Xbox One Console Reviews
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Only Xbox One X Will Download 4K Assets For 4K Enhanced XGames
One of the many concerns some Xbox players may have is regarding 4K assets- those things can get really large in terms of file size, and can be pretty rough on download caps and hard drive space. So will someone buying Forza 7 for their Xbox One S have to download the full file with the 4K assets too, needlessly straining their internet and storage?
As it turns out, no- only the Xbox One X downloads 4K assets, wherever relevant. Other consoles do not. “With the launch of Xbox One X, when it comes to game content our intention is to download the correct assets to the correct console,” a Microsoft representative told Stevivor.
The important thing here is that the Xbox One X will download 4K assets even if you have connected it to a 1080p TV- which should nonetheless lead to enhanced visual quality, thanks to supersampled 4K assets. ”
“Regardless of the TV you are playing on, 4K assets will be downloaded to Xbox One X (if available) and the standard 1080p assets will be downloaded to an Xbox One S,” the representative continued. “As part our developer readiness for Xbox One X, we have made available a feature which will give them significant flexibility when it comes to what gets installed on a user’s console,” the Microsoft representative continued. “In addition to 4K specific assets, developers have options when it comes to language specific assets as well, which depending on the title, can drastically reduce the install footprint. This ability to intelligently install the best assets for each console and language are available on all Xbox One devices, and it will be up to the developer of the game to determine the specific implementation.”
This sounds like a very smart implementation, and a neat way of side stepping what would otherwise be a pretty major problem. Kudos to Microsoft on this one. Now if only their game file sizes weren’t so obscenely huge…
Read more at http://gamingbolt.com/only-xbox-one...ts-for-4k-enhanced-xgames#WgmgqtBWxqAk18qL.99
Forza 7 needs 100GB of free space at launch
Turn 10 revealed the Forza 7 minimum and recommended specs earlier this week, which was quite a surprise given that we’re a few months away from release.
But one thing the specs didn’t mention is that you’re going to need a lot of free space on your HDD, which also applies to Xbox One owners.
According to the game’s store page (via MS Power User), you’ll need 100GB of free space at launch.
This makes it the largest Forza title ever at launch, and certainly among the biggest on Xbox One. Today, Gears of War 4 with all the updates is already close to 120GB, and Halo 5 is around 100GB, but again, that’s after months of patches.
This usually indicates either very high quality assets, or plenty of video files. Could be both, though Forza is not known for its pre-rendered cut-scenes. Now that it’s running at native 4K, all assets have to look the part.
Forza 7 is out October 3 on PC, and Xbox One.
http://www.vg247.com/2017/06/16/forza-7-needs-100gb-of-free-space-at-launch/
Microsoft Xbox One Wireless Controller (White)
Emmeco.com has Microsoft Xbox One Wireless Controller (TF5-00001, White) on sale for $35. Shipping is free.
https://slickdeals.net/f/10287416-microsoft-xbox-one-wireless-controller-white-35-00-fs
Emmeco.com has Microsoft Xbox One Wireless Controller (TF5-00001, White) on sale for $35. Shipping is free.
https://slickdeals.net/f/10287416-microsoft-xbox-one-wireless-controller-white-35-00-fs
The ending pissed me off. I gave up and sent that shit back to GameFly.
All I want is Splinter Cell Backwards Compatibility.. I don't understand why this seems like it's never going to happen.
At least Conviction.... and the fact that Blacklist isn't should be a Gawd Damn crime. The fucking game came out just a couple months before the Xbox One dropped.
At least Conviction.... and the fact that Blacklist isn't should be a Gawd Damn crime. The fucking game came out just a couple months before the Xbox One dropped.
...and max payne 3
It just doesn't make any fucking sense to me... Almost every fucking Assassin's Creed is Backwards compatible yet.... Not a single Splinter Cell or Max Payne.
At least there is a chance for Max Payne with Rockstar... I thought the hold out for that game was the two disc issue, but Splinter Cell is a synonymous with Microsoft as Peanut Butter & Jelly. You can't have one without the other and it's bullshit that I've got all of these Splinter Cell games just chillin.
