"Tech" Thread: Blu Ray, HD-DVD, Video Games, HDTV

[Eric W.]

The guy's rant may be totally inaccurate but he is most definitely not a 360 "fanboy" at all. He even owns a PS3 and the three guys on this site all write for Gameshark and a couple of other places.

http://sportsgamer.blogspot.com/

I'm sure you're right, though, it's only a minor issue and the game itself is the same across the 360 and PS3 in terms of how it plays -- and the glitches it has.

To be fair: The stuff I've seen from PS3 fanboys has been arguably even worse and more annoying.

Remember this?:
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3160709

Right now this is still the most current piece out there from any mainstream source. Unfortuneately, they're 2/2 for right now.

And yet I've seen some of these PS3 die hard fanboys make a bunch of pathetic apologisms and wishy washy excuses to try and get around the fact that, sorry, the PS3 was screwed over this year. Bottom line.

Yeah, it's really my fault and I suck at the game because it's more "realistic" and I can't throw bombs and streaks whenever I want on every play.

Suuuuuuure...

I've only been playing all of these football gams since the Tecmo days. Nah, I don't know what I'm talking about.


No, it's not 10/10 and the best of all time just because it's on a BD disc and is on PS3 hardware.

It should be. It should be at least a 9/10 game across the boards but it isn't. Certainly EA didn't do jacksquat to take advantage of the PS3's hardware or the BD disc. We won't start seeing some of that until Metal Gear 4 finally comes out.


All EA (and 2k) did weremake a pretty good 360 game and did a lazy, rushed, botched port of it to the PS3. End of story. No excuses. No if, ands, or buts.

I'm looking forward to trying to tweak the settings later but I have three piles of DVDs to analyze so it may have to wait a few days

I may even take it down to Freshman for laughs today just to see what happens.

I suspect I'll stay at Varsity, keep the player AI maxed out on all sides of the ball, and fool around with the CPU's sliders some more.

In past games, I've never had to turn the CPU's AI down below 50, but I may have to for the first time ever. Maybe bring the INT down to about 35 or 40?...

[AndyDursin]

I think the worst thing about this game is the CPU's Defensive "line jumping" and sack-happy defense. It's ridiculous! I must get sacked about a half dozen times a game.

Obviously they've got some issues to fix for next season...the question is getting this year's game playable for now

[Eric W.]

I think the worst thing about this game is the CPU's Defensive "line jumping" and sack-happy defense. It's ridiculous! I must get sacked about a half dozen times a game.

No, it's just that you suck at the game and can't handle the realism.

It's ridiculous how much I'm seeing that thrown around when people voice legitimate complaints and spell them out.

Seriously though: If I'm OSU and I'm taking on Akron in a scrub game at the beginnning of the season, there's just no way I should even be getting touched or seeing any balls picked off unless I really screw up and yet it happens to what I consider a somewhat excessive degree.

Obviously they've got some issues to fix for next season...the question is getting this year's game playable for now

They need to do something unprecedented for them: Issue at least one nice patch.

[Eric W.]

I tried this last night:

I'm staying at Varsity (default) difficulty. I still have human AI maxed out at 100 for all things.

I kept the CPU AI at defaults of 50 but I turned CPU INT's down to 40.

This made a nice difference IMO. Try it.

[AndyDursin]

Well I finally won a game

Varsity, mostly everything at default EXCEPT the Pass Block & Run Block for me, which I turned up to 65 each.

Ended up winning 37-27 at Georgia Tech (with BC), that's with 5 minute quarters.

I will probably tweak some more, but I'm not going back to All-American, that's for sure!

[Eric W.]

Well I finally won a game

Varsity, mostly everything at default EXCEPT the Pass Block & Run Block for me, which I turned up to 65 each.

Ended up winning 37-27 at Georgia Tech (with BC), that's with 5 minute quarters.

I will probably tweak some more, but I'm not going back to All-American, that's for sure!

Let me tell you about the game I had last night!

Ready for this?

My difficulty is set at Varsity (default.)

Player AI is maxed out at a 100 on all sides of the ball.

CPU AI is left at 50 on all things (default) EXCEPT INT's. I turned those down from 50 to 40 last night.

