Guerrilla: 1080p For Killzone 3 Just "Wasn't Possible"

Most games don't sport a native 1080p resolution. It's kinda tough to do.

As for Killzone 3, which features a maximum high-definition resolution of 720p, there's a good reason why the higher option was out of the question. Guerrilla Director of Production Arjan Brussee has stated it was simply "not possible" for the sake of production quality. Thing is, there's just "too much happening" for 1080p and Brussee says gameplay would be diminished if the team had pushed the visuals up a notch. It's always a matter of designer choice; the Uncharted series doesn't run in 1080p, either, and yet, we hear no complaints from anyone, as it's widely considered to be the best-looking franchise of the generation. Brussee's explanation of "too much going on" may sound a little vague, but you have to remember - from a development standpoint - what it would mean to build every last on-screen effect in 1080p...

Killzone 3 does support 3D, however. So if you absolutely must get more involved in your gaming, you can always slap on the glasses.

Related Game(s): Killzone 3

Tags: killzone 3, kz3, killzone 3 resolution, guerrilla games

2/7/2011 10:35:09 AM Ben Dutka

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Comments (64 posts)

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Riku994
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 10:48:39 AM
Reply

No wonder Uncharted 3 looks crappy when I try to play in 1080p!

0 up, 27 down

Highlander
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 11:31:43 AM

Uncharted 3?

10 up, 0 down

Riku994
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 11:59:51 AM

.....Wow.. I meant to say Uncharted 2. Sorry XD

0 up, 16 down

Alienange
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 12:00:15 PM

Come on Riku994, what are you saying man?

7 up, 0 down

godsman
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 12:01:52 PM

I think he's being sarcastic.

7 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 6:45:54 PM

That doesn't even make sense.

4 up, 0 down

Shams
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 9:12:41 PM

I figured I'd give him a thumbs-down just to help him towards setting a record.

3 up, 0 down

godsman
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 10:53:25 AM
Reply

I don't have a 60" TV, 1080p is not my concern when it comes to games. I think by PS4, they'll focus on 1080p games.

9 up, 2 down

NoSmokingBandit
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 10:54:58 AM
Reply

You have to have a huge tv or sit way too close to notice the difference between 720p and 1080p. I can tell the difference on our 47" lcd, but its not drastic. I'd much rather have great post-processing and effects than a higher resolution. My computer monitor is 1920x1080 and i'll often play pc games in a lower resolution so i can enable more AA or better HDR lighting.

The trade-off is worth it by far.

4 up, 1 down

godsman
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 12:02:59 PM

I have a 40" samsung. I can see a boost in clarity when i switch from a 720p to a 1080p movie

3 up, 2 down

Jawknee
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 6:44:37 PM

I can really tell the difference when playing GT5. Even the XMB looks clearer.

1 up, 0 down

DemonNeno
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 8:13:33 PM

I game on an 52" Sharp Aquos (or whatever.. Haha) and 1080p vs 720p is drastic. I'd guess I'm about 20ft or so from the screen..

@jawknee , seriously man gt5 in 720p looks crappy when coming down from 1080p.. I don't care how much more FSAA it can push!

0 up, 0 down

coverton341
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 11:00:29 AM
Reply

And yet somewhere in the back of my mind is the nagging wonder, did adding 3D have anything to do with this?

I have wondered if the inclusion of 3D would have an effect on other aspects of performance for as long as they have been talking about it.

7 up, 0 down

matt99
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 11:06:37 AM

Ya I've been thinking the same thing, I really hope they didn't sacrifice anything for what seems to be a gimmick. But who knows, maybe KZ3 will be the game that shows 3D isn't a gimmick.

2 up, 0 down

Highlander
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 11:32:53 AM

I doubt it. Did KZ2 run in 1080p? They added more effects for this one, and more is going on on-screen, so how are they supposed to pull that off and double the number of pixels being rendered? This isn't related to 3D at all.

6 up, 0 down

godsman
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 12:06:17 PM

I think Killzone 3 is running differently when in 3D. Like GT5, where the normal gameplay would be 1080p, then the cell will tweak the output to 720p when in 3D mode.

I think it's 2 different things. It's probably like switching from component to hdmi cables in a movie. It doesn't affect the quality of the movie itself. Although, if they take out a lot development time to make the 3D effect is a different case.

2 up, 0 down

Shadow_Ninja
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 12:24:54 PM

well, the reason i think some people are concerned about 3D is because in an earlier article Guerilla had stated that they had unleashed more power on the PS3. considering KZ2 already had a lot in-game to begin with. im sure if 3D didn't take too much power Guerilla would have done it to Killzone 2 with an update. so if Guerilla was able to unleash more power what exactly did they use it for?

does anyone know if Killzone 3 will run in 720p natively? or will it be upscaled like Killzone 2 is?

