• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Ubisoft: Watch Dogs is leading on next-gen/PC, then being ported to current-gen

Grizzlyjin

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
Next gen version it is, then. That made the choice pretty easy. Can you imagine if someone developed Dead Rising on the 360 and then try porting it down to the original Xbox? Chop Till You Drop comes to mind...
 
B

Branduil

Member
-MB- said:
I can somewhat, it'll basically be a 720p version with same/similar effects to the ps4/durango's 1080p version.
Click to expand...

They won't use effects like bokeh on the Wii U, they'll probably use a cheaper DOF effect. It will likely be 720p with low-res textures, more aggressive LOD and cheaper effects.
 
P

Projectjustice

Banned
Yawnier said:
No sorry, I have absolutely zero clue what you mean.
Click to expand...

What i mean it doesnt have to match PS4 for something else to have good graphics. It will be above PS360 but below PS4. I dunno why theres no middle ground around here.

PS4/720 version could be the 1080p version while the the Wii U version is 720p for example.
 
S

shinobi602

Member
Sendou said:
Meaning that you just compared a console game from 4,5 years ago to a PC game running on a today's high-end hardware. Just doesn't seem fair to me.
Click to expand...

No problem then the gap between GTA V and Watch Dogs is significant in my opinion. I feel what we've see from Watch Dogs so far will look no different on the PS4. It's not something the PS4's specs can't handle.
 
B

Branduil

Member
Amir0x said:
'simple' graphical downgrades, sure - lower geometry, different physics that impact gameplay (according to Ubisoft themselves, tentative skeptical eye on this claim), LOD, resolution, fidelity, pedestrians on screen, texture resolution/quality, framerate, bokeh, etc etc ad naseum


i guess at some point it depends on how much we want to stretch the word 'simple.'
Click to expand...

Simple as in "not complicated to implement." Basically the same as turning down all the sliders on a PC game. It definitely won't look as good as the PC/PS4 version, but it's probably not going to look like a San Andreas to the PS4's GTA IV either.
 
S

Sendou

Member
shinobi602 said:
No problem then the gap between GTA V and Watch Dogs is significant in my opinion. I feel what we've see from Watch Dogs so far will look no different on the PS4. It's not something the PS4's specs can't handle.
Click to expand...

Maybe we should wait to actually see Watch Dogs running on a console.
 
P

pvpness

Member
Maybe my edit above was missed so I'll repost. Are people expecting the Wii U version of Watch Dogs to be the Chop till you Drop version in comparison to the PS4/720 versions?
 
prag16

prag16

Banned
Branduil said:
They won't use effects like bokeh on the Wii U, they'll probably use a cheaper DOF effect. It will likely be 720p with low-res textures, more aggressive LOD and cheaper effects.
Click to expand...

Pretty much this. It won't be a fundamentally different experience.

Going to 720p from 1080p already right there requires 40% of the "raw power".

This is why I wouldn't be so sure 1080p will be the new defacto standard in all cases. Later in the generation especially devs will want to push more and more fancy features, making 720p a viable compromise for some..
 
G

GoddyofAus

Banned
hey-guys-whats-going-on-in-this-thread.gif
 
S

sleepykyo

Member
NotLiquid said:
Oh so Ubisoft Bucharest are working on both the Wii U and the PS4 version?

Not sure whether that says more about the PS4 version or the Wii U version, but I can easily see that setting apart both versions from the 360/PS3 versions. We know that Watch Dogs was running on a supposedly PS4 spec'd PC but that says little about how the game will actually end up looking like on that console.
Click to expand...

It says a lot about how bad off Sony is if their marquee support is getting the B team working on porting Watch Dogs over.
 
S

StuBurns

Banned
lunchwithyuzo said:
Well, I can't speak to Trine 1 since I went Wii60 last gen and so never played it. Trine 2 is great though.

