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lordnikon
rank 59
Posted:
Wed Jun 29, 2005 8:42 am
quote : #1
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Posts: 2839
Type: NTSC-U/C
Darkwatch has been pushed back multiple times. It was one of the many FPS’s slated to be released last fall. It is now June and still no Darkwatch. What happened? Sammy Studios, a North American developer of Sammy Corp., split off from the main company. They are now independent and have a new name, High Moon Studios. These things can get complicated, offset deadlines, and even cause employees to leave because of job stability. Remember, for PS2 online gaming, the developer is expected to front the funding for the online network kit. So I can understand why they had to cut the online from Darkwatch. The game will still be released on the PS2 with 2-player split-screen and some exclusive PS2 content.

In a recent press release Ubisoft stated: "Far Cry Instincts will be available exclusively for the Microsoft Xbox." With this generation of consoles drawing to an end in the marketplace, and the over saturation of First Person Shooters, it is no wonder Instincts is getting canceled. Plus you have to factor in UbiSoft’s mediocre track record on the PS2. So far Ghost Recon Jungle Storm and Pandora Tomorrow have been the only bright spots. It wouldn’t surprise me if the development team was working so hard on the Xbox version, that the PS2 version was just sitting there getting hardly any attention. So they decided to cut the game, instead of taking more flak from reviewers and PS2 online gamers.

In the end I think this was for the best. I want UbiSoft to bring us a quality game, or no game at all. We don’t need any more situations like “RS3” or “GR2”.

So where do we stand with FPS’s on the PS2?

The only other confirmed, (for the moment) FPS is an upcoming WW2 shooter titled Commandos Strike Force, slated for a September release. Other than this there are no other upcoming FPS’s to be released. There are 2 speculative releases, Black and Call of Duty 2. However there has been no official word on the multiplayer for these games on any platform. So it will be a few more months before we find this out.

It looks like the PS2’s online FPS lineup will be settling around 15 games. I think this is a perfect number if you ask me. This actually gives enough room for gamers to collect a large number of First Person Shooters for the PS2 without feeling overwhelmed. Plus, you have to love the fact that knowing what the final list will be, helps make decisions on buying games.

With these turn of events it makes it pretty remarkable that Snowblind and TimeSplitters 3 had LAN implemented. Had either game been missing this feature, it would have had a serious impact on the selection of PS2 FPS’s with LAN. Which currently sits at 5 games, and 6 if you include the I.LINK compatible Unreal Tournament.

This isn’t to say that no more shooting based games are coming to the PS2, as the next 8 months will yield a total of 17 action and tactical based shooters. Look forward to a new feature in the coming week on just a few of these key titles.


Last edited by lordnikon on Fri Sep 09, 2005 5:54 pm; edited 5 times in total
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The most effective, in this war?
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Mir_wan
rank 39
Posted:
Wed Jun 29, 2005 7:53 pm
quote : #2
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Posts: 931
Darkwatch looked like a great game too... i have played a demo and it seemed pretty fun... i hope hte best for this game.
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MasterChief
rank 16
Posted:
Wed Jun 29, 2005 10:21 pm
quote : #3
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Posts: 298
yeah darkwatch looks awesome. im still probebly gonna get it.
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TheMytho
rank 38
Posted:
Wed Jun 29, 2005 10:47 pm
quote : #4
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Posts: 862
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I'm going to give Darkwatch a chance on Xbox.

That's too bad Far Cry was canceled, but in all honesty, I wasn't suprised.

-Mytho
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lordnikon
rank 59
Posted:
Wed Jun 29, 2005 11:09 pm
quote : #5
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Yea I should clarrify that Darkwatch will have online for Xbox.
  _________________
The most effective, in this war?
The Bydo have it... and they control it.
Mir_wan
rank 39
Posted:
Thu Jun 30, 2005 7:49 am
quote : #6
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Posts: 931
o well hopefully the xbox version can hold up.... The story to this game seemed interesting. How one a train robery your character lets out some evilk spirits and it his job to send em back.
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Everyone needs Sorrow-------------------
Freshcut_t70
banned!
Posted:
Thu Jun 30, 2005 5:56 pm
quote : #7
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Posts: 63
In all honesty concerning Far Cry Instincts, the PS2 version would not look near as good as the Xbox game. I have the PC version and i think it will be hard on the Xbox let alone the PS2. Developers have moved on to the new consoles and remaining projects pretty much get cancelled or moved to the Xbox for this reason i've pointed out.
 
lordnikon
rank 59
Posted:
Thu Jun 30, 2005 7:16 pm
quote : #8
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Freshcut_t70 wrote:
In all honesty concerning Far Cry Instincts, the PS2 version would not look near as good as the Xbox game. I have the PC version and i think it will be hard on the Xbox let alone the PS2. Developers have moved on to the new consoles and remaining projects pretty much get cancelled or moved to the Xbox for this reason i've pointed out.

It has nothing to do with graphics looking good. It has to do with performance. UbiSoft isn't sitting around thinking "We won't have enough time to get the PS2 version to look on par the xbox or pc versions." It all comes down to performance. Bugs, Glitches, FrameRate, Multiplayer, and the Online. If UbiSoft can't nail down these crucial elements, they should just drop the title.

I will give you a key example: Ghost Recon Jungle Storm

I was online the other day play with Apple and DietGarfield. There were over 120 players online playing Jungle Storm. Not only did Ghost Recon 2's graphics blow Jungle Storms out of the water, but Jungle Storm is one of the least graphically impressive online games released. Sporting an oldschool 3D look in a sense. So why the hell is this game still plugging along?

