Sega: Virtua Tennis 3 brings its 1080p game to the Xbox 360
by Christopher Grant 
{ Feb 6th 2007 at 12:20PM }
We're sure Microsoft exec Scott Henson -- who last March said 1080p graphics were "basically impossible" -- is probably going to help himself to an extra generous portion of humble pie as Sega announces that Virtua Tennis 3, already running proudly in 1080p on the PlayStation 3, will be arriving in full true HD glory on the Xbox 360 as well.Sega's press release can barely handle the full resolution of the news, gushing, "For the first time, Xbox 360 gamers can experience high-definition 1080p graphics on their console with Virtua Tennis 3." Of course, it's no coincidence that the first Xbox 360 game to hit that magic resolution was one of the few PS3 launch games to make it there as well. The tennis court remains relatively static while the players (choose from up to 20 tennis pros!) move around, unencumbered by dozens of creepy monsters from an alternate history intent on killing them. Now that Sega's paved the way (with clay we imagine), how long before future titles sign-up for 1080p doubles?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
JodyAnthony @ Feb 6th 2007 12:25PM
despite what sony says, 1080p is not 'true hd' seeing as True HD is an audio codec.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolby_true_hd
funny that ps3 is supposed to be 'True HD' yet True HD isn't a requirement on Blu-ray discs, only on HD-DVDs
epobirs @ Feb 6th 2007 12:55PM
Not only is the environment static, it's rather plain and simple compared to many other games. The urban wreckage of GOW, for instance. Even with really good looking onscreen characters this is as minimally demanding as a game involving realistic characters in a real-world environment could probably get.
Now, if they up the ante with some Mario Tennis-esque elements...
epobirs @ Feb 6th 2007 12:33PM
Hmmm, somebody seems a bit obsessed with Bubble Bobble today.
I'm not sure your theory holds up. Since the mid 90s, just about everything that could has had a version of Bubble Bobble. Especially with the growth of nostalgia collections.
Jonah Falcon @ Feb 6th 2007 12:33PM
It's nice, but my LCD TV only goes as high as 1080i. S'ok, tho. I'm happy for the folks who can see it in 1080p.
Jake @ Feb 6th 2007 12:34PM
I call shenanigans. Everyone knows you can only pull off True HD by unlocking the hidden powers of the cell. It is probably just upscaled from 240i.
Agent MOO @ Feb 6th 2007 12:35PM
Yay, marketing bullet points! Wii sports is the best sports game I've played in... umm... ever probably. Now that I think of all the EA crap I've played.
John Doe @ Feb 6th 2007 12:43PM
1080p is the biggest piece of marketing BS ever. I highly doubt that you could actually tell the difference between 720p, 1080i, and 1080p, unless you were watching a 300-inch screen
Rymix @ Feb 7th 2007 8:10AM
And why, might I ask, do we still not have a version of Bubble Bobble on Live!? Co-op multiplayer heaven, and cracking music to boot.
x876543 @ Feb 6th 2007 12:53PM
Sweet 1080p of .... tennis? Who the fuck watches TENNIS?! I like to play it in real life, but pushing buttons is only a microstep above watching TENNIS.
Falsoman @ Feb 6th 2007 1:00PM
You can definatly tell the diference between 720p and 1080p on a 50 inch screen, but is not really that important.
bobartig @ Feb 6th 2007 2:12PM
how do you get 1080p out of an x360? Does it require a firmware update, or the HD DVD drive?
Demaar @ Feb 6th 2007 2:52PM
@9
Indeed. I imagine Scotty Henson was insinuating that 1080p is basically impossible THIS GEN with a decent level of graphic quality.
Remember folks, resolution is NOT >*.
james @ Feb 6th 2007 2:00PM
Could never enjoy an analogue based tennis game in the same way after WiiSports.
Sega are stupid not to release this for the Wii.
droptop GP @ Feb 6th 2007 1:19PM
Lost Planet is a 1080p game too.
--
AirIntake @ Feb 6th 2007 1:03PM
@John Doe
I can tell the difference between 720p and 1080i/p depending on what is being shown. If its a movie or broadcast, I can't tell, but if it's a static screen like the 360 dashboard or something similar I can see I slight improvement in text and a few other things.