0 up, 0 down

slugga_status
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 12:37:36 PM

If I remember correctly, Sony did say that games that use 3D cannot go beyond 720p resolution

1 up, 0 down

Highlander
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 1:47:27 PM

Not quite. Sony said that 3D in games will not go beyond 720p.

To get 3D at 720p, the PS3 stacks the two frames (left and right) and sends them as a single large frame that the 3D TV them breaks in two and displays. The frames are sent sequentially in this stacked format. So the PS3 is pretty much running at full stretch to send all that data down the HDMI. Also, depending on the standard 3D standard and HDMI cable standard, HDMI supports 3D at 1080p24 or 720p60, but not at 080p60 or 1080i60.

So there are various reasons for the 720p limit on 3D in games. Games like GT5 will run at whatever their standard 2D resolution is, and then in 3D mode, a 3D rendering engine is used which may run at a lower resolution than the 2D engine.

1 up, 0 down

Ludicrous_Liam
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 2:21:44 PM

@Highlander

Seem's crazy that the PS3 practically duplicated its processing power in one update isnt it XD

0 up, 0 down

matt99
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 4:04:41 PM

I kind of get it now, I was only curious if it would take away from the game because I have no idea about the technical stuff:P

0 up, 0 down

Kiryu
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 11:03:27 AM
Reply

Killzone 3 Open Beta is awesome.

11 up, 0 down

coverton341
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 2:05:11 PM

Really? I can't ever get into a game. I sit there and it tries and tries and eventually tells me there is a connection error so I have to log out of PSN, log back in, then try again. That sends me right back to square one.

I finally gave up and just played bots and it was really cool, just wish I could play against humans, bots get too easy after a while

0 up, 0 down

big6
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 3:26:25 PM

Yes, it's quite good. I had a lot more fun with it than I thought I would.

Coming from the Killzone forums, I didn't have that much hope. The community there seemed to trash so many things in the private beta, it scared me when the open beta came out.

Thankfully, my fears were not realized. This game is fantastic! I'm refraining from playing any more until I get the final game on Feb 22.

(until then, I'll be playing more MAG. Awesome game, btw)

1 up, 0 down

Simcoe
Tuesday, February 08, 2011 @ 12:04:33 PM

@big6
In the world of internet forums, once a community reaches a critical number, the mood sours and so called fans can do nothing but complain.

1 up, 0 down

big6
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 11:11:18 AM
Reply

After playing the BETA over the weekend, I have to say, Killzone 3 will be great. I love the new look.

Good:
-- much faster re-spawn time after death
-- even more beautiful than Killzone 2
-- faster pace

Bad:
-- controls are a little jerky now. Not as smooth as before, but faster. (hopefully it's better in the final release)

Ugly:
-- I like the new voice for the ISA sergeant, but I don't like the new voice for the Helghast sergeant

4 up, 0 down

BeezleDrop
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 12:38:03 PM

The only thing I really don't like is how the ISA scream like chumps when they get gunned down. My GF was constantly making fun of that part, either way I'm definitely enjoying the open beta.

2 up, 0 down

big6
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 3:29:34 PM

I thought both the ISA and Helghasts scream when they are downed?? Hmm... didn't know it was just the ISA. lol

I noticed one of my main gripes with Killzone 2 is still in this game. When you get revived, you are still FACING THE WRONG DIRECTION. It's annoying because once you get revived, you have turn around and, more often than not, you get killed again, right away.
It should be like in MAG where you get revived facing the same direction you move the camera while you are down.

0 up, 0 down

Shams
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 11:15:27 AM
Reply

Ben, haven't picked up a pair of glasses for your 3D, 240hz automotion Samsung, yet?

0 up, 0 down

Kiryu
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 11:31:12 AM
Reply

Operations Mode - What an awesome feature!

2 up, 0 down

BeezleDrop
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 12:39:04 PM

Agreed! Its one of my favorite new features for any MP gaming experience. Its great to see you in cut-scenes if you perform on the top 3.

2 up, 0 down

newchef
Tuesday, February 08, 2011 @ 8:26:37 AM

i actually reminds me of MoH...except with the cool cut scenes

0 up, 0 down

Alienange
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 12:02:16 PM
Reply

It's fine by me. There IS a lot going on in that game and it's already got the visuals nailed as far as the competition goes. We don't need GG spending what's left of their talent on just upping the graphics all the time.

