Capcom's Lost Planet tiny text

"a majority" is about 88% right now. Should be about 86% after Christmas. Lazy.

I've got a relatively small HDTV for gaming and the text on the demo is truly tough to read without being absurdly close to the screen. Oh well, I still had fun playing around with Lost Planet... and it won't prevent me from making a purchase in January.

jus buy an hdtv lol?

That sucks...

buy a dam HDTV you godforsaken homosapiens

Buy the VGA cable.

Solved.

Isn't it sorta hypocritical of Joystiq to try to advocate for people who don't own HDTVs, while every other article on here is about how things don't work right, or cables are too short to work with a 497" HD projector?

umm...incase no one else noticed....the text is still tiny EVEN IF YOU DO OWN AN HDTV!! I have a 42" sony wega and its still super tiny. and no i dont need my eyes checked. the text is still tiny in HD; the article just fails to acknowledge that for some odd reason...

Doesnt really matter. The multiplayer was absolutely miserable.

It's not just CAPCOM. We had a hard time determining friend/foe while playing Gears of War COOP on a 27" SDTV. It's pretty clear that there's not enough SDTV testing going on with XBOX 360 titles.

I refused to buy Dead Rising because of this. I also do not buy anything from EA.

They may not listen to their conumers, but I bet they will listen to our wallets.

Even if it does mean missing out on a great game.

Ive played this game on a 42 inch sony wega TV much like a previous poster's TV. The TV only has 1080i resolution and still I find the text too tiny to read. Mind you that there are different standards for HDTV. But since MS released the fall update for the 360, which had 1080i setting, games (like Dead Rising) which has 1080i looked better on 1080i HDTVs. I also play on a 32 inch SDTV and I can still read the text so as a temporary solution is to play on a bigger SDTV and sit really close.

I don't like this at all. These games should be QA'd on both SD and HD TV's to make sure they look good and are readable on both. Any Test Engineer worth their salt would have that in the test plan. I have several SDTVs that are not very old including the one I game on which is only 3 1/2 years old. I'm sure a lot of people are in the same boat and aren't about to ditch a relatively new TV for an HD model. That being said, the next time I have to replace a TV it will be with an HD model.

HDTV or not, it was this kind of attitude that brought Dead Rising sales to a screeching halt once Capcom basically said "want it fixed...go buy an HDTV" to everyone with the problems. You would think that they have learned their lesson. While many people with 360's may have HDTV's, may still do not. I think this is an area where MS should step in and not certify the game until the issue is resolved it would send a clear message to developers everywhere that they are not going to let stupid easy-to-fix crap like this cripple the reputation of their system just because capcom thinks everyone should own an HDTV by now. I feel this way and I HAVE an HDTV. Come on MS...do it. Put your damn foot down. You have the power.

@6 ...and HOW many tube/sdtv's HAVE a VGA input, moron?

@9 ...regarding GoW, their color palette AND character/costume design was a poor choice for determining friend vs. foe, and I have a 60" sony sxrd screen. I can't tell you how many times I shot my cpu comrades (or coop buddies) thinking they were the enemy. of course, then there are the times when you DO want to shoot your incompetent AI comrades (like when an enemy walks right in front of them and they act like they don't see it and the enemy kills you, whereas 90% of the time when you're not around you can see/hear them kill an enemy with their chainsaw)....

@8 ...get a bigger HDTV...= )...(j/k)...

in Dead Rising, you could make out the text when it first loaded, but then it went fuzzy as the screen grew brighter (on 27" tube/sdtv at my brother's), so I wonder if it was brightness settings (either in game programming or for the tv--which I wasn't able to check at the time)...however, no problem on the 60" screen.

haven't d/l'ed the new Lost Planet demo yet (ms's servers were too busy with demand for HD movies/tv downloads), but if I get a chance I'll fill in how it looked on a larger screen.

Really Easy Fix for capcom.

Just replace the SDTV's with HDTV's.

Simple, no need to go back and program or alter any code.

Does anyone know if there is an petition(online.com) for this? I would be more than happy to sign and I am sure many other's would too.

I almost bought a 360 just to play Dead Rising and then I found out about the tiny text issue. Right then it told me, "This is not the system for you, the everygamer. This is the system for hardcore gamers with their HD sets, high-speed internet and elaborate home theatre setups."