People who claim to tell the difference between 1080i and 1080p though are probably full of shit. On any decent TV that knows how to deinterlace, the only difference between the two is framerate.
jaysins @ Feb 6th 2007 1:04PM
@7
Your statement is a piece of BS. While 1080p is not for everyone for some of us it is certainly beneficial. Here is some actual "data" for you. I know it's not as relevant has made up speculation but it does have a few good points. It doesn't take into consideration that many people also sit closer to their tv when playing games than watching tv or movies. 5 ft is my preferred sitting distance when playing games on my 42" monitor so I apparently benefit it when playing games but not when watching movies as I sit back around 10ft, while someone who has a 55" screen but hates sitting closer then 12' ever will not benefit ever. Spread facts not lies. Oh and a 1080i signal with a nonstatic image, or any interlaced one is easy to spot out depending on what kind of hardware one is using to process the image, especially on pans or fight scenes. I prefer 720p unless it is something like discovery channel or programming without a lot of movement.
kevina @ Feb 6th 2007 1:38PM
the gamecube could probably render a 1080p game of pong with fancy paddles too.
but we'll just have to see how well sega manages their on screen polygon count and visual effects.
dantebk @ Feb 6th 2007 1:20PM
Lots of reasons why this is not important to me:
My HDTV can't go up to 1080P, just 720P
After Wii Sports, the idea of playing tennis with a gamepad sounds boring regardless of the graphics. I made the mistake of renting Rockstar Table Tennis in a post-Wii era and it just seems dull.
Hmm. I'm writing a post about how I'm not interested in the topic I'm posting about. I guess I'll go slap myself now.
Evan @ Feb 6th 2007 1:21PM
I'm with #2, tennis without a Wiimote doesn't interest me.
For those who are not convinced about the Wiimote: don't judge it by WiiSports alone. I think the golf swing control in Super Swing Golf is superior to that in WiiSports. It's not completely realistic, but it's a lot better than masterbaiting the thumbstick in Tiger Woods on a PS2 controller. Likewise, I think a proper tennis game on the Wii could be better than WiiSports, and kick the ass out of any tennis game still using buttons.
mike @ Feb 6th 2007 2:10PM
wasent spinter cell double agent the first 360 game to support 1080p? What is sega talking about when they say they are the first?
joe smith @ Feb 6th 2007 1:55PM
It's a nearly static background with only two moving characters and a pea-sized ball. If ever a game was made for 1080p, this is it.
Robert @ Feb 6th 2007 2:01PM
~ Lost Planet is a 1080p game too. ~
No, not natively
Rod Munch @ Feb 6th 2007 2:02PM
I used to love games the Virtua Tennis and Topspin series, but regardless of the new gameplay provided by the Wiimote, these tennis games have got stagnant. Does VT3 even offer a create a character mode?
mike @ Feb 6th 2007 2:03PM
UM, Lost Planet is also 1080p, check the back o' the box. and there is noticable different between 720p and up, if you dont believe me, just test it out the resolutions on XBL dashboard using components & VGA cables.
Dave @ Feb 6th 2007 2:13PM
According to Capcom, the game is NOT natively 1080p. It's scaled.
Dave @ Feb 6th 2007 2:13PM
^Regarding Lost Planet.
Jake @ Feb 6th 2007 2:20PM
I can't tell very much difference between 720p and 1080p. Very little. I can tell the difference between the defs in games, though. Resistance and Gears are much more graphically impressive than Tennis and Basketball.
The most technically impressive game when this gen is said and done with will be a 720p game. Having a game output in 1080p takes a lot of resources from the system for a very minimal gain in sharpness. Those resources could have been used to add lighting effects, physics, objects on screen, textures, etc.
In a movie, 1080p is always equal or better. In games, you are just better off using the power elsewhere. That is evidenced by the games out so far. Games without a ton going on can be done in 1080p. Perhaps that will change.
mike @ Feb 6th 2007 2:24PM
"how do you get 1080p out of an x360? Does it require a firmware update, or the HD DVD drive?"