I think definining "on par" would probably help diffuse these sorts of disagreements. I think in the case of a rough "spec generation" Wii U can certainly be considered on par with PS3 and 360. Much in the same way Dreamcast, PS2, Gamecube, Xbox and Wii could be considered on par in that sense. But if you mean on par in regards to absolute upper limit capability, it's pretty clearly not the case going by what we know of the specs and even early ports which have recieved proper resourcing.
Click to expand...
I don't know about Dreamcast all the way up to Xbox, but yes, basically that's what I mean when I think of 'on par', roughly grouped basically.

I think in terms of pure performance, if the Wii U's full capacity was basically equal to the 360, it wouldn't be close at launch, it'd take a couple of years for developers really get into the exacting optimization to have it catch up, so I was pretty sure from launch it was ahead of the other two.
 
S

Steve Youngblood

Member
Projectjustice said:
What i mean it doesnt have to match PS4 for something else to have good graphics. It will be above PS360 but below PS4. I dunno why theres no middle ground around here.

PS4/720 version could be the 1080p version while the the Wii U version is 720p for example.
Click to expand...

Well, in all honesty, the definition of "good" is completely arbitrary and thus impossible to pinpoint. "Good" graphics might be applicable to the PS360 version, for instance.
 
D

Deleted member 22576

Unconfirmed Member
Starting to get really pumped for this game.
 
D

Derrick01

Banned
Eideka said:
I'm a bit lost, wasn't there a WD footage we know for a fact was running on a PS4 devkit ?
Click to expand...

Nope just a PC with PS4 specs. The devs have mentioned how insanely easy it was to transfer the PC version over to PS4 though, and that there wasn't much difference or changes made. It's still a pretty early version, we have many months to go still.
 
Y

Yawnier

Banned
Projectjustice said:
What i mean it doesnt have to match PS4 for something else to have good graphics. It will be above PS360 but below PS4. I dunno why theres no middle ground around here.

PS4/720 version could be the 1080p version while the the Wii U version is 720p for example.
Click to expand...

To be honest, I never did say that there was no middle ground. However, I did say that the Wii U's graphics just will not be anywhere near what a high end, gaming PC/Durango/PS4 could pull of with this game in particular. There could definitely be a middle ground though, no doubt about that.

Developers can only make use of what they are forced to work with hardware wise - with the massive discrepancy in what we actually know of both the Wii U's and PS4's specifications and of several other factors comparative to each other; I believe it is safe to say that for those two systems (in particular) will not run or look that good similarly to each other at all.

*That is just my own opinion, it is not 100% pure fact, but it is just what I think will happen based on what is already known.
 
B

Branduil

Member
MisterC20XX said:
This.

Going forward my current gen purchases will be subject to intense "is this really a this gen game?" scrutiny.
Click to expand...

I think this transition will have the most cross-gen titles of any generational transition. For one, it's going to take a really long time for the new consoles to gain an established userbase. And two, the architectural differences between current and next-gen titles is not going to be nearly as significant as in past generations. There's going to be a whole lot of PS4/720/PC/PS3/360/Wii U titles.
 
B

BurnOutBrighter

Banned
Not only that, they're farming the Wii U version out to their C team.

I'm glad this is happening. Next gen needs to take top priority and show the best of what it can offer, to give it the best chance of being successful.

And also, doing the opposite would be the dumbest thing ever. Of course they're going to develop on PC then scale it for the consoles.
 
prag16

prag16

Banned
Yawnier said:
I believe it is safe to say that for those two systems (in particular) will not run or look that good similarly to each other at all.
Click to expand...

Does a PC game on "high" look/run not at all similar to the same game ratcheted down to "low"? You'd say the game on "low" looks horribly gimped, or looks like a totally different game?
 
F

FLAguy954

Junior Member
pvpness said:
Maybe my edit above was missed so I'll repost. Are people expecting the Wii U version of Watch Dogs to be the Chop till you Drop version in comparison to the PS4/720 versions?
Click to expand...

This is what I'm drawing from some of the Wii U detractors. They claim to have a 'realistic' outlook on the Wii U's graphical output by citing the ram speed and aged quips about the cpu being slow (from a developer looking at an old devkit) but are selectively ignoring the fact that final devkits are out (second wave games will look undoubtedly better because of this, including Watch Dogs) and there has been virtually zero negative feedback pertaining to the Wii U's ram, in-fact, the Wii U's sub-memory system looks to be particularly impressive. They also choose to ignore the recent comments of Criterion's Alex Ward and the the FrozenByte devs.