New Splinter Cell Project Teased By Ubisoft CEO
Ubisoft hasn't forgotten about Splinter Cell.
Ubisoft hasn't forgotten about Splinter Cell.
It's been four years since the release of the last game in the Splinter Cell series with no solid indications of what's next. E3 2017 came and went without any Splinter Cell-related announcements, but amidst all the noise, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot did provide some hope for fans.
First, during an AMA on Reddit, Guillemot responded to a question about Splinter Cell by saying, "Splinter Cell is a brand we talk about a lot. It's also personally one of my favorite series. We don't have anything specific to share at the moment but teams are working on different things, so stay tuned for more."
Subsequently, he was asked about those remarks in an interview with the Ubisoft blog. "We are receiving lots of sketches and proposals around the brand, and we're going to pick one up," he said. "I think you will be able to see something, but you will have to wait for that."
Guillemot said all of that with a smile, as if he couldn't wait to share more. If Ubisoft hasn't yet given a project the green light, as his remarks suggest, a new Splinter Cell could still be years away. That is, unless his words were actually intended to throw fans off so that they're surprised by an announcement. That's precisely what happened with Beyond Good and Evil 2, which creator Michel Ancel said would not be at E3 before it was prominently featured in Ubisoft's E3 press conference and was actually (sort of) playable.
The most recent Splinter Cell game was 2013's Blacklist, which replaced Michael Ironside, the longtime voice actor of series protagonist Sam Fisher. That game was released for PC, Xbox 360, and PS3, meaning the series has still yet to appear on current-gen consoles. Meanwhile, Blacklist developer Ubisoft Toronto has unveiled its new game, and a Splinter Cell movie remains in the works.
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/n...6095&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter
New Splinter Cell Project Teased By Ubisoft CEO
Ubisoft hasn't forgotten about Splinter Cell.
It's been four years since the release of the last game in the Splinter Cell series with no solid indications of what's next. E3 2017 came and went without any Splinter Cell-related announcements, but amidst all the noise, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot did provide some hope for fans.
First, during an AMA on Reddit, Guillemot responded to a question about Splinter Cell by saying, "Splinter Cell is a brand we talk about a lot. It's also personally one of my favorite series. We don't have anything specific to share at the moment but teams are working on different things, so stay tuned for more."
Subsequently, he was asked about those remarks in an interview with the Ubisoft blog. "We are receiving lots of sketches and proposals around the brand, and we're going to pick one up," he said. "I think you will be able to see something, but you will have to wait for that."
Guillemot said all of that with a smile, as if he couldn't wait to share more. If Ubisoft hasn't yet given a project the green light, as his remarks suggest, a new Splinter Cell could still be years away. That is, unless his words were actually intended to throw fans off so that they're surprised by an announcement. That's precisely what happened with Beyond Good and Evil 2, which creator Michel Ancel said would not be at E3 before it was prominently featured in Ubisoft's E3 press conference and was actually (sort of) playable.
The most recent Splinter Cell game was 2013's Blacklist, which replaced Michael Ironside, the longtime voice actor of series protagonist Sam Fisher. That game was released for PC, Xbox 360, and PS3, meaning the series has still yet to appear on current-gen consoles. Meanwhile, Blacklist developer Ubisoft Toronto has unveiled its new game, and a Splinter Cell movie remains in the works.
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-splinter-cell-project-teased-by-ubisoft-ceo/1100-6451217/?ftag=GSS-05-10aab8e&utm_campaign=trueAnthem: Trending Content&utm_content=5952ff9319694a00079b6095&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter
I can't believe that none of these inbred fuckers asked dude why in the fuck isn't Splinter Cell Backwards compatible.
Xbox One X : Setting the Record Straight and Technical FAQ
Since the announcement of the Xbox One X, there has been a tremendous amount of misinformation, inaccurate details, and general misunderstanding of the console. My goal here is to set the record straight by providing all of the pertinent information for people who don’t fully understand how the console functions, what benefits it offers for all players, and to explain some the more advanced features. Let’s get started.
