I am confused...

[DavidGC]

Okay, so lately we've been having a surge of screenshots pouring in from everywhere. Now, I'm sure most of you have noticed that some of the screens have very good in-game graphics and others...not so much.

 

Look how crisp and flawless the graphics are in this capture:

 

 

And compare that previous one to this one, released at the same time:

 

 

My question is why do some of these newly released screenshots look like they're from back in July or something? One minute I'll see a screen thats almost photo-realistic and then I'll see a blocky, unsmooth capture. Anyone know why this occurs?

[Transparanoia]

Well, it's likely some of them are from July. They could very well be unreleased screen shots that were to be released if the game wasn't delayed.

[Roy the Pirate]

Offtopic: Can you possibly resize those pics, Because I hate scrolling across.

But if you can't no harm done. I wouldnt know how to myself.

[DigitallyInsane]

As others have touched on, I would think right now they're releasing screenshots from earlier builds just to give us some stuff without revealing too much before the game is released. For example the screenshot shown on Yahoo's feature showing Times Square (or Star Junction as it is in-game) is DEFINITELY from a very early build, the cars are blocky, lighting and other effects are at a minimum. Rockstar is just giving us enough food to last for a while 'till they make their next move.

 

On a side note... I'm loving that shot with the patrol car crawling past Niko. Very nice reflections and lighting.

Edited December 8, 2007 by DigitallyInsane

[adamcs]

 

My question is why do some of these newly released screenshots look like they're from back in July or something?

...because they are.

 

This one is dated July 20th, and this one is from July 16th. The vast majority of these screenshots were captured in June/July, which I suppose is pleasing in the sense that the graphics can/will have improved since then.

[Timmons55]

maybe they ddont want us to think it will look outstanding, then all of a sudden it does when we get it? anyway most games do that, release old screenshots from earlier builds.

[DavidGC]

My question is why do some of these newly released screenshots look like they're from back in July or something?

...because they are.

 

This one is dated July 20th, and this one is from July 16th. The vast majority of these screenshots were captured in June/July, which I suppose is pleasing in the sense that the graphics can/will have improved since then.

Ah, okay. So they're just trying to give us whatever they got. xD

[Ronnyboy]

The second one explains why it was delayed

[Mike0]

I think the whole RAGE engine in GTA is based on LOD, and they give more detail to the characters and less detail to the surroundings, and then they delete some stuff in the far background.

 

I hope its just a temporary solution. The graphics are what they are. We cant change much about them at this point, only pray that they get less "blurred". I would just like nice, normal, SHARP textures. No bluring or blockyness.

 

You know, graphics like in those old Unreal Engine 2 games for PC, when you turn up the detail settings and put the resolution to max. All the textures are CRISP. Many new games dont have this crispness ot the textures because they complicate stuff with the lighting and shading techniques.

 

 

As far as I know X360 need to have a minimum of 2X AA and 720p to be certified. So I think they left it without AA to achieve a better framerate for the trailer. And even now the FPS are not ideal.

 

Thats why the game was delayed.

[Deuce Deuce]

I think it is partly to do with the fact that some things more than others are concentrated on more in terms of how much level of detail is put into it (for example, the first screenshot shows a vehicle and an outside environment where you will be playing most of the time, while the second one is inside an interior and thus not as much attention to the graphical detail has been put into it).

 

That, and how old the screenshots are. Naturally, the older ones will look les as crisp as the newer ones as Rockstar are working on the graphics all the time.

[carcols.dat]

The cop car looks fine, but the cop inside it looks obviously terrible (notice his clothing). In the shot with Niko wearing the blue clothing, Niko himself looks like something out of the old GTAs.

[Mike0]

The theory is that a system has a limit on how much it can do. The best graphics would be a photograph. But it wouldnt be a game then:)

 

Unless if we found a way to make movies interactive

[shiznit]

maybe they dont want us to think it will look outstanding, then all of a sudden it does when we get it? anyway most games do that, release old screenshots from earlier builds.

Agree.... ^^^^ Exacly!

[MysteryGamer]

Well there has been obvious visual improvement since the very first debut trailer, and there are some images that look less impressive than others. The majority look great though. Still why would Rockstar release screen shots from an old build of the game even if these screens were planned to be released before the delay announcement? It would make more sense to scrap the older screens and to show just the most up to date captures of the game instead.

[kallaN]

maybe they ddont want us to think it will look outstanding, then all of a sudden it does when we get it? anyway most games do that, release old screenshots from earlier builds.

The problem is that not all people are like us who will but this game no matter what. Some people look at the pictures and judge the game by that.

[derty]

I think the whole RAGE engine in GTA is based on LOD, and they give more detail to the characters and less detail to the surroundings, and then they delete some stuff in the far background.

Look up LOD scene management.

 

Rage is a streaming engine, and you will see IV is setup

pretty similarly to previous GTA games. The difference is

that this time the rendering engine is In House, or Internal.

 

Pretty much Any game with a large game world relies on levels

of detail. Many in closed/linear environments do too these days.

 

-derty

[Exkabewbikadid]

The situation is very similar to that of GTA III's. I remember looking over screens from early builds of III and noticing how much they had improved in the final game. For example:

 

From this:

To this:

 

I think IV will end up looking far better in the final build as well.

[Deuce Deuce]

Thank you!

 

Maybe your post will convince others into thinking twice before deciding upon whether GTA IV's graphics will "suck" or not by looking at a few beta screenshots.

[Stanley_Coleman]

Oh my god I can't believe it, do you kow how much time passed between the 2 pictures ?

[dantheleedsman]

i cant believe gta 3 ever looked like that! i just hope the graphics are at least a bit better than saints row, n those graphics were pretty damn good. cant rely too much on these pics though.

[Ronnyboy]

Claude gave the peace sign? But, look at VC Beta compared to the regular VC. Not much of a change there

[suorange]

one thing i didn't get graphically wise was i the trailer Roman's hair on his head was very detailed but his goatee was blurry. I don't get it.

[MysteryGamer]

 

Claude gave the peace sign? But, look at VC Beta compared to the regular VC. Not much of a change there

 

I think this is because Grand Theft Auto: III was such a huge step up from the previous Playstation titles. That is why when Rockstar were working on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City there were less noticeable changes in terms of graphics because they were basically using the same game engine from Grand Theft Auto: III and got to grips with the game engine.

[Rykane]

Im glad they are releasing earlier build screenshots, because it gives us a sense of what it was like back in july and what they were going to release the game like. Even the trailers are probably footage from earlier builds. Each bit of footage will not be from one specific date, it will all be from diffrent dates. I guessing that trailer 3 is from august/september build.

 

So basically that is why some footage looks crap compared to other footage that looks great.

[Deuce Deuce]

I don't think the delay was even partially so Rockstar could improve the graphics of the game even more, if anything they'll need to scale some of it down to reduce the chances of encountering FPS drops in the more lagging areas of the game such as while in combat. They won't (or at least hopefully) won't make the same mistake as the creators of Mass Effect did and release a graphically unpolished version of the game.

[err0rz0n]

 

The situation is very similar to that of GTA III's.  I remember looking over screens from early builds of III and noticing how much they had improved in the final game.  For example:

 

From this:

To this:

 

I think IV will end up looking far better in the final build as well.

LMAO @ the first screen

 

Thanx for posting this, Xcomm. I can't wait to see the final finished graphics in action when I play the game. I bet they will be breathtaking.