Xbox fake screenshot scandal

[Maverick]

Hey guys,

I just read about the Xbox fake screen shot scandal after a byte was posted on Blues News about it. Pretty interesting. Maybe the big MS won't have the Xbox ready in time so they doctored up a few photos for the press. If you thought MS was slimey before, you'll think they're even worse after you look at the evidence for this scandal.

Original thread on IGN message board

Latest on fake Xbox game screenshot controversy

Its all pretty convincing...see for yourself.

 

[bacillus]

unbelievable!:Q

 

[RGN]

hehe!

 

[darth maul]

Thats some funny stuff there.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

has anyone taken a look at the other pics from the 'conference?'

 

[Maverick]

I've looked at them, but nothing really stood out as much as the snowboarder picture. Its pretty noticeable that the character model is at a much higher resolution than the snowy background. I haven't really looked at any of the other screenshots but I wouldn't be surprised to see similar details.

 

[PG]

Microsoft just updated their webpage with this nice little disclaimer:

Note: Some images enhanced to reflect end product.


Let me translate: We faked these pictures in Photoshop to make them look much better than the real game will ever look.

edit: http://xbox.com/games/amped/

 

It's not even like the doctored up images look good. I have seen better screens on my DreamCast.

 

[Oyeve]

Not to support MS, but a lot of programmers actually USE photoshop in their games. EA for instance utilizes it for lens flare in the more recent NFS games, ubisoft also uses it a lot.

 

[slipperyslope]

You guys are making too much out of this.

The X-Box is not done. Neither are the games. MS wants people to see what things will look like so they did some effects that would be in the game.

If they released undoctored screenshoots on unfinished hardware, you know you would be trashing it like "dreamcast kicks it's ass." And you know you would. Instead and having to deal with small-minded people, they doctored some photos so that people get an idea of what will be capable on the system.

Jim

p.s. I remember when the engineering sample athlon(K7) was reviewed on Anandtech. people trashed it. But everyone knows it kicks butt now. People can't seem to realize that the x-box is still not finished. Anyways, microsoft just decided to avoid the bad press.

 

[Pacinamac23]

WOOOO, lens flare. WOWEE!

Who cares.

 

[Maverick]

Support them all you want, but I don't think its right for companies to doctor up photos so much that they look no where near as the game will look. The Amped shot where the character model is at a higher resolution than the background is just ridiculous. There's no reason to fake it that badly. And I'm sorry, but no lensflare in a game will look that good when the background behind it looks like crap.

MS also didn't let the press take photos during the GameStock event. They were just "given" screenshots and shown videos. Sounds very fish to me.

Even if MS isn't the first company to do this, I think its wrong for a company to "enhance images to reflect end product". Thats not too far from showing cinematics then saying "this is what the gameplay will look like in 5 years."

I've never seen disclaimers like that from Sony and Nintendo.

If the Xbox is supposed to be released in Fall 2001, they should at least be able to release ACTUAL game images. The claim that the hardware isn't done doesn't hold up very well when the release date is coming up so soon.

 

[rickn]

Just be thankful they didn't print Bill Gates -- airbrushed and spread eagle as the centerfold

 

[Antisocial Virge]

"doctor up photos so much that they look no where near as the game will look"

Do you know that for sure?

 

I don't know these Fusion Frenzy shots look too good to be true!

 

[JellyBaby]

I'm reminded of how great McDonald's hamburgers look on TV. Go into a McD's though and you'll see it's just 2 pieces of room temperature bread with some red stuff oozing out the sides.

 

[rickn]

My favorite commercials were the old caesars pizza. Two pizza's for the price of one. So the guy hands him a pair of glasses with a picture of a pizza on one of the lenses. LOL. Or the orgami one.


WHAT I AM SUPPOSE TO DO WITH AN EMPTY BOX!

Ever heard of Orgami! A teradactyl!

 

[NOX]

Sorry, but screen shots are meant to give you an idea of what the game will actually look like, and not what MS is capable of doing with Photoshop.

Seems like MS is already at work. Click on the last two links on this page, and what do you get 404, and the other looks like it was taken down by host! LOL...

Link

The white lines and green dot by the eye of this boarder is so obvious.

Fake Picture

 

[Auric]

Haw JellyBaby! You'd think people would learn eventually but they keep going back. Stop the madness.

As far as lens flares, well it's a bit silly. I have noticed a lot of games with them but I don't know why. Do you want to see an image that represents as closely as possible being there or one like a distorted camera image? If it's supposed to look like it's viewed through a camera lens use the flares, otherwise don't I say.

It's like a super couch potato mentality. Not only are you simulating an activity but as seen from behind a spectator's camera too!

 

[BD2003]

Whats the big focking deal? I'm sure theyre not the first company to do so. And dont let it take away from the fact that every other game looks awesome. But the one best part about the xbox? 700mhz processor and nv25 + easily ported divx codec= divx player right to your tv. Awesome!

 

[Degenerate]

Does that mean the games are already out ?

 

[NOX]

Don?t get me wrong, as crazy as some of you may think I do plan on buying an Xbox. But please, unless you have any proof that other companies have done this before, don?t claim that they have or suggest that they have. I?m sure, as people have found out about these screen shots they would have found out about any other shots that may have been graphically enhanced.

I think the concern for many people (including myself because I?ll be in the market for an Xbox when available) is if the graphics are so superior why enhance it?

Anyway, this was just posted on Xbox.com:

Some of the images for Amped released during Gamestock were enhanced to illustrate some features that will be in the final product. While this is a common practice for games so early in development, we apologize for the confusion. No one intended to be deceptive. Everyone was so busy prepping for Gamestock, that we just missed the fact that these were labeled "concept art". Frankly, we're impressed with the skillz of those digital sleuths! Nice work!

LOL?though you were too good a. Then again 51MPH and the guy is just standing there, makes it that much easier.

 

[Maverick]

oh I'm still planning to buy one as well...can't beat the standalone progressive scan DVD player + DivX player as well as the gaming capabilities. I'm all for buying one...I just think its wrong to doctor up screenshots and present it as the real game when its really just screenshots.

 

[Zucchini]

will it play plain vcds too? hehe got a bunch my dvd player won't take because they are burns

 

[KevinH]

slipperyslope -

okay, an engineering sample of the k7 vs a "doctored" picture. absolutely NO connection. on one hand, it the k7 was bashed due to it's performance. people are clowning the xbox pics not because of the way they look but because it's a freaken' a fake for christ sake. if you wanna make an analogy that works, it'd be as though amd released fake numbers or something to that effect. sure the xbox is gonna kick ass. so what? does that make it right for them to bullsh1t us? hell no.