God of War III - 1080p Goes 720p, Frame Rate Will Vary!

@Cheebe and -ku-, take a vga image taken with your webcam (usually 640x480) in photoshop enlarge it to 300%, you've just upscaled from SD to HD 1080, now, it still doesn't look as nice as a picture taken in full resolution with a 2MP camera now doesn't it? because that one is native 1080 (well, not exactly because of 1080 being widescreen and your camera being 3:4, but it's close enough to that, and you get the idea)

While I do agree that it's not such a big deal and that this game is great because of its gameplay and not the graphics... I find it sad how to every ps3 fanboy now 1080 doesn't matter and that 60 fps is more important and that you can't see the difference, of course you can, if you have a tv that supports 1080p then of course you can, it's more than twice the amount of pixels, closer to 3 times as many.. OF COURSE YOU CAN. As for games running better in 720p (as dirk says) yeah, they do, because the hardware can't handle 1080p60, it is because of current hardware (console that is) that 720p is the sweet spot...
It's not that important and it will still look amazing, but it's a shame We'll be left wondering "what if" wel.. I guess we'll have to wait till next gen...

What ku said... what exactly is the difference between upscaled or native? Isn't 1080p 1080p? :s

I was pretty sure a game like that wouldn't be able to stay up at 1080p60. If it's between higher resolution or higher framerate, I'd pick framerate : )

So, 1080p60 as standard next gen? Or will consoles never match the PC for performance : P

What does it mean to upscale? What's the difference? between 1080p and upscaled?

Honestly It really does not matter, Games run better at 720p, Blu ray movies look amazing at 1080p, but games because of framerate look better and run better at 720p its the sweet spot, even on 360 there games are upscales to 1080p, not true 1080p, same thing, and there games also run better at 720p. It really does not make a hugh difference for graphics, How many of you thought Modern Warfare 2 looked pritty dam good, well it ran at 600p or 620p, that was its native setting , same with halo3 Its native format was 580p, and it was upscaled. So don't even trip, GOW3 will be amazing just like Uncharted 2 which was 720p.

many PS3 owners still have a SD TV or a PC Monitor like I do so 720p will do good for many & still have fun with GoW3 in it.
Gameplay alone defines this game above the rest.
The above average graphics (which is good already) will always be second to gameplay & fun factor.
Just be thankful something like the PS3 is there at the cutting edge of console gaming.

@Chrizum. It's framerate drops of 50% not 100%. 30 = 50% of 60. Not 100%

Some times it is funny to see some guys here all of the sudden saying

"Oh what 1080P its not that important ..."

that lack of video ram on the PS3 always comes back to bite Sony huh..

question is, after seeing a higher res on the Xbox 360 than the PS3 for other games like GTA4, I wonder if they could get this to run higher on the Xbox?. that'll be a good question for the developer if anyone had the guts to ask them...lol

I don't no know much about the techiness of chips and programming.

What I do know is that the difference between 720p and 1080p is not noticable to the human eye ( good human eye) unless being view on a VERY large screen or if you are sitting just inches away from the screen. This has been scientifically tested and approved.

As for frame rates 30fps or 60fps, yes it does make a difference but as this is not locked thats good.

For me I like Gow for the gameplay so this new info don't mean jack.

If you like games for the eye candy then .... you can't be a serious gamer so cancel the order.

Uncharted 2 is 720p.

Majority*

The game still upscales from 720p to 1080p....I really don't see an issue, 720p upscaling to 1080p is hardly noticable, a mojority of HDTV owners only own 720p sets anyway...so it really only hurts the people who want something "Superior" just to have it...

Who cares anyway ?

Just kidding , still , its get ready Microsoft will go all over it during E3 ^~

ps:That why i dont even care about buying a new Tv set up...

Now about the frame rating , i blame the developers ... Sony will do the same..

I have to agree, I'm a fan of 1080 and It ticks me off when games, especially PS3 games don't always come out on full resolution.

