GT5 Possibly Delayed Again?

After $60 million and five years of development work, you’d think that Kazunori Yamauchi’s Pièce de résistance would be ready for release fairly shortly. Not so according to James Armstrong, an executive from SCEE’s Portuguese division. In an interview with Canarias Al Dia, a Spanish site, he stated that he thinks GT5 will arrive “this fall, before Christmas", before also saying that it’s "not yet decided". Right?

So when is Gran Turismo 5 likely to come out? Well, your guess is as good as ours, considering the gap between GT4 and GT5 is two years longer than the one between GT3 and GT4 on the PS2, and it’s not even out yet. It took only three years for GT4 to arrive after part 3 if you’re wondering.

Our best guess is that GT5 will arrive at the earliest, sometime this summer in Japan, with September being the very latest it could hit. Between September and Christmas sounds likely for Europe and North America.

Naturally, none of this has been confirmed by Polyphony Digital, though we wouldn’t be surprised if this there isn’t a smidgen of truth to be found.

The magical roundabout continues…

Halo Reach Engine: Early Tech Analysis

A few days ago Bungie released the first batch of in-game screenshots from their newest Halo title. Interestingly these appeared to be in full 1080p (1920x1080) resolution, and didn’t seem to be upscaled. In addition, the screens at first glance also showed off a few improvements to the Halo engine, such as possible AA (anti-aliasing) and for the first time, AF (anisotropic filtering).

Whilst it’s not uncommon for companies to release higher resolution rendered screens to the press with higher IQ than the final game, and Bungie did the same thing with Halo 3 (remember those 720p native screens?), the first official sighting of Reach’s gameplay looks to hold some truths in regards to the engine used in the final game.



The above screen was posted on Bungie.net and is obviously in 1080p. However there appears to be a huge level of AA on display, far more than the 4xMSAA used in certain 360 titles such as Dirt 2 and Race Driver Grid. This simple excess of AA can be explained away with the use of supersampling, a simple process in which an image is rendered at a much higher resolution, and then downsampled to form a cleaner smoother final image. This is basically a form of AA which requires a huge amount of processing power, due to having to render at a higher resolution than the one you want to display at, but is also very effective at eliminating jagged edges across the whole scene.

It seems that this shot was originally rendered at 2560x1440 (thanks to AlStrong for the pixel counting) with no AA, and then downsampled giving the smooth 1080p image. This is certainly something that won’t be seen in the final game. Instead we expect Reach to render either in full 720p, or using the same dual 1152x640 buffers found in the previous two games. Currently we have no idea on whether any form of AA will make it into the game, that all depends on if they’re using the same HDR lighting method from before, or if they have adopted the use of tiling in order to fit a 2xMSAA frame buffer into the 360’s 10mb edram.

Either way, in order to render in 720p or using the 1152x640 dual buffer method with MSAA, they will need to title. Especially as they claim to be pushing more enemies and vehicles around on screen than before at any given time.

However whilst we can’t judge what AA will be used (if any), or at what resolution Reach will be rendered at, it is possible to see at least 4x AF + maybe trilinear at work, or just AF with a bias towards certain textures. If you look closely at the ground you’ll see it blur much further into the distance than with both Halo 3 and ODST.

Texture detail in itself, has also been improved, with greater levels of normal mapping and improved shaders on many surfaces. Combined with the use of AF, the numerous bumps and curves of the cliff faces and surrounding scenery are much more apparent than before.

You can also find small elements of SSAO (Screen-Space Ambient Occlusion), particularly on some of the environment details, although rather subtle. It doesn’t appear to be present in the entire scene, with only a few points of visibility in other areas. A clear example can be found in the screenshot below, look at the metal shelving in the bottom right. The shading there isn’t quite correct, a usual side effect of using SSAO.