So with these settings, I participated in one of the most amazing and improbably debacles of at least the modern era.

I took the lowly Ohio Bobcats and sent them on a little trip...to sunny California and the living hell of facing number 1 USC at home.

The first half of this game set the tone: As a desperate lamer against impossible odds, my defensive choices consisted of picking whatever the first play the "Ask Corso" option gave me. Except for long third downs, I would choose to blitz 8 men on every down, no exceptions. That's about all you could do and pray you get lucky because it's not like the secondary was going to stop this juggernaut machine I was going against.

The Bobcats decided they want to overachieve. The score at the half? 3-0 USC.

Second half was more of the same except the Bobcats decided to stop fumbling and messing up the once in a blue moon good plays they'd actually pull off. The best plays for them were getting rid of the ball very fast to a running back or even a fullback out of the backfield. The receivers weren't doing match because, obviously, they were getting covered by vastly superior talent in the form of USC's secondary.

This plus constant no huddle offense, quick audibles, and a couple of flukes and the score was 7-6 Bobcats over USC with about one minute and change for USC who still had three time outs as well.

I figured I had nothing to lose and I simply was going to stick with what had been working. Blitz 8 guys on every down except third, where I would set the LB's to Zone.

USC tore me apart like you'd expect but all of a sudden they got stuck around the 20 yard line or so. Here was the trick to the entire game. They were able to throw deep on me whenever they wanted because I was play so overly aggressive on D. But guess what? That's all they could do and they didn't choose to throw fast and deep enough. There was almost no running game for them and there was almost no intermediate game except, of course, when they simply used their superior talent and got it done.

So the red zone was surprisingly difficult for them because it meant no deep game and here I am blitzing 8 and sometimes even 9 or 10 guys at them on EVERY stinkin' down.

Clearly the overachieving defense was the difference for my guys because my offense was almost completely jacksquat the entire time save for a literal handful of VERY lucky plays.


Three seconds left in the game and USC is at 4th down and forced to kick a chip shot field goal to win the game. They're just a smidge right of center. Anyone and their mother could make this shot.

So I figured the game was over and I was still feeling good about this amazing show of heart and grit from a team that should have been blown out by 6 or 7 touchdowns.

And yet...

They miss the field goal by about one inch by the most unfathomable improbability you could imagine. Believe me: ANYONE should have made this kick. I have no idea how this kicker missed this, but boy, was it close. An inch to the right of the right goal post at most. Probably even less.

The Bobcats pull of the upset of a lifetime, winning 7-6 at number one USC. You better believe I saved highlight clips from that game!

Wow!

[Eric W.]

Well I finally won a game

Varsity, mostly everything at default EXCEPT the Pass Block & Run Block for me, which I turned up to 65 each.

Ended up winning 37-27 at Georgia Tech (with BC), that's with 5 minute quarters.

I will probably tweak some more, but I'm not going back to All-American, that's for sure!

Let me tell you about the game I had last night!

Ready for this?

My difficulty is set at Varsity (default.)

Player AI is maxed out at a 100 on all sides of the ball.

CPU AI is left at 50 on all things (default) EXCEPT INT's. I turned those down from 50 to 40 last night.

So with these settings, I participated in one of the most amazing and improbably debacles of at least the modern era.

I took the lowly Ohio Bobcats and sent them on a little trip...to sunny California and the living hell of facing number 1 USC at home.

The first half of this game set the tone: As a desperate lamer against impossible odds, my defensive choices consisted of picking whatever the first play the "Ask Corso" option gave me. Except for long third downs, I would choose to blitz 8 men on every down, no exceptions. That's about all you could do and pray you get lucky because it's not like the secondary was going to stop this juggernaut machine I was going against.

The Bobcats decided they want to overachieve. The score at the half? 3-0 USC.

Second half was more of the same except the Bobcats decided to stop fumbling and messing up the once in a blue moon good plays they'd actually pull off. The best plays for them were getting rid of the ball very fast to a running back or even a fullback out of the backfield. The receivers weren't doing match because, obviously, they were getting covered by vastly superior talent in the form of USC's secondary.

This plus constant no huddle offense, quick audibles, and a couple of flukes and the score was 7-6 Bobcats over USC with about one minute and change for USC who still had three time outs as well.

