Playstation Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - All developers delay, but not equally -[Update: Delayed again to May 2016]

[BumperJumper]

Gifs are probably not the best choice when making a point about visual fidelity.

That's true. But this is not a gameplay GIF. An extremely close look of Nathan Drake's face. It doesn't matter here if it is a GIF or some 1080p screenshot.

 

[muddi900]

No gifs have a very limited colorspace. 4chan does webms now, why cant everyone else?

 

[BumperJumper]

No gifs have a very limited colorspace. 4chan does webms now, why cant everyone else?

I can do that too but too lazy to download the trailer and covert to WebM

BTW, I am just pointing to the reaction of some of the people in this thread, who were laughing at it being called a CGI. Even Edge confused this one as CGI :tv:

Sony's E3 2014 press conference: greater daring and diversity seal another confident PS4 victory | News | Edge Online

Uncharted 4’s presence at the finale of the Sony briefing was just as expected as Crackdown’s appearance at the end of Microsoft’s, and its presence was just as welcome. Though like so many of the game announcements we’ve seen over the course of the last 24 hours, it was a

CGI trailer for a game

not to be released until 2015.​

 

[muddi900]

"The computer-generated imagery is the application of computer graphics to create or contribute to images in art, printed media, video games, films, television programs, commercials, and simulators."

PS4 is a computer and it generated the image, reportedly. What else is CGI?

 

[BumperJumper]

"The computer-generated imagery is the application of computer graphics to create or contribute to images in art, printed media, video games, films, television programs, commercials, and simulators."

PS4 is a computer and it generated the image, reportedly. What else is CGI?

There is no need to throw a definition here man .

In video games, the term is different. CGI typically refers to cutscenes with vastly higher visual fidelity, character models and effects compared to their in-game counterparts. The trailers that we saw today were mostly CGI, and so many confused Uncharted as being CGI as well. In reality, it was an in-engine footage from the game.

 

[muddi900]

There is no need to throw a definition here man .

In video games, the term is different. CGI typically refers to cutscenes with vastly higher visual fidelity, character models and effects compared to their in-game counterparts. The trailers that we saw today were mostly CGI, and so many confused Uncharted as being CGI as well. In reality, it was an in-engine footage from the game.

Every pre-rendered cutscene is done 'in-engine', which usually means 'We used the same tools on the rendering PC as on the SDK!'. incidentally, since the cutscenes are rendered at console resolutions, they look worse than the game on the PC.

Really, if we believe that a PS4 did create the footage, was it real time? Does it even matter, since none if it was gameplay and even if in the final game, it would be a pre-rendered cutscene in the form of a compressed video, like mp4?

 

[CerebralTiger]

"The computer-generated imagery is the application of computer graphics to create or contribute to images in art, printed media, video games, films, television programs, commercials, and simulators."

PS4 is a computer and it generated the image, reportedly. What else is CGI?

Computer-generated imagery that is not real-time is commonly referred to as 'CG' in the games industry. It's not really a textbook definition.

Does it even matter, since none if it was gameplay and even if in the final game, it would be a pre-rendered cutscene in the form of a compressed video, like mp4?

If it's rendered on the console in real-time using the game's graphics engine, it's not a compressed video. If, however, it's rendered offline and placed on disc in the form of a video, then it's a pre-rendered cutscene.

At this point, we don't know which of the two it is. ND developer Corrinne Yu seems to suggest that it's the former. They've gone the latter route in the past with their PS3 games, though.

 

[muddi900]

Maybe during the early years of PS2...or is the term back en vogue? A google search seem to have a yahoo answer at the top, and some video titles.

Regardless, this teaser is CG trailer by that standard. Rendering it in real-time would be highly inefficient.

 

[CerebralTiger]

Maybe during the early years of PS2...or is the term back en vogue?

lol when did the term ever disappear? It's very much a 'thing' even today. Remember Sony's Killzone 2 debacle at E3 2005?

Rendering it in real-time would be highly inefficient.