There’s no sign of the improved lighting model in the first-person screenshot either, though it’s very hard to tell, especially without seeing the same area, but from different angles as to analyse the shadowing and lighting. At present it looks very similar to ODST, and there’s no sign of the multiple independent light sources that Bungie stated is going into the game. Though those have been witnessed in other screenshots released, showing what looks to be from in-game engine cut scenes. (see above)

Arguably the gameplay build we’re seeing here is very early, and is almost certainly likely to see a noticeable improvement by the time the beta launches. Between now and then, we still have many questions that need answering. Will Bungie still be keeping the benchmark HDR of the last two games, in addition to the 30 or so real-time light sources being added? Are we going to be seeing AF plus a proper 1280x720 frame buffer. Or will the HDR be dropped for an easier 1152x640 with 2xMSAA and AF approach using titling?

We just don’t know yet, and I guess the beta is when we will find out about some of this stuff. The rest will no doubt have to wait for a more complete single-player build of the campaign, in which nothing will be paired down to deal with lag, split-screen and other concerns, which almost certainly impact on graphics.

Anyway, this small insight into Halo Reach’s graphics tech is all we have for now. But stay with as, as we’ll be following any developments very closely.

Review: Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom (Wii)

The last two years have seen an unexpected resurgence in 2d beat’ em ups, as well as various titles associated with the hardcore scene; Street Fighter, King Of Fighters and Bionic Commando all making their well deserved comebacks, with the mainstream stalwart NBA Jam recently added to the shortlist. So it comes as no surprise that another instalment of the popular Vs. series was on the cards and ready to cross-combo, super-cancel us into oblivion.

Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom has arrived!

Now nobody really expected this particular instalment to arrive on these shores, what with the many licensing issues plaguing the Tatsunoko brand over in Europe and the United States. In addition with what must have been some very obvious concerns as to whether it was worth the time and financial effort to do so, given the fact that the brand remains a virtual unknown around these shores.

However it seems that those problems have been taken care of, with the exception of Hakushon Daimao whose licensing in European left him shafted from the game. Other than that, everyone is correct and present, and making up for the delay Capcom have added in a few extra unlockable characters not found in the original Japanese version, and an online play option exclusive to us.



It’s a great thing; it really is, as TvC provides some of the most intensely enjoyable tag-team Vs. action since the original Marvel Vs. Capcom. Every aspect of Tatsunoko screams out personality on its sleeve, from the completely eccentric J-Pop infused theme song, to the bizarrely odd end credits sequence. You will find a mix of uniquely styled characters, impressive background set pieces, and some of the most balanced action the Vs. series has seen. And it’s all completely bonkers!

The basics are much the same as with previous games, albeit here they are slightly simplified. In Tatsunoko you only use three attack buttons, Light Medium and Heavy, with a fourth button dedicated to special attacks, like calling in your teammate for a few extra hits, or to simply tag them into action. Punches or kicks are dependent on which direction you push the d-pad or stick in combination with any of the three attack buttons. Sometimes the differences will be subtle, like going from a straight punch to a basic uppercut. Or if you happen to be jumping in for a basic combo run, a flying kick can change into a punch or throw, and then cancelled into a hyper using the P button followed by the correct motion.



This system at first feels a little random, however after a few play throughs you find that it has a huge level of depth. Just accurately thinking about which attack to use and in combination with what direction instinctively, is almost as deep in some circumstances as having the full six-button set-up. What’s more it allows a degree of simplicity allowing inexperienced players to effectively have a good button bash and feel like they are at least kinda playing the game properly. With the same token it allows anyone to step in and have fun, more so than with Street Fighter IV.


Then you have all the intricacies of the Assist Moves, Hypers, Team Hypers, and various other nuances, in which hardcore players like myself will no doubt spend many hours learning and exploiting in the heat of battle. In fact there’s so much to learn and master here, you could almost argue that it’s almost as complicated as SFVI. Just through the sheer amount of moves on offer and how they change with the different button presses and combo team-up scenarios.

Perhaps the most intriguing element of all this is, is how one special move can turn into three just by changing which button you use. The effect and outcome is completely different, allowing a great range of intros and juggles to be played even at the most basic level. You could even combine some of these with the basic L, M, and H in quick succession as a perfectly usable starter for some of the games more intricate combinations.