1 up, 0 down

Highlander
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 12:19:09 PM

Yeah, I'm struggling to see the problem here. Games like CoD don't even run at full 720p and people are ticked that KZ3 may only run in 720p mode?

5 up, 0 down

slugga_status
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 12:40:14 PM

I don't care what resolution it's in. I just want the game. Shouldn't be a problem at all. Like Highlander said..CoD runs at a resolution that isn't even standard..It's like 560p or something like that.

1 up, 0 down

Beamboom
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 1:03:15 PM

I agree with you guys, it looks good as it is, however it's kinda fun when you think about much of the criticism against multiplat releases like mw2 was that it's "only" 720px and that it would be different was it made exclusive for the ps3.

1 up, 2 down

Highlander
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 1:51:10 PM

Beanboom,

Sorry, that's just not realistic. the vast majority of PS3 games - including AAA PS3 exclusives - run in 720p mode. Very few games use anything approaching 1080p.

MW2 doesn't run at 720p. It renders at a custom resolution below 600p that is then scaled up to 720p for display. A lot of multi-platform games and some exclusives on both platforms do this.

2 up, 1 down

Beamboom
Tuesday, February 08, 2011 @ 2:18:01 AM

Of course I agree it's unrealistic, but such was the criticism at one stage.

On a slightly different topic: Burnout Paradise was 1080i if I remember correctly (I believe the TV changed to that mode), even though it was multiplat? It looked darn good too in my book at least.
What I'm trying to say here is that I disagree that the difference in multiplat vs exclusives have to be that apparent. It more depends on how much resources is put behind a production. And that a multiplat production has a potential sale that defend high investments. That's my thesis at least.

Last edited by Beamboom on 2/8/2011 2:28:50 AM

0 up, 0 down

Simcoe
Tuesday, February 08, 2011 @ 12:31:25 PM

@Beamboom
Burnout Paradise @ 1080i was part of the Cagney (ver 1.3) update for PS3 that Criterion released so that PS3. PS3 owners that had older HD (tube or projection) tv's, that only allowed HD content in 1080i, could only play BP in SD because the game ran it at 720p, which was a problem for PS3 owners. This wasn't a problem for 360 owners as the console has a built-in scaler that automatically scales the output to whatever your tv can handle, but PS3 doesn't do this, it assumes all HD tv's can display 720p, if they can't then it outputs SD resolution. Criterion found a way to scale their 720p engine to 1080i in-game, but still suggested that those who could display either resolution, keep it at 720p for best results.

1 up, 0 down

HighOnFire
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 12:39:00 PM
Reply

Is anyone still having trouble getting connected on the beta? What little I played this weekend was nothing short of amazing, may be the best mp experience Ive ever seen, but I couldnt get connected very many times.

1 up, 0 down

BeezleDrop
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 12:40:17 PM

The only problem I really had was when I was trying to connect to "Guerrilla Warfare" anything else was fine. Although the "world is full" error message kind of surprised me.

1 up, 0 down

slugga_status
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 12:40:39 PM

Had that issue Saturday night but not since then

1 up, 0 down

HighOnFire
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 1:25:23 PM

@BeezleDrop: I never got that message. It says "connecting..." at the bottom of the screen and never does. Saturday I played for two hours or so and got on quick. I just played against my new friends "The Bots" every other time I couldnt connect.

1 up, 0 down

coverton341
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 2:07:34 PM

Same problem for me. No connection. I have actually never gotten a connection so I always play against bots.

0 up, 0 down

big6
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 3:31:49 PM

Yes, I had a hard time connecting to games. I've only been able to connect TWICE all weekend.
This is one of the reasons why I'll just wait until the full release.

I've played enough of the open beta to know it's going to be awesome!

1 up, 0 down

newchef
Tuesday, February 08, 2011 @ 8:27:52 AM

same issue here =/ very disappointing, maybe has something to do with the loads of people trying to get on?

0 up, 0 down

nilos95
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 1:22:22 PM
Reply

Actually, if 3D was possible, so is 1080p as far as I know. Still, why do we have to complain. It seems pretty much excellent graphics-wise even in 720p. Unless of course you are an IGN and think that Modern Warfare 2 had better graphics while Halo Reach was equally good

2 up, 0 down

Scarecrow
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 1:54:01 PM
Reply

Fine in my book, a smooth game with with more stuff going on is better than the alternative.

few games get to true 1080p anyway even if they claim it does.