First and foremost, the Xbox One X does not represent a new console generation. Meaning, nobody is forced to buy it to continue playing in the Xbox ecosystem. It is merely a new, more powerful console that exists within the Xbox One family. This means that all Xbox One controllers, headsets, games, accounts, etc….are 100% compatible with the Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X. If you buy an Xbox One X and your friend has a standard Xbox One, you will still be able to play together just as you do today.
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s explain what the X1X represents then. The Xbox One X is the premium member of the Xbox One family for those who want the best possible experience from their games. This represents a combination of higher resolution graphics, better framerates, faster load times, and some other niceties I will explain below. So let’s start with the basics. Due to the additional power placed in the hands of developers, the Xbox One X versions of games will have the capability to offer some of the following features. It is important to keep in mind that Microsoft is not mandating anything of the developers. Therefore it is completely up to the developers to decide what improvements they will make to each game when run on the X1X. This is a key concept which I will continue to refer to.
Run games at higher resolutions: The X1X has the power to run games above the 720p/900p/1080p we typically see today. Microsoft’s goal was to provide developers enough power to run games at “4K” resolution which is 2160p.
Run games at higher framerates: The X1X has the power to potentially run games at 60fps (or beyond) whereas they might have been 30fps or a variable frame rate on the original Xbox One.
Improve load times: The X1X has additional, faster RAM and a faster internal hard drive than the standard Xbox One which Microsoft has said will improve load times.
Offer a faster UI: The X1X UI should benefit from the new console components to make navigation faster and easier.
Offer an updated Game DVR: The Xbox One and Xbox One S have a game DVR that captures footage at 720p. Microsoft has confirmed the X1X will be able to capture game footage at up to 4K (2160p).
Offer Supersampling: Supersampling is a technique developers use to improve graphical fidelity. By utilizing the additional power of the X1X, developers can process an image at a higher resolution, and then scale it down to fit the display resolution the player is using. Supersampled images reduce aliasing (referred to commonly as “jaggies”) and generally look “cleaner” to the naked eye compared to a non-supersampled image at the same resolution.*
Offer Anisotropic Filtering: Anisotropic filtering is another technique developers use to improve graphical fidelity. Like supersampling, it can reduce aliasing effects, but also improves texture detail. Again, the goal is a “cleaner” overall image with less “jaggies”, better textures, and reduced blur.*
Offer Checkerboard Rendering: “Checkerboarding” is a process that developers use to present games at a specific resolution even when not rendering “natively”. Often times, running a game at a native resolution (especially 4K) requires too much processing power and thus, developers utilize techniques like checkerboarding to display a 4K image without the console having to process all of the pixels of a true/native 4K image. Rather, checkerboarding takes a lower resolution image then reconstructs parts of it using a filter to produce a 4K image that looks similar to what it would look like natively. When done well, it can be highly effective.*
*These are highly simplified explanations and I would encourage you to research the details more thoroughly should you be so inclined. I apologize to engineers and game developers in advance for the above explanations.
Those are the basic features the X1X will offer over the standard Xbox One and Xbox One S. But with all the talk around the X1X, a plethora of questions have arisen. Sadly, there are many people answering these questions incorrectly and/or spreading further misinformation. So let’s go one by one and settle these once and for all shall we? Here goes…
Do I need a 4K TV to benefit from the Xbox One X?
No. This is likely the largest misunderstanding surrounding the X1X and it is repeated far too often. As noted above, due to the power of the X1X which allows developers additional resources to use techniques like supersampling, anisotropic filtering, and others, the same 1080p image on an X1X will be superior to a standard Xbox One. It’s also possible for the X1X to run a game at a higher framerate than the Xbox One even if the resolution is the same (an often overlooked but large feature) and it can also improve load times as well. Additionally, there will likely be further improvements to the UI processing, game DVR, and other apps running on the system.
Will there be games in the future that only run on the Xbox One X but not the standard Xbox One?
No. Microsoft has been very clear that the Xbox One X is part of the Xbox One family as I said above. This means that all games will work on all Xbox One devices.
It’s possible of course that when the next Xbox arrives years down the road this may change. But for the foreseeable future this is accurate and the Xbox team’s official statement.
