Volition's Red Faction: Guerilla Maxes Out Xbox 360
I think we all understand that developers have a ways to go before they fully push the PlayStation 3's immense capabilities, but there has always been some question as to how much further designers can push Microsoft's Xbox 360, which is less powerful on paper. Well, Volition claims they've already "maxed out" the 360, and they're actually looking forward to the Xbox 720.
In a recent interview with GamePlayer, Volition's Rick White spoke at length about developing their new project, Red Faction: Guerilla for the Xbox 360. Here was White's response to the question, "so you're saying that RFG is pushing the hardware as far as it can go? Squeezing every drop of juice out of the Xbox 360?":
"Yeah, we've got it to the point where we can't even put an extra vehicle into a world, because it'll blow the memory. Every little change we make we have to be hyper-critical about it because it could just bring the whole system down. We evaluate every little change in the game, and then we run our tools on it to make sure it isn't going to break the game and then we move forward, so it really is about pushing the engine as far as we can, and pushing the hardware as far as we can, and then looking at what is the next set of hardware thats going to come out. Where can we take it then? You know were already thinking about if we had XYZ X number of years from now, what would we do with our engine?"
Of course, this makes everyone wonder: if they're maxing out the 360 now, will more developers turn to the PS3 or simply wait for the next 360? The latter solution doesn't really make much sense - businesses exist to make money now; not later - and we're already starting to see evidence of the PS3's hardware superiority with games like MGS4 and the upcoming Killzone 2, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and Gran Turismo 5. If you want to read the entire interview, feel free (some good stuff there), but the biggest news is right here. Let the debate begin...
Related Game(s): Red Faction: Guerilla
1/2/2009 Ben Dutka
Put this on your webpage or blog:
Email this to a friend
Follow PSX Extreme on Twitter
Comments (75 posts)
SHADOW [Moderator]
Friday, January 02, 2009 @ 10:43:04 PM
N a S a H
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 5:16:24 AM
Jed
Friday, January 02, 2009 @ 10:03:08 PM
Reply
Developers have been trying to make multi-platform games identical on each console. This way they don't alienate a the crowd who gets the version that doesn't perform as well.
It didn't matter when games were crappy for the ps3, because not many people had ps3s, and they really didn't know how to make them better.
Now that the 360 is maxed out, the 3rd party devs will stop there. If they made a game better on the ps3 than on the 360, than they would piss off all the 360 owners, which there are more of, and loose money.
I really hope this does not limit ps3 games in the future, but my better judgement tells me it will.
Hopefully devs that want to raise the bar will continue to make progress with the ps3.
Troy Powers
Friday, January 02, 2009 @ 10:07:54 PM
Even if third party developers continue to make games for the lowest common denominator, eventually that will make their games look like crap in comparison to the likes of God of War 3, Uncharted 2, etc. Eventually, they're going to have to get on board. I can't see many companies wanting to release inferior products and just wait for the next generation of Xbox to roll around.
Scarecrow
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 12:51:25 AM
bamf
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 6:49:04 PM
I have never thought about that before. For multiplatform devs I didn't see why it would be in their best interest to put money and time into making the PS3 version look better if the 360 version looked good enough anyway. But you make a good point.
Companies like EA arent going to want their games looking outdated to Sony's 1st party games on PS3. SO will these 3rd party devs work to make their PS3 titles superior over the 360 versions so they are comparable with Sony's 1st party games?
Troy Powers
Friday, January 02, 2009 @ 10:04:44 PM
Reply
Troy Powers
Friday, January 02, 2009 @ 10:25:29 PM
MetalHead09
Friday, January 02, 2009 @ 10:29:48 PM
Reply
Qubex
Friday, January 02, 2009 @ 10:52:32 PM
Reply
The ISSUE with PS3 is not what it can't do.. IT CAN DO A HECK OF ALOT... THE ISSUE has ALWAYS been MEMORY...
The PS3 is a very powerful 64bit computer... it is only hampered by lack of MEMORY... if we had 2 to 4 gigs... the developers could do almost anything graphically... HIRES TEXTURES, 1080p graphics as standard (with decent optimised code)... the ISSUE has been memory...
Sadly!
Q!
"i aM hOMe"
LCF
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 12:08:43 AM
Past consoles had RAM issues.The 1st playstation had this problem most of all.Need to stop thinking typical CPU with the Cell.Its funny no dev ever complained publicly about RAM issues,even on the X360.
Qubex
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 5:08:47 AM
Q!
"i aM hOMe"
HUSO
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 7:02:27 AM
Aftab
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 7:58:37 AM
Regarding the difference the Cell can make in texture load, I have heard of texture- streaming, but I'd like to hear numbers as to how much more throughput it can offer.
So far what I've seen from games, is that the 360 is better for textures, and the ps3 is better at draw-distance, and number of on-screen objects. Th 360 does better bright colors, while the ps3 does better blacks. I've seen certain exceptions. Uncharted has the most beautiful textures I've seen in any game, and Ratchet has the brightest colors. And, Ninja Gaiden 2 shows that the 360 can handle a lot of simultaneous on-screen activity. Problem is, since these are exclusives, it's hard to make a full comparison.
