AMD has console gaming in its pocket, but can it squeeze out Nvidia on the PC?

Calin Banc · 9 Jun 2013 at 07:00

Rroff said:
When your building a game with a campaign spanning 2 dozen or so maps it becomes impractical to have radically different maps between different platforms - a lot of titles of late have been poor on the PC due to relatively flat and 2 dimensional map layouts designed to cater to console controls and memory limitations (areas for loading/swapping data) likewise a lot of games have ended up worse due to memory limitations be it RAM/buffers or storage resulting in far shorter and less content rich games than if they were designed for PC.

Exactly. "Bad Port" is the same thing as "laziness" and describes in a broad manner the same thing - focus on weaker hardware due to better revenues from casual gamers and less focus on a proper PC version; at times, even making the whole game dumb down just to fit that closed hardware standard and customers.

Todd Howard said in an interview just before Skyrim launched, something like this: "We are happy and not limited in what we strive to do by the hardware that we have now. Better one will only allow us to have more details 7 feet away". Of course Mr. Howard didn't think about the stupid AI in he's game, few characters on screen and in battle, same type of quests from Morrowind and perhaps older, loading screens, game size and so on. I wouldn't be that surprise to see him prizing the new consoles when next TES comes to life - "we can do now so much more than before!"

flopper · 9 Jun 2013 at 08:09

Calin Banc said:
Exactly. "Bad Port" is the same thing as "laziness" and describes in a broad manner the same thing - focus on weaker hardware due to better revenues from casual gamers and less focus on a proper PC version; at times, even making the whole game dumb down just to fit that closed hardware standard.

Todd Howard said in an interview just before Skyrim launched, something like this: "We are happy and not limited in what we strive to do by the hardware that we have now. Better one will only allow us to have more details 7 feet away". Of course Mr. Howard didn't think about the stupid AI in he's game, few characters on screen and in battle, same type of quests from Morrowind and perhaps older, loading screens, game size and so on. I wouldn't be that surprise to see him prizing the new consoles when next TES comes to life - "we can do now so much more than before!"

skyrim is unplayable for me, consol gaming pretty much worthless.

Calin Banc · 9 Jun 2013 at 08:18

Not properly working in Eyefinity, is it?

Gregster · 9 Jun 2013 at 09:30

Tute said:
Trouble with gaming as well is that there is no clearly defined standard for what a game should be. If I do and buy a toaster or a TV, take it home and it refuses to work then I can take it back for a refund.

If a game doesn't work, then the developer rolls out a nice big "**** you until IF we can be bothered to fix it".

It really shouldn't be allowed - companies should be made to fix large problems in good time or face fines. After all, they were quick enough to take money off the consumer.

+1

Take FarCry 3 for example. SO many people including me say the game just isn't smooth and it is down to the devs but if I tried to return it, I would get told to clear off.

humbug · 9 Jun 2013 at 11:25

Skyrim + Farcry 3 - Ubisoft game engines = crap.

Loving Farcry 3, imaginative, looks fantastic, buggy as hell, blame Ubisoft.

Martini1991 · 9 Jun 2013 at 11:33

LtMatt said:
Crossfire is nothing like that pcper battlefield 3 video. I'm using it so i know.

One person doesn't make a rule.
But it won't just be you that it works fine for, just pointing out that your stance was a bit much lol.

LtMatt · 9 Jun 2013 at 11:35

Martini1991 said:
One person doesn't make a rule.
But it won't just be you that it works fine for, just pointing out that your stance was a bit much lol.

Pgi, Tommy, Rusty, Whyscotty and countless others. We can't all be wrong.

Martini1991 · 9 Jun 2013 at 11:39

I used it fine too, bar heat issues.

Rusty0611 · 9 Jun 2013 at 11:39

To be fair there are many others who have had problems with CF. it's important to not understate it especially when AMD have admitted it's a problem.

Skyrim is broken in CF but can be completely fixed by RP. Not ideal but not the end of the world either.

LtMatt · 9 Jun 2013 at 11:42

It might be an issue in other titles that i don't play, but its not affected any of my gaming evolved titles, apart from farcry 3.

I was specifically talking about battlefield 3 though when i said that. I'm amazed how smooth it is, feels smoother than my single 7970 ghz tbh.

Martini1991 · 9 Jun 2013 at 11:45

I'd hope a game with twice the GPU powering it would feel smoother.....

LtMatt · 9 Jun 2013 at 11:46

Martini1991 said:
I'd hope a game with twice the GPU powering it would feel smoother.....

Not according to FCAT. :rolleyes:

whyscotty · 9 Jun 2013 at 11:52

LtMatt said:
Not according to FCAT.

humbug · 9 Jun 2013 at 12:01

Ubisoft games have always been bad, for many years, I use to be a big fan of the Silent Hunter series, great games, SHIII was the best, i had the unofficial Battleship mods and the lot.... so much fun, but again full of bugs.

There is only so much a hardware maker can fix something that is broken but not at their end.

Rusty0611 · 9 Jun 2013 at 12:06

humbug said:
Ubisoft games have always been bad, for many years, I use to be a big fan of the Silent Hunter series, great games, SHIII was the best, i had the unofficial Battleship mods and the lot.... so much fun, but again full of bugs.

There is only so much a hardware maker can fix something that is broken but not at their end.

Radeon Pro makes FC3 playable but not great still so I disagree. If RP can fix it why can't the drivers?

I agree in essence that the problems should be addressed at source but that doesn't mean more can't be done.

Martini1991 · 9 Jun 2013 at 12:08

I've never had a problem with the majority of Ubisoft games.
The only notable one is Assassins Creed 3, that's a CPU intensive game if I ever saw one, massive bottlenecking.

humbug · 9 Jun 2013 at 12:11

Rusty0611 said:
Radeon Pro makes FC3 playable but not great still so I disagree. If RP can fix it why can't the drivers?

I agree in essence that the problems should be addressed at source but that doesn't mean more can't be done.

I think RP fixes it in the same way using vSync fixes it. Its certainly silky smooth for me with vSync, but then i'm not using CF, yet even with just one GPU if I turn vSync off it can get a little juddery, not bad though, have to be pretty anal for it to be a problem, IMO.

Rusty0611 · 9 Jun 2013 at 12:21

humbug said:
I think RP fixes it in the same way using vSync fixes it. Its certainly silky smooth for me with vSync, but then i'm not using CF, yet even with just one GPU if I turn vSync off it can get a little juddery, not bad though, have to be pretty anal for it to be a problem, IMO.

Vsync (in-game) does nothing to fix it in CF... It's completely unplayable without RP with CF.

LtMatt · 9 Jun 2013 at 12:33

Rusty0611 said:
Vsync (in-game) does nothing to fix it in CF... It's completely unplayable without RP with CF.

This.

Also i think Thracks has said before nothing can be done unless Ubisoft patch the game. Zero chance of Ubisoft doing that either.

humbug · 9 Jun 2013 at 12:38

Rusty0611 said:
Vsync (in-game) does nothing to fix it in CF... It's completely unplayable without RP with CF.

Maybe make a direct appeal to AMD, they have a lot on their plate at the moment with a lot of new hardware coming out in the next few months, but they are in a listening mood these days if prodded.

Or if they can't do any more with Farcry 3 then they should say that and explain why, even at the risk of upsetting Ubisoft who I really do think are partly to blame here.

I have spent many years with groups of past game enthusiasts on Ubisoft forums asking them to fix endless bugs found in their games.
I think they also need a good kick up the backside, they have done for a long time.