They can also downgrade the actual graphics to make room to the new features but still I'm not sure that the Xbone could handle a much complex graphical engine at the required 1080p/60fps, specially given the bad press that is having the hardware by many developers. The downgrade in resolution seems more likely to me, as is choosen by many games today to gain the required resources without affecting the graphics.
About the framerate: more effects = more stress and more room for inestability when the gameplay situations are exceed: night racing with many light sources, raining effects, various cars at once, smoke particles, many shadows at once, etc. Anyone expecting a Forza this generation with all of the above features at rock-steady 1080/60 with, 16 cars on track and without a graphical quality loss is going to be very dissapointed. But T10 knows that and that would be one of the reason because I don't think they can fully advance their game.
Other reason is the lack of experience of T10 running these features with the existing game. They have not proven anything out of its comfort zone since FM1 (100% controled and static environments) except excuses for its incapability to implement them. I don't believe that from one day to another they are going to master all the required fields to reprogram and optimize the game with no apparent loss of performance versus the much "simplistic" and "easy" to code, FM5.
The contrary would be some unambitious and lazy point of view for a developer. A few players would tolerate the same old-gen game again and again this generation, meanwhile it could grow and be top in features, graphics and gameplay. Anyway I'm reading wrong or do you expect a GT in PS4 with the same graphical hardware limitations than in PS3?
I really enjoyed reading through your response. You have absolutely nailed it!
It seems the cat's finally out of the bag: the xboner's hardware isn't as powerful as it should be this generation or as it could have been. Barely holds on it's own next to a mid-range gaming PC. The PS4 on the other hand continues to enjoy even more powerful hardware; what remains to be seen is whether PD (and devs in general) is able to fully capitalize on it, unlike the PS3.
Anyway, back to the points you've highlighted. Since FM1, their graphic engine hasn't evolved or 'matured' much, if we realistically think aboout it. Sure, they've been consistently improving the car and track modeling, the lighting, adding greater depth and detail to the textures. That's about it though. While the overall look of the game has become more eye-pleasing over the years, the cars still look more CGI-ish rather than photo-realistic. GT3 and 4 had some very impressive photo-realistic models at the time I might add. And what's worse though, they've been ignoring particle effects quite blatantly, in favor of the whole high-res game engine running at 60 fps. Which is great, I'm all for it.. I think in order for a game to feel true-to-life, it has to be fluid and "behave in real time". 60 fps accomplishes that, and us former/current PC gamers out there truly understand that.
However, the engine itself needs to be re-written. Certain aspects of it anyway. 5 iterations now, and the number of cars in an offline race hasn't increased much. No weather or night. Particle effects have gotten worse now, unfortunately. All in favor of.... wait for it.... higher res cars and tracks?? Not to rain on T10's parade though, I think these guys are capable of a heckuva lot more than meets the eye. It seems to me they're deliberately holding back. After all, it is a business that's primarily in it for the money, not the fans, as they so passionately put it, which is OK.
Had the Xboner's hardware been more powerful, would they have pulled off all those graphical feats? Hmm... I doubt it.. they probably would have used too many resources to up the texture and resolution of car/track models... again. And probably tell the fans in the official forums: oh we just didn't have enough juice to do night/weather or realistic particle effects without ditching 60 fps. I say... bull^%$# !!
Why do you STILL see better photo mode, garage and Forza Vista graphics compared to actual gameplay? It's new gen hardware - I WANT photo mode graphics while driving, dammit!
If these guys can step out of their comfort zone and experiment a little more with innovation, they can certainly bring better things to the table. FM6 is their chance to prove to the naysayers that they are in fact eligible to compete against the best PC sims. They've done wonders in the sound and physics department, which only seems to be heading up from hereon. Time to make graphical tune ups and add MORE content and features T10!
^^ Maybe the fans aren't demanding enough. Maybe the competition isn't stiff enough. For a fact, both T10 and PD really need to kick off their fuzzy bunny slippers and get out of their comfort zones.
Why not? There's a pretty big graphical difference between Forza 2 and Forza 4. Why not see the same thing again?
There's lots of ways for a developer to be clever when developing these features. I think it's naive to assume that a launch title is fully optimised for the hardware it's on, and can therefore not improve without making sacrifices.
However there is a Forza branded game with day/night, Horizon. T10 no doubt have access to the expertise that produced that, and probably the raw code as well. Besides, while Polyphony's staff may be set in stone, T10's probably aren't. If they need an expert in lighting, they can hire them, or contract them in. If they need experts in atmospheric effects or rain physics, the same.
There's no real reason to think that because T10 hasn't made a game with time/weather, they can't have extremely experienced people doing the work for them if need be.
You're reading wrong. The PS4 is much more capable than the PS3, and I expect Polyphony to design a PS5 game and try to squeeze it onto PS4 hardware. Again.
You seem to be assuming that FM6 will not add more features, contrary to the observation that each game on X360 expanded significantly on the previous in features, just maybe not the features you wanted.
GT5 expanded significantly in features as well over GT4, although at significant cost. GT6 may expand in features over GT5, but it hasn't really yet and the things they have improved have taken away as much as they've given.
I expect both companies to continue their respective strategies, which seems reasonable. T10 to slowly add new features as they feel they've got them at a level acceptable for release, PD to add everything and the kitchen sink regardless of whether it makes a good game or not.
Even though T10 has achieved impressive feats bringing FM to the X360 and iteration #4 probably being the best in the franchise so far, I think this is merely a taste of things to come. GT6 is packed with features, but again, they've been lazy with their sound design. If ONLY they can start improving this one aspect, I think GT is going to start giving FM a serious run for it's money and sim fame.
Being said, both devs have barely scratched the surface I believe. FM5 isn't a