I can understand why you feel that it's inefficient to be rendered in real-time, but it's also beneficial in certain ways. Transition between gameplay and cutscenes can be made seamless. Plus, let's say your character picks up a gun or wears a new outfit prior to a cutscene. If it's a pre-rendered video, none of the changes appear. On the other hand, a real-time cutscene would portray them.

 

[BumperJumper]

Every pre-rendered cutscene is done 'in-engine', which usually means 'We used the same tools on the rendering PC as on the SDK!'. incidentally, since the cutscenes are rendered at console resolutions, they look worse than the game on the PC.

Really, if we believe that a PS4 did create the footage, was it real time? Does it even matter, since none if it was gameplay and even if in the final game, it would be a pre-rendered cutscene in the form of a compressed video, like mp4?

That's not true for every game.

It differs by game. In Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, cutscenes are pre-rendered despite them using almost the same engine. The cutscenes carry to the PC version as well. In a game like Final Fantasy XIII, the CGI is done separately from the main game, for Final Fantasy, it was handled by Square Enix's Visual Works, who usually create CGI game trailes for popular Square Enix games. The Tomb Raider trailer, for example, was also CGI, and I bet it was from Visual Works of Square Enix.

In the case of Uncharted, we got confirmation from the lead engine developer (Yu) that it was all rendered on the PS4. Now her statement was kind of vague but it sounds like it was real-time, and as explained by CT, this is the better approach.

 

[muddi900]

lol when did the term ever disappear? It's very much a 'thing' even today. Remember Sony's Killzone 2 debacle at E3 2005?



I can understand why you feel that it's inefficient to be rendered in real-time, but it's also beneficial in certain ways. Transition between gameplay and cutscenes can be made seamless. Plus, let's say your character picks up a gun or wears a new outfit prior to a cutscene. If it's a pre-rendered video, none of the changes appear. On the other hand, a real-time cutscene would portray them.

First, 2005 was nine years ago. guess I am not the only one that's too old Most gaming websites use CGI.

Second, Mortal Kombat/injustice managed to be seamless. But besides the fact that rendering so much detail into Drake's face would net literally no improvement for the player since we don't ever see an extreme close-up of his face during gameplay. Even if we did, the median screen size for gamers is what 36"? At 6 feet from it nobody would even be able to tell the difference. Why would they waste resources on that?

That is assuming that the game and real-time cutscenes are at visual parity, which in itself would be ridiculous. Each cutscene would require special animation assets, or all cutscenes would look cheap because of reused animation. Video compression is far more viable option.

That's not true for every game.

It differs by game. In Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, cutscenes are pre-rendered despite them using almost the same engine. The cutscenes carry to the PC version as well. In a game like Final Fantasy XIII, the CGI is done separately from the main game, for Final Fantasy, it was handled by Square Enix's Visual Works, who usually create CGI game trailes for popular Square Enix games. The Tomb Raider trailer, for example, was also CGI, and I bet it was from Visual Works of Square Enix.

In the case of Uncharted, we got confirmation from the lead engine developer (Yu) that it was all rendered on the PS4. Now her statement was kind of vague but it sounds like it was real-time, and as explained by CT, this is the better approach.

FF games also us in-engine cutscenes, but they are rendered on a big render farm.

As for Ms. Yu's comments, as a great philosopher once said, Everybody Lies.

 

[CerebralTiger]

Second, Mortal Kombat/injustice managed to be seamless.

True, although it's a lot easier to do seamless transitions when it comes to 2d fighters. Then again, you don't get to see your alternate character costumes carry forward into the cutscenes.

But besides the fact that rendering so much detail into Drake's face would net literally no improvement for the player since we don't ever see an extreme close-up of his face during gameplay.

Which is why we have LOD transitions for when a character or object is near or farther away from the camera. Although, given that the camera always follows Drake, his would have to be the most consistently detailed model in the game. Some games feature real-time pupil dilation (including ND's The Last of Us) for when your character interacts with brighter light sources, which might seem like a waste of resources to you, but it's just one of the many things that can play a role in making a game world and its characters more believable. At 1080p or higher resolutions, it's easier to make out finer detail without the need for an extreme close-up, especially if you're playing on a 40+ inch screen.