So I held out for a Wii, and I'm very happy with my purchase! And I never have to worry about developers not testing properly on SD ^_^

Oh gotta go... Twilight Princess is calling ^o^

#9 - I played GoW on a 32" SDTV while my HDTV was on the fritz. I didn't have any problems telling friend from foe. I'll go onto say that GoW rocked even in SD. One of the better (if not the best) games I've see in SD.

Really, I think the question here is why people are even bitching about it. So...lemme get this right. Microsoft creates a next-generation system, which one of it's major features is high definition gaming. Why in the FAWQ would you spend hundreds of dollars on a next-generation system, whose major selling point is HD gaming, and NOT have an HDTV? If you have a shitty ass TV and can't afford to purchase an HDTV, don't buy freakin' HD content!

I could see how if Capcom KNOWS they have small ass text for SDTV's, I could see them putting in an option to choose standard text or HD text. But, to bitch about HD games not working correctly on non-HDTV's, that's just plain retarded. Trade in your 360 for a PS3, then complain that it doesn't come with an RF adapter. Sheesh....

I have all HDTVs in my house, but when I go to my buddies' houses they usually have SDTVs, so I hate it when this issue pops up, but at least the small text is relatively unimportant in this case.

What the hell is so important that you really need to read that?

I believe #6 was referring to VGA cable to run 360 through PC monitor, which is what I currently use. The 360 recognizes the connection and sets itself to my LCD's native 1280x1024 resolution. I have had zero problems reading any game's text on it.

You might as well complain that there's no phone jack on the Xbox 360, XBL doesn't support dial-up users, there are no controller ports, and the controllers themselves (wtf is wireless?!) have too many buttons and rumble for some reason. Also, this 3-D stuff is confusing, gimme my sidescrollers back!

Get with the times, people!

All it is is a leaderboard, who cares, really?

Anyway, they're fixing it:
http://ww2.capcom.com/BBS/showthread.php?t=9830

Fun fact: Playing Dead Rising in HDTV gave you the *bigger* relative font size than playing in SDTV.

If that wasn't an oopsie I don't know what is.

@15 "Really Easy Fix for capcom.

Just replace the SDTV's with HDTV's.

Simple, no need to go back and program or alter any code."

What the hell are you talking about?

@18
mabey some people have bought a non HD set not too long a go, don't want to rush out and buy an HD TV just because we can't read the text in Dead Rising.

And what is with this "don't buy HD content", we're not not talking about HD DVD's or anything like that. We are talking about GAMES, GAMES that you should be able to play on your GAMING SYSTEMS,GAMES that if you should be able to play with, without having to buy anything else.

Well I think #15 was talking about....that it fix it..... by...converting it.......from...the... Wait never mind I don't know what he is talking about. ;)

If Microsoft wants the 360 to truly be a mainstream success and not just a nice-market hardcore gamer system, then they have to cater to the masses and that includes supporting SDTVs.

If the Wii is as successful as some people hope it will be, it won't be because of the fancy controller. It will be because they're making a system for everyman and not just the elitist few.

@18: I completely agree, and I believe the simplest solution is purely not to buy a fucking XBox 360.

~HotShotX

I'm not buying a god damn HDTV just so I can play some stupid games. Screw that. A TV is supposed to last a long time and someone in our house just bought one a few years ago that wasn't HDTV. We had our last tv for 10-15 years. All these new TVs seem pretty disposable. Seems like a big waste of money and creates a whole lot more physical waste from all these broken/dead/disbanded TVs.

THANK YOU! I really appreciate the warning. I was on the fence about Lost Planet, but now I know to definitely avoid this purchase. Dead Rising is barely playable on my SDTV, and I really regretted buying that game. Capcom should know that if it's not possible for their game to cater to 88%, it's not possible for us to buy it.

Sorry, I thought wtf too when I read my statement: On some flu meds, so I will re-read this one.

I am saying they are alienating a large share of their fanbase. Be it as it may many of you have HDTV's and I will hopefully be one soon when the credit card bills come down, which is rare b/c they go back up again. (Sorry, College gets a bit expensive when you have to pay for it especially after 3 years. And I don't want to take out a $5000 dollar student loan to get an HDTV like my buddy did which is essentially stupid.)