I figured I had nothing to lose and I simply was going to stick with what had been working. Blitz 8 guys on every down except third, where I would set the LB's to Zone.

USC tore me apart like you'd expect but all of a sudden they got stuck around the 20 yard line or so. Here was the trick to the entire game. They were able to throw deep on me whenever they wanted because I was playing so overly aggressive on D.

But guess what? That's all they could do and they didn't choose to throw fast and deep enough. There was almost no running game for them and there was almost no intermediate game except, of course, when they simply used their superior talent and got it done.

So the red zone was surprisingly difficult for them because it meant no deep game and here I am blitzing 8 and sometimes even 9 or 10 guys at them on EVERY stinkin' down.

Clearly the overachieving defense was the difference for my guys because my offense was almost completely jacksquat the entire time save for a literal handful of VERY lucky plays.


Three seconds left in the game and USC is at 4th down and forced to kick a chip shot field goal to win the game. They're just a smidge right of center. Anyone and their mother could make this shot.

So I figured the game was over and I was still feeling good about this amazing show of heart and grit from a team that should have been blown out by 6 or 7 touchdowns.

And yet...

They miss the field goal by about one inch by the most unfathomable improbability you could imagine. Believe me: ANYONE should have made this kick. I have no idea how this kicker missed this, but boy, was it close. An inch to the right of the right goal post at most. Probably even less.

The Bobcats pull of the upset of a lifetime, winning 7-6 at number one USC. You better believe I saved highlight clips from that game!

Wow!

[AndyDursin]

In case anyone missed it (I wasn't even aware it was there), there are some cool clips from Comic Con on Xbox Live Marketplace -- free.

One of them is a 45 minute panel discussion on BLADE RUNNER, so I'd definitely check it out

[Eric W.]

^^ How's that football game treating you?

[AndyDursin]

^^ How's that football game treating you?

Much better now that I'm on Varsity

Got a highlight with a "Greatness" score of 2230 or thereabouts -- 90 yd. INT return to beat Uconn in 2OT's with BC.

I'm sticking on this difficulty, no doubt!

[Eric W.]

http://www.hollywoodinhidef.com/blog_detail.php?id=107

This is straight from "the horse's mouth" so to speak.

Here's a couple of disclaimers but something that amazes me:

1.) That site is clearly a Blu-Ray supporting site. Look at the top banners and such.

That being said:

2.) I'm amazed they got this interview and I'm amazed this Universal rep. was this blunt and straightforward with all of this.

For me, what he says here basically confirms and vindicates most of what I've been saying around these parts since we started discussing the format war to begin with.

The only "positive" to the format war that I think most people agree on was that hardware prices came down a bit faster then they would have otherwise.

But that "perk" is about to run out and he even admits it.

Frankly, I'm amazed at the things he admits to outright in this piece.

A heck of an interesting read.

[AndyDursin]

LOL, I can't even read that article. Talk about "spin."

First of all, almost all of that "article" (a term I would use loosely on a BD shill site like that one) is made up of the author's comments. There are precious few quotes even in that article to really talk about.

Bottom line is this: I'd say if 300 sold 21,000 more copies on HD-DVD in its first week than CASINO ROYALE did on Blu Ray in its first week, then HD-DVD is going to be a format worth supporting.

It may not or never have the numbers of Blu Ray, but why do people think HD-DVD is going to fall off the face of the Earth when it can generate those sorts of sales? If it continues to keep up in terms of penetration, even if its lower than Blu Ray, it will still be a viable format and eventually other companies will release on it.

The bottom line is whether or not there'll be enough money to be made on it. Right now I'd say it is still heading in that direction.

That CES panel which we referred to a few pages back said as much...it saw Blu Ray having a lead but HD-DVD sticking around for years to come.
And indeed, more players are coming, the prices are low -- at this point they don't even need the generic Chinese players if Toshiba offers players around the $200 price point themselves.

Why people don't think there's a base that's growing there is just head-scratching to me.

As far as the "format war" goes, it's crazy not to think that if Sony had this one all to themselves, that prices on hardware OR software wouldn't be probably twice as much as they are. I'm saying that based on products they've released over the years and the inherent expense of any item that bears their name.