It's like there is no middle ground with these guys. The Wii U is absolutely above and beyond the PS360 just as the PS4 is above the Wii U. The Wii U is closer to PS4/720 as well despite the currently perceived gap.
 
P

pvpness

Member
BurnOutBrighter said:
Not only that, they're farming the Wii U version out to their C team.

I'm glad this is happening. Next gen needs to take top priority and show the best of what it can offer, to give it the best chance of being successful.

And also, doing the opposite would be the dumbest thing ever. Of course they're going to develop on PC then scale it for the consoles.
Click to expand...

That seemingly doesn't bode well for the PS4 version either. (Same team)

FLAguy954 said:
This is what I'm drawing from some of the Wii U detractors. They claim to have a 'realistic' outlook on the Wii U's graphical output by siting the ram speed and aged quips about the cpu but are selectively ignoring the fact that final devkits are out (second wave games will look undoubtedly better because of this, including Watch Dogs) and there has been virtually zero negative feedback pertaining to the Wii U's ram, in-fact, the Wii U's sub-memory system looks to be particularly impressive. They also choose to ignore the recent comments of Criterion's Alex Ward and the the FrozenByte devs.

It's like there is no middle ground with these guys. The Wii U is absolutely above and beyond the PS360 just as the PS4 is above the Wii U. The Wii U is closer to PS4/720 as well.
Click to expand...

I'm trying to get a feel for what people expect from both sides. I would never expect people to assume that the Wii U version will be the Chop till you Drop version, but some of the posts in this thread seem to suggest that some people do assume that. I also feel like some people are expecting more than they should from a visual standpoint, but it is tough to get a read on where people actually stand. I think both are goofy assumptions to make, but I guess we'll see. I've noted that most middle ground people avoid these threads like the plague, considering the conversation is typically the same in all of them between the same people, but the extremes really seem... extreme to me in this case.
 
Y

Yawnier

Banned
prag16 said:
Does a PC game on "high" look/run not at all similar to the same game ratcheted down to "low"? You'd say the game on "low" looks horribly gimped, or looks like a totally different game?
Click to expand...

A lot of the time it depends from game to game, really.

E.g. Difference of Skyrim high to low on PC is not the same as Oblivion high to low on PC.
 
D

Dion Blaster

Member
ColdBlooder said:
Did you miss the smartphone that is used to hack all the devices? How about putting that "smartphone interface" on the Gamepad? Or security camera feed on the gamepad with the normal view still on TV? Police radio scanner in the gamepad? GPS on the gamepad? Make new waypoints with the touch of your finger on the GPS. Make calls on the gamepad? watch TV news broadcast on the gamepad of what you last did, hijack a policecar and remote control it with the dashcam view on the pad?

Those are just quick ideas i came up woth right now...
Click to expand...

The security footage would be a great option, although I'm not sure I'd want to have to look down to see that. But I had not seen that part of the demo yet, good idea.

You don't actually use the phone from anything I've seen, you just click a button to hack. i don't want some lame touch mini game to hack stuff like BioShock.

If they can impliment these ideas then that would be pretty dope, it just seems like a lot of this is automated in the main game and I wouldn't want the pace slowed down for added mini games. I always welcome map stuff and cleaning up the HUD though.
 
C

ColdBlooder

Banned
linkratos said:
The security footage would be a great option, although I'm not sure I'd want to have to look down to see that. But I had not seen that part of the demo yet, good idea.

You don't actually use the phone from anything I've seen, you just click a button to hack. i don't want some lame touch mini game to hack stuff like BioShock.

If they can impliment these ideas then that would be pretty dope, it just seems like a lot of this is automated in the main game and I wouldn't want the pace slowed down for added mini games. I always welcome map stuff and cleaning up the HUD though.
Click to expand...

Wii U Gamepad functionality is not about making things use the touchscreen instead of buttons. Its about immersion.

