What kind of hardware do PC games developers have to run the game so smoothly?

[KhoiFather]

I always wondered how game developers can show us a clip of in-game video footage before a top of the line graphic card comes out for us to use and have it play so smoothly?

For example, the clips of footage from Crysis. You see the guy running around, shooting and stuff so smoothly but I bet when some of us get a hand on the game, it'll play so slow and choopy even on a top of the line computer.

Do they have some crazy high tech computer and graphic card us consumers don't get to use?

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Low res maybe? Say if they were running 1024x768 could you notice just by shakeycam footage?

The vids I have downloaded were 320x240, and no real way to tell what res they are running at.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: KhoiFather
I always wondered how game developers can show us a clip of in-game video footage before a top of the line graphic card comes out for us to use and have it play so smoothly?

For example, the clips of footage from Crysis. You see the guy running around, shooting and stuff so smoothly but I bet when some of us get a hand on the game, it'll play so slow and choopy even on a top of the line computer.

Do they have some crazy high tech computer and graphic card us consumers don't get to use?

Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?

- M4H

 

[Deleted member 4644]

Some of them get pre-release versions of hardware... figure it is maybe 30-50% faster than what is commonly out there. Plus they might get golden sample overclocks and they load their machines up with Ram.

 

[KhoiFather]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: KhoiFather
I always wondered how game developers can show us a clip of in-game video footage before a top of the line graphic card comes out for us to use and have it play so smoothly?

For example, the clips of footage from Crysis. You see the guy running around, shooting and stuff so smoothly but I bet when some of us get a hand on the game, it'll play so slow and choopy even on a top of the line computer.

Do they have some crazy high tech computer and graphic card us consumers don't get to use?

Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?

- M4H

Faster then 40 billion miles a second

 

[ebaycj]

Originally posted by: LordSegan
Some of them get pre-release versions of hardware... figure it is maybe 30-50% faster than what is commonly out there. Plus they might get golden sample overclocks and they load their machines up with Ram.

Yeah, engineering samples FTW.

 

[KhoiFather]

So you're telling me they currently have a R600 video card with 1GB of DDR4? Hot damn!

 

[LordMaul]

Originally posted by: KhoiFather
So you're telling me they currently have a R600 video card with 1GB of DDR4? Hot damn!

Well, they will run anything but ATi, as they don't want the machine to die or the drivers to start displaying incorrectly mid-demo, after all...


*runs*

 

[KhoiFather]

So anyone out there with a serious answer?

 

[Hyperlite]

Originally posted by: LordMaul

Originally posted by: KhoiFather
So you're telling me they currently have a R600 video card with 1GB of DDR4? Hot damn!

Well, they will run anything but ATi, as they don't want the machine to die or the drivers to start displaying incorrectly mid-demo, after all...


*runs*

*enters bomb shelter*




OP, they have pre release hardware, wicked sick rigs, etc...

 

[KhoiFather]

Give me an example of a wicked sick rig they have

 

[potato28]

Originally posted by: KhoiFather
So anyone out there with a serious answer?

No one can really say because there's too many developers and high end graphics are usually in FPS's and RTS's. Also they usually have the enginnering samples, so no luck on it mostly.

 

[dullard]

Don't they sometimes prerender the game (very slowly), record it, and then play it back during the demo as if it were real time?

 

[potato28]

Originally posted by: KhoiFather
Give me an example of a wicked sick rig they have

R600, 8 gigs of RAM, C2D Quad top of the line, high end SCSI, and high end sound card(not Creative's crap.).

 

[KhoiFather]

That's some amazing stuff I tell ya

 

[KeithP]

For example, the clips of footage from Crysis. You see the guy running around, shooting and stuff so smoothly but I bet when some of us get a hand on the game, it'll play so slow and choopy even on a top of the line computer.

The video I have seen from Crysis actually opens with the words Cryengine2 (which probably means nothing) but I am wondering if that footage is really from the game or just a tech demo they whipped together for the engine that is made to look like the game. Has anyone from the company actually indicated that the videos were from in-game footage?

I am guessing it is an equal mix of developers having access to pre-release hardware and some fudging by using rendered sequences or other tricks to make the videos appear smoother than they are.

As always, wait until a game ships and compare multiple reviews before deciding to buy it or any upgrade hardware you might want for the game.

-KeithP

 

[KhoiFather]

Yeah but there are footage where you see the guy tells you what he is gonna do, like shooting the tree down, walking over to the house and punching it down and stuff. I would believe that is in game footage.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

And there are the videos of the level editor. Creates in real time. He builds some bridges and buildings and hits the key and his guy drops into it. Then drops in a bad guy and sets up way-points for him. He's messing with the controls and you can see the effects real time (changing daylight, wave height, etc)

 

[her209]

They render it in a 3D program.