I would take lower polygons a slightly less eye candy in exchange for full resolution anyday.

A lot of people say you can't even tell the difference on screen, but not everyone is swinging a 70" TV or putting God of War up on a projecter screen.

The smoothest and most "rezzy" game I've seen so far is still one of the original PS3 downloadable games "Blast Factor" Full res, Dolby surround. Looks and sounds as a PS3 should.

If i were a Kid , that does not like sony , i would mock Sony Fan-Boys now ....

(HIHIHIHIHIHIHIHISHAISHAISHAISHAISHAISH LOL SONY JUST LOL )

@Ping_ii

All ready try and it great, but one game dosen't cover the use of a 800$ tv.

before this announcement, PS3 fanboy spit on Xbox Fan their system cant do 1080P. After Announcement PS3 Fanboy come to agreement with Xbox Fan 720p is good enough and 1080p is not neccessary as long it maintain a smooth fram rate. Next up GT 5 we'll see the same pattern all over again.

Ah well. It still looks great, and honestly 1080p upscaled is fine.

@Azz

Buy Wipeout HD 1080p 60fps

problem solve.

This totaly suck, if the PS3 can't handle de 1080p and the 60 fps, then hurry up on the PS4. I can't even use my tv to it fullest.

@thismeintiel

Hertz and framerate aren't the same things.

Movies have 24 pictures per second, but the light flickers at a higher rate. Otherwise it would actually look, er, flickery.

Same with TVs, they have a higher hz than framerate.

Displaying Blu-rays at some divison of 24 (120/240 hz) is good because you don't need to speed up the framerate or use 3:2 pulldown.

I couldn't care less about 1080p, but a varying framerate is the stupidest thing a developer can do. Make it locked at 30fps instead of 30-60fps. Framedrops of 100% kill the gameplay, period.

In other words, I'll not be playing this game if it's obviously going to be unplayable.

Umm, if you want 1080P, the graphics will be worse. It's that simple. 1080P is much, much more graphically demanding than 720P.

Every game can be 1080P, they will all just look worse and people would riot. Actually nobody would riot, but your games would look worse than the competition and nobody would buy them. That's why there are almost no games in 1080P. And no, GT5 is not true 1080P either. It's 1280X1020.

vWe all are, it seems!

I'm still getting it

Uh... @ Prophecy: WTH are you talking about, dude?

Anyway, as for the subject, doesn't 1080p hurt graphics anyway? Wouldn't it be easier (or better) to have the game in 720p? Just because it's in 1080p doesn't mean it's going to look better.

Maybe PS4 will be able to handle 2160p games at 60 FPS..

Still, lol, I'm not getting this game.

"naznatips says:
@smbu2000 while there are a lot of 16:9 monitors, none of that information is true. 95% of games (and 100% of good games) are set to display natively in 16:10 as well as 16:9 without any image distortion at all.
Posted on: 01/19/10, 12:22"

I didn't say that I believed it, just that it is the type of "advertising" that is going on now that they are moving over to 16:9 res monitors, instead of 16:10 ones.

My old laptop has a 16:10 screen (1680x1050) and I have no problems with it. :-) The only difference is when I watch a movie, the 16:10 has the black bars as movies are "usually" 16:9.

HAHAHAHA!!! look @ the ammount of fanboys sooking!!!

some are even Wii fans LOL this is hillarious comming from a console which cant even display HD at all.

Some are 360 fanboys who had no problems about halo3 running at sub-HD now 720p is a big deal to them AHHAHAHAHA.

See I can troll your little console too? serzly tho uncharted 2 runs @ 720p and 30fps yet it won almost all the best graphics award this year so plz CRY MORE.

jesus christ....sigh.

Did anyone actually believe this was going to be 60fps @ 1080p? The demo had variable frame rate but I thought it was going to be fixed.