With such a large share of players being SDTV owners and users, they have essentially overlooked the lot and focused on a non-standardized medium (which is not to say its rare when someone has an HDTV, hell one guy has a house full of 'em...lucky bastard). When the switch to digital signals with HD content being the only thing available it would be expected that the SDTV owning gamers would be in the minority and for them to be overlooked.

But when a large share of your revenue comes from the majority with SDTV's, you think you wouldn't alienate them. Unless they don't like money, which is just silly.

Microsoft did make the 360 able to play on SDTV's. So it stands to reason it should be compatible with considerations being made for both. Its only good business and common sense.

So in response to them saying it is impossible to create a patch:
"After Capcom dismissed patching Dead Rising's tiny text because it just "wasn't possible," now Capcom is about to release the same tiny text scourge with Lost Planet's multiplayer."

The solution would be (to make it as easy as possible, b/c it appears they don't like the influx of revenue at this point) is to have some sort of trade-in allowing the SDTV owners to swap out their shit tv for a nice new HDTV. Is that conceivable? No, but it makes it easier for capcom then having to do some programming.

In a few years when SDTV's are finally a dead technology, this will never again be an issue, but until then , they have to incorporate all resolutions and know this before with a little 'R & D' instead of get some code on the text editor, compile it, rush it through testing, and publish it.

"May we please remind those commenters that a majority of consumers still own a SDTV and that's not an excuse for sloppy developers to create unreadable text."

Congratulations to Joystiq for recognizing this. I am sick of the general media assuming that all of the world has converted (or at least is financially ready) to convert to HD.

Heh. That whole "Wii don't do 720p + because most people don't have 'em and it would raise the cost" line from Nintendo don't seem that stupid now, huh?

;)

-K

Just because the console can play HD content does not mean it's made for ONLY people with HDTVs. Not ONE person I know owns and HDTV,yet they all have Xbox 360's. This is absolute inexcusable BULLSHIT. 400 dollars is alot more affordable over an 1100 38inch HDTV to replace my 38inch SDTV. Not as many people have HDTVs as all of you think,you're forgetting about blue collar Joe Blow here and catering to the small amount that have HDTVs.


HDTVs havent been around NEARLY as long as SDTVs,so the standard definition group should be getting the damn attention,not the other way around.

@ 32

Exactly. It's just like how they think we're ready to jump over to Blu ray or HD-DVD. We don't need either one. Movies look perfectly fine on the DVDs we have today.

HDTVs are ridiculously expensive, and to those of you trolls who are advocating "getting with the program" I advocate StingTFU.

However, people are practically throwing away their CRTs.

360 + $25 Craigslist 19" NEC Multisync = yay.

"29. @18: I completely agree, and I believe the simplest solution is purely not to buy a fucking XBox 360.

~HotShotX"

I own an HDTV, but this solution seems perfect for me, too.

To those people that say that the solution is to not buy an Xbox 360, you're fooling yourselves. There are plenty of games that can be enjoyed without having an HDTV, although with either the PS3 or the 360, you're missing a pretty damn big chunk of the reason for actually owning the system.

Oh yeah, incidentally, get with the program. Eventually all over the air transmissions will be digital HD only, and the only way to get a standard def signal will be to shell out money for a converter. Why buy a converter at that point instead of putting the money towards sets that will inevitably be inexpensive by any standards (2008, 2009, Congress can't make up their mind) is beyond me.

Oh yeah. I don't own an HDTV, and I do own Dead Rising. VGA cable ftw there.

"And I don't want to take out a $5000 dollar student loan to get an HDTV like my buddy did which is essentially stupid."

It is especially stupid considering HDTV's cost nowhere near $5,000.

"HDTVs are ridiculously expensive"

http://www.walmart.com/

Click the button for door #3. Notice where it says "HDTV's from $326"?

This argument about HDTV's being "ridiculously expensive" was worn out about 4 years ago, when HDTV's first cross the $500 barrier. $326 for a TV is "ridiculously expensive" to you? Christ, I paid way more than that for my last 27" analog set. You paid more for your Xbox 360, for god's sake, and that thing's going to be lucky to last you 4 years assuming it doesn't get drubbed out of the market by Nintendo and Sony. (The original Xbox was a 4 year system.) So you clearly have no problem throwing that much money away on disposable electronics.