It's all about what you want. To me there are more (older) movies on HD-DVD I'd rather watch than Blu Ray format exclusives. There aren't a whole lot of catalog titles on Blu Ray that really pique my interest, but hopefully with CLOSE ENCOUNTERS that will change.

But I'm not the audience that buys a movie like 300. PS3 owners have shown they will turn up in big numbers for movies like 300 but more "adult" fare like, say, PLANET EARTH has sold more copies on HD-DVD.

Obviously BD has the edge in the fall, though to be realistic, how many PS3 owners care about "old" movies like CLOSE ENCOUNTERS? PIRATES, DIE HARD, SPIDEY certainly will help drive the younger demographic to purchase BD content, I have no doubt there.

Universal's summer movie slate actually did well with 4 movies making over $100 million (BOURNE will sell real well; KNOCKED UP figures to do well also), but the "blockbuster" edge does go to Blu Ray there.

But other than that, it seems to me nobody is in a rush to "win" this thing because in the big picture each format is taking its time to evolve.

Universal has ramped up the catalog titles and has at least offered more HD content than Sony has this summer -- and I'd say bringing out STAR TREK, HEROES and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA are important. If they could get any of the Spielberg classics out there that would help HD-DVD immeasurably. I'd say Universal will probably stay exclusive and give the format that benefit before releasing on Blu Ray.

But if prices keep falling and HD-DVD hangs in there as it has (I see no other explanation for the sales of 300), it stands to reason both of these formats will be around for the long haul.

[Paul MacLean]

I have to laugh that the author of that "Hollywood in Hi-Def" article says:

"I guess those customers who are already choosing Blu-ray will have to live without hi-def versions of "Knocked Up," "Evan Almighty" and "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" for awhile."

Of course he's right about that. Probelm is, he fails -- or more likely, refuses -- to see that HD-DVD-exlusive releases of Universal titles like Jaws, E.T. and Jurassic Park would be a sledgehammer to the very foundtation of the BluRay format.

And HD-DVD exclusive releases of Rear Window, Vertigo and Psycho are only going to help the format's reputation.

[Eric W.]

I have to laugh that the author of that "Hollywood in Hi-Def" article says:

"I guess those customers who are already choosing Blu-ray will have to live without hi-def versions of "Knocked Up," "Evan Almighty" and "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" for awhile."

Of course he's right about that. Probelm is, he fails -- or more likely, refuses -- to see that HD-DVD-exlusive releases of Universal titles like Jaws, E.T. and Jurassic Park would be a sledgehammer to the very foundtation of the BluRay format.

If they happen.

There's still to many what if's on both sides.

And HD-DVD exclusive releases of Rear Window, Vertigo and Psycho are only going to help the format's reputation.

Nice titles anywhere, any time.

It's going to be a heck of an interesting holiday season, that's for sure.

[AndyDursin]

Back to games for a bit

-Eric I don't know if you saw the reviews but it's basically confirmed this MADDEN is one of the crown jewels of the entire series, as some of the early write ups indicated. I CANNOT wait to play it, especially since it stands to reason if NCAA this year was good (which it was), this will be even better.

-I'm still on Varsity in NCAA.

In Year 1 Dynasty with BC, I ended up 6-6 -- blowing two games on the last play (seemed to be a bit too much "catch up logic" with the CPU this year), but went into the Emerald Bowl against #18 Oklahoma as a decided underdog.

Again, I battle hard, take it down to the wire...then watch as Oklahoma hits a FG to make it 15-13 with 5 seconds left.

But thankfully, of course I saved the best for last...I return the kick-off 80 yards for the game winning score to win 19-15 as time expires!!

I saved that video highlight by the way

Here's what's lame -- on the "Greatness" scale my awesome, end-of-game kick return for a TD nets 3000 points.

THEIR FG they hit seconds before nets 5000 points.

What gives?!?!

I think I will tinker with the sliders and drop the FG Power/Accuracy numbers. It's too easy for either team to end up with 50 yard kicks.

I still have everything set at default (except for pass protection) but will probably bump the CPU's Pass Accuracy/Ability/whatever sliders down a little.

Otherwise I'm getting into the game this year, no doubt