@smbu2000 while there are a lot of 16:9 monitors, none of that information is true. 95% of games (and 100% of good games) are set to display natively in 16:10 as well as 16:9 without any image distortion at all.

I'm actually really happy about this, i've been saying all along that 1080P is not for this generation and would only hurt image detail. And now it will play great on my 720p projector. :P

Besides Uncharted 2 looks and plays incredible at 720P and 30fps.

oh Well , I really DO NOT care about 1080p Or Frames Per second , So long as the game looks good , runs good , plays good , and most of all...Smells Good :-P

Sony: Masters of the good old bait and switch. This news puts all their future releases into question. Yeah I'm looking at you GT5.

Oh dear oh dear, Sony going back on what they originally said for yet another game, what is next game? GT5 only 720P and 30-60 FPS too?

"disolitude says:
PC is all about 1920x1200... 1080p is so 2004 :)
Posted on: 01/19/10, 03:31"

Actually, most newer monitors in the mid-size range 22"-24" (some 27" as well) are coming out in 1920x1080 (16:9, 1080p) instead of the older 1920x1200(16:10). It's really to become more in line with 1080p hdtv's. I just picked up a new 24.1" monitor last summer and it is 1080p.

For example, some of the "highlights" I saw on the website for my monitor were:
* 16:9 perfectly displays Full HD.
* 16:10 stretches or distorts images to meet Full HD signal.
* 16:9 allows you to enjoy the entire image.
* 16:10 creates visual interference with the black bars.

It only does everything but play 1st party games in 1080p natively.

Framerate is indeed a problem. Kratos in Gow3 demo felt very slow and unresponsive even compared to the PS2 versions (not to mention games like Bayonetta, DMC4 or NG2).
I guess the graphics are more important than ever nowadays.

720p upscaled is fine. 30 fps as an absolute floor is a bit of a shame, but not a huge deal

the HD generation.

Ah well....

@cloofoofoo
Prologue 720p mode is 1280x720@60fps with 4xAA and the 1080p mode is 1280x1080@60fps also with AA, while the garage/pit/showrooms are 1920x1080 (true native 1080p).

Yet PS3 still have 5 times more 1080p native games than any other console.

Lame

1080p screens are really useless

Promises promises...

@Seraphic

Its really hard to tell the difference between 720 and 1080p this gen, Maybe next gen but not this gen.

I agree with you Garnett, good looking graphics matter more then 1080p Res.

Though this is sort of a let down since a game of this epic level really needed it.

Good graphics > 1080P.

Anyone who believes a game will have graphics that good and full 1080p/60 fps eats too much BS Sony feeds them.

The resolution is a non-issue for most people.

The framerate is more important, I think. But this game does not require as quick reaction times as other hack-n-slash games, so it should be good enough.

@cueli that is interesting seen as most games on the x360 actually do 30fps or less.
GOW III still looks amazing and beyond anything else on consoles, why should we complain, i mean it runs at 60fps most of the time, only dropping to 30fps when the intense action happens (lots of enemies on screen), that is pretty good

Neither the PS3 nor 360 have the power to support 1080p for graphically intense games like this. Most of the time the consoles can't support 720p!

Given PS3/360 specs when I see Uncharted 2 in 720p or Gears in 720p I'm impressed (not vs a PC for example, but for the HW itself).

Some games can clearly support 1080p, but they will be games that are graphically less intense or use clever tricks, like say Wipeout HD.

For me 1080p is really for either titles with attractive art design but simpler graphical environments or Blu-Ray films.

Initially HD was going to be 720p if I remember correctly, hence PS3/360 being seen as 'HD' consoles, but then True HD became 1080p for films, leaving most games ironically not being True HD.

Of course, it's all moot IMHO. What is HD but a resolution? Something already available for years on PCs and monitors. HD is just a simplified way of trying to market to the general population who don't think about resolutions - hence, you're getting a TV that supports 'True HD' and a 'HD' console.

In terms of the game if it does 720p and 30 - 60fps then its going to look very nice.

