Fanboy Polygon-Counting Engulfs PlayStation 2 Resi 4

Sony’s machine showing its age, sales figures.

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Fanboy Polygon-Counting Engulfs PlayStation 2 Resi 4
According to articles surfacing in Japan, the PlayStation 2 version of Resident Evil 4, or Biohazard 4 for the import-inclined, will be considerably dumbed-down from the GameCube original.

Word has it that Leon, the main character in the game, has had his polygonal count slashed in half, from 10,000 polygons to a mere 5,000. The villagers in the PlayStation 2 version, according to a report in the latest GC World, will be constructed of around 4,000 polygons, about the same number used for the Snake model in MGS3.

Up to ten villagers and ‘associated components’ can appear on screen in the PS2 re-work without causing the game to drop frames.

Capcom did mention that the difference in quality between the GameCube and PlayStation 2 offerings would be negligible due to the enhanced texture capabilities of the Sony machine.

This graphical hiccup is unlikely to impact on PS2 sales, with Resident Evil 4 widely predicted to be a massive hit when it launches later this year.
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Comments

Showing the 20 most recent comments. Read all 21.
shearDS 7 Feb 2005 14:21
2/21
of course its going to be graphically inferior to the GC version.

Loading times will appear in the ps2 game along with no bump mapping, little lightning effects, little water effects and rubbish draw distance. The GC resi 4 looks 10 times better than any other ps2 game ever released
shearDS 7 Feb 2005 14:24
3/21
regarding the xbox and PC game there is not one and there never will be! And there would be problems for the xbox game as well porting any game is not easy business different graphics chips means they can do different stuff! GC handles bump mapping and shading alot better than the xbox
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ohms 7 Feb 2005 14:33
4/21
shearDS wrote:
regarding the xbox and PC game there is not one and there never will be! And there would be problems for the xbox game as well porting any game is not easy business different graphics chips means they can do different stuff! GC handles bump mapping and shading alot better than the xbox


There have been rumours of an XBOX version, just as there were about a PS2 version, so you never know.

As for portability, I think the PS2 and GC architecture are about as different to eachother as the XBOX's is.

kid_77 7 Feb 2005 14:34
5/21
No mention on things that could actually affect the gameplay, like frame-rate. Presumeably the drop in poly count is to cater for smooth gameplay. Of course we'd all prefer the better looking version, but I'm sure it will still be amazing.
Joji 7 Feb 2005 14:43
6/21
Not at all surprised by Capcom coming up against this problem. I seriously wonder whether they should bother converting it to PS2 anymore. After all PS2 is near it's end of days like GC and PS2 already has two Outbreak games which are made for PS2 in mind.

Capcom aren't just all about Biohazard series these days. They have plenty of other stunning games on the way to PS2. DMC3, Monster Hunter, Shadow Of Rome, Beat Down and Without Warning but to name a few.

Might as well leave such a ports until PS3 is out, then Capcom can also line up Biohazard 5 too.
LUPOS 7 Feb 2005 14:48
7/21
shearDS wrote:
regarding the xbox and PC game there is not one and there never will be! And there would be problems for the xbox game as well porting any game is not easy business different graphics chips means they can do different stuff! GC handles bump mapping and shading alot better than the xbox


no they wont bother with an xbox version... especially since the nextbox will be out by the time the ps2 version of resi4 comes out.

as for the GC handling bump mapping and shadding better than the xbox... thats absurd! it handles bump mapping comparably well (although it is inhibited by the storage medium and the lower system memory) but i dont think it has any advantages when it comes to shadding at all. have you seen any of the splinter cell games? Riddick? Halo2? ( i am assuming you are talking about lighting when you say shadding becasue all lighting effects , like real time lights are done with "shadders".) if we are talking about shadder ability then the xbox and cube are about the same. The reason you see more effects and such used on xbox games than on cube games is because of the slightly larger ram and the ability to precache textures to the hard drive and the larger storage availble on a dvd. The cube just doesnt have the availble resources to take full advantage of its graphical hardware. (although if i remember correctly i think the cube has better ram, but its been years since i took any kind of serious look at the tech specs on them so im not positive)
_________
gary_turnstall 7 Feb 2005 14:52
8/21
by the time re4 comes to ps2 it will be yesturday's news anyway!

All the new consoles will be coming out, capcom might as well wait to upgrade it on all the next gen systems rather than puttting themselves through this impossible process of porting the game to ps2
config 7 Feb 2005 14:53
9/21
Shaders and shadowing are two different kettles of carp.
config 7 Feb 2005 14:56
10/21
gary_turnstall wrote:
by the time re4 comes to ps2 it will be yesturday's news anyway!

All the new consoles will be coming out, capcom might as well wait to upgrade it on all the next gen systems rather than puttting themselves through this impossible process of porting the game to ps2


Well it's clearly not impossible.

