Which format for FFXIII?

Retr0gamer

I find my 360 noisy but not enough to distract me from a game. It's a bit annoying when watching a dvd during quiet moments but never during a game especially with the HD install. The PS3 is grand and quiet until my room heats up. Then the fans kick in and it's actually noisier than my 360 at times. I still don't find it distracting.

If what you say is true Gothpunk then I'd say that Square kept in the Full HDR from the PS3 version in the 360 version which is killing the 360's memory so it's running at a lower resolution. This is a very good indication of a half arsed port if square couldn't even be bothered using the half HDR/half bloom that most games use on the 360.

When you install on the HD for the 360 the whole disc is installed on the HD but you still need the disc in the drive to start the game up.

Burning Eclipse

GothPunk wrote: »

Latest news from NeoGAF (via the guy from Digital Foundry who posts there) is that the 360 version runs at 576p upscaled to 720p, whereas the PS3 version runs at native 720p and dithering is more noticable on the 360 version. It's looking like the PS3 version is the 'superior' version if you care about this sort of stuff.

That's not taking into account the 1080p video the PS3 version has versus whatever the 360 version has - the PS3 version has something like 34GB of video so if you have an HD TV you'll probably notice a difference between uncompressed (PS3) and compressed (360).

tl;dr: PS3 version has better resolution, less noticable dithering and superior audio and video.

OT: About the 360 noise, I find that my 360 (a Jasper) is pretty quiet when I have installed a game but the power brick is quite noisy. Is that normal? Installing games is such a great feature.

*Ordered*

Based on the Neogaf thread tbh.

May Bill Gates forgive my infidelity.

GothPunk

Burning Eclipse wrote: »

For the love of god no...

Bayonetta is great btw, well worth picking up. Quickly, get to zavvi. The price won't be beat!

Oops, meant to reply to this earlier. Are the versions of Bayonetta really that different? I've played the demo of it on both my 360 and my PS3, and whilst the 360 version did look a bit better, I'm just so much more used to the Dualshock, particularly for these types of games. I can't afford Bayonetta yet (White Knight Chronicles and Heavy Rain on Friday, then FFXIII, Yakuza 3 and GoWIII) but thanks for the link. :pac: It'll definitely be cheaper in a month or two methinks.

Burning Eclipse wrote: »

Based on the Neogaf thread tbh.

Keep an eye on APZonerunner's posts, he now has both versions I think, although he is under embargo. He says "PS3 [version] of course has the edge".

Retr0gamer wrote: »

If what you say is true Gothpunk then I'd say that Square kept in the Full HDR from the PS3 version in the 360 version which is killing the 360's memory so it's running at a lower resolution. This is a very good indication of a half arsed port if square couldn't even be bothered using the half HDR/half bloom that most games use on the 360.

Some NeoGAFfers seem to think that the 360 port of FFXIII was outsourced (to the team that was supposed to port The Last Remnant to the PS3 they think), in much the same way as the PS3 version of Bayonetta was. There's no evidence for this though (particularly about the porting team, I think everyone is just having fun speculating). I'm not sure if we can call it a half arsed port, I mean there's only so much more they can delay the game before all the sweaty fans brandishing gunblades break into S-E HQ and demand the game be released. The versions are pretty close but perhaps the game really was developed as a PS3 exclusive first and then the decision to port came later.

Retr0gamer

GothPunk wrote: »

Oops, meant to reply to this earlier. Are the versions of Bayonetta really that different?

Well if you have played both versions it's very hard to go back to the PS3 version. There's tearing and slow down everywhere and it's even worse in the areas that aren't in the demo. The game doesn't flow as well compared to the 360 version since it's pretty much a solid 60 fps. Also the poorer quality textures are far more noticeable.

GothPunk wrote: »

Some NeoGAFfers seem to think that the 360 port of FFXIII was outsourced (to the team that was supposed to port The Last Remnant to the PS3 they think), in much the same way as the PS3 version of Bayonetta was.

I actually wouldn't be surprised if this happened. You'd be surprised by how much this happens lately and that a lot of third parties are never credited for it.

Xluna

carbonkid wrote: »

When you guys talk about installing games on the 360 is it like with the ps3, some games install so much of the game or can you install the whole game and throw away the disc?

Even if you install a game you still need the disc in the game to play it. Imagine all the illegal,cost cutting fun if we could have if we just rent games out,install it and bring it back to the video shop.:)
Still,it does make a huge difference with the noise level and it's fantastic for cutting loading times. Works really well for Tekken 6 and Lost Odyssey.

joe123

Couldnt give a ****e because I know well both games will look identical (these comparisons ALWAYS do).