Will there be two different versions of games, one for the Xbox One/S and one for the Xbox One X?
No. There will only be one version of all games and they will work on all Xbox One consoles.
What do they mean by “Xbox One X Enhanced” titles?
For games to run at higher resolutions and framerates on the X1X, developers have to push extra updates for the games that include new code and additional assets. You can find out if a game will support additional or improved features on the X1X by looking at the Xbox website, the digital store, or by looking at the game box (as there will be an icon). As the improvements can vary by title, it’s worth researching ahead of time what each offers. Again, this is up to the developer.
It’s also worth noting that these updates will require additional storage space over the standard game. As has always been true, more advanced titles with better graphics, sound, and processing require more memory.
Why don’t developers offer higher framerates above 60fps like in many PC games?
Technically speaking, they certainly could. Again, Microsoft is not mandating what developers do so we might see that from some titles. However, it’s typically because refresh rates of most TVs, on which the vast majority of console owners play games, don’t go beyond a 60hz refresh rate. Therefore any additional frames would be wasted processing power that could be better utilized elsewhere.
Outside of the games that developers improve specifically for the Xbox One X, will I see any benefits in other games?
Yes! Many games nowadays are coded with variable resolutions and framerates. This means that the game engine will raise and lower the resolution and/or framerate at certain sections of the game depending on what is happening on-screen. For instance, a game like Battlefield 1 can vary between 720p and 1080p depending on how much action is occurring on-screen (due to how much processing power is needed to keep the game running smoothly). Because the X1X is much more powerful, it has the capability to always run the game in 1080p while also maintaining a steady framerate. Improvements in this regard will occur automatically when playing on the X1X without the need for any downloads or updates.
If I have an Xbox One or Xbox One S, will I be forced to download the Xbox One X updates for games even though I can’t use them?
No. Microsoft has confirmed that only X1X owners will download the additional updates for “Xbox One X enhanced games”.
If I don’t have a 4K TV, why would I be forced to download 4K updates for games on my Xbox One X?
This goes back to techniques like supersampling that I described above. Developers use those assets to enhance the games even if you will be displaying them on a 1080p (or lesser) TV. In the end, you will still see improvements and benefit from the updates.
Why can’t Microsoft simply include these updates on the disc so I don’t have to download them?
While the Xbox One X and S support UHD Blu-ray discs, the standard Xbox One does not. The original Xbox One only supports dual layer Blu-ray discs which have a maximum storage capacity of 50gb. As games, especially with 4K assets, are now progressing beyond 100gb in size, it would be impossible to include all of that data on disc (even UHD discs at times). Remember, all Xbox One games must work on all Xbox One devices. Therefore, all hard copies will still come on standard Blu-ray discs and additional updates, including the Xbox One X enhancements, will need to be downloaded.
What if I have a monthly data cap on my internet connection?
If you do have a limit, then it is absolutely something you should be aware of and research ahead of time to see how this may impact your usage. There is no way to tell the size of each X1X enhanced game ahead of time, but for reference Forza Motorsport 7 is rumored to be 100gb with the X1X enhancements.
Will I need anything extra when I upgrade to the Xbox One X?
Likely not but let’s be clear. The Xbox One X is 100% plug and play with the Xbox One S. You can unplug the S, use the same cables to plug in the X, and it will be perfectly fine (that is amazing by the way – bravo Xbox engineering team). However, the original Xbox One uses a different power supply and also has a dedicated port for Kinect. If you plan to upgrade from the original Xbox One to the X, you will use the new power chord that comes with the X and need a USB adaptor if you want to continue using the Kinect. You can find that here: Xbox One S/X Kinect Adaptor
Is there a new controller that comes with the Xbox One X?
No. It is the same controller that was released with the Xbox One S last year with a mic port and bluetooth support.
What other features may the Xbox One X have that I may be missing?
We’ve covered a lot of them. But as I alluded to above, it’s rumored that the UI will not only be sharper, but also generally run faster. Also, unlike the Xbox One that captures video recordings at 720p, the X1X will support up to full 4K game capture. So if you’re a content creator and/or like sharing videos to social media, that could benefit you as well. It’s worth noting that video capture at 4K is quite rare right now partially due to the cost of entry. So if you plan to use it, this is a fantastic bonus of the X1X.