Of course this is using either the Arcade Stick or Classic Controllers. A much simpler Wii Remote, or Wii Remote + Nunchuck combination is also supported, which strips down the controls even further. Using this option there is only one button for regular attacks and one button for specials, with the moves you do depending on which direction the D-Pad or Analogue stick is pushed. However it’s not possible to pull of anything but simple combos along with some special moves and hypers.



It’s lots of fun playing TvC, regardless of controller set-up, and the range of characters complement the move sets nicely. In fact anyone looking for various Ryu and Ken clone characters need not apply. Whilst the majority of moves are performed using the standard quarter-circle forward + attack technique, their styles can vary greatly. You won’t find twenty different versions of the same fireball or dragon punch here. In fact, the range on offer is something akin to an SNK fighting game, mixing many styles and personalities together.

In terms of modes, Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom simply features five; Arcade, Versus, Survival, Time Attack, Training, and Online. The Arcade Mode words as the game’s Story Mode, basically having you fight through a number of stages, coming up against a sub-boss around half way, and then squaring up against the obligatory final boss at the end. Versus, Training and Survival should all be is self-explanatory by now. And that just leaves Online.



Online play in TvC works surprisingly well, with very little lag in matches both domestically and ones found half way across the world. It’s surprising good compared with the problems I’ve been having with lag in SFIV recently. Naturally, running only a 1 Meg (I’m being upgraded to 8 Meg as I write this apparently) connection means that I do frequently experience some small amount of lag in worldwide matches, though nothing game breaking. The largest problem is the barebones matchmaking system, and the hassle of having to enter those somewhat pointless friend codes. It is actually easier to set up a random match, in which the CPU automatically pairs you up with an opponent, and then select them as a friend when the match finishes rather than painstakingly add people manually.


The only real issue is with regards to paired up matches. It’s completely automatic; to the point of where you literally cannot choose whom you fight against. This means you have no way of telling if the person you have been paired with has a good connection, though you can tell if they are of a similar skill level to you. A small icon lets you know what kind of player they are; defensive, offensive, combos-based etc. Plus looking at their Player Icon (like in SFIV) gives you a good idea; a higher end player is one most likely to have unlocked some of the really cool icons not available just by playing the single-player modes.

Unfortunately, whilst I was online I found there to be only a small community of players at any one time, and kept being pared up with the same three or four people constantly. I checked back a few hours later and things got much better, though bizarrely there were times in which I would go through a few different opponents, and then others where I was being pared with the same one a couple of times. This is perhaps the biggest problem with the auto matchmaking system; it can be really annoying to play against the same players over and over in such a short space of time.

So the single player modes work well enough, and the online is at least serviceable; well it’s outstanding in terms of performance, just poor in terms of matchmaking. However the game feels a little shallow with regards to the overall content available. It won’t take long to play through the game a few dozen times to unlock the extra characters and see all the endings, and then online with its limitations certainly won’t prove as addicting as SFIV service. But despite this TvC has so much going for it, and those issues niggling away at it are just that, little niggles which disappoint slightly but that don’t really damage the game.



Graphically you’ll find that Tasunoko Vs. Capcom features some of the most exuberant and fantastical visuals on the Wii. The style presented here is in the same form as with Street Fighter IV; 2.5D polygonal models coated with rich hand painted textures, and some lovingly created frames of animation. Backgrounds are full of little details and moving set pieces, some displaying some lovely specular sheen and reflective effects, along with excellent texture work. In addition some of the projectile and hyper combo effects are just staggering, featuring multiple-layered textured geometry being distorted, twisted and pulled apart. Most impressive is at the end of a hyper combo, which sees the screen form into a pane of glass before shattering to reveal the characters and continue the battle.

The style really appears to be more like the Capcom 2D fighters of old, mixing in styles found in previous Vs. games with the likes of Street Fighter Alpha and Street Fighter III. You could say that the visual style is even more suited to representing the 2D sprites and animations of the past, more so than in SFIV.