Apparently only "true" 1080p HD is through the HD-DVD add on using VGA cable.
jaysins @ Feb 6th 2007 2:25PM
The majority of posts about this 360 article are pertaining to the wii. Why do wii users get so defensive and spam the hell out of any graphics related post? Some of us don't like wii sports. I rather use a controller than a device, like the wiimote, which poorly translates human movement. My opinion. If you feel so good about your console stop promoting it on posts that do not have anything to do with the wii. Anyways I love virtual tennis and can't wait to see it in 1080p on my 1080p screen. It'll be perty.
Art Guy @ Feb 6th 2007 2:29PM
For the record, the resolutions listed on the back of the 360 packaging are not the native resolutions, but what the system is capable of outputting the game at. This is a new mandate by MicroSoft for the packaging. So all 360 titles in the future will list 1080p, since unlike the PS3, the 360 can scale the games to work on any HDTV. This means you have to rely on the developer to to inform you of the native resolution if you care about that kind of thing.
Game Artist @ Feb 6th 2007 3:06PM
1080p? Who cares. Id rather have more detailed models and effects than a higher resolution that only a very very very small segment of the market can display, and even some of those cases, even see.
Oh FWIW 1080p and 1080i are identical when displaying 1080p/24 on a digital device. (AKA all the frame info is there and deinterlaced before a frame must be displayed)
Devise @ Feb 6th 2007 3:16PM
Sure you might be able to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p on a 50" screen. But I'm sure the difference is much much smaller and even maybe non existent when 720p is upscaled to 1080p via the 360's scaler chip (ANA).
Tanster @ Feb 6th 2007 3:15PM
Because you really want to see each individual blade of grass on the court!
disguised @ Feb 6th 2007 4:52PM
@29, I'm a Wii360 user (and PSWii360 sometime later) and I don't need to defend one console over another. Sure you want the best graphics for those 1st-person shooter games. But for some sports games (baseball, tennis, golf, etc), I just don't see myself buying another title using the old controllers. I'd choose 480p+Wiimote over 1080p+old controller, for now.
Tahar @ Feb 6th 2007 7:51PM
Actually, Lost Planet is natively running under 1080p... it's not the first game to do it at 1080p !
jaysins @ Feb 6th 2007 6:09PM
@disguised
That's all fine and dandy and to each their own. But people coming onto this thread and bashing a game they haven't played yet because it has a different control scheme then the wii is annoying and happens on any thread not praising the wii it seems. The thread has nothing at all to do with the wii but still commentors bring it up. Kind of how sony fans get bashed for bring up how great their system is when it's a thread dedicated solely to the wii.
Miniboss @ Feb 6th 2007 6:18PM
It should be noted that the PS3 version will NOT have online capabilities.
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=12664
In speaking with a Sega representative, the company confirmed that online support will be specific to the Xbox 360, while the PlayStation 3 version will include added support for the PS3 controller's tilt functionality in lieu of being able to play online. Both versions, however, will include support for 1080p resolution.
“What we really wanted to do was focus on making each version unique,” commented a Sega representative, “and so with the Xbox Live features and the SIXAXIS tilt functionality, we think that each version will offer players an unique experience.”
Evan @ Feb 6th 2007 6:54PM
@jaysins "But people coming onto this thread and bashing a game they haven't played yet because it has a different control scheme then the wii is annoying and happens on any thread not praising the wii it seems."
We may not have played this particular tennis game, but we've played other tennis games on a standard controller, and according to reviews Virtua Tennis 3 uses the same control scheme as the previous games in the series, so we have a good idea how this game will play.
My main complaint about this game is, the only thing anyone talks about is it's graphics (and from screenshots, it seems to fall into the Uncanny Valley!). Does it offer any real improvement in gameplay over Virtua Tennis 2? It's the same story for this entire console generation. Almost ever 360 and PS3 game is last-gen gameplay, with higher resolution graphics. Can I help it if I get excited about the Wii, because the Wii is the only system offering games that don't feel like I'm playing sequels to games I got bored with years ago.
Geo @ Feb 6th 2007 7:20PM
Evan, your stance on gaming is basically identical to mine. Well put.