I disagree with Joystiq on this and I disagree with anyone who says MS and their partners need to pander to SDTV owners. If you can afford an Xbox 360, you can afford an HDTV. If you really, truly can't afford an HDTV, then you can't afford an Xbox 360 either - try spending that money on rent or food instead if you're really that poor.

If, on the other hand, you just don't *want* to spend your money on an HDTV, then fine - you've made your priorities clear. But you don't, then, have the right to complain when a piece of HD-only content is offered. It was your choice not to upgrade, just as it's the developer's choice whether or not to fully support your SDTV.

I have been playing the demo on my Sony Bravia 32" HD set and I can read the text just fine. I don't know about people saying even with HD sets over 40" the text is still too small to read. Maybe they need glasses (seriously). Even DeaconBlade from Unscripted360.com said in a video he was having trouble reading it with a 55" HD set.

http://www.unscripted360.com/2006/11/22/lost-planet-multiplayer-demo-video/

I don't know what the issue is with these people but like I said, I can read the text perfectly fine on my 32" set.

All that "unreadable" text is who is leading the match. It doesn't really matter, you'll get a full rundown of who won and the points scored at the end of the match.

It's pretty unfair to label hardcore gamers as only ppl with HD sets. There are many who consider themselves hardcore that simply can't afford a HDTV. Until the prices drop for HD and about 30-40 percent of gamers won them, then there is 0 excuse for things like this. I didn't think Capcom was stupid enough to have text problems so quickly again. It should never be a problem, ever.

Get off your lazy asses and fix the damn thing Capcom.

Jeff is right. Even larger LCD HDTV's have drastically dropped in price. They have a magnavox 37" LCD HDTV right now at wal-mart for $899. Best Buy has a 51" Hitachi CRT Projection set for $799. 26"-32" LCD sets can be found online from places like newegg.com for under $600 easy. HDTV's will continue to get cheaper, but they sure as hell do not cost "$5000" anymore. Hell, for around $1200 you can get a VERY nice and VERY large name brand HDTV (Sony/Samsung/Toshiba/Panasonic) DLP Projection sets go for this much on a regular basis now. HDTV's are entering the realm of affordability. People will have no reason to complain pretty soon. Companies like Panasonic have already completely halted production of SD sets, and many others are following suit. HD is here, and it's not going away. Pretending that it is just a fad that no one can afford won't work for much longer.

I think the real issue here is why this text issue is only on Capcom products, specifically Dead Rising. Ever other Xbox360 game I have the text looks fine. There is no problem reading it on the screen. It is crystal clear. On Dead Rising the text is near unreadable. Add in the fact that the text automatically advances (without the chance to go back), it makes it impossible to read certain sections on a 27" SDTV even. With an HDTV the text is readable, but still a bit on the small side compared to other games. This is a huge issue. I can't beat this part I'm up to because I dont know what the hell is going on. So now I'm gonna get an HDTV. However the developers shouldnt be allowed to be this lazy. It is obvious that they didnt even both to test on an SDTV at all. Either that or they just dont care.

This is bull crap. I can't believe they are going to have the same problem after all the complaints from people playing Dead Rising. Getting an HDTV is not cheap or easy so they shouldn't just think that everyone has one or will get one to play their game.

I'll just have to do what I do in Dead Rising and forget ever reading the text unless it's really necessary.

I'm glad that I didn't buy an Xbox 360.

"Eventually all over the air transmissions will be digital HD only"

No it won't, dumbass. It will be digital, but it will still be SD, not HD.

I like my 360 but i don't have a HDTV. That doesn't make me a luddite. I have a CRT. HDTV's are still pretty bloody expensive considering they are often poorer performers when it comes to screen refresh and colour representation. I don't want to spend heaps on higher rez lcd or plasma when they may not be completely superior to what i already have. Also all the standard def material can look worse. Don't buy the hype just yet.

To the fucktards who say don't buy a 360 without a HDTV
have you noticed how much better the grafx are on a 360 than xbox 1 whatever the display? You CockKnocker!