With regards to the technical side of things, there’s no use of any kind of AA (anti-aliasing) solution here, though texture filtering appears to be at least of a trillinear quality, and the overall look appears to be clean and sharp, much like both Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3. The game certainly looks great on a standard CRT running in 480i via the official RGB cable, and it also fares better than most when upscaled on a fixed-pixel display. Naturally jaggies are more pronounced this way, and the heath bars look quite blurry, but the game still retains its clean and rather sharp image.



Moving on, I can honestly say that TvC represents another smooth return to form for Capcom and their incredible 2D beat’em up legacy. Whilst it may not be perfect, and lacks the long-term longevity that garners the rabid SFIV fan base, it does have its foot firmly in the dojo. And I can definitely see a small, but strong, hardcore following continuing to play and master all the intricacies available, both at home and in the arcade scene.

Admittedly, some may find the lack of recognisable faces a turn off, or the eccentric nature of the presentation and music off-putting, but I would urge them to give this a go. Especially any fans of previous 2D fighting games or even a more casual user who just recently got into Street Fighter IV. There’s a lot of fun to be had, and it would be such a shame if it all got lost due to unfamiliarity with the source material, or the inhibition to try something different.

Overall, the foundations have been solidly laid, and will no doubt be revised and expanded upon with the inevitable sequel. Given the quality and success that Tasunonko Vs Capcom deserves, it couldn’t come sooner. We highly recommend anyone with a penchant for 2D fighting games to pick this up and show your support, it’s worth it.

VERDICT: 8/10

Nintendo Reveals Metroid: Other M Details

It’s been a while since we last heard anything about Metroid: Other M, and we though the worst had happened to the series latest third person adventure. However, today Nintendo announced a summer 2010 release calendar for the title in Japan, and opened up a website to go along with the announcement.

A few details were also revealed about what we can expect from the title.

A return to heavy action-based sequences was touted, along with more traditional exploration-based elements characteristic of the classic Metroid franchise, which is extremely good news for fans. Yoshio Sakamoto (Metroid co-creator and Lead Scenario Producer) revealed that Other M will feature story progression much in the same vain as Metroid Fusion, and stated that the collaboration between Nintendo and Team Ninja is "unlike anything that's ever been done at Nintendo; it's more than just a collaborative effort -- it's one group working toward a common goal".

It is also comforting to know that along with Sakamoto, three other GBA Metroid designers are on board working on the main game design, whilst Team Ninja handle all the modelling work and actual coding.

Here is the official site.

Editorial: 3D Gaming And Why Gameplay Is Key

Everybody is seemingly talking about the 3D revolution and how it promises to be a completely immersive experience, how it will connect you and the game world together in a way simple 2D projection never could, and of course how amazing it all looks. But aren't we really forgetting something here? The reason we embrace new display technology, and in turn new advancements in graphics, is to surely to capture and create new avenues to explore and play.

Of course, that’s not to say 3D isn’t a largely visual thing. With limits being reached on just how much power can be packed into ever decreasing amounts of silicon, and the likelihood that the next generation of consoles could well be the last to see another extraordinary leap in graphics technology, 3D represents a way forward to take visuals to another level without necessarily increasing the amount of detail on screen as much as with previous generational leaps.

It could also completely enhance most of the games we play with one simple side effect, depth perception. The trick is, is that we need to be careful on how this is implemented, and whether the additional layers actually bring anything meaningful to the table.

Case in point. Games like Super Mario Galaxy or the likes of Uncharted 2 are the ones most likely to benefit from such an upgrade. Especially any title which is either having you making leaps of faith between ledges of precarious distances, or ones which require you to actively find, and exploit areas of surrounding terrain to navigate and scale. In these scenarios, the addition of depth perception created by the 3D effect could by and large help solve the age-old problem of being able to access just how far something is, whether the object you are looking at is an actual functional part of the scenery you can use, or just an impressive feat of bump mapping created to add detail for show.

The game design doesn’t have to change, and by that token I don’t need to see games blatantly making objects obviously jump out at you, directing clearly to an artificially clear-cut path, or simply firing off through the TV screen and in your face, like they trying to replicate Star Trek’s much-fantasised hollodeck.

