Sony E3 2013 Discussion Thread (Press - 6/10)

[Twigg4075]

Trying to watch the rest now.

Watchdogs looks very cool but I hate these demos because I never get to do all the cool shit that the devlopers do. Also, maybe it was the YouTube video I'm wathcing but most of the NPCs looked like they were from current gen. Some graphics looked really good but most of it didn't look overly amazing.

I couldn't care less about Elder Scrolls. PS4 owners get into the beta? Wippee!

Mad Max showed me nothing. I'm guessing by that CG video it's way off.

LOL at Tretton announcing used games support. The fucking crowd loses their shit. And then he plays coy "I guess that's a good thing?" Hahahaha.

I'm a little leary of how he keeps saying "PS+ edition" of Drive Club for free. I'm guessing it's going to be a very stripped down version similar to a FTP game.

Ok, after watching the Destiny demo it's defintely this particular video. The quality is shit.

I see Bungie really stepped out of their comfort zone too. *sarcasm* Destiny looks like Halo combined with Borderlands, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but nothing groundbreaking.

That seamless "public event" stuff seemed pretty bad ass though.

I'll believe this Gaikai shit when I see it. If there is even a smidgen of lag it's absolutely pointless IMO.

And the price announcement...crowd goes nuts again.

I love how when Sony knows it's going to make customers happy and suprise them with the price they take their time. When MS announced the One price it was at the last second as they were walking off stage and they sounded like the old Micro Machines guy.

[Swarley]

I'm a little leary of how he keeps saying "PS+ edition" of Drive Club for free. I'm guessing it's going to be a very stripped down version similar to a FTP game.

Already been noted. All of the features will be there, just with some cars and tracks missing. What's to be leery about? I'll take a fraction of a launch day game for no more than what I'm already paying (especially for a game I wasn't going to buy anyways).

[Twigg4075]

Already been noted. All of the features will be there, just with some cars and tracks missing. What's to be leery about? I'll take a fraction of a launch day game for no more than what I'm already paying (especially for a game I wasn't going to buy anyways).

My concearn is that in order for them to make PS+ keep the value it has now they need to keep giving full free games, which will be nigh impossible in the new consoles infancy. I know they said we will still get ONE game per month but then they followed that with three Indie games. I just don't want them giving us some small indie games and watered down versions of legit games like Drive Club. Just another reason why it seems to make more sense to wait a year and keep getting good free PS3 game with PS+.

[Handleit_44]

Digital Foundry: Hands-on with PlayStation 4

During our time at E3, we got a chance to test almost every PS4 title on display, allowing us to get a feel for where development stands for each of these core titles, plus some of the third-party efforts too.

Killzone: Shadow Fall

It's a beautifully realised area, packed with vividly sharp textures with the whole area being divided by a waterfall and stream. Level-of-detail culling is not noticeable on geometry at all either, which is an impressive feat given the broad scale of the vista. However, the obvious popping in of shadow elements is a distraction, and points to a lack of optimisation for this particular area given the absence of any shadow pop-in around the citadel area shown in Shadow Fall's first demo.

It's early days, of course, and we're also glad to see the native 1080p resolution in full evidence as it runs from the PS4 hardware. This bumped resolution suits the visuals wonderfully, save for water caustics and splashes which appear a little current-gen in nature. Guerrilla Games has proven it can handle massive, churning waves in its previous games, so we suspect improvements here are possible if there's enough time.

When it comes to the tricky issue of control and response, Killzone: Shadow Fall currently delivers a largely 25-30FPS experience with v-sync engaged, where a long overview of the forest tests the hardware most. A strong trace of input lag is felt when turning the analogue sticks - a quirk that hangs over from the Killzone 2 days. It's a delay in response that is impossible to ignore after playing snappier low-latency shooters, and at the default 50 per cent sensitivity for the X and Y axis proved tricky to adapt to. Migrating to the new and more shooter-friendly Dual Shock 4 controller isn't the cause here, as this is the only game we test with such problems. Rather, the issue is likely to be the result of latency being built up over the course of a long and complex rendering pipeline.

DriveClub

When questioned, Evolution Studios confirms that it's pushed for a full-fat 1080p presentation, falling in line with all Sony's other leading PS4 titles. Unfortunately, this higher resolution only amplifies the low quality, blurry, flat-looking textures used across this level, which would easily look at home on current-gen hardware. It's also a shame that, while the scenery draw distance is broad, there's an incredible amount of pop-in for trees and waving NPCs as we approach at high speeds.

To its credit, the cars look top-notch in terms of polygonal detail, and vehicle deformation uses a more realistic model that allows metal to crumple realistically over impact points. The interior cockpit view of our Audi R8, set by default, is also very well replicated and shows no sharp polygonal edges. It remains to be seen whether next-gen features like tessellation have made an impact here, but the results are very smooth indeed.

