Capcom aware of Dead Rising standard-definition woes
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Aug 15th 2006 at 12:25PM }
Apparently, Capcom wasn't paying attention last December when Ubisoft head honcho Yves Guillemot publicly admitted that King Kong for Xbox 360 was unplayable on standard-definition televisions. The Dead Rising developer seems to have committed a similar oversight, presumably testing the game on HD monitors only.
Over on the Capcom BBS forums, complaints have piled up, prompting one forum administrator to post: "Dear Everyone, I have heard your concerns and passed them to every source within Capcom possible. I feel your pain as I, myself, have a large SDTV and am having trouble reading the mission objectives, item names, etc."
Joystiq can confirm that item descriptions, in-game dialogue, and mission objectives (given via text prompts) are unreadable on a 27" standard-definition TV set using component A/V inputs. That this "next-generation" title doesn't provide voiceovers for dialogue and mission objectives is questionable enough, but not testing the game in standard-definition resolution? C'mon Capcom, get to know your consumer base.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
refinedsugar @ Aug 15th 2006 12:31PM
Ouch. We didn't see this problem in the demo, but chalk this up as another reason I passed on the game unknowingly.
Crazylink @ Aug 15th 2006 12:31PM
Dang, I was looking forword to this being my first game once I got a 360. I'm not pay upwards of $1000 for an HDTV
ToastyBuffoon @ Aug 15th 2006 12:33PM
I can't think of any excuse for oversights like this. I'm willing to bet most XBox 360 owners still play on SDTV effectively ruining the experience for most people who purchase this game. I don't own a 360 but if I did I'd be pretty ticked about this.
Lazy quality control there.
Baba @ Aug 15th 2006 12:35PM
I wonder how much (if any) testing is performed on standard televisions. In NCAA Football 2006, EA gave some stats screens dark blue text on a black background. It was nearly impossible to read on my television...I bet it looked better on their monitors.
vidGuy @ Aug 15th 2006 12:35PM
I'm playing on an SD tv and I agree, the text is nearly impossible to read, even on a 27". I have to be real close to see the text outline, and distinguishing between characters is nearly impossible.
However, it doesn't distract from the game much at all. I don't read Otis's comments but instead concentrate on dodging zombies (that comic about them attacking while you are on the phone is so right). Then I just select that mission and follow the arrow. No big deal.
Not being able to read text is a definite disadvantage for SD gamers, but for this specific game, it's no big deal.
Enosh99 @ Aug 15th 2006 12:37PM
I can definitely see how the game would be a problem on a SDTV. It definitely makes for a good excuse to invest in the VGA cable and hook the 360 up to a computer monitor though.
I actually have mine sitting on my desk and hooked into the second input on my 19" widescreen LCD monitor. I was too used to PC gaming and too unwilling to buy a good TV when I got my xbox360 :) The 19" LCD makes a really nice poor mans' HDTV when combined with the xbox360 :)
Tomas @ Aug 15th 2006 12:41PM
welcome to the next generation.
now get an HDTV or use your PC monitor.
Pretty Obvious @ Aug 15th 2006 12:44PM
You can get an HDTv for much less then what a PS3 will cost you this Nov. I do feel for the SDTV owners but as an HDTV owner myself, im never going back - no way in hell. Get yourselves a cheap HDTV its worth the investment.
Paul P. @ Aug 15th 2006 12:47PM
You can get an HDTV for a lot cheaper than $1000, FYI. I got mine, a 26" for $250. Perfect for the bedroom.
NitrogenB @ Aug 15th 2006 12:48PM
HAHAHA, that's hilarious!!...that's all I have to say.
unimental @ Aug 15th 2006 12:53PM
Seriously folks, the fact that a glaring issues like this are getting missed throughout the development and testing of new 360 games is ridiculous.
I couldn't find any polls or percentages on users using HD vs. standard... anyone else know of info like that?
benjamin @ Aug 15th 2006 12:54PM
I'm happy to hear that I'm not the only one. After playing through the helicopter portion I realized that the text present on the mall's roof was so tiny that something *must* be wrong.