Ultimately when used correctly, I’d imagine the 3D effect to work as a continuation of our natural stereoscopic vision, creating subtle layers of depth from our living rooms through the TV screen and into the game world. And in that world, the layers are all represented and spaced accordingly to the surrounding objects, by the sizes and distances which govern them. For us gamers if properly implemented, this whole notion of 3D could allows us to approach and judge certain things like we do everyday in the real world, and not like we have to in a current 3D game projected on flat our flat 2D displays. Essentially you can see the sense of scale being used, you can perceive how large something is relative to something else in the game world. It works very similarly to how your vision does in real life.



Take Little Big Planet for example. It’s a game which uses three distinct layers for gameplay, two in the background and one main one in the foreground, which forms the basis of most level layouts. Occasionally it can be difficult to judge which objects in those background layers are just for show between the ones which make up usable platforms for us to travel on. This is especially problematic with some of the homebrew designed creations, which lack both the planning and finesse of the developers own expertly constructed set pieces, but in which depth perception could well help with.

A recent 3D demonstration of LBP showcased to a handful of the videogames media, revealed how Media Molecule have created a distinct level of depth between each plane, and the background only layers used for show, allowing a clean and clear view on which platforms can be tackled on, and which are just there to make up the eye candy.

The same technique is being used to created a real sense of scale in Driving games like Gran Turismo 5, or in the case of Motorstorm Pacific Rift, to allow you gain a better understanding on how fast you are going, your proximity to surrounding objects, and helping you to navigate through the terrain without flying off the edge of that cliff you thought was still 20ft away. A game like Call Of Duty is also another one in which distances and spatial positioning are extremely important, and 3D could make the whole experience clearer for us to perceive, and ultimately allowing us to take an intricate level of mastery even further towards reality. Added depth in every sense of the word.



Arguably it sounds like a trivial matter, but something like depth perception is a fact we take for granted every time we pour a cup of coffee, or attempt to navigate that congested pile-up over by the traffic lights. By having the same advantage in games, we could truly be closer to bringing ourselves completely into the experience, delivering that excessively used immersion factor. Or maybe, to just be able to take things that are natural to us and put them into play in something decidedly unreal.

Granted, some developers may try the quick and easy route of having things fly out of the screen, or explode right in front of your face. But these things become tiresome very fast, and the audience will soon catch on to that fact. In some circumstances having this extreme 3D effect works really well, especially in the case of a grenade exploding right beside you, or debris falling from a dilapidated industrial site. Used in this way, the so called clichéd effects can help bring a certain level of immersion previously unseen in standard 2D presentations; certainly when combined with intelligent use of the depth afforded by this new technology. However, being used sparingly is particularly important. These effects only really work when used in context, if the situation actually benefits in a natural and organic way. Displayed in such a manner they should be pretty successful.

The truth is, is that 3D represents both sides of the coin, a visual evolution in the graphical cannon of gaming, as well as the ability for the first time in its history, to take gaming closer to what we consider reality. The first was polygon visuals, the second was 5.1 surround sound, the third was motion control, and now we have 3D bringing depth perception to the table.

The four cornerstones of gaming? Well, we’ll be able to find out later this year when 3D launches along side Natal and Sony’s own motion controller.

PS3 Bayonetta Gets Patched

The much troubled PS3 version of Sega's Boyonetta is to receive a patch tomorrow, one which sorts out the game's rather long load times. Once downloaded it will allow a Hard Drive Install option to be selected from the main menu, and should reduce loading to comparable levels found in the 360 version.

The patch is only being released in Japan for now, but we expect it to hit worldwide very shortly. Unfortunately it doesn't improve any of the large graphical discrepancies to be found in the PS3 game, most severly of which is the nearly halved frame rate - running frequently at an unstable 30fps compared to a mostly solid 60fps on 360.

It remains to be seen whether Sega will attempt to fix any of the other issues at present, seeing as the delayed PAL release saw little improvement. A few small tweaks may certainly be possbile. But it all comes down to just how many consumers are still interested months down the road, and whether Sega feel it's financially viable, considering those problems didn't put a dent in sales of the PS3 version.