Despite the grey, overcast look of this Kinlock route, the lighting is realistic enough to bring much of it to life in exciting ways - especially while set to the interior view, where shadow lines pass over the dashboard. Each level is promised to feature a dynamic day-to-night cycle that has time running at accelerated speed to mark progress over the course of a track. It works, but can be oddly implemented at times, since we spot shadows shifting with unnatural speed across nearby walls during select turns.

With regards to performance, we're surprised to find DriveClub is running at 30fps with permanent v-sync - an unusual step for any modern-day racer putting heavy emphasis on shaving seconds from lap times. It is noted that 60fps is something the team strives for, but no promises can be made; in the interest of providing a smooth E3 experience it remains decidedly locked at 30fps for now.

Knack

The biggest selling point of Knack is the way debris from nearby objects is assimilated into the leading creature's body, be it lamp posts, post boxes, or blocks of ice. Empowered by what Cerny calls a "custom 5000 object physics simulation," Knack's body grows in this fashion until he becomes a titanic hulk of independently moving cogs and triangles - while getting hit means he loses a layer.

That's the next-gen hook, but little else is in place to enthrall. The Pixar aesthetic is let down by some muddy image quality, and heavily dithered shadows. We're promised 1080p native resolution here, but Knack doesn't look as crystal clear as we'd expect from such a pixel count - perhaps in part owing to the HDTV settings being used at the exhibition. It's a real disappointment on the grounds of image quality, and while the transparency effect on Knack and the big, beautiful ocean view during the first stage are visual treats, there isn't a whole lot to the rest of stages shown.

Certainly, the physics are impressive and technically taxing. All the bits and pieces that whip around Knack indeed feel like individual objects, taking advantage of the game's per-object motion blur. The only problem here is that, despite being a 30fps game in target, we see dramatic frame-rate drops when too many of these pieces go zooming across the screen to form a shell around Knack. To achieve this bullet-point trick, the performance has to take a noticeable hit in the current build.

Infamous Second Son

At a confirmed 1080p resolution as well, Sucker Punch's latest is the most polished and CGI-like title on display. It looks gorgeous in play, with its per-object motion blur being up to God of War: Ascension's lofty bar of quality, and the character's pyromaniac moves bringing out the developer's sterling effects work. The visual standard is unlike anything we've seen achieved on PS3: Delsin swaps to a smoke form in the blink of an eye while lunging at opponents with fiery fists, lit particles fly, and the billows light up brightly with each flaming swipes. Heat haze effects also make an appearance, making every punch and glide a sight to behold.

The frame-rate is very consistent too, and there's no obvious pop-in on the horizon when bounding across rooftops. 30FPS may be the target, but it's easy to believe the game's running at double that given how travel and effects-heavy explosions scarcely drop frames - a testament to just how much visual fluidity is improved by operating at a locked frame-rate.

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag

We get a proper next-gen upgrade to the Assassin's Creed series on PS4, with jungle environments producing a far more impressive looking game than even a DX11-enabled PC version of Assassin's Creed 3. The decision to go with a Caribbean theme means nailing a convincing vegetation system was a must for Black Flag, and Ubisoft Montreal has delivered. The plants look incredible in motion, with a dewy reflective layer that comes alive under the moon's lighting, and a convincing level of opacity that lets light shine through to their undersides.

The unstable performance of the game's Sony conference appearance isn't in evidence during our private look at the game, and there's no frame-rate dips at all during its 10 minute stretch - while reports came from the showfloor of a 60fps multiplayer experience, this was clearly a silky-smooth 30fps presentation.

The only disappointment is in the blandness of some textures around the initial camp area which, compounded by some rigid geometric designs, suggests some elements are being curtailed on next-gen by the limits of the pending PS3 and 360 versions. However, smoke effects mist, haze, light-shafts (a new addition), and lighting look far more refined than anything we've seen from the series on console. There's no absolute lock on the resolution as yet, but all signs point to the full 1080p based on the clarity of the image shown here.

Hands-on with PlayStation 4: the Digital Foundry verdict

We leave Sony's E3 booth undoubtedly impressed, with two key takeaways in light of the Xbox One's rivalling offerings. Firstly, though almost all launch titles on show appear to be running directly from PS4 hardware, it's a touch disappointing to discover the likes of Thief and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag are only currently being demonstrated by proxy of an on-hand developer. This was a very closely guarded event indeed, suggesting a lack of confidence in the progress of development for some of these titles. Even so, Knack, DriveClub and Warframe do give us absolute, no-holds barred freedom to toy with the most current builds as long as we please.

The second point is that the majority of titles here, from the long-awaited Thief reboot to the CG-like Infamous: Second Son, are overwhelmingly poised for 1080p native output whilst running at 30fps. The sacrifice of 60fps does have its benefits: as far as visual quality goes, Sucker Punch's flame-throwing action title in particular leaves us with our jaws most agape. It looks gorgeous in motion, plays without skipping a beat, and the effects work is quite unlike anything we've seen on current-gen platforms.

[Twigg4075]

Blurry textures and pop-in on Drive Club? That's unacceptable for next gen.

That was one thing that stood out to me.