Also one if my buddys had the idea that you could hack Billboards and draw on them. Your friends could see your Billboards drawing on their Wii U. You could hold the gamepad up to the TV and "scan" peoples devices and download their informations from their electronic devices. You could read newspaper pages on the Gamepad.

etc...
 
S

SolidSnakex

Member
PlayALLtheGames said:
So there is going to be a PS3, 360, PS4, 720, WiiU, and PC version? Jesus Christ.
Click to expand...

Expect that to be very common next-gen. At least for the first few years. I really expect first party devs to be the only developers that commit to next-gen games only. Third party devs/pubs will inevitably try to make as much money as possible off of every platform that they can.
 
T

The_Lump

Banned
MuseManMike said:
Holy fuck. Trying not to look like an ass in the library. I'm dying.
Click to expand...


Only quoting you as you were the last one I saw do it: But maybe instead of just laughing at the guy, why does no one explain to him why they disagree/think he's wrong?

Back on topic: Do we know for sure if the PS4 version is first to release?
 
X

Xun

Member
I see the Wii U version being in-between the current-gen version and the next-gen version, at least if they put effort into it.

Lower resolution, geometry, but with some modern effects and better textures (than the current-gen versions).

It'll be interesting to see.
 
T

TedNindo

Member
Xun said:
I see the Wii U version being in-between the current-gen version and the next-gen version, at least if they put effort into it.

Lower resolution, geometry, but with some modern effects.

It'll be interesting to see.
Click to expand...

The biggest difference between the PS360 and WiiU version will probably be the texture ressolution and lighting. Which is very noticeable

If the difference is anywhere near the difference in Need For Speed it'll be a worthy upgrade imo.

Chances are the game will run better on the WiiU then on my PC with a Q6600 and a 4890 in it. So I'll possibly pick up the WiiU version over the PC version.
 
A

AzaK

Member
shinobi602 said:
If Ubisoft can make Watch Dogs run comparatively on a system with 2Gb DDR3 (12.8Gb/s bandwidth), a tri-core CPU (that is in some ways both inferior/superior to the 360's CPU), and an HD 4000 series equivalent GPU to a system with 8Gb GDDR5 (176Gb/s), an 8-core CPU, and a GPU roughly equivalent to high end HD 7000 series card, I'll eat my own ass.
Click to expand...

You can never lose that bet because you can just claim they aren't comparable. Wouldn't surprise me if we got 1080 grunt-gen versions and 720 on Wii U with 1/2 the draw distance.

TedNindo said:
The biggest difference between the PS360 and WiiU version will probably be the texture ressolution and lighting. Which is very noticeable

If the difference is anywhere near the difference in Need For Speed it'll be a worthy upgrade imo.

Chances are the game will run better on the WiiU then on my PC with a Q6600 and a 4890 in it. So I'll possibly pick up the WiiU version over the PC version.
Click to expand...

Peetty much,and it will have Off-TV play which is almost an insta-win for me assuming they don't do a shitfest of a downport.
 
D

Derrick01

Banned
AzaK said:
You can never lose that bet because you can just claim they aren't comparable. Wouldn't surprise me if we got 1080 grunt-gen versions and 720 on Wii U with 1/2 the draw distance.
Click to expand...

I think that was the point, to prove there's no way they can be comparable. The only chance it has of being comparable to the PS4 version is if they did a quick and dirty PS4 port using the Wii U version and not improving anything from it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

YoshiP on FF16 PC port - Working on debugging & optimization; demo is being planned; specs to be revealed later; will release as soon as its completed
Game Dev
23
2K
Interfectum replied
Ubisoft says Assassin’s Creed Codename Red will be released by March 2025
News
1
642
Bring Back Scalebound replied
Fallout 4 next gen update out April 25th also PC ultrawide and more
16 17 18 19 20
981
64K
adamsapple replied
Where is Next Gen Gameplay?
2 3 4
181
8K
ProtoByte replied
Immortals of Aveum set to receive HDR and FSR 3 console frame generation (High dynamic range imminent, frame-gen "in just a few short weeks")
Game Dev 2 3
101
7K
Thick Thighs Save Lives replied
Top Bottom