What im more concerned with is the terrible reviews/write ups the game is getting. Was really looking forward to this.

Mr. K

joe123 wrote: »

Couldnt give a ****e because I know well both games will look identical (these comparisons ALWAYS do).

I hope you're right! It'd be such a shame to see a main FF title botched on one console.

elekid

I only have a 360 so that's the version I'll be getting, slight graphical differences don't bother me at all.

This has me a lot more worried:

GothPunk wrote: »

Just to warn you unlike most games, you will be using the D-Pad for the vast majority of the game. I'm not sure if you have a problem with the 360 D-Pad though as so many people do.

I've been intentionally avoiding as much detail as I can about the game so I didn't know this. Do you mean you have to move the main character around using the d-pad? Sounds uncomfortable either way..

My main problem will be finishing Persona 3 in time. I don't want to start one rpg in the middle of another but I have no intention of rushing P3 so I doubt I'll be starting FFXIII on launch day.

GothPunk

elekid wrote: »

I've been intentionally avoiding as much detail as I can about the game so I didn't know this. Do you mean you have to move the main character around using the d-pad? Sounds uncomfortable either way.

My apologies, either there has been a change for the English release or someone on NeoGAF got their facts wrong or remembered wrong - you can use either the d-pad or the analog stick to move around and use the menus. APZonerunner on NeoGAF who has both copies said that both control inputs work.

I have multple RPGs on the go all the time - but I suppose that's a problem I have really. :pac:

Sephiroth_dude

GothPunk wrote: »

.

I have multple RPGs on the go all the time - but I suppose that's a problem I have really. :pac:

Im the same,rogue galaxy and tales of vesperia to finish :eek:

GothPunk

Sephiroth_dude wrote: »

Im the same,rogue galaxy and tales of vesperia to finish :eek:

I'm not going to embarrass myself and tell you how many I'm playing right now but let's just say I own a PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, 360 and a DS and I'm playing at least one RPG right now on each. Yeah...

I have FFXIII and Yakuza pre-ordered and I'm getting White Knight Chronicles on Friday. I think if I stopped buying games for 2 years I'd probably be comfortably occupied with the backlog I have. I'll ignore it all to finish FFXIII though, for some reason I find it easier to finish new releases.

Sephiroth_dude

GothPunk wrote: »

I'm not going to embarrass myself and tell you how many I'm playing right now but let's just say I own a PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, 360 and a DS and I'm playing at least one RPG right now on each. Yeah...

I have FFXIII and Yakuza pre-ordered and I'm getting White Knight Chronicles on Friday. I think if I stopped buying games for 2 years I'd probably be comfortably occupied with the backlog I have. I'll ignore it all to finish FFXIII though, for some reason I find it easier to finish new releases.

I have the extact same problem,there just isn't enough hours in the day to play everything *sigh*

elekid

GothPunk wrote: »

you can use either the d-pad or the analog stick to move around and use the menus.

That's good news

I like to focus on one game at a time because there's nothing worse than coming back to one only to discover you have no idea where to go or what to do next. I'll especially want to give a new FF my full attention (I'm closing my eyes, sticking my fingers in my ears and going lalala about any criticism until I get to play it for myself).

Woden

Only have a 360 which was more or less just purchased for FF XIII. Special edition is preordered from Amazon will be on vacation when it is released though alas.

noodler

Mr. K wrote: »

I hope you're right! It'd be such a shame to see a main FF title botched on one console.

Exaggeration surely?

I have played plenty of PS3 games that were done better on the 360 (Resi 5, Bioshock, Fallout 3, Oblivion) but I really can't say they were botched in any way.

I don't think there will be a problem.

GothPunk

noodler wrote: »

Exaggeration surely?

Especially considering the amount of people who will be playing this on an SD TV. I considered using this ":rolleyes:" for those people but then I should realise that not everyone can afford an HDTV. Which is a pity, this game should be a treat on a big screen, regardless of console.

carbonkid

I seriously doubt anyone will notice the difference between 360 and PS3 versions...unless your actually anal enough to play them both back to back.

If you have both consoles then buy which ever one you think has the prettiest label lol.

Mr. K

noodler wrote: »

Exaggeration surely?

I have played plenty of PS3 games that were done better on the 360 (Resi 5, Bioshock, Fallout 3, Oblivion) but I really can't say they were botched in any way.

I don't think there will be a problem.

Botched is probably too strong a word alright!

