Halo 3, something you should know.

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SatelliteGuys Master
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Dec 31, 2006
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Well I was browsing the 360 Halo 3 forums and I came across this article:

[quote user="Nukle Up"]It's funny how defensive all the fanboys get in these Forums Jeeeezzzzz!!! The graphics are terrible, yes I am using the HDMI port, yes my TV is a beast, and yes Bungie admits that the game natively runs in 640p so that should end this discussion. Now warning to all fanboys, the following article may cause seizures. . . .

Halo 3 running in 640p?
High-definition graphics have always been a major selling point for the Xbox 360, but the biggest title on the system to date, Bungie's Halo 3, might not even meet the HD resolution threshold.
That's the implication made in this thread from the graphics-centric Beyond 3D forums. In early August, a user going by the handle "one" posted a picture of Halo 3 with a jagged edge highlighted. Combining a little math and Photoshop, the poster came to the conclusion that Halo 3 was actually running natively at 624p, and being upscaled to run at 720p.
Bungie didn't address the issue initially, but it continued to stick in the craw of some graphics aficionados, who eventually came to the conclusion that the game was running in 640p. Today they have their answer, as Bungie finally addressed the 80p gap in its weekly Web site update.
The studio admitted in the update that "Halo 3's vertical resolution, when captured from a frame buffer, is indeed 640 pixels," but offered a deeper explanation as to why.
"[Y]ou could argue we gave you 1280 pixels of vertical resolution, since Halo 3 uses not one, but two frame buffers, both of which render at 1152x640 pixels,"a Bungie representativewrote. "The reason we chose this slightly unorthodox resolution and this very complex use of two buffers is simple enough to see: lighting. We wanted to preserve as much dynamic range as possible, so we use one for the high dynamic range and one for the low dynamic range values. Both are combined to create the finished on screen image."
The approach helps to give the game a "real" feeling at a steady frame rate,the updatesaid, adding that the Xbox 360 can upscale the image to 1080p without a problem.
"In fact, if you do a comparison shot between the native 1152x640 image and the scaled 1280x720, it's practically impossible to discern the difference. We would ignore it entirely were it not for the Internet's propensity for drama where none exists. In fact the reason we haven't mentioned this before in weekly updates, is the simple fact that it would have distracted conversation away from more important aspects of the game, and given tinfoil hats some new gristle to chew on as they catalogued their toenail clippings."


[/quote]

Now here is the direct link to Bungie's official website incase you guys do not believe me:
Bungie.net : Inside Bungie : News

And here is what is quoted in the article:

You Owe me 80p!

One item making the interwebs rounds this week was the scandalous revelation that Halo 3 runs at "640p" which isn't even technically a resolution. However, the interweb detectives did notice that Halo 3's vertical resolution, when captured from a frame buffer, is indeed 640 pixels. So what gives? Did we short change you 80 pixels?

Naturally it's more complicated than that. In fact, you could argue we gave you 1280 pixels of vertical resolution, since Halo 3 uses not one, but two frame buffers – both of which render at 1152x640 pixels. The reason we chose this slightly unorthodox resolution and this very complex use of two buffers is simple enough to see – lighting. We wanted to preserve as much dynamic range as possible – so we use one for the high dynamic range and one for the low dynamic range values. Both are combined to create the finished on screen image.

This ability to display a full range of HDR, combined with our advanced lighting, material and postprocessing engine, gives our scenes, large and small, a compelling, convincing and ultimately "real" feeling, and at a steady and smooth frame rate, which in the end was far more important to us than the ability to display a few extra pixels. Making this decision simpler still is the fact that the 360 scales the
"almost-720p" image effortlessly all the way up to 1080p if you so desire.

In fact, if you do a comparison shot between the native 1152x640 image and the scaled 1280x720, it's practically impossible to discern the difference. We would ignore it entirely were it not for the internet's propensity for drama where none exists. In fact the reason we haven't mentioned this before in weekly updates, is the simple fact that it would have distracted conversation away from more important aspects of the game, and given tinfoil hats some new gristle to chew on as they catalogued their toenail clippings.

In conclusion, I love everything bungie done on Halo 3, but why this?
Were they being kinda cheap or something? I mean thats the best seller game the 360 will ever have in its history.
Someone help this noob out (me) to understand this better.
 
I don't understand what there is to explain the explanation as to why they did it is in the stuff you posted. I dont get this they owe me 80 pixels crap. if thats the case EA owes me the 30 fps they didnt include in Madden 08 for the PS3
 
If I have to sacrifice a little detail for a smoother framerate, I'll take the trade.....

It still looks great, especially with some of the huge battles that go on during it....
 
In conclusion, I love everything bungie done on Halo 3, but why this?
When you chose the X-Box, you went with a system that was patterned largely on the Wintel platform. As such, there's going to be a burning desire on the part of the game creators to use their proven Wintel platform engines.

There's probably a lot more of it going on than you know.
 
Yes weren't for forums like this no one would really know cause the Halo case comes chked marked as 720p. lol.
 
Total non-story. Before that article came out, was anyone sitting there playing Halo 3 and saying "This looks like crap! The resolution is too low!" ? No, of course not. The game is incredible looking and smooth as silk with virtually no loads or hiccups.

It's just typical internet geek nit-picking on something good or popular.
 
The detail was sacrificed for the lighting changes, It looks amazing either way and most who aren't reading every message board about the game will ever even know.

I do own the game.
 
Well I guess I see your point, I like when the game loads faster, and I suppose the 80fps is not a huge difference, I am still disappointed on some of the levels on Halo 3...
 
the level where MC had to go rescue Cortana, it was missing something, maybe an actual boss fight...The whole time there was the flood talking to MC...
How about the last level when they were escaping, I was expecting little more other than just driving the car into the ship.
 
The flying mission was amazing, on legendary is an experience of a lifetime.
 
The detail was sacrificed for the lighting changes, It looks amazing either way and most who aren't reading every message board about the game will ever even know.
Correct, the resolution ws reduced to allow for increased lighting effects which make the game look amazing.
 

Bungie leaves Microsoft!

Another question regarding vga and the 360

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