Francois @ Feb 6th 2007 10:27PM
Sonic The hedgehog is 1080p and also Lost Planet, I don't know if they are native 1080p or upscaled but the box says: 720p/1080i/1080p for both games
jaysins @ Feb 6th 2007 11:31PM
@evan & geo
Well on the 360 their will be online play which and the PS3 version will take advantage of the sixaxis controller. So contrary to what you thought it knew, you were wrong because those are definitely different elements. And from your logic once you've played a tennis game on the wii, there's no reason to get excited about it, because it will handle just like every other wii tennis game. I don't have a problem with the wii just people posting about it on nonrelated topics. I'm sorry you cannot see the benefits of the extra horsepower the 360 bring and it's innovative online play. There are way more benefits than just graphics to be had that you apparently do not get. But that's your problem and again doesn't have anything to do about said post, just difference of opinion. So don't get so bent out of shape when someone doesn't think the wii mote is a revolutionary step in game control. It might be a step in the right direction but it doesn't really do it for me. The only instance where I ever thought it was actually more fun than a controller was fishing in Zelda. That's it. Wii sports is boring to me with the wii because of how poorly it translates movement. When I swing hard it should hit the ball imo relative to how I swung the mote. It just feel cheap and tacky to me thus far... except for fishing :)
Geo @ Feb 7th 2007 12:07AM
Please list the benefits of the added horsepower. Im willing to listen, but please include how they will make my gaming experience more fun.
The logic that we are using is that tennis games have changed little since their inception. Wii tennis is the first console game to change the interaction between man and machine. The way I see it, I have about 20 years of wii tennis games before things would be even. Besides the fact that there will most certainly be a wii tennis game that will enable you to move your own guy.
Who's getting bent out of shape?
Online does next to nothing for me. I have no interest in playing an anonymous, faceless opponent in a game of lag ball, or anything for that matter.
Im not sure what game you are basing your judgement of the wii controls on. To do what you are saying about strength in a game of baseball would require some sort of strength calibration in the beginning. Otherwise, how would a 12yo girl be able to swing for the fences? If you want to base the games on physical ability, go play the real sport.
Other games like golf bowling and warioware darts measure strength of swing/throw.
And I believe the comments about wii tennis in this post are fine. We are talking about a tennis game. People are stating that their interest in this game has waned since another tennis game came out, whats wrong with that? If I was to say, "Tennis games haven't interested me since Racket Attack" would you have the same problem?
jaysins @ Feb 7th 2007 9:47AM
Extra horsepower translates into a more realistic game with move believable environments and opponents. Added physics makes the game more realistic. Better AI adds more depth to your opponent. More characters on screen, or in this case more crowd making the experience more real. Better collision detection so when you put a spin on the ball or it hits your racket oddly it will behave like it would in real life. It creates a more real and accurate game beyond just looks, but feel as response as well. The can change the sensitivity in the wii mote to account for age and just have a calibration in the beginning so everyone gets to play on the same level. But wii sports lost all uniqueness after five minutes of play for me. One of the Williams sisters lost to Conan Obrien, that about sums up how good it is to me. Basically online experience is more than that if your playing on live. Rarely any lag unless your on an incredibly slow connection, you can see someone if they have a vision cam and you can talk to and have fun while playing it in the end. Many live users have people we normally play with because we had so much fun with that person in the past. Maybe your antisocial. I don't know, but online is incredible and judging by WOW and other online games it is the future of gaming and is way more important to a lot of people. Again this article was about the 360 and Virtual Tennis, by trying to start a flame war by bashing a game you haven't played yet because it lacks the wiimote is in such a manner that condescends everyone who does not care much for the wiimote is rude. I'm not made or bent out of shape just think your rude.
Geo @ Feb 7th 2007 12:40PM
Trying to start a flame war is the opposite of what I am doing. I said one sentence, and see nothing in evans post that is remotely inflammatory. Lets look at your points.
More believable environments and opponents: Hard to speak on, I don't know what you mean by believable. They are all video games.
The added physics make it more realistic: Maybe so, but that doesn't necessarily translate to a more fun experience.
Better AI: Haven't seen better AI. Many people complain about how poor the AI in gears of war is.
More people on screen: Again, doesn't translate to more fun. The crowds in dead rising certainly look impressive.
Better collision detection: How does it determine if you hit the ball oddly, if all you are doing is pushing a button?
You speak of a more real and accurate game, but it seems to be pennywise and pound foolish. A less "believeable" environment that actually has me swinging to interact with a tennis game is much more real to me. I guess that can be chalked up to difference of opinion.