Performance.

The game has a ton of features and the FRAMERATE runs smooth. I think everyone can agree that we would all prefer a solid framerate to double the polys.

UbiSoft rushed out quite a few games on the PS2 that ended up having major technical issues. It kills the gaming experience. Gamers arn't complaining about graphics, they are complaining about strange lag, loading times, framerate issues, broken online rankings, glitching online, and disconnects.

P.S: Finally the age old argument of consoles being to blame for a games short comings is a stereotype that needs to be put to rest. Lets take Project Snowblind for instance. Multiple review sites have stated that the PS2 version looks graphically better and runs smoother than the Xbox or PC versions. Is this because of the console? No. It is because of the developers. Crystal Dynamics was more familiar with the PS2 platform. If UT can run on the Dreamcast and Area 51 can run at full framerate on the PS2 with all that shit flying around the screen, then there is no reason Far Cry could get developed for the PS2 and have the same fidelity and graphical presence as its PC counter-part. The developers at UbiSoft who work on their shooters are obviously not as skilled with platforms like the PS2 or GameCube, as they are the Xbox or PC. It has very little to do with the limits of the hardware.
  _________________
The most effective, in this war?
The Bydo have it... and they control it.
Freshcut_t70
banned!
Posted:
Thu Jun 30, 2005 7:34 pm
quote : #9
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Posts: 63
Have you seen the PC version? Very high res and unequaled water , jungle effects. I don't think any console is up to the challenge. I had to get a new graphics card to get this to run decent. As far as glitches go, developers are the problem when comes to porting titles from one console to another. I think PC games are usually easier to port to the XBOX, i read this somewhere. Dreamcast was supposedly easier to program for as well, i think Sega learned their lesson with the Saturn which was really hard to develop on.
 
lordnikon
rank 59
Posted:
Thu Jun 30, 2005 8:02 pm
quote : #10
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Posts: 2839
Type: NTSC-U/C
Freshcut, go here and check out some of these movies:

http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/area51/media.html

Developer Interview (look for thumbnail of a guy with a fuzzy beard)
Gain some additional insight on the development process behind Area 51 in this exclusive interview.

Technical Demonstration (look for the teapot thumbnail)
This incredible guided tour through the rendering engine of Area 51 shows you how the PlayStation 2 is being used to its fullest.

I can't direct link to them, so gonna have to look through the list and find them. But watch these movies and you will understand where I am coming from.
  _________________
The most effective, in this war?
The Bydo have it... and they control it.
Freshcut_t70
banned!
Posted:
Thu Jun 30, 2005 8:32 pm
quote : #11
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Posts: 63
I think this developer definitely knows the PS2 hardware very well. The game looks great and runs smooth. Both interviews you pointed showed that these guys pushed the hardware to the limit. I've only played the PC version of this game so its hard for me to say if the consoles are as good but the video did show some nice graphics.
 
lordnikon
rank 59
Posted:
Thu Jun 30, 2005 8:43 pm
quote : #12
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Posts: 2839
Type: NTSC-U/C
Yea my point is that it all comes down to the developers, rather than the limitations of a console. Do I think UbiSoft is capable of putting Far Cry Instincts on the PS2? No way. I think UbiSoft has been getting "better" at developing for the PS2. However I still don't think they are at a level of technical prowess to get all into the PS2 and what it is capable of. They don't even use the GameCube...an extremly powerfull system to make their games look good. I think Splinter Cell, the original, looked great on gamecube. However Pandora Tomarrow and Chaos Theory ended up being even less impressive on cube than even the PS2 versions. Which is just totally assinine.

The true test for UbiSoft's developers will come with this game, which will be a tall order considering all the demanding features they already have announced for the PS2 version.

All in all, in the end I am glad Far Cry Instincts got canceled. I have no faith that UbiSoft would have been able to bring the game faithfully to the PS2. They just don't have the skills to back it up.
  _________________
The most effective, in this war?
The Bydo have it... and they control it.
Freshcut_t70
banned!
Posted:
Thu Jun 30, 2005 8:52 pm
quote : #13
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Posts: 63
I've never played Ghost Recon 2, Rainbow Six 3 on the PS2, i do have GR2 on the XBOX and don't have any problems with it. I guess thats why some companies let another developer port a game to another console. Just look at Quake on the Saturn, a great looking game, and thats because of the developer. It looked better then the N64 version.
 
lordnikon
rank 59
Posted:
Thu Jun 30, 2005 9:07 pm
quote : #14
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Posts: 2839
Type: NTSC-U/C
Freshcut_t70 wrote:
i do have GR2 on the XBOX and don't have any problems with it.

And you shouldn't have any problems with it. GR2 is a great game on the Xbox. At gamerankings the average ratio for the Xbox version is about 80% and the PS2 version 60%, GC version 48 %. And its not just the fact that the PS2 and the Xbox versions were different games (each actually takes place in a different local with different missions). But the PS2 version was gutted hardcore. Check out this thread if you want a really long low-down on Ghost Recon PS2 shizzle
  _________________
The most effective, in this war?
The Bydo have it... and they control it.
TheMytho
rank 38
Posted:
Thu Jun 30, 2005 10:05 pm
quote : #15
profile : pm
Posts: 862
Type: NTSC-U/C
In addition to what the Inevitable/Midway Austin team has done, http://www.playstation2-linux.com/files/p2lsd/ps2_normalmapping.pdf shows us Normal Mapping, which was thought too advance for the PS2 to perform, is certaintly possible.

It's not what you have to work with, it's how you work with and around supposed limitations.

-Mytho
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