That is assuming that the game and real-time cutscenes are at visual parity, which in itself would be ridiculous.

This is a good point, but it all depends on the kind of visual compromises made when moving from cutscene to gamepaly. For example, in the case of Infamous: Second Son, there's little to distinguish between cutscene and gameplay (a fact made all the more apparent thanks to the game's photo mode), save for some heavy use of depth of field. If the compromises are smart, the drop in quality is far less apparent.

FF games also us in-engine cutscenes, but they are rendered on a big render farm.

There are two kinds of cutscenes in FF games - 1. CG, 2. Real-time

The CG ones will depict your characters wearing their original outfits and wielding their default weapons, while the real-time ones will show them wearing attire and carrying weapons that you have assigned them etc.

 

[IzHee]

[video]http://www.playit.pk/watch?v=zt5V8xi6nkg[/video]

 

[Spartan 117]

I'm actually digging the new serious tone they are heading towards. Given the title, it surely seems like it will be Nathan Drake's last adventure and having a more serious/dark tone will actually make it more better in my opinion.

We got three parts of light fun tone, I won't mind this one being Dark. I actually prefer it being more serious.

 

[CerebralTiger]

[video]http://www.playit.pk/watch?v=zt5V8xi6nkg[/video]

Great interview! I was hoping to hear something like this from Druckmann/Straley - they're aiming to make UC4 a more grounded experience like TLoU mashed up with UC's epic set-pieces.

BTW, I am just pointing to the reaction of some of the people in this thread, who were laughing at it being called a CGI. Even Edge confused this one as CGI :tv:

Leadbetter is also floored lol

"The Uncharted 4 teaser represents a level of graphical quality beyond anything currently seen on the new consoles."

Digital Foundry @ Eurogamer

 

[r3aper]

Drake aging factor was there since UC3, Sully got old and there were several instances where Drake himself said things highlighting his age factor. So I believe Drake's aging up shouldn't be taken as a surprise. Yes this may be hard for the franchise fans but one must keep faith in the devs.

One thing I am sure of that this isn't the end, don't be fooled with the name. Its too big of an annual franchise to kill off so early.

Here's a bit of story, looks interesting!

Several years after his last adventure, retired fortune hunter, Nathan Drake, is forced back into the world of thieves. With the stakes much more personal, Drake embarks on a globe-trotting journey in pursuit of a historical conspiracy behind a fabled pirate treasure. His greatest adventure will test his physical limits, his resolve, and ultimately what he’s willing to sacrifice to save the ones he loves.
-IGN

 

[IzHee]

Uncharted 4′s Trailer Was A Part of An Actual Level In The Game, Was All In-Engine

While we were going hands on with The Order 1886 at E3 2014, GamingBolt’s Leonid Melikov bumped into Naughty Dog’s Studio Coordinator Rodney Reece and Lead FX Artist Keith Guerrette. Although we

were not able to conduct a full fledged interview with them, the duo were able to confirm a few interesting points about the trailer for Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.

They confirmed to us that the Uncharted 4 trailer showcased during Sony’s E3 2014 press conference was a part of an actual level in game. Secondly, they also confirmed that the entire trailer was running

in real time on the PlayStation 4 and it was all in-engine.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End does not have a release date yet but it’s confirmed for a 2015 launch. The game will be available exclusively for the PlayStation 4.

 

[genious]

Now they are turning this fun series in to TR and Tlou mood did not like it one bit graphics of this quality was expected but this dark tone is well not up to what i was expecting as a fan of all 3 games in series.

Hope ND will leave him alone after this title.Nathan is done for just like commander shepard.

 

[NaNoW]

One thing I am sure of that this isn't the end, don't be fooled with the name. Its too big of an annual franchise to kill off so early.

I m sure this is the end...even in trailer sully says "one last time"

 

[r3aper]

I m sure this is the end...even in trailer sully says "one last time"

Didn't we hear that in UC3 as well? Yes we did!
And that Sullys tone gave it away...this ain't ending yet.