Aftab
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 10:02:21 AM
WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, January 02, 2009 @ 11:22:21 PM
Reply
King James
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 12:41:38 AM
Reply
DIsmael85
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 1:04:07 AM
Reply
jerocarson
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 1:08:49 AM
Reply
karneli lll
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 1:41:46 AM
Reply
Aftab
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 9:52:46 AM
isaya85
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 4:10:25 AM
Reply
PSN ID Biggest_GMoney
Qubex
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 5:10:36 AM
HUSO
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 7:04:20 AM
Phoelix
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 11:58:30 AM
I can see a lot of angry people if they announce a new XBox this year.
SHADOW [Moderator]
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 1:55:39 PM
Scarecrow
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 2:06:00 PM
HUSO
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 7:11:51 AM
Reply
and i sure do hope this game is nothing like Saints Row 2. that game sucked big time.
Aftab
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 9:57:11 AM
DIsmael85
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 11:47:34 AM
karneli lll
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 12:07:09 PM
FallenClyro
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 8:35:54 AM
Reply
Zorigo
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 9:06:23 AM
Reply
Orvisman
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 12:28:21 PM
Reply
I know some multiplat games are 1080p on both consoles and some PS3 exclusives are 1080p, but EVERY 360 game is listed as 1080p on the game box. Is this true 1080p or is M$ft fudging things a bit?
I thought BluRay was the only current medium capable of true 1080p HD output?
Aftab
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 2:54:30 PM
ps92117
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 2:58:23 PM
somethingrandom
Sunday, January 04, 2009 @ 8:36:56 PM
djjake
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 1:10:06 PM
Reply
all i care about is that i hope the driving it a hell of a lot better than saints row 2
i just hope they don't hold back pushing the game on the ps3 because of the 360
i mean they f***ed over the ps3 in 06 and 07 i dnt see why 360 uses shouldn't suffer now
Deleted User
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 4:45:56 PM
Reply
Phoelix
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 6:53:27 PM
Troy Powers
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 10:42:29 PM
Uncharted 2 won't be holding back.
Killzone 2 DEFINITELY ain't holding back.
So, other devs can shoot themselves in the foot if they like. I've got the feeling that in 2009 I could get by only buying PS3 1st party exclusives and not miss a thing...ESPECIALLY if 3rd party devs intentionally cut corners just to make multi-plat titles look the same.
3rd party exclusives may be dead, but Sony 1st party exclusives are gonna BURY Microsoft this year. Especially if the 360 really has peaked.
Phoelix
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 11:55:12 PM
Deleted User
Sunday, January 04, 2009 @ 3:08:24 AM
King James
Sunday, January 04, 2009 @ 4:03:32 AM
Deleted User
Sunday, January 04, 2009 @ 2:35:31 PM
Phoelix
Sunday, January 04, 2009 @ 6:53:37 PM
BeezleDrop
Saturday, January 03, 2009 @ 8:15:22 PM
Reply
Deleted User
Sunday, January 04, 2009 @ 3:09:49 AM
King James
Sunday, January 04, 2009 @ 4:07:14 AM
ec0li
Sunday, January 04, 2009 @ 2:15:12 AM
Reply
discuss
Seriously, this doom and gloom talk about the 360 is funny. PS3 on paper is definitely the stronger machine but to say that 360 is done for and MS needs a 720 now to compete is ridiculous. It's crazy what one interview with one developer can do to rile up the fans.
orangpelupa
Sunday, January 04, 2009 @ 4:36:55 AM
Reply
btw if PS3 have big RAM. maybe normal GDDR3 1GB RAM rather than 256MB XDR RAM. PS3 can have game with wonderful textures and many assets on screen. . . . streaming textures from BD or 5400rpm hdd is not an option. its too slow.
btw
look at the MGS4 demo that run 60 fps with many dust. it runs on the Ps3devkit...
hmm, maybe that what make kojima dissatisfied. MGS4 look a lot better on the ps3devkit.
now anyone know the devkit spec? from the MGS4 trailer, it look the devkit have stronger hardware.
Aftab
Sunday, January 04, 2009 @ 4:34:47 PM
RAM seems to be more of an issue for developers who simply wish to port a game over from the 360. Instead of streaming the textures, in a RAM space that is half the size, but close to 5 times as fast, they simply reduce the texture in quality to load it.
Deleted User
Sunday, January 04, 2009 @ 11:18:51 AM
Reply
Wage SLAVES
Sunday, January 04, 2009 @ 12:57:26 PM
Reply
Deleted User
Sunday, January 04, 2009 @ 4:11:17 PM
Reply
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, January 04, 2009 @ 9:14:48 PM
ec0li
Sunday, January 04, 2009 @ 10:37:25 PM
Come on Mr. Dutka, your last statement was not exactly fair.
Deleted User
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 1:25:12 AM
ec0li
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 1:38:02 AM
Wage SLAVES
Tuesday, January 06, 2009 @ 8:27:52 AM
ec0li
Tuesday, January 06, 2009 @ 4:01:17 PM
Mrizzle1991
Sunday, January 04, 2009 @ 10:00:04 PM
Reply

Red Faction: Guerilla









Deleted User []
Reply
Friday, January 02, 2009 @ 9:56:31 PM
Graphics dont bother me but that dont mean anything if there isn't space.