I searched (in vain) for a setting in the menus and thought that maybe something was either wrong with my copy of the game or my 360.
For the time being I've shelved the game (nice, blowing $60 on a game I can't play) and am replaying Metroid Prime 2, of all things.
Kid Chemical @ Aug 15th 2006 12:54PM
So no one paid attention when Capcom kept claiming the game was specifically designed with 720P in mind?
Still, its sorta a pain in the ass. I just have to assume I've gotten the right achievement.
reebo @ Aug 15th 2006 12:55PM
Aw, man. Good thing I didn't get this game, I only have a SDTV.
Aaaand I don't have a 360, either... >_>
Draco @ Aug 15th 2006 1:00PM
I guess its safe to assume a patch will be released to chage the font?
lloyd @ Aug 15th 2006 1:01PM
i've been playing on a 37" sd tv with an s-video input and the text is unreadable more than a few feet away... i'm sure it looks just fine on a 50" hdtv but what good is that to the average gamer who isn't making $80,000 a year?
and now that they acknowledge the mistake, is there really anything they can do about it?
Ryan @ Aug 15th 2006 1:01PM
Paul P. - Tell me more.
Everyone else - I haven't gotten to play the game myself yet, but I think vidGuy is probably half-right.
Maybe they'll make an update to make the text *ahem* retardo-huge for us lame (yeah, like how they make the numbers on phones big for old people or whatever) SDTV owners.
Thomas Crymes @ Aug 15th 2006 1:03PM
It is a shame, but it's not like this game is a text heavy RPG. Just follow the arrow on screen and kill zombies constantly.
That's it. Honest. It's also damn fun.
Chessasaur @ Aug 15th 2006 1:03PM
This game was almost my push into getting a 360. Since I only have a SD 27" TV and no plans on upgrading anytime soon, I'd say that Capcom just cost Microsoft a sale.
Cabrill @ Aug 15th 2006 1:04PM
Looks fine on my 56" 1080p DLP...although those rainbows keep dogging me at every turn. Oh well, small price to pay to be able to read the text. Before this article I didn't even consider that it might be harder to read on other TV's. Seriously, it looks perfectly good A-OK on mine and I'm hoping any "fix" they do make isn't mandatory(toggled in options, preferrably.)
Nathan Davies @ Aug 15th 2006 1:05PM
I thought it also had to go through stringent testing at Microsoft too? Both Capcom and Microsoft missed this? Were there problems with the demo in standard def? I played the demo on my HDTV. The good news is that there will probably be a patch within a week or two on xbox live
Eric @ Aug 15th 2006 1:06PM
I can't fucking believe all these people telling us to get HD or GTFO. It says ON THE FUCKING BOX that it's supposed to work in SD/ED. Now, correct me if I'm mistaken, but is it so wrong to expect it to work like it claims to on the packaging?
This is an enormous oversight by Capcom, and a sign of the sloppy product testing that goes on these days.
Diamond @ Aug 15th 2006 1:06PM
Why do people keep using the "just buy an HDTV" argument? It's not always feasible for people to just step out of their budget to pick up an HDTV, even if you can pick up one for less than a price of the PS3. If I shell out $400 for a console and $60 for a game and find out it's unplayable unless I shell out an extra $250+ (probably being considerably generous on the prices here) and there's no warning on the box, then yeah, I'm going to be upset and justifiably so.
For anyone who is struggling with this dilemma themselves, I would suggest picking up a VGA cable for your 360. I have a honeymoon to pay for, so getting an HDTV takes a pretty significant backseat, but a $40 VGA cable takes a lot of the sting out of the problem until Capcom can give us a suitable fix.
benjamin @ Aug 15th 2006 1:07PM
>is there really anything they can do about it?
The font used for subtitles is readable. I suggest they use the same font for the text boxes. Maybe they'll obscure a larger portion of the screen, but by that same point, they're transitory, so it's not likw they'll always be there.