I usually find PS3 versions to be a little washed out looking in colour. I noticed it with RE5 and MW2. I'm curious as to whether or not it'll be the case with FFXIII.

noodler

Mr. K wrote: »

Botched is probably too strong a word alright!

I usually find PS3 versions to be a little washed out looking in colour. I noticed it with RE5 and MW2. I'm curious as to whether or not it'll be the case with FFXIII.

Now on RE5 I find it hard to disagree. I thought it was my new TV (haven't calibrated it very well I don't think) but it looks very washed out compared to how I remember the demo looking on the old TV.

I don't know why it would be the case with the PS3 version of FF13 seeing as how it was made for the console rather than ported.

GothPunk

Mr. K wrote: »

I usually find PS3 versions to be a little washed out looking in colour. I noticed it with RE5 and MW2. I'm curious as to whether or not it'll be the case with FFXIII.

I'm pretty sure this is down to TV settings in a lot of cases, considering when I switch from my PS3 to my 360 I have it set to a lower colour and brightness level. With the same settings as the PS3 on my TV my 360 games look kind of saturated and too bright.

Having played the old build of Final Fantasy XIII (as has noodler) I can assure you it doesn't look washed out in the slightest! Like I've been saying, we're in for a treat visually.

Mr. K

GothPunk wrote: »

I'm pretty sure this is down to TV settings in a lot of cases, considering when I switch from my PS3 to my 360 I have it set to a lower colour and brightness level. With the same settings as the PS3 on my TV my 360 games look kind of saturated and too bright.

But I've never noticed any of my PS3 only games look too bright! It must be a fairly slight difference.

Retr0gamer

It could be due to the quintex multisampling that some games us on the PS3 instead of anti aliasing. It gives the games a vaseline smeared all over the screen effect on bad PS3 ports that run at poor resolutions.

GothPunk

Do you mean Quincunx? Yeah it can create a blurred effect in some uses but to call it an effect of smearing Vaseline of all over the screen is going a bit far, but you are always one for hyperbole! Besides, Digital Foundry have described how the SPEs can be used to create superior anti-aliasing effects on multi-platform titles. So it doesn't have to be the case that the PS3 version be blurry, I think it's just more likely to occur with a 360-PS3 port or a title with a tighter budget.

Mr. K wrote: »

But I've never noticed any of my PS3 only games look too bright! It must be a fairly slight difference.

That's because they're all next-gen brown and grey!

But in seriousness, when I first got my 360 and stuck in Fable 2, it looked insanely colour saturated, like someone had turned to colour up to 90 on the TV. When I turned the colour down it looked normal, like the screenshots and videos I'd seen of the game. I'm pretty sure Digital Foundry have said before that a lot of the percieved differences in PS3 and 360 games comes from each console requiring different TV settings. It's more of a colour level thing than brightness or contrast. So I guess my question to you should be do you/have you tried use/using different TV settings for each console?

Retr0gamer

From the short article on digital foundry the review copies seem to be out but there's an embargo until next week. They say the face off will be out for definite some time next week.

Mr. K

GothPunk wrote: »

So I guess my question to you should be do you/have you tried use/using different TV settings for each console?

I haven't fiddled with the colour settings much, since Blu-Rays look fine. The colours in the GoW3 demo kinda annoyed me today though, so it may be time!

Retr0gamer wrote: »

From the short article on digital foundry the review copies seem to be out but there's an embargo until next week. They say the face off will be out for definite some time next week.

Nice, I look forward to their results!

Mr. K

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ffxiii-360-less-than-half-the-size-of-ps3-game-blog-entry

It would appear that the 360 version uses much less space to install the discs.

Ostrom

I'm more concerned about the sound. I will be buying for 360, running it through the surround - I find myself less concerned with graphics lately, a good soundtrack with decent 3D work counts more toward an enjoyable experience than visuals.

Any word on launch events/early openings yet?

Retr0gamer

With lossless compression of audio they have now I'm sure the sound will be fine. The game data takes up only 6.98 GB on a blu-ray without movies and that includes all the uncompressed audio.

Ostrom

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Since people are waiting on this one I'd say this could be out on release day or a day after release. Trying to do my PhD thesis myself so won't have much time to play it either

Promised my supervisor two chapters by months end, cant afford to run over now.

Nice writing incentive though

noodler

Mr. K wrote: »

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ffxiii-360-less-than-half-the-size-of-ps3-game-blog-entry

It would appear that the 360 version uses much less space to install the discs.

Than what?

Than other 360 games?