It isn't a big deal. People that care greatly about graphics tend to play PCs, anyway. I mean, really, did anyone buy a PS3 for the graphics?

30fps = bigger delay... so basicly more enimies more delay in when you press a button and when he does it... not to mention my eye sort of twitches at the thought of something with that huge of a variable

@mikeb 1080p is the standard for new TV's.

OT... who cares? 720p is just fine.

I'll preface this by saying that I don't actually care because it's just not that important, but I got my head bitten off a few months ago for daring to voice my doubts regarding the developers claims that this game would run 1080p, 60fps.

Not full HD? Rental confirmed.

There is always a trade to be made between quality and resolution, this isn't a surprise in the slightest and will not be any less stunning for the decision. I'm surprised this is news worthy, was it ever actually announced as being 1080p native officially?

Wait... so HD gaming isn't really HD? :-)

Who cares, its not like there's really a big difference between 1080p and 720p. And i'm sure the framrate will be just fine too.

@GEKKOKAMAN Metal gear solid 4 isnt native 1080p ...not even close,I dont remember the exact resolution but its something along the lines 1024x768 or something.And isnt gran turismo like 960x1080p? Well either way it isnt as bad as lets say staroceans gameplay resolution.That thing looked horrible on my screen.

Ouch. I thought 720p was a thing of the 90s....

Also the framerate being variable is a horrible thing. The only thing worse than having sub 60 FPS is having FPS that jumps up and down.

I don't mind the res downgrade. I'm not sure I can tell the difference on my 62" 1080i TV, cause it upscales. However, what I hate are variable fps. Seriously, if you can't lock it in at 60, lock it in at 30. Watching a game go from a realistic movement to an ultra smooth one, just because you moved the cam, is annoying and detracting.

I think 60fps is highly overrated. Considering movies are filmed at 24 fps, 30 is closer to this and makes a characters movements look more life-like. 60fps are best suited for out-there art styles and/or cartoonish characters. Blu-ray faced this same problem when it debuted, as it only supported 60hz, making the image look like it was just sliding on the screen, as well as slightly too fast/smooth. Firmware updates and newer models brought in 24hz support.

damn...now this game sucks, better cancel my ultimate edition set

Should still be full of awesome for fans of the series. From a graphical standpoint.......see MikeB detailed explanation below.

Not a fan of the series, however, if I was, I fall into the "older HD TV" category, so I wouldn't really even notice the difference regardless.

Gran Turismo Prologue is native 1080p/60fps, MGS4 is 1080p native at 30-60fps.

@NSanity: Yes I agree. However, Sony made promises they have not kept. They should own up to that.

The best looking games out there like Killzone 2 and Uncharted 2 are rendering in 720p.

The rendering sweet spot has to be determined by the developers on a game to game basis. Santa Monica with their first game are aiming for thousands of moving light sources and insane amounts of action on screen. I think it's likely to take the graphics crown this year.

There are many 720p HDTVs out there and new 720p HDTV are still on the market. 1080p isn't yet the entry specification for modern TVs even for larger screens. Doing the same as God of War 3 does now in 1080p something would need to give or changed which at this point may not make sense taking into account the end results and potential trade-offs.

Like I explained a few years ago, I think an important factor is being able to deliver high enough quality textures and such to truly make the difference worth their while. If for example that would mean a big harddrive install, obviously that would not benefit owners of 720p HDTVs and would mainly be an additional burden for most.

Sucks for PS3 owners, I guess.

*goes back to gaming across two 1920x1200 monitors*

the reason is obvious they showed the 1080 p and people were disappointed beacause the graphics was really clean and with no effects ,,,so the switched to 720 p so they can add motion blur,,better lighting,better particle effect,...

this is obvious from the new screen shots compared to old ones.

i n happy with the decision.I m not gonna count the pixels but i m gonna notice better lighting /smoke effects and stuff.