1 up, 0 down

DjEezzy
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 2:25:42 PM
Reply

I think the game looks absolutely gorgeous just the way it is. Man it's such a blast to play. Anybody play it with the move controller yet? Now that is what motion gaming should be!!! It's definitely got a huge learning curve but once you get used to it, it's just so satisfying to shoot others with it.

2 up, 0 down

Jawknee
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 6:45:12 PM
Reply

Fine with me. Not every game is in 1080p anyway. KZ2 certainly wasn't.

1 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 6:46:13 PM
Reply

Id still rather have 60fps than 3D.

1 up, 0 down

Jawknee
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 6:50:39 PM

60/FPS would we sweet for this game though 3D a pretty nice option to have if you have a TV. It's great in most of the game I have played so far.

0 up, 0 down

sirbob6
Monday, February 07, 2011 @ 7:15:40 PM
Reply

Well Uncharted was only 720p so I will let it side for now. But come PS4, GG you know what to do.

2 up, 0 down

Ignitus
Tuesday, February 08, 2011 @ 12:43:32 AM
Reply

Just give us the game as it is. 1080p games will come next-gen.

1 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Tuesday, February 08, 2011 @ 1:43:26 AM
Reply

If you follow the links a little ways back they reveal that KZ3 features much better texture res.

"With this best use of the GPU and SPU, the textures are 4 times better than Killzone 2."

Woo Hoo! and judging by the demo, it's really evident. Getting up close to objects doesn't usually result in a blurry mess. Very nice.

0 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Tuesday, February 08, 2011 @ 1:46:16 AM
Reply

I wonder if the single player game will restore KZ2's trademark film grain/motion blur technique. It doesn't appear to be implemented in the KZ3 multiplayer beta stuff.

0 up, 0 down

___________
Tuesday, February 08, 2011 @ 2:11:06 AM
Reply

1080P does not really matter, but 60FPS would of been nice!
one thing developers really need to concentrate on fixing is whenever a games played in 3D objects at a distance are slightly blurry, really have problems focusing on them.
especially when theres allot of things going on, like last night i finally got into a game, was setting up a bot than a few guys next to me started shooting each other, a grenade came down the stairs and 2 other people came down the stairs.
for a few moments there the whole screen went blurry, its really weird but no matter what game i play if its in 3D you really have trouble focusing on things.
almost looks like textures have been removed too, especially on peoples faces i noticed that most in BO run up to a enemy and look at his face, looks like theres a few textures missing.
theres no where near as much detail in things in 3D appose to 2D, which is why im not really interested in it now.
3D makes things look worse, makes everything blurry and gives some a headache.
so ill be staying away from it for a while, still in early stages but ive been really disappointed by it.
ATM it feels like the 80s with those crappy blue and red glasses!
nothing like what the movies give you, i was expecting avatar quality but games are not even close!

0 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Tuesday, February 08, 2011 @ 2:13:49 AM

now tell us how you really feel about it.

3 up, 0 down

SvenMD
Tuesday, February 08, 2011 @ 2:50:35 PM

You need to stop complaining, and get a new TV.

I had no problems with either CoD:BO or GT5 in 3D.
They both played extremely well and had a beautiful 3D effect without any blurriness or texture drops....it was fine.

Visit the eye doctor or get a new TV....

1 up, 0 down

JoshBall
Tuesday, February 08, 2011 @ 4:28:47 AM
Reply

Yeahh i'm enjoying the beta, a lot of people seem to be quite negative about it, and also mentioning the weight and other issues etc. If you give it some time and get used to it it's great, just obviously a different feel from the usual cod..haha.

Anyone tried it with move yet? It's pretty hard but good fun, don't think i'd opt for it over the ds3 though.

Also i live in the UK and don't have the best of net connections, had no trouble connecting though.

0 up, 0 down

Nynja
Tuesday, February 08, 2011 @ 10:18:44 AM
Reply

You know what? It doesn't matter. Been playing around with the public beta over the weekend and the game looks and feels great. I actually enjoy playing the game more using PlayStation Move.

Looking forward to the full release.

0 up, 0 down

Simcoe
Tuesday, February 08, 2011 @ 12:35:31 PM

I haven't been able to get the settings right with the move controller to be at a point where I feel comfortable using it (with Killzone).

0 up, 0 down

SmokeyPSD
Wednesday, February 09, 2011 @ 6:11:27 AM
Reply

Apart from the odd PSN smaller scale game, especially with the push for 3d it looks like full HD gaming just isn't happening this gen. Even with a 40inch lcd I feel it does matter.

0 up, 0 down

t4_robz
Wednesday, February 09, 2011 @ 6:31:33 AM
Reply

i played the beta for KZ3 its amazing :$

0 up, 0 down

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