EA 'tech. support' explains PS3 Madden frame rate issues

stellarpimp,

It just isn't economically viable for most 3rd party devs to build a game that looks as good as Killzone2. Your time and resource set is basically fixed, and you make the best game you can from there. K2 is a first party system seller. It can have a much larger budget and draw from more experienced Cell programmers.

On the 360, we are seeing Gears, Bioshock, Mass Effect, and others built by 3rd party devs that look amazing. The 360 is just an easier system to pull those games off with. Lair, I believe, is the only 3rd party PS3 game that gets zomg graphics comments. Resistance looked nice as well.

Put it this way, given an equal realistic fixed amount of time and resources, you could make a better looking and playing game with the 360. Metacritic.com has the evidence for this. But, given unlimited time and resources you could make a better looking and playing game with the PS3. Reality vs. Potential.

The Cell and its programming difficulty suck up too many resources. If the system has a great, yet more traditional processor, the PS3 would be pumping out more fantastic looking games.

Hell, they can't even get Madden to run right for fuck's sake.

@Jake

Madden's a poor example considering it ran at 30 FPS in its first iteration on the 360. Amazing how so many people seem to forget that. Not that changes the fact that this year's version is superior to the PS3 version, but I'd bet money that next year's version will be 60 FPS on the PS3.

Mikeo - the resource numbers you speak of are on computer? Indeed they would need all the additional system resources, as it runs a "million" tasks in the background. Windows is...blah windows, we know how that goes. LoL

Jake - I agree with you on your comment. It does require alot of time and effort to learn something new. Another problem MS is having with Vista. But this has nothing to do with OS'. PS2 had an off the wall CPU as well. Once the learning curve was crossed it was pretty much equal to the other systems. From looking at what the first party makers are doing with the PS3 will up the ante for the 3rd party developers.

Basically, all this can't be done on the PS3 rumors popping up everywhere is getting a tad old. I do wonder if this Cell does produce, in the PS4 would we see a Cell with PPUx2 and SPUx16? In those slides I linked to, no where does it state any usuage for the RSX... With so much being handled via Cell...it has alot of headroom. Its just the learning curve thats a pain.

Know that old saying...can't teach an old dog new tricks. I'd like to see some new/younger dev teams get in there and think how to do things untraditionally.

Vidikron - true statement. But does that help buyers decisions today? Sad to say but not really. The thing that bothers me is...that first Madden on 360, the Devs didn't come out and say hey...360 isn't capable of handling 60fps. Instead they just improved it over the years. The learning curve has been learned. So congratz to the EA team for upping their game on the 360. Just don't bash another system because you haven't figured out the tech yet.

What's wrong with Heavenly?

The hair, man. The hair.

Jake, come on. How hypocritical can you get? First saying that PS3 fanboys are always calling 360 fans "kids" and then you turn around and basically claim the same about the PS3 fanbase.

And what do you mean, "closely read" any Joystiq thread? Where the hell have you been the past year? It's the PS3 that constantly gets the most bashing from the fanboys of the other systems. God damn, man, open your eyes.

And I love how you yet again take to bashing the PS3 holiday line-up. Calling the people "dorks" who are actually excited about games like Warhawk, HS, etc... You sink further into fanboydom every week.

Umm are YOU serious vidkron?

Forget about Holida lineups.

The sony defense force is probably the nastiest piece of work I've ever seen. Just in general you all come off...

God I don't even have the time or energy for this crap.

Suffice to say I agree with Jake and if you're honest with yourself you'd look around see the comments that ps3 owners make on a constant basis and then tell me that they're better than 360 fanboys.

@ForceUnleashed

You're blind. Seriously. The amount of crap that has been thrown at the PS3 by fanboys is ridiculous and constant. To actually try and claim that the PS3 fanbase is somehow worse than the others at this point is beyond ludicrous.

Look at Jake's own comments. He provides the perfect example. First off, he makes some claim that the PS3 fanbase is always calling the 360 fanbase "kiddies". I've seen that a few times, but not that much. Usually it's someone commenting on the loud mouthed punks on Live. Anyway, he then turns around and essentially calls the PS3 fanbase kiddie. Wow. Pot, meet kettle.

He then moves on to an attempt to validate his statements by claiming he's not 100% against the PS3 because he plans on buying one after the price drops and the "seriously good" games are launched. So he feels the need to validate his statements, fine. I don't care about that. But does he leave it at that? Nope. He proceeds to call the PS3 fanbase "dorks" and take a subtle shot at the PS3 fall line-up. Again, wow. After calling the PS3 fanbase immature, he turns around and calls them dorks for being excited about some upcoming games. Pot, let me introduce you to kettle... again.

And, BTW, I'm not claiming the PS3 fanbase is better, I just don't see how they are "obviously" worse.

I hope EA is "lazy" next year too...just to piss off you arrogant sony fanboys.

Seriously the ps3 is a difficulte pos to develop for. Its not EA's fault that they didn't feel it was worth the time or trouble.

@ForceUnleashed

I'm not going to deny that the PS3 is harder to develop for, but I think these claims of EA being lazy have some merit. For example, how do you explain the fact that last year's 360 version of Madden ran at 30 FPS and had half the features of the same game on the older systems (Xbox, PS2)? As I told Jake above, that really doesn't change the fact that this years version is better on the PS3, but it does throw doubt on all these claims that it's purely the fault of the PS3 hardware. If the 360 is so easy to develop for, why was Madden only 30 FPS last year? Perhaps because EA really is lazy and/or their yearly release schedules are too short to fully utilize the systems in their first go around? Think about it.