Saints Row Patch To Include Graphic Options

[Shawn Andrich]

Saints Row Patch To Include Graphic Options

In the upcoming Saints Row patch for the Xbox 360, Volition has promised a graphical upgrade and the ability for users enable a feature at the risk of poor performance.

Volition has updated the official Saints Row patch thread [http://developer.saintsrow.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4375] with news that new features will be enabled to improve graphics. Among them, 4xAA (anti-aliasing) will be increased over the current 2xAA for users with 480i and 480p standard televisions. There will also be an option to enable v-sync (a setting that prevents screen distortions when moving or turning quickly) for just cutscenes or the entire game. Like PC games, enabling v-sync does impact the overall performance and Volition will be warning customers of the risk.

As previously reported, the patch will also focus on multiplayer lag issues, widescreen formatting and the "clothes stealing" exploit.

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[Lee Jinn]

I wish Chromehounds had v-sync. And I'd love for more console games to have not only v-sync settings, but other graphical tweaks for performance. Too many console games, IMO, are tweaked to look pretty at the expense of more framerate than I would prefer.

 

[Ajar]

I'm somewhat concerned that, if this becomes a trend, it could impact the "it just works" factor that is one of the major perks of consoles. On the other hand, it's interesting to see them throwing a bone specifically to SDTV and EDTV users.

 

[Shawn Andrich]

I'm somewhat concerned that, if this becomes a trend, it could impact the "it just works" factor that is one of the major perks of consoles. On the other hand, it's interesting to see them throwing a bone specifically to SDTV and EDTV users.

Someone send Capcom the memo.

 

[Ajar]

I'd be very curious to know the breakdown -- how many Xbox 360 owners use SDTVs, how many use EDTVs, and how many use HDTVs. I figured that people who didn't have HDTVs but bought 360s would use computer monitors instead of SDTVs, but it's sounding like maybe I was mistaken.

I didn't buy a 360 myself until a while after buying an HDTV. I wouldn't have bought one if I'd stuck with my old SDTV (which was a pretty bad TV), so I was surprised by the extent of the outcry about Dead Rising.

 

[Goofonian]

You really can't expect people to buy a new TV just for a console. I don't think the majority of people will be getting a HDTV until it is impossible to buy a SDTV anymore and then they will still wait till their old one breaks. Most of the people I know don't actually think there is a noticable difference between HD and SD except that HD sets are generally bigger. Even when I show them mine, they just say "wow thats big" and not "wow what a great picture".

When I bought my set, the exact same set but in the SD model was next to it with exactly the same SD demo feed running into it and AUS$1000 less on the price tag. If I hadn't been and informed consumer and known to get the HD model I would have seen no reason to pay extra for it.

Plus, the general uninformed consumer (i.e. mum and dad etc) will go into a store and see the 360 on the shelf proclaiming next-gen graphics and (assuming they are in the market) they will buy one without a second thought to the TV they own. Games stores that don't sell TV's are going to be telling customers that all you need is RCA plugs on the back of your tellie to help sell consoles. Even stores that do sell both will have a hard time upselling a customer from a $400 console to a console and TV bundle worth 5 times as much, especially if it will still work on the set they already have.

I think we can expect the number 360's and PS3's plugged into SDTV's to be higher than the number plugged into HDTV's almost throughout the lifetime of these consoles. This ratio will only move more towards the SD side as the consoles come down in price and more people that can't afford a new TV, start being able to afford a new console. As annoyed as I am at nintendo for not supporting HD this generation, they probably do have a point.