Cage @ Aug 15th 2006 1:08PM
Anyone notice how all the negative comments are coming from people the DONT have a 360?
BIGGEN @ Aug 15th 2006 1:08PM
so is it really as bad as the pic shows? i don't have an HDTV, just a 32" philips flat screen with component cables. the text is small but not blurry.
onlypoopypants @ Aug 15th 2006 1:09PM
i own a fifty six inch hdtv and i make no way near 80,000 a year. come on hdtvs are not that expensive you just gotta look for sales and be smart get dlp a 50 in will not run you more than a thousand
Diamond @ Aug 15th 2006 1:09PM
Kinda missed this in the first post, but you couldn't get an idea for this problem in the demo since there was no crucial in-game text (I don't remember any at all, but I'm not 100% sure, so please correct me if I'm wrong). The game is, thankfully, still pretty fun without the in-game text, but if you're interested in knowing more about what's going on or who Otis is annoying you about now, you're pretty much doomed.
Agent MOO @ Aug 15th 2006 1:12PM
The optional objectives without voiceovers confused me at first, I was running around the guys, thinking maybe I was in a positional audio dead spot. Nope. Sucks for those without a vga monitor or HDTV to play on. Unfortunately, people with standard tv are also less likely to be plugged in to XBL and benefit from a patch if and when it is released.
benjamin @ Aug 15th 2006 1:12PM
@#20: Seconded. Even if I could afford an HDTV (which I can't), I also have the dreaded construct known as a 'girlfriend' to contend with.
Invariably she'd say "You bought *what*?" and much stress would follow. This is the kind of difficulty that gamers that *aren't* in a relationship don't need to worry about.
Gerwurztraminer @ Aug 15th 2006 1:16PM
Now I see why Nintendo skipped out on HD. Enough gamers (and likely even more non-gamers) will be fed up with these types of occurances that they might decide they are happy with less expensive slightly older tech.
Which is why I'll likely still be playing my PS2 by 2010.
Rob @ Aug 15th 2006 1:22PM
People would be well justified in getting pissed off at this oversight. If the game can be played in standard definition, they ought to have made sure that it would work in that mode.
But for me this just demonstrates why I think the 360 is not a well-rounded, well-designed machine. While not as extreme as the PS3 is apparently going to be, all the hype (seems to me) to be about the great graphics and the high definition, and the surround sound, etc. The problem is, much of their target market does not have HD equipment. There does not seem to be much thought into making the system really quite as worth buying for anyone without an HD tv.
For those who do have such equipment, I'd say that the 360 is awesome for you. But for me, blowing $400 on a system that you can't really get the most out of without having the home theater stuff to go with it is a bad move, mostly because I have a PC that I have put a lot of money into. If you are running SD stuff and playing 360 games, and enjoying them just fine, more power to you, and maybe I would too. But the way the system is geared has prevented me from desiring it.
Also, "Getting with the times" is simply not possible for a lot of people like me who are not going to be able to buy home theater equipment like that any time in the forseeable future. So, since I can't afford HD equipment, I won't buy an HD-oriented game system. I'd consider buying the Wii because it oriented more towards the kind of home theater (or lack thereof) setup that I have going.
Just my thoughts, and that said I REALLY wish I could play Dead Rising.
mykie @ Aug 15th 2006 1:23PM
This kind of oversight is the kind of thing that is killing the PC gaming industry...When was the last time you played a game that doesn't require a ton of patches? What about companies that aren't around anymore or for one reason or another have chosen to no longer support the game, making the patch for your 5-year-old game unavailable?
I expect this kind of rush-job nonsense from craphouses like THQ, but NEVER Capcom or Ubisoft. With companies releasing unfinished games like this, and expecting to patch them later, this is ruining the Xbox360 as it ruins the PC Gaming experience.
Companies need to stop releasing unfinished code, and get it right in the first place...After all, when was the last time you had to patch up a Nintendo game to make it playable?