So were console supremacists actually touting the 1080p/60fps claims? I personally don't remember, as I avoid and ignore them as much as possible.

There's been a few games that have proven 720p is great, but for a system that was advertised as the HD platform supporting 1080p full hd, this does kinda suck.

I wonder if there is a benefit to having a 720p, 30 frames per second vs a 1080p, 60 frames per second game?

Uncharted 2 and Killzone 2 are both 720p so nothing to worry about. It will still have amazing graphics.

@Gilgamesh: PSN? or retail

(Looks at mindblowing graphics in newly released pictures)

OMG THE GRAPHIX!! Wait, wut? These images that look awesome are only 720p?

Well, I guess that changes everything... :/

@Nsanity, there are several 1080p games for the PS3, Wipeout HD is 1080p and even 60fps.

klystron: You won't be 1080P gaming on consoles this gen

Well that is disappointing... but as long as it plays great it doesn't really matter.

@Nsanity: I don't do PC gaming anymore. Gave it up years ago. All I want is for Sony to give us the 1080p they promised us. Apparently they can't.

@disolitude: That list is accurate

PC is all about 1920x1200... 1080p is so 2004 :)

@Nsanity

That list is cool ... some errors though.
Says Wolf:Comando runs at 1080p on PSN and 720p on 360. I doubt there is a difference in res for this game on the platforms.

@klystron: You want 1080P games, then i suggest getting yourself a PC

We were promised 1080p@60. I'm a huge Sony fan but this is the 2nd last straw. I've been dogging them since 2008 over their whole "the next generation begins with 1080p" nonsense. I even bought a 1080p tv 2 months before the PS3 came out so I could enjoy it. The system just can't handle it. It's time we all admit it. The only native 1080p games are either very simple in nature graphically or have 6 fps like that Full Auto 2 crapfest.

@disolitude: Educate yourself [url]http://forum.beyond3d.com/showthread.php?t=46241[/url]

Graphics don't matter to 90% of people.

Look how the underpowered ps2 sold vs the overpowered xbox.

It's all about the gameplay

!disolitude: The only 1080P games i know of on both systems are mostly PSN and XBLA

@ Barozi
Please name the 1080p games on 360. XBL is a possibility... But to my knowledge there isn't a single retail game.

@DanBal76
Holy shit...apparently VT3 does. Is it the only one? I must buy this game now...its much better ;)

im still gettin the game...the demo was pretty nice

720p isnt a big deal to me. A variable frame rate is.

So much for "THE POWER OF THE PS3!".

ahahahaha sorry im just disappointed hehehe

Don't get angry, dude :P

i am very happy with it
the tv is in the living room at my loft
BUT I WAS HOPING FOR GOWIII TO BE NATIVE 1080P
but no matter what im still getting the game

60"?

A man with a TV as huge as this and a room that can fit it should be happy regardless!

that sucks
i was so excited to see how the visuals will look on my 60" pioneer elite
im not happy about the 720p but still im excited and cant wait for the game

Disolitude

You're wrong, Virtua Tennis 3 on Xbox 360 supports 1080p natively.

@ disolitude

There are 2 or 3 Xbox 360 retail games with native 1080p support and a couple of XBLA games.

1080p doesnt matter for games because of antialiasing. tedifference is unoticable for the slight upgrade, no human alive can tell the difference in an image that has post processing effects. It only matters for un aliased footage like movies

1080i = 720p

It'll be upscaleable to 1080p.

30fps in a fast paced brawler/hack n slash is just acceptable but not desirable. Sad to hear they couldn't lock it at 60. Still waiting for the demo for this game, the second one wasn't as good as the first imo so I want to see if this one returns to glory or not :)

@disolitude
1080p for todays graphic cards is nothing so the next gen consoles will all be 1080p capable unless they are just lazy. Today a $100 graphic card supports 1080p and 1200p for all games except crysis and it will only be cheaper by the time the next consoles come around and nvidia responds ;)

http://anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3720&p=11