How about we take a step back from all the hype generated by E3, all the reactionary opinions, all of the drama, and think about what we saw in just a bit more depth? We saw some amazing graphics, interesting game footage, and trailers that really blew our minds. But in the end, we have to ask how much of what Microsoft presented will be at our fingertips by the time the consoles actually launch? It common for those in the gaming community to ignore this question completely due to the fact that we are too busy drooling at the game play and upcoming releases. Are we being mislead by the brands we are so accustomed to buying from?
According to CinemaBlend, Microsoft really began to push the boundaries of their games by utilizing high end PC’s for use of demo’s and in-game footage,
which reflected nothing of their actual Development Kits, despite EA’s Chief Operating Officer telling Geoff Keighley that the games Microsoft was showing to the public were running on dev-kit specs comparable to those found on the actual home consoles. According to CinemaBlend, the systems at E3 we’re running “HP powered, Windows 7 systems with Nvidia‘s 700 series GTX GPU.” Keep in mind that to our current knowledge, the Xbox One runs off of an AMD, unless there has been a sudden change in specs, which seems highly unlikely…
After a bit of enhancement it became evident that Microsoft was using a Nvidia card. These photos sparked some in the Twitter community to ask why the Xbox One wasn’t running on Windows 8, due to the belief that the Xbox One’s operating system was to be based upon Windows 8. You can make your own assumptions about Microsoft opting to use Windows 7 during E3, but it seems that they do not trust their latest OS to run properly.
In the end, it really looks bad for Microsoft that they ended up using far superior Dev-kits than their own, instead opting for a Nvidia. For those of you who don’t know, according to ExtremeTech, the GPU the Xbox One will be running on is a modified AMD, comparable to a mid-ranged Radeon 7790. Upon further comparison, it really shows how badly Microsoft tried to reach level ground with their Sony rivals, who supposedly have 50% more graphical power due to the use of GDDR5 Ram.
Conversely the PS4’s Dev-kits were apparently the real deal; at least according to The Witness’ Johnathon Blow, tweeting:
“It is not true as the article says that “all E3 demos run on hi-end PCs”… The Witness was running on PS4 dev hardware, and it looked to me like all the other PS4 games were running on dev kits as well. Dev hardware is the hardware that will be in the final retail box, but in a less consumer-oriented package. All the indies I know were running on the PS4. We worked very hard to get our game running on the actual PS4 hardware and operating system in time for the show. As did many other devs. That is kind of crazy considering consoles are supposed to be on the shelves with these games in 5-6 months. During Microsoft’s press show I was impressed by how good the games looked given the console’s specs. But if they weren’t running on those specs then it becomes pretty questionable. I actually don’t want XB1 to fail because we need competition to keep things healthy.”
The Xbox One’s apparent snags at E3 have stirred up quite a bit of controversy, and have caused many early reactions to favor the PS4.
As far as I’m concerned this is just more good news for Sony who have already embraced a triumph at E3, It is a shame to see the Xbox One in an apparent state of disarray, as I am currently an Xbox 360 user, and as such, I would have hoped for a strong display from Microsoft. However, in the end it just seemed weak and once more details emerged, even weaker. Let’s hope they re-think their plan for Gamescon and get some new idea’s.
