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This week, Kyle, Marcus, Mark, and Amer discuss: Follow-up on Watch Dogs and PS4, EA microtransatctions and game prices, Jerry Bruckheimer Games closes, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (and general AC spoilers), EYE: Divine Cybermancy, Sony sells Tokyo Office, Jason West leaves Respawn Entertainment, The Conduit 1/2/HD, and more!
Guys, guys, guys…
The PS4 is -not- running “PC HARDWARE” it’s has PC COMPONENTS.
Its still a custom architecture.
Example: The way that GDDR5 would need to be accessed from an application level to function as system-ram (compared to DDR3), will be different and not equivalent to a PC you can buy from BestBuy.
The PS4 probably has custom bridges, busses, etc. pp. (dedicated processor for downloads…)
Yes, it will be easier to port now since the architecture isn’t cell-alien but its still not a PC.
You are taking a minor change and treating it like a whole new ball game. When I say “architecture”, I am referring to the x86 64-bit CPU architecture, same as what you find in a PC. The PS4 is using an AMD APU, which is to say it is an x86 64-bit CPU and a DX11 GPU on a single chip. You can currently buy these from AMD for your PC, though an 8-core version is not yet available. The memory controller is also on this chip, just like AMD has done for many years with its CPUs, and Intel for the last few years as well. Most PCs have dedicated DDR and GDDR RAM, but for well over a decade PCs have had the option to borrow system RAM to be used as Video RAM. This is most commonly done on Laptops. In the case of the PS4, the role is reversed. It is using Video RAM as System RAM. The overall architecture of the CPU us the same, only the memory controller has likely changed. It would also only require a small change in code for developers to port their PC game to the PS4. You bring up a good point with the possibility of other changes being made, like a removal of support for features a console does not need, like support for PCI-E and such. These still do not change the the overall architecture of the CPU. The fact that Sony has openly declared “PC Architecture” and released a spec sheet listing x86 64-bit, there isn’t much to debate. They didn’t spend millions having IBM research and develop a CPU this time around, they simply went to AMD and made a deal for what they were already making.
I’m starting to think I should reach out to AMD for comment, hah.
Look, Kyle, just stop calling it “pc architecture” call it x86 architecture. People get confused and will think the PS4 is a PC (which again, it’s not).
“Supercharged PC Architecture” is Blast Processing.
I’ve already fought Erik Kain on this two weeks ago and I don’t really want to repeat that here because I’m quite tired of the discussion.
Yes, the PS4 is -very- close to a PC, it uses a lot of PC components.
My comments are mostly in context to what you said last week about Watch Dogs being run from a dev-kit which still ring true. Whatever the PC ran, it was PC code from the PC version and would not have been emulated PS4 code because thats just silly.
Why would anyone emulate PS4 code on a PC if they have a hardware dev-kit or the actual PS4? It would make no sense.
You made it sound as if the PC code and PS4 code are equivalent, and they are not, they can’t be.
My comments are mostly about how you word things, I have OCD like that.
“just stop calling it “pc architecture” call it x86 architecture.”
I’m using Sony’s words, but beyond that I agree.
“‘Supercharged PC Architecture’ is Blast Processing.”
That’s what I said on last week’s podcast. Well, the “supercharged” part anyway. It’s marketing.
“My comments are mostly in context to what you said last week about Watch Dogs being run from a dev-kit which still ring true.”
My goal this week was to say that I later saw extra clarification from Ubisoft that the game was in fact the no-nonsense PC version. I was no longer clinging to the “dev-kit” theory this week. That’s why I said this week that I am cautiously optimistic that we are getting a fine PC game instead of a bad PC port.
“Whatever the PC ran, it was PC code from the PC version and would not have been emulated PS4 code because thats just silly.”
Yes, and I never said it was emulating a PS4. You implied that I implied such a thing last week, but I didn’t. At least not intentionally.
“You made it sound as if the PC code and PS4 code are equivalent, and they are not, they can’t be.”
Yes, not equivalent, but very close. Minor changes would be made to port from PC to PS4, and that’s exactly why we suddenly have Ubisoft developing the game on PC first, then porting elsewhere. It’s easy due to massive similarities.
Whenever Amer’s on, Kyle really ramps up the devil’s advocate role. It makes for an Amer/Kyle-heavy podcast, but at least it’s full of frank discussion. Amer does tend to dominate the absolute hell of the discussion though.
As for the Journey and LittleBigPlanet discussion at 20 minutes, LBP is a big example of the “fame abuse” concept that Markbot came up with, but Journey thankfully fell in the middle of that scale and fell no further to the abuse end. It was hyped to hell after the fact, but it was was a powerful, small game that I finished in 3 hours but left me quite content with the experience, even though I did it completely single player. That didn’t happen to me with LBP or World of Goo or Minecraft, and those games left me with a sour taste in my mouth. However, Journey was different, the soundtrack is still the best thing to listen to when playing KSP.
Finally,
“John Romero is going to make you his bitch! But he never did.”
I really do try to tone it down sometimes. I’m always worried about dominating the discussion because then I’m shutting out the other guys, and they always have great opinions. However, it really was a bit heavier this time around because this were all topics I had big opinions on. In previous podcasts I wouldn’t even touch some of the topics and just stay quiet.
I’m going to try to stay low and let other people take over in the next podcast and see how that goes.
Still, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
John Romero’s next advertising campaign should be a parody of Mentos commercials, except instead of the freshmaker he’s the bitchmaker.
“I’m going to try to stay low and let other people take over in the next podcast and see how that goes.”
It does turn into the Kyle & Amer Power Hour at times but I do appreciate your efforts. The show is still enjoyable nevertheless.
Marcus:
Why do you spend your time in your closet anyways? Did I miss out on the explanatory story?
Oh, uh, yeah I guess that was never really explained on the podcast.
So my room has a lot of echo, and I figured, hey why not just record in my closet. So yeah, I record in my closet
Actually I’m secretly Harry Potter, but don’t tell anyone.
I legitimately chortled, thanks.
Well, in all honesty I got really distracted by an old Calculus I test I found on the floor of my closet and got wrapped up heckling myself for being stupid and not acing it because it was really easy.
Also, Amer and Kyle both know a lot more about video games than I do. I mostly just have a lot of nostalgia memories and hate stored up inside me.
I wish John Riccitiello had a heart attack and I was the only one around to call 911. I would ask him for 10 bucks and if he gave it to me, I would press 9 on my phone and hold my hand out for more.
5 star post.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gjfZABX8Kw
“98Koshien” with all its exciting custom animations.
Holy cow. That is hilarious.
But hey Mark, is this what you are talking about? With “OVER THOUSAND YEARS OF TRAINING!”: http://youtu.be/7dwfMkCg36U
I think the guys who behind these games also did the RPG Makers as well.
Also you guys should of use heavy armor in E.Y.E.
Yes! That’s the game I was talking about! I knew someone would find it. Thank you Yalyn. I remember first time I watched that I laughed myself into tears.
Heavy armor isn’t worth the speed penalty in the first few levels. Especially since you crawl so slowly, and there are some vents to get through.
Also, based Kyle with dat DKC2 music. Probably my favorite Soundtrack from the SNES.
Bramble Scramble is probably my favorite, though Enchanted Well is a close second.
I have one suggestion for the next podcast, the new Tomb Raider and its QTEs.
And the new Lara with her constant emotional breakdowns.
I’m playing through it right now and I’m currently writing a retrospective for Last Revelation and Chronicles. The latter will probably be done by Friday and I’ll try and beat the new game over the weekend.
So far it’s kind of a mixed bag. The introduction is one of most poorly paced pieces of gaming I’ve ever played through but the game gets significantly better as you go on. The characters get fleshed out through flashbacks, you get more tools to interact with your environment, and even the music goes from soap opera quality to halfway decent. Yeah the quicktime events are annoying as hell but not nearly as bad as the “hold W to slowly crawl forward” sections. I can kind of see the direction of the plot from where I am now but I’m withholding judgement until I finish.
Maybe I should have sent this in the the good ol’ podcast email, but I’ll just leave it here. It isn’t about the discussion of the podcast, but whatever, it’s still relevant. Every time I try to stream the podcast through the site instead of downloading it, it always stops downloading, or maybe misses a chunk, around a few minutes in, despite it taking less than that to download the full mp3 file without trying to stream it. I don’t know why this happens, but it has been pretty annoying, so I’d appreciate it if you at least looked into it. Thanks.
Maybe I should have sent this in the the good ol’ gyp email, but I’ll just leave it here. It isn’t about the discussion of the podcast, but whatever, it’s still relevant. Every time I try to stream the podcast through the site instead of downloading it, it always stops downloading, or maybe misses a chunk, around a few minutes in, despite it taking less than that to download the full mp3 file without trying to stream it. I don’t know why this happens, but it has been pretty annoying, so I’d appreciate it if you at least looked into it. Thanks.
Hi Taylor! We’re looking into alternatives to the plugin we use for streaming. Thanks!
This is by no means a permanent solution, but something that worked for me was letting the audio load before I started listening to it. I don’t know if that really works either, though, because I did that after I had already listened to most of the podcast. Maybe that will work while we try and get it figured out.
I’m pretty sure Retro would never have been allowed to sell Metroid Prime code to other developers, given that Nintendo is their overlord. I don’t think other developers would have been able to use the code anyways. Don’t you know that Nintendo has a first-party dev kit that is powered by pixie dust and the dreams of young Japanese children? It’s far more complex than that dirty old third-party dev kit that all the pleb Wii games are made on.
I’m really digging these fake-out intros. Keep ‘em up overlord!
Also, a question for Mark(bot).
I can already guess your opinion on homestuck, but what’s your opinion on the homestuck game?
I don’t normally like them but you goes should really do a few lets plays. You guys are really fun to listen to.
I do agree that the platforming, physics and jumping is floaty in LBP but if you look past that its a great game overall. But is it a gamebreaker for you?
Should talk about how awesome okami is.
Seriously, that shit is awesome.