I'd suggest they've done a bit of work to ensure this is a financially beneficial project. The official outcome of that meeting was "we're going to sell bucket loads on the PS2 - it's a no-brainer"

(unlike, say, SEGA which chose not to port Outrun2 to PS2)
LUPOS 7 Feb 2005 14:57
11/21
config wrote:
Shaders and shadowing are two different kettles of carp.


i am well aware of the difference, i was attempting to give him the benefit of the doubt. to say that the cube has better shadding is such a vague and un substantiated comment that i was tryign to comprehend what he could have possibly been reffereing to.
kid_77 7 Feb 2005 15:03
12/21
shearDS wrote:
GC handles bump mapping and shading alot better than the xbox


Are you a developer? How does the GC handle these better? I don't know how the ATI Flipper's Bump Mapping compares to the NVIDIA XGPU's, perhaps you can enlighten me!
schnide 7 Feb 2005 15:22
13/21
shearDS wrote:
of course its going to be graphically inferior to the GC version.

Loading times will appear in the ps2 game along with no bump mapping, little lightning effects, little water effects and rubbish draw distance. The GC resi 4 looks 10 times better than any other ps2 game ever released


"TWO CONSOLE WARS AND ONLINE PLAY, DOO-DAH, DOO-DAH! TWO CONSOLE WARS AND ONLINE PLAY, DOO-DAH-DOO-DAH-DAAAAY.."
fluffstardx 7 Feb 2005 15:57
14/21
My god man, put your brain back in!

Mindless masses buying it does not a good console make. Good games maketh the console, as does a good controller...
schnide 7 Feb 2005 16:06
15/21
fluffstardx wrote:
My god man, put your brain back in!

Mindless masses buying it does not a good console make. Good games maketh the console, as does a good controller...


Should I have written an irony warning or what?

I've got all three machines thanks, I just don't think a Gamecube owner is in any position to ridicule.

Plus the Dual Shock is only second to the Xbox Controller S in my opinion.
Ditto 7 Feb 2005 16:34
16/21
I think that it was obvious some graphical finesse would be sacrificed on the PS2.

The interesting thing, as someone commented last time this came up, is that when Capcom release GC-exclusive games they sell buckets. Once they dilute the exclusitivity they sell less.

I personally don't think we'll see RE4 on either PC or Xbox. It isn't worth Capcom's while porting it to another current-gen machine that doesn't have the market share of the PS2. Historically, Resi's haven't come out on the PC (except 2) and I don't think Capcom will break with tradition.

As a GC RE4 owner I'm very happy, and as long as future RE games appear on Nintendo consoles too I'll be thanking Capcom and handing over wads of cash.
Zombi Z 8 Feb 2005 04:41
17/21
Just being a troll, but Resident Evil 1, 2, and 3 have come to the PC. I have 2 and 3, though have only seen the first in stores a few years ago, just as elusive as Street Fighter Alpha and it's sequel.

Capcom has actually been quite kind to the PC platform if not in a day-late-dollar-short fashion, releasing ports only long after anyone might have cared has already come-and-gone with said game on other platforms. I have of Capcom fame:

Street Fighter Alpha 2
Mega Man X4
Mega Man X5
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 3
Breath of Fire IV

There have been others of course (check MobyGames under "Capcom" and "Capcom Entertainment") few and far between, but as much as I would hope, I doubt there will be a GC-quality port of RE4 for the PC if at all. It just seems like one of those too cool to deserve to happen kinda things.
config 8 Feb 2005 09:21
18/21
Zombi Z wrote:
There have been others of course (check MobyGames under "Capcom" and "Capcom Entertainment") few and far between, but as much as I would hope, I doubt there will be a GC-quality port of RE4 for the PC if at all. It just seems like one of those too cool to deserve to happen kinda things.


Alternatively, save yourself the bother and just select "company" and type "capcom" into the search SPOnG panel up there in the right-hand menu. Here's a quick link to SPOnG's Capcom page, with the 230+ titles in the softography.
davemcbridesfoot 9 Feb 2005 11:22
19/21
I'm staring out my window on the world now and have to admit the polygon count is rather disappointing. Oh wait there's a bird!!! No a measly 4 polygons. Someone needs to invent a super-processor to deliver billions of polygons per square foot in the real world. then we'll see some truly great games

xoxox
squall3534 12 Feb 2005 16:00
20/21
I hate x-box......
Therefore if microsoft get ahold of resi 4 or final fantasy i will prepare to terminate!!!
SPInGSPOnG 12 Feb 2005 16:20
21/21
Zombi Z wrote:
There have been others of course (check MobyGames under "Capcom" and "Capcom Entertainment")


Dude, are you smoking someones crack? What kind of sick dog-fellator would leave the fabulous, funky, funny SPOnG to go to the inferior wasteland that is MoobyGames.

There's much more info here.
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