The latest on HD gaming from CanWest:
With all this talk about dozens of high-definition television channels, Blu-ray movies and HD camcorders, it could be argued the greatest impact this HD revolution will have is on interactive entertainment.
Specifically, video games, which already rely heavily on attractive graphics, get a serious boost in immersion when up to six times more detail can be seen on the screen.
Two of the three consoles available today - the Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 - are capable of delivering up to 1,080 lines of resolution progressively on compatible televisions (i.e. “1080p”), meaning all the lines are shown at the same time opposed to the older interlaced method of alternating between even and odd lines. Today’s computer games can also be displayed in high-definition clarity. High-definition graphics can help pull the player into the virtual world like never before.
Just ask a gamer who has put the controller down for a moment to marvel at a bustling 12th century Jerusalem marketplace, while perched on a building roof in Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed. Or jumping into the arms of your fellow soldiers in Activision’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, who pull you into a helicopter mere seconds before your ship sinks into the rough ocean.
“While great graphics can’t make up for a bad game, high-definition games offer a rich visual experience, with better clarity and colour, and is closer to the artist’s vision” says Justin Amirkhani, founder and editor at GeneralGames.ca, a Canadian blog devoted to video game culture.
“High-definition graphics can draw you into the game-play, story and characters a lot more,” adds the 19 year-old, who plays games on a 50-inch Panasonic Viera plasma with 1080p support.
The extra detail can also aid in 3-D shooters, one of the most popular game genres, says Amirkhani, as “you can aim a lot more accurately than you could before.”
High-definition gaming also another benefit to gamer: more screen real estate. HDTVs offer a widescreen display - referred to as 16:9 aspect ratio, like a movie screen - opposed to the older 4:3 boxy televisions.
“This means there is more to the game world to see” explains Amirkhani. “Widescreen games let you better see enemies sneak up on you, which can give you an edge when playing online against players (on a standard-definition television).”
While he owns all three current consoles - the third being the Nintendo Wii - Amirkhani says he’s partial to the Xbox 360 for its 1080p support, 5.1 surround sound output and exceptional games.
“Together, these make a huge difference in the gaming experience, compared to consoles like the Wii, which can only do 480p resolution (and stereo audio).”
“Video gamers are usually the first consumers to take advantage of a new technology and, as a result, they often push manufacturers to continually bring their latest and greatest wares to market” says Carmi Levy, senior vice president of strategic consulting at AR Communications, a Toronto-based consulting firm.
For gamers, high-definition raises the bar to a whole new level, says Levy.
“It brings a level of detail that, in some cases, approaches reality, sometimes eerily so,” Levy says. “HD gives video game programmers a much richer palette to work with as they create characters that are light years removed from the simple creations of earlier generations of games.”
According to Amirkhani, however, HD graphics could have an opposite effect if the artists aren’t talented enough. “It really does depend on the developers, because if you’re lazy or inexperienced about creating quality graphics, your game could actually look sillier on a high-definition television because a player can see everything very clearly.”
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