!
Sonic
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Turbo, I had completely forgot that PAL was invented to get rid of the NotTheSameColour system used over the pond!
However, it does come at the loss of refresh rate. This shouldn't be a problem at all- Zelda OOT ran so smoothly that a 60Hz mode wouldn't be needed.
But with so many games, developers leave in borders, don't optimise code and leave us with substandard games. Capcom must come first in this catagory- anyone played Devil May Cry!?
Sonic
However, it does come at the loss of refresh rate. This shouldn't be a problem at all- Zelda OOT ran so smoothly that a 60Hz mode wouldn't be needed.
But with so many games, developers leave in borders, don't optimise code and leave us with substandard games. Capcom must come first in this catagory- anyone played Devil May Cry!?
Sonic
Wehey. Delta Java has returned. Welcome back.
Shame most of the big name devopers in the world are stuck on the "should be ageing but isn't" NTSC.
OPS2 have just this month started stating display mode options. That should scare teh devvies a bit.
Personally I don't care. Some games I just run un 50hz anyway because they definition is higher. That's why PAL was invented.
Personally I don't care. Some games I just run un 50hz anyway because they definition is higher. That's why PAL was invented.
V, I have not had these problems. Using 60Hz thorough a Scart I have no reduction in graphical quality- chances are that it's just your TV... perhaps you've got NTSC rather than PAL 60 enabled (or whichever order makes sense!)?
As for the slowdown, using only 60Hz I can't really say I an judge the difference. Does sound odd though!
As for the slowdown, using only 60Hz I can't really say I an judge the difference. Does sound odd though!
V.V.V.V.V. wrote:
On the whole I always
> select 50hz - I can't stand slowdown, and I prefer it if the visuals are as
> sharp as possible.
The blurryness you describe depends on your TV set, for example on the 21" TV in my bedroom all my DC games run on 60Hz without any loss in visuals. But when i play it on my mates older 14" TV it does blur on 60Hz even though it should support it. I'm guessing the slowdown probably comes because the game is updating itself faster and in certain places where there is more to load, it has to slow down to capacitate this without crashing.
On the whole I always
> select 50hz - I can't stand slowdown, and I prefer it if the visuals are as
> sharp as possible.
The blurryness you describe depends on your TV set, for example on the 21" TV in my bedroom all my DC games run on 60Hz without any loss in visuals. But when i play it on my mates older 14" TV it does blur on 60Hz even though it should support it. I'm guessing the slowdown probably comes because the game is updating itself faster and in certain places where there is more to load, it has to slow down to capacitate this without crashing.
Why is it that with many Dreamcast games for example, if you select 60hz the graphics seem to be slightly blurry and slowdown occurs much more often?
Two examples:
CRAZY TAXI 1 or 2:
-50hz - crisper graphics, no slowdown.
-60hz - graphics are not as crisp, sporadic slowdown.
In 60hz the game is faster however.
It was very similar with Jet Set Radio.
SHENMUE 1 or 2:
-50hz - no slowdown.
-60hz - a bloody lot of slowdown.
60hz does make things faster and the screen update smoother, but why does slowdown increase? And in many cases, why do the visuals have a more blurry appearance?
On the whole I always select 50hz - I can't stand slowdown, and I prefer it if the visuals are as sharp as possible.
Two examples:
CRAZY TAXI 1 or 2:
-50hz - crisper graphics, no slowdown.
-60hz - graphics are not as crisp, sporadic slowdown.
In 60hz the game is faster however.
It was very similar with Jet Set Radio.
SHENMUE 1 or 2:
-50hz - no slowdown.
-60hz - a bloody lot of slowdown.
60hz does make things faster and the screen update smoother, but why does slowdown increase? And in many cases, why do the visuals have a more blurry appearance?
On the whole I always select 50hz - I can't stand slowdown, and I prefer it if the visuals are as sharp as possible.
Sianora (sic)
That is very stupid... they may as well let them sell the Snes games or people will simply download emulators and ROMs! And then they want to close down all ROM sites... bah.
I'm off to Japan. (can anyone translate?)
I'm off to Japan. (can anyone translate?)
You are not going to believe what Nintendo have just done...
They've banned Computer Exchange (a big Retro gaming store chain) from selling imported NES and SNES games- even those that were never released in the UK! Not only do Nintendo lose nothing from them doind this (when was the last time you saw new SNES games on sale?), but they've annoyed a lots ofhardcore customers...
The only logic I can see behind it is that they want people to spend money on the GC, and not the older consoles. Pathetic really... so much for Nintendo UK being the saviour!
They've banned Computer Exchange (a big Retro gaming store chain) from selling imported NES and SNES games- even those that were never released in the UK! Not only do Nintendo lose nothing from them doind this (when was the last time you saw new SNES games on sale?), but they've annoyed a lots ofhardcore customers...
The only logic I can see behind it is that they want people to spend money on the GC, and not the older consoles. Pathetic really... so much for Nintendo UK being the saviour!
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