Why can’t I pre-order an Xbox One X yet?
Microsoft is merely awaiting FCC approval for the device. You have not missed anything. They will announce when pre-orders are going to go live. We’ll also make sure to post a highlighted article on SG when that occurs.
Why is the Xbox One X $499?
Many reasons of which I’m not going to touch on here. But fortunately for you, I’ve written a separate article which covers that at length: Why the Xbox One is $499
How is the Xbox One X so much more powerful than the S yet even smaller!?
Magic. Possibly wizards. Likely a combination of both because quite frankly, I can’t answer that question fully. But it’s damn impressive without a doubt.
What else do I need to know?
Well that likely depends on who you are. But all jokes aside, the Xbox One X is not nearly as confusing as some are making it out to be. It’s similar to upgrading other devices you may commonly use like your phone or PC. Typically when you move to a new phone model or upgrade your PC, you still login to the same accounts, use the same apps, and continue what you were doing on your prior model. That new model is likely faster, runs some things better, etc….The Xbox One X is the same way. It really is that simple.
Ok I’m sold. But how do I transfer everything to my new Xbox One X?
Frankly, there are many videos and articles on it. I would suggest looking one of those up (as I haven’t done one personally) but honestly, it’s rather simple. Because the Xbox One stores all saves, captures, and account information on Microsoft’s Azure servers (the cloud) when you buy a new Xbox One you simply log into it with your existing account, download the latest update, and then download or install your games and apps again. The first time you start a game on your new system, it will download your saves from that title and you are on your way. If you have an external hard drive then it’s even easier. Simply move your apps and games from your old Xbox One to the external hard drive(s) ahead of time and once your new Xbox One X is logged in and updated, plug in your drive and boom, you’re good to go. As a general reminder, always make sure to do a factory reset on your old Xbox One before trading it in or selling it.
Surely it’s not that simple?
The Xbox One X I pick up at midnight on November 7th will be my 5th Xbox One. Trust me.
Summary
As I said, the Xbox One X shouldn’t be a worry, threat, concern, etc… It represents a company offering its consumers choice, and it’s something many of us have been requesting for a long time now. If you’re perfectly happy with your launch Xbox One or Xbox One S excellent! Continue enjoying the console for years to come. If you’re picking up an X, then congrats. No matter what, I’ll see you online. Now we just need November 7th to hurry up and get here.
https://seasonedgaming.com/2017/06/27/xbox-one-x-setting-the-record-straight-and-technical-faq/amp/
"We quit our jobs, remortgaged our houses" - how relentless passion made Cuphead a reality
Revealed in 2014, widely criticised in 2015, absent in 2016 - the inside story of the struggles and triumphs of one of gaming’s most ambitious titles
Revealed in 2014, widely criticised in 2015, absent in 2016 - the inside story of the struggles and triumphs of one of gaming’s most ambitious titles
After multiple delays, many tradeshow appearances, and plenty of opinionated feedback... Cuphead will finally release on September 29. It’s been a long, hard road to get here for StudioMDHR Entertainment and its captivating 1930s cartoon platformer. Cuphead was unveiled at E3 2014 and playable a year later at E3 2015. Its bold 2D art style, which recalls classic, mid-20th century animations, and engaging, tough boss battles catapulted Cuphead to everyone’s most anticipated list. But, after it was quickly made known the game only contained boss fights with barely any platforming levels linking those battles together, people grew disappointed. The excitement for Cuphead died down.
After listening to the negative feedback for this design choice, StudioMDHR knew it had to course correct. The decision to go back to the drawing board and start crafting whole levels in the game eventually resulted in a several-year delay for Cuphead, and a much more challenging development process than first anticipated. It’s a big ask for such a small team working on a game made up of painstaking, handcrafted animations.
I talked to one of Cuphead’s lead designers and co-creators, Chad Moldenhauer, about how much Cuphead has evolved since its debut, why the studio decided to only include boss battles at first, and the challenges that resulted from the game’s sizable changes.