CyberKnight @ Aug 15th 2006 1:28PM
"Now get an HDTV or use your PC monitor."
How bout this: "Don't design a game that excludes a large population just because you're too shortsighted to include a text-size option"
The 360 is a multi-resolution system. Low def or high def. Computers are a low resolution system even more so; 640x480 -> godknowswhatnowadays
I can play WoW at 1280x1024 and read the text fine. Guess what, I can do the same thing at 640x480 albeit with jaggy edges around them!!
Don't excuse a poor design decision by saying everyone should plop down a nice shitload of money for a purely cosmetic yet pricey upgrade to a technology only the minority have access to.
Enzo @ Aug 15th 2006 1:29PM
I don't get the "I don't make $80,000 a year so I can't get an hdtv" comment. You use your tv a lot right? Maybe it's time for an upgrade. I don't make 80 grand a year, hell I barely make 20, but I bought an hdtv and it didn't break the bank. When I'm not using that I have a VGA cable and hook the xbox up to my 19'' widescreen lcd monitor. Price? $200 for the monitor. OOOH! RICH GUY!
Times are a'changing. Oh, and for the record, I've played the game on a 19'' with an RF Switch and it was tough, but I could read the text. Didn't really hurt the game, but it is a trade-off. next gen is designed with hd in mind, deal with that.
jGURKA @ Aug 15th 2006 1:29PM
Don't bother playing Dead Rising on an SDTV unless you only want to play in 20 minute incriments. I bought it a few days ago and I get the worst headaches playing it on the 21 in SDTV in my bedroom. I'm most likely going to go buy a VGA adaptor for my 360, I got a free 21 in monitor from my mom's work yesterday so it'll basically be like playing it on my TV except in HD, I'd probably say this is the best route for everyone else with an SDTV (who's either too poor and/or cheap to buy a new HDTV set, hell, I've got the money but I'm too cheap to drop $1000 for a decent 720p TV. Doesn't help I'm in college either and should actually spend it on other things haha).
Grim @ Aug 15th 2006 1:30PM
Just wait those of you who have sdtv's. Because any of us hdtv owners who get a Wii will be in just as much pain. I can only imagine how bad it's going to hurt my eyes.
Thomas Crymes @ Aug 15th 2006 1:30PM
These people telling others to go out and buy an HDTV have it all wrong. MS did advertise that the console would work on an SDTV.
That the SDTV experience is but a shadow of the HDTV experience is beside the point. They crave their muddy graphics on their square TVs. Either that or their parents won't buy it for them, or they don't have the money, or they would catch hell from the girlfriend (don't get married if you can't assert your autonomy with a girlfiend). And if MS claims to support that, then they should, no questions asked.
Moral of the story? Get an HDTV or suffer your father's fate you will.
D-6 @ Aug 15th 2006 1:30PM
#31: Maybe not rushjobs, but many (including me) have come to accept sloppy work and some half-assed work from the two companies you mentioned, which is sad, because these are a couple of great companies.
Have you ever read work by the Capcom translation team? Or play any of the PS2 and Gamecube ports of the Splinter Cell games. Looking at all sides, some of Nintendo's games could use a patch or two. Actually, only one off the top of my head: METROID PRIME and it's corridor/elevator crashing goodness.
Thryon @ Aug 15th 2006 1:31PM
I actually never realized there was a problem until I went to play at my friend’s house. He has a 61" screen, but not HD and I could barely make out any text. While this does not concern me, as both Xbox 360
are on HDTVs, the majority of gamers do not have that luxury.
malberto @ Aug 15th 2006 1:34PM
This is good news for those of us with HDTV's. It means we will be able to purchase the game for pennies on the dollar from chumps who are running 360's on SDTV's and who find Dead Rising "unplayable".
vidGuy @ Aug 15th 2006 1:35PM
@BIGGEN,
No, I'm not sure where that pic came from but that's pure hyperbole. The game looks fine, real detailed and the zombies look great, but the text is way to small to read at any distance from the tv set.