Considering that wiisports tennis is the only game of its kind, it is still unique.
Its quite hilarious that the guy who plays strangers online is calling me antisocial. I prefer to have actual human contact over internet relationships. If online is so important, how come microsoft lowered their projections for 360 sales? They aren't exactly lighting the world on fire. WOW is strictly online, and not on consoles. You cant use that as an example.
Rude? Please.
Rob @ Feb 7th 2007 1:52PM
Just to let everyone know, Winning Eleven which came out today has support for 1080p. So officially its the first 360 game with 1080p support not VT3.
jaysins @ Feb 7th 2007 9:56PM
You still made an irrelevant post in hopes of condescending a game that you haven't played because it lacks a control scheme not to be found on this system. It's like when 360 and PS3 fans go on wii forums and start saying the game is not cool because of the crappy graphics. Who are you trying to fool by saying your not starting a flame war. Why else would you make a post that has nothing to do with the article.
Um playing people I know as well as meeting new people to player specific games is the opposite of antisocial. Talking and initiating conversations is being social especially as many of my friends live far away now that we are all in college. There are some great experiences to be had online. I raced around Oahu in Test Drive with persons from Spain and Germany and the whole hour was spent talking about different cultures and lifestyles and such, a very rewarding experience and even learned a few new words. Hell my parents and I even use the cam so we can play UNO together and they can see me and my girlfriend, who is the least technical suave person I know, loves it. I'm proud that you have some human contact, I'm sure it's just your mom but that's fine as I'm happy for you two.
Gears had great AI on the higher difficulties and is quite fun to play against, play FEAR if you want to see the added benefit of simply incredible AI. The xbox 360 does have pressure sensitve buttons so yes it actually does matter. Depending on where your racket hits the ball it should behave differently, things like this that the game can calculate exactly, or as closely to as possible, where the ball goes and behaves. The draw or this game is to play as your favorite athletes like many sports games. This game goes for realism so the added physics does make the gameplay for this specific game more appealing like more realistic physics aids in driving simulations. This game goes for REALISM. It's not suppose to be an arcade game like wii sports. Even though they are both tennis games they are striving for different things. Like I said, it is just as dumb for someone to say wii sports should have better graphics, because that's not why it was made. Equally, it is stupid when you say, it should have the wiimote, because the system capable of the most things relevant of what it is trying to achieve doesn't have the wiimote and thus far it doesn't look like the wiimote is even up to the task of translating movement accurately enough for this game. Whether you wail on the controller or just give it a flick the actions are the same, and it doesn't seem to have the sensitivity to be up to the task IMO but I actually would like a developer to prove me wrong is this is my biggest gripe with it. Maybe next generation when Nintendo has worked out all the kinks and has a controller that is capable of accurately depicting movement it will work. This is game is not trying to be wii sports. If that's what you like go play it. I'll play Virtual Tennis. Different games. Why can't you get that through your head?
Oh online play Diablo 2, Starcraft, CounterStrike, any racing game for PC, Test Drive Unlimited, Halo 1 and 2, Gears, Crackdown, and many more. Games like dead rising wouldn't have been possible on the wii. More believable driving games and graphics can add fun. One of the greatest things about Oblivion is just cruising around the world and seeing how beautiful it is and interacting with the NPC's and seeing what they do. It's really amazing and makes the game much more enjoyable as it really does start to feel like another world. The Holy Grail of video games, Virtual Reality is going to need a ton of processing power. I just don't get why your hung up on the wiimote. If every game uses it than it is no longer unique and looses it's appeal to an extent. That's the main reason the wii is doing so good is because it has a unique control system. Be happy you can play wii games with it and many of them will player better with the wiimote or more fun and enjoy games that use a controller as they may play much better with it and usually more precise. FPS on PC only care about precision. And yes I still think comments like that are rude. To be critical of a game for what it is is relevant. But to be critical of something it's not capable of is wasted effort. I wish the wii had better graphics but can't criticize wii games because they are incapable of producing gears graphics. Say for the 360.
D @ Mar 24th 2007 10:39PM
Those who say that 1080p is garbage have obviously not seen it in action or do not have a 1080p capable screen. It's called envy and many people on this site are guilty of it. If they don't have it, or can't afford it, then it's crap.
But if you gave them one.....