Rage Dev: Microsoft Isn't Being 'Dickheads'

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Rage Dev: Microsoft Isn't Being 'Dickheads'


Tim Willits says the controversy surrounding the Xbox 360 version of id's upcoming Microsoft [http://ragegame.net/] isn't being "dickheads" about it.

Comments made by PlayStation 3 [http://www.idsoftware.com] releases because there's simply too much uncompressed data to fit on two dual-layer DVDs. He claimed Microsoft's royalty fee structure means a three-disc version of the game isn't feasible, necessitating a form of compression that will result in lower-quality visuals than those found in other versions of the game.

But Rage lead designer Willits now says the whole thing was a mix-up, and that the decision to use two DVDs instead of three was the result of the game's story, which fits well into two acts but not three. "Microsoft is not being dickheads. It was a simple kind of miscommunication. Microsoft does not charge a royalty per disc, but there is a cost of goods that goes along with manufacturing," Willits told Shacknews [http://www.shacknews.com/featuredarticle.x?id=1001].

"I had the story all written out, and we decided to make it into two acts, with a logical place in the middle where players will remove one disc and stick the other disc in, and the never have to load that other disc up," he said. "The story is constructed in such a way that I would be very sad if we had to make it fit into three discs, because where would you switch the disc if it's three and you had a two-act story?"

Willits admitted that Carmack was correct about the reduced visuals on the Xbox 360, but claimed it would make no real difference in the final product. "Yes, I mean, technically that is correct, but realistically and practically they look the same," he said. "The confusion over three discs was just a simple mixup here at id, not a disagreement. John is so black and white. John is so technically correct. You know how John is."

"We haven't solved all the compression issues yet. We're close to it," he continued. "The PS3 streams things slower than the 360, so by the time we ship, there may be the case where getting things off the disc faster may ultimately look better. Until we are really done, and until we can get a reporter to come to id for a 'first look,' it's really difficult to predict, because DVD streaming may play a factor."


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Nov 28, 2007
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He makes a lot of sense. More so than John Carmack. After all, if Microsoft demanded a royalty per disc that prevented id from paying for three discs instead of two, how do you explain Lost Odyssey?
 

Frapple

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Sep 7, 2007
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What does it matter with full game installs?

Surely they're clever enough only to have authenticity checking on one disk.
 

bad rider

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Dec 23, 2007
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TheWickerPopstar post=7.72759.772462 said:
dekkarax post=7.72759.772416 said:
Tim Willits said:
Microsoft is not being dickheads
fair enough, but you is not being grammar
I think the term "dickheads" negates the need for correct grammar.
"I think the term "dickheads" negates the need for correct grammar." Damn you beat me to it.