The problem is that Capcom programmed it using a set pixel text size. So when you pull the image down to a SD tv, the pixel size is really tiny. What should be down is what I lot of programmers do to make sure things are the right size regardless of the display size: USE PERCENTAGES. The text font should be X% of the horizontal pixel count. I don't know if this specifically would work for this game because I don't know if the 360 thinks it's outputing a HighDef pixel count or knows it's SD...
Replacing the font may not work because the same amount of characters would be appearing on the screen at once, making the text cover vital portions of the game. The last thing I want is text scrolling across Frank as he gets shoved to the ground by a horde of zombies.
Jake Parker @ Aug 15th 2006 1:36PM
The price of HDTV's is not the point. The fact is the developers were lazy. PC developers have always had to deal with a moving platform (different gpu's, different soundcards, multiple input devices etc) and PC games are still playable on lower resolutions. Console games have up until now been built with one resolution in mind, SD, but now with HD, are we supposed to believe that Capcom forgot that SD existed? Not checking to see if the games text when rendered at a lower resolution - but the same size - was readable is plain stupid. There is no excuse for that kind of laziness.
Side note: I own an HDTV, (i dont game on it though) I just can't believe Capcom can be so inept.
Jake @ Aug 15th 2006 1:37PM
I have noticed this problem with other games, to lesser extents. Developers need to develop games with SD customers in mind as well as HD customers, plain and simple. This is such a big problem with such a simple fix that it makes Capcom look kinda dumb for missing it. Shame on you.
I am surprised, though, that this article only garnered 2 or 3 "see, the 360 does suck afterall" comments.
Just give us bigger text so it is always easier to read, or give us options on how big we want it. This really isn't much of a challenge.
Urbanstorm @ Aug 15th 2006 1:37PM
For those of you that have a xbox360 and claim HDTVs are too high.I bought a samsung 27" HDTV crt for 400 bucks from best buy.It supports 480,720 and 1080p and looks just as good as my friends 2k plasma HDTV.If you want a big screen tv with HDTV DLP for under $1500 if you shop around right.
LongshotX @ Aug 15th 2006 1:38PM
Paul, where'd you find a 250 dollar 26 inch HDTV?
Grim @ Aug 15th 2006 1:40PM
I just remembered another game that had a similar problem--for me anyways. It was the GCN version of Timesplitters 3 (not sure about the Xbox version). At least Dead Rising text isn't bad for everyone. TS3 was standard definition, so everyone had to bare with it.
Buckshot @ Aug 15th 2006 1:42PM
Here's an idea, evolve! Get HD and don't look back. 2 weeks ago I got a 37" LCD 1080p built in atsc tuner for $1006 and hung it in my bedroom.(My 3rd 16x9 HD) Maybe you aren't ready for the next gen if your sitting around with only standard def available.
burn23 @ Aug 15th 2006 1:42PM
although capcom dropped the ball.. why waste $500+ on a gaming system if you're not going to be taking advantage of all of its features?
I've been an HDTV owner for a while now. I wouldn't even consider playing games on the 360 w/o my HDTV. I havent purchased a 360 yet (plans are in the works), but I did have one on loan from my buddy while he was on an extended vacation. When he got back and saw how much better the games looked on my HDTV then on his SDTV, he realized it was time to upgrade.
dont, get me wrong, Capcom really needs to figure out this type of stuff before the game is released, but dont put all the blam on capcom when you went out and bought an expensive piece of hardware that you're not getting 100% out of. Thats like buying a 500$ digital surround receiver and only getting left and right speakers.. Sure it works, but its not going to get you your money's worth without the other speakers..
Ptaaty @ Aug 15th 2006 1:46PM
capcom should put in the option....
but jesus this is still completely playable and more fun than 98% of the games out there.
ROFL at comments like "Capcom you just cost MS a sale" what kind of nonsense is this?