The Original Vision
Cuphead’s E3 2015 showing really emphasised a desire for a bigger experience - beyond just boss fights. The general consensus that boss fights ‘aren’t enough’ gave StudioMDHR an excuse to dramatically expand the scope of the game. This was, contrary to popular belief, the studio’s original vision for its platformer. Chad, and his brother / Cuphead co-creator Jared Moldenhauer had always wanted the game to be more than just boss battles when they first started making it in 2010.
“The reality is, Cuphead is closer now to the game we always wanted,” explains Chad, speaking to GamesRadar+. “We aren't throwing levels in to mollify people, we're putting them back in after originally cutting them from our ‘dream scope.’” The problem with StudioMDHR initially being able to go through with its original “dream scope” for Cuphead was a serious lack of resources. The studio didn’t want to over-commit to a project without first seeing how people responded to it.
Quite a few Reddit users have shared their opinions about playing the game, and most of the comments have been positive. Like user armandsaccurro saying, “The game got a good amount of attention. I've played the demo at last year's Gamescom, it's gonna be sweet!” However, user XZYOE didn’t share the same sentiment and, like a few others, was left disappointed after finding out Cuphead was initially only going to feature boss fights. “It looks really cool but I'm not too sure how I feel about it being just a boss rush. If it had more classic platformer elements and levels I would be more excited.”
“The truth is that we started Cuphead as a three person team, just working on the weekend,” explains Chad. “With such a small team we knew to keep our scope small; there were just a few bosses and a couple of weapons and everything was just less insane. We demoed Cuphead at E3 2015 and the response was mind blowing.”
After E3 2015, StudioMDHR was ready to fully commit to its initial “dream scope” for the game. “We realized that there were a lot of people out there that wanted what we were doing,” says Chad. “My brother and I quit our jobs, remortgaged our houses and began expanding the team. This was our chance to actually deliver the game we wanted to make all along, rather than the cut-scope game we originally planned with a three person team.” It’s a gamble that could easily have backfired on the brothers. Hello Games and its overly ambitious No Man’s Sky is a prime example of a studio throwing everything they have at the game and, for the most part, failing to meet expectations. Tellingly, Hello Games has been incredibly quiet ever since, kept firmly out of the spotlight by Sony.
Once the decision was made to expand the scope, Chad and Jared quickly started to expand the development team, as it would’ve been impossible to successfully create a larger version of Cuphead with just three people. Now, StudioMDHR employs 20 people (including Chad and Jared). This is everyone from animators and designers, to a hand-lettering artist and digital painters.
Chad expands on this: “The bulk of the engine work was already in place from building the core Cuphead controls and stage setup for the bosses. Evolving from there to fully scrolling levels was just the next step.”
Though Chad and Jared knew exactly what was required of the team to craft levels, it didn’t make the job any easier. After all, the most difficult part about developing Cuphead is nailing its art style.
Nailing That 1930s Cartoon Look
Chad and Jared first came up with the idea for Cuphead because of their love of classic run and gun games like Contra and Gunstar Heroes, and old cartoons such as Popeye and Steamboat Willie. While working on the gameplay, the team was trying out different art styles; everything from traditional game art to even child-like crayon drawings. But it kept returning to the classic cel animations Cuphead sports today.
“As kids, we watched old VHS tapes of Popeye, Betty Boop, Silly Symphonies and more - the art style has always stuck with us,” says Chad. “Once we came up with the Cuphead character, we knew we had something special. Everything that we've done since then has been us just trying to do the memories of those cartoons justice.”
In order to nail that 1930s cartoon aesthetic and have Cuphead look like it walked right off of Walt Disney’s desk, StudioMDHR has to painstakingly craft levels, characters, and animations by hand. This is quite unusual in game development, to say the least.
“To really capture the style of the 30s animation, we had to double down on the authenticity by doing the work the same way they did back then – pencils, inks, watercolour paintings, every frame done by hand,” explains Chad. “We don't use any of the modern techniques or software tricks to assist our animation. If you see an egg spin 360 degrees in Cuphead, we didn't draw one frame and spin it in software, we drew all the individual frames at each stage in its rotation.”
StudioMDHR approaches game development in the same way Hayao Miyazaki tackles a Studio Ghibli film - everything needs to be done by hand before the animations can be integrated into the film, or in this case, a video game. However, the main issue with StudioMDHR’s detailed approach is that editing animations for gameplay reasons is very costly.
“We can't just move a hand up 30 pixels or squash a head down 10 pixels, the whole action has to be redrawn from scratch,” Chad notes. “This means we end up doing a ton of planning and iteration before anything gets to that level, as we can't afford to throw out a lot of work. Similarly, we always have to keep in mind how much work is going to be involved in any action. If we want to add a new attack for an enemy, it could be over 30 frames of animation plus all the implementation work. The biggest sacrifice has been to our lives outside of Cuphead, ha!”
This is one of the main reasons why people have heard or seen so little about Cuphead since its E3 2015 showing. It's only had one or two new trailers over the past two years, without any new information about a release date. Up until now. StudioMDHR had to hunker down and work tirelessly on making Cuphead the larger experience many wanted it to be. Which meant having to animate lots more enemies and crafting sizeable levels.
As a result of just how difficult it'd be to create a more substantial platformer, the idea to turn Cuphead into a 3D side-scroller instead was tossed around at StudioMDHR. But, it became apparent this wouldn’t be possible for a few reasons.
“As for Cuphead in a 3D game, the development would be a full 180 degree change from what we do right now,” explains Chad. “For any of the art: planning, workflow and production styles we use with Cuphead wouldn’t translate to the 3D space. So in essence, Cuphead can’t be a 3D game and still contain everything we want to visually explore.”
But despite the amount of time and effort it takes to work on these classic cel animations, there are a few important advantages with this artistic choice. It allows Chad and his team to come up with the most quirky and outlandish ideas for characters and levels. You’ll go up against a giant dragon that loves to spit fireballs, a giant rather, angry-looking potato, and a moving train with a massive skeleton head popping right out of it.
Some of the lesser enemies also include a some sort of flower man that chases after you, and a small mushroom with the ability to throw lethal pink projectiles. The developers then are actually able to implement these designs into the game; so as long as the team is willing to put the work in, of course. Cuphead’s art style affords StudioMDHR so much creative freedom that Chad is surprised other studios haven’t used it before.
“We can stretch and squash characters in fantastical ways or do crazy or wacky things that a more grounded style wouldn't allow,” enthuses Chad. “It pretty much opens us up to do whatever we want gameplay-wise, because thematically, it'll probably fit.”
Creating Handcrafted Levels
Cuphead’s platforming sections are reminiscent of classic run and gun games that inspired the title - Contra 3, Contra Hard Corps. etc - and they contain a slew of enemies and collectibles. Creating Cuphead’s animations took plenty of time in the beginning, back when the game only had boss battles. But now, the developmental challenges on these new levels are extensions of the problems StudioMDHR faced with creating the bosses.
“All of our backgrounds on the bosses are individual watercolour paintings, so to maintain that level of quality, we've had to create a ton more paintings that seamlessly mesh to create these long, multi-scrolling backgrounds for the levels,” said Chad.
StudioMDHR spends the same amount of time animating smaller enemies as it does making Cuphead’s biggest baddies. “Every single enemy has to be animated at the same rate as the giant screen filling bosses, so even though they are smaller, they have just as many animations per action,” said Chad. “Even something that seems simple, such as the flower enemy, has over 100 frames of animation.”
Whenever a developer comes up with new ideas, which happens quite often, they have to be approved by every member of the team. One new idea will add dozens more hours to development. “Of course, as we build out levels, we get ideas for fun new things, and each of those things means hundreds of new animation frames,” said Chad. “ It can lead to a pretty heated vetting process amongst team members. The ideas have to be great, because the workload to implement even the tiniest thing is enormous.”
But, Chad and Jared knew from the start that Cuphead’s stunning animations weren’t enough to make the game enjoyable. To them, the core feel of the controller is the most important thing, as people need to actually have fun playing through the platforming sections and battling Cuphead’s multiple bosses. Chad and Jared used games like Gunstar Heroes as a blueprint for how to properly make an excellent 2D platformer.
“The speed of the jump, the movement of the character on screen, the timing of the actions in relation to a button press – these are a lot of things we spent a ton of time getting right in the beginning, before we even started working on the bosses or levels,” says Chad. “Cuphead comes from a lineage of games where the action is fast and the player's input response is paramount. What the player presses on the controller happens immediately on screen.”
StudioMDHR also had to be wary of not letting Cuphead’s elaborate animations get in the way of gameplay. Chad explains: “It was really important to us that, even though our game was filled with all of this elaborate animation, the player should never feel like they are waiting for an animation to complete before they can react to the next thing”.
StudioMDHR has to think differently when creating levels based on their nature. Cuphead’s boss battles are complex, multi-stage fights containing giant screen-filling enemies. The team treats them also like set pieces. “The bosses change form, requiring the player to change their tactics mid-fight, focus on multiple things at once, or hone in on a single tough pattern, but the thing we realized is – it's all stuff that happens to the player,” says Chad.
With levels, StudioMDHR had to learn how give up a little bit of control and let players complete these platforming stages at their own pace. Chad clarifies that “it's still fast action, but the player isn't constantly having to react to a giant threat. We've learned to allow them to learn a bit more at their own volition, rather than continually be under the gun.”
Though this has been one of the biggest hurdles the team had to overcome, they’re finally only months away from letting Cuphead out into the world. Deciding to drastically shift devlopment wasn’t an easy decision, but Chad and Jared knew they had to take that risk.
“When we recognized that Cuphead was something that a lot of people seemed to want, we decided to go all out and make the game we always wanted to.” Cuphead finally releases on September 28 for Xbox One and PC. Sure, the anticipation for the game has slightly worn off in these last two years. There’s a chance Cuphead might not meet people’s initial lofty expectations, and the gamble StudioMDHR took might also not pay off. That’d be a real shame, because it’s clear so much hard, very personal work has been poured into this project. If even a fraction of that passion gets passed on to players, however, there’s a great chance it’ll be worth every minute of its long, laborious creation.
http://www.gamesradar.com/we-quit-o...ow-relentless-passion-made-cuphead-a-reality/
Day One!
I just fucking realized that Crackdown 1 is not Backwards Compatible. How in the fuck is this even possible?
Sony Removes PS4 YouTube Video For BioWare's Anthem That Showed Xbox Buttons
Recently, Sony's YouTube channel hosted a video for BioWare's new IP, Anthem, but it's now been removed because something potentially weird was going on, apparently.
People on NeoGAF discovered that the Anthem footage might have actually been from the Xbox One X version shown at E3. At different points in the video, due to the edit, you can see that PlayStation button prompts were overlayed over the Xbox prompts.
Xbox marketing manager Aaron Greenberg is having a little fun with the news story, tweeting today, "Oops!" We haven't yet seen a comment from Sony's side.
It is not uncommon for the Xbox and PlayStation YouTube accounts to host the same footage, but what's different here is that Microsoft's video from E3 was meant to specifically show off the Xbox One X edition. Given that the Xbox One X is more powerful than the PS4 and the PS4 Pro, the footage might not necessarily be representative.
Developed by BioWare Edmonton, the studio behind Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Anthem is a new sci-fi action game set in a "vast open world." The game pits players in the role of a Freelancer tasked with exploring unknown planets and protecting humanity. You'll be able to outfit your Freelancer with customisable exo-suits called Javelins, which can be equipped with a range of new gear you either craft or acquire.
The game is being "built around a live service" and features a heavy emphasis on cooperative play. EA has confirmed that up to four players can team up to complete missions together. During today's gameplay demonstration, we got our first look at one called "Hell or High Water," which took players through a dense jungle filled with giant creatures and through a bioluminescent underwater cavern.
Like a number of other of titles, the game will run in 4K and feature other enhancements when played on Xbox One X. You can watch the full gameplay demonstration from Microsoft's press conference here.
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