HL2 and console ports (my thoughts)

[Acert93]

Valve has been very quiet about HL2 and the console ports. The following is what I think will happen--feel free to post your own ideas!

I think Valve will *not* release HL2 on the Xbox. Releasing on the Xbox would be a problem for 2 reasons: (1) The GPU in the Xbox would require HL2 to be visually neutered, and (2) CS:S is CPU limited in a lot of benchmarks. If HL2 has a framerate bottleneck on a AMD64 3800+ due to CPU loads, what will come of the Xbox which has a neutered PIII 733MHz?

So porting HL2 would require both the graphics and physics/AI to be cut down significantly--not to mention it would most like run at 480p at best (640x480).

Lets consider the Xbox 2. "Rumor" has to say this about Xbox2:

Release: Xbox 2 may be here in 2005.
CPU: 3 dual core (or 2 tricore) PPC5 processors running at 3.5GHz
GPU:ATi newest video card technology (R500; ATis new unlreased PC card is R520; compare current X800 is R420). This GPU will support SM 3.0, 3Dc, and 10+MB of embedded RAM and will run at 500MHz or more.
Vidual Output: 720p, 1080i, AND CRT MONITOR SUPPORT.

MS just released Halo2, which means they wont have another Halo game next year or most likely even the year after (2006). Developing next generation applications takes TIME and lots of money. People will need a reason to move into the next gen. While Rare is definately working on Xbox2 titles, if MS releases in 2005 they will be hard pressed to find quality games to make gamers buy their new system...

Spot light shifts to Valve. HL2 is truly a next gen app. While HL2 would run poorly on the Xbox, the Xbox2 has more than enough processing and GPU power to do *upgraded* physics, AI, and rendering. And since HL2 is DONE, spending 1 year to port/upgrade HL2 to take advantage of the Xbox would be feasible.

Releasing HL2 for the Xbox2 is a good strategy for both involved:

MS gets a killer launch title that is truly next gen--Physics, AI, and visuals. And if Valve throws in CSS as the multiplayer the Xbox2 gets a the most popular online action multiplayer game at launch. There are a lot of console gamers who would really enjoy a visually impressive CS game. And having CSS as the multiplayer opens the door for CS2 being released as a bigtime Xbox2 multiplayer game.

Valve gets a ROBUST version of HL2 to show to the masses, not a neutered Xbox port. With the CPU power Valve could really go nuts in tweaking AI and Physics, and the GPU will support some advanced features that will make HL2 look even better than on the PC. And most importantly Console game sell well--releasing HL2 as a Xbox2 launch title (especially if it wins PC GOY for 2004 and is upgraded) would bring in much needed revenue. Even if it sold 2 million copies in 3 years, that is a lot of money. And opening up the HL franchise to the console market in a big way--showing them what next titles should be like--will create a large stir for Valves next games.

Therefore I see no reason for HL2 to be released on the Xbox (the only pro is the large install base compared to a new system launch). I think the physics and AI would suffer on the Xbox, not to mention the visuals.

 

[BlackMesaDude]

Well i agree with you but i will not be suprised if they will do it afterall.

 

[aeroripper]

i agree with you, also if ported to the x-box hl2 would look like crap and generally be total sukkage and nothing like its supposed to be played...

Half-Life² could be the flagship game like halo was for the xbox

CPU: 3 dual core (or 2 tricore) PPC5 processors running at 3.5GHz

damn

 

[benpatient]

my problem with all of this is that IBM is and has been having HUGE yield problems with the 64bit PPC chips when they try and go over 2.0 ghz.

to get to 2.5ghz on the new Macs, they had to liquid cool the machine!

To put it in perspective, 2.5ghz G5s just started shipping a month or two ago, after being announced in July. They're still coming out slower than the (fairly low) demand, and all indications are that the processors are the major hold-up.

There has been MORE THAN A YEAR since they were at 2.0 ghz...and they've just gotten it up to 2.5, and could only manage that with liquid cooling.

how exactly are they going to make 150 million dual core versions running at 3.5ghz without the liquid cooling and without the 3,000 dollar price tag?

one of two things must happen with XBox 2:

a.) It won't come out till 2007 or later or
b.) It will be "scaled back" ala Longhorn and be a single proc dual core 2.5ghz or maybe, possibly 3.0ghz PPC5.

If you look at how much money they are losing on every xbox sold (probably something on the order of double the cost of the box, still), and you extrapolate that to try and figure out how much this theoretical triple-processor dual 3.5ghz machine would cost, you still end up way over 1,000 dollars, even presuming unprecedented advances in yields and costs.

If you can't get a couple single core PPCs at 2.5ghz for under 2500 dollars, why do people think you'll be able to get nearly 10x that processing power for less than 500 dollars within a year or so?

 

[destrukt]

my thought is, i think you have a fetish for the word neutered.

 

[garblemonster]

The dual-core CPU for Xenon is not two 3.5 GHz CPUs. There are two 1.75 GHZ CPU cores running at an effective 3.5 GHz. Two 3.5s would cost well over $1000.

 

[BladeTurbo]

my thought is that Valve will begin working on HL3 rather than making an xbox version of HL2. why waste the money on porting when a majority of the sales from HL1 were pc's. they can jump right into making HL3 (after a long expensive vacation ).

 

[leon4112]

they are gonna make a xbox version but not on the normal xbox we have now they was gonna but they didn't wanna tone down the gfx and stuff so there gonna wait till the xbox 2 it was posted on here a while back!

 

[KillaH]

the xbox can run half-life 2 better than you think, xbox has lower cpu but it doesn't have a os wich needs to run while playing so 50 percent or more of the cpu load is gone. and graphics: doom 3 is heavier then half-life 2 in the graphics part so half-life 2 shouldn't have to cut it dow too much. but hey a tv isn't as detailed as an crt/tft screen. tv's run at a max of 1024x768 and for all i know xbox runs at a res of 800x600

 

[Acert93]

While Doom3 is a very graphically intensive game, HL2 is no slouch. On top of that, HL2 is very CPU intensive. As some firingsquad tests show, the game can be quite CPU limited at times (e.g. some maps in CS:S run at the same FPS at 800x600 as they do at 1600x1200). If a 3800+ has a problem running HL2, a PIII 733MHz with little L2 cache will be hurting. The result is they would have to cut down on CPU intensive processes. Translation: Cut down on AI and Physics. If you cut those down, what would be the purpose?

I have heard the same things about the PPC5 chips, so the rumored 3.5GHz chips may be counting the cores and adding them up. So 3, dual core CPUs (each core at 1.75GHz) would be cheaper. Also, each core does 2 threads at a time. But we need to remember this is all rumor... but interesting none the less.

Going with the Xbox2 would also be good because the ATi chip will have 3Dc (a feature HL2 already uses). Add in SM 3.0 (for stuff like 64bit blending for nice HDRL) and probably 70-100% speed increase over the X800 series and you got a lot to work with. And the 10MB of embedded eDRAM will supposedly allow AA/AF at no penalty.

It will be hard for MS to get next gen titles running in 12 months or less. Porting over the BEST PC game of 2004--with lots of extras--would be good for MS. And console sales will be good for Valve. People often forget that consoles have a MASSIVE install base compared to the PC. Look at Halo 2--they sold 2.5million copies in ONE DAY. There are estimates of 15 million copies being sold for the Xbox over the next couple years. Similar with the GTA series. Imagine selling 8mil (GTA3), 13mil (GTA VC), and ~16mil (GTA SA estimate) over a 5 year span. The PC simply does not have the market or install base. Consoles have the advantage of rental shops to try games, standard HW, and larger install base. Even if Valve only sells 1mil copies, that is an extra $50million (minus expenses) in the bank--that could cover a lot of HL2 development costs.

Anyhow, there was a rumor today there will be 3 Xbox2, one which will play PC games! How interesting times are...

 

[redrain85]

the xbox can run half-life 2 better than you think, xbox has lower cpu but it doesn't have a os wich needs to run while playing so 50 percent or more of the cpu load is gone.

That is so wrong. If you hit Ctrl-Alt-Del in XP and look at the CPU usage of every process, you'll find that the System Idle Process is usually at 99% if you're just sitting at the desktop doing nothing. The OS barely uses any processing time if you're not doing anything.

The problem with the Xbox is its low CPU speed (700 Mhz), essentially GeForce 3 level GPU, and only 64 MB of memory. Trying to squeeze HL2 into 64 MB and do physics and AI calculations, will bring the Xbox to its knees.

 

[rammstein]

No.

You all underestimate a consoles power, HL2 will run on an XBOX.

 

[sublidieminal]

<<< PS3 hopeful .

Cmon they ported 1 to hl2!

(with that boring "Decay" version addon -_-)

 

[Sharrd]

Therefore I see no reason for HL2 to be released on the Xbox (the only pro is the large install base compared to a new system launch). I think the physics and AI would suffer on the Xbox, not to mention the visuals.

MS might also want to get out the game as early as possible.

 

[Wraithen]

my thought is that Valve will begin working on HL3 rather than making an xbox version of HL2. why waste the money on porting when a majority of the sales from HL1 were pc's. they can jump right into making HL3 (after a long expensive vacation ).

Well that would be because it was already an old game when it made it to PS2 and did nothing to try and interest people. The unfortunate thing is, Half Life 2 would probably sell more copies on X Box as more people have them than powerful PC's. Plus more people would buy a £100 console for a game than a high end PC.

 

[Spartan]

I think Valve will *not* release HL2 on the Xbox.

I think that whatever you think is pretty irrelevant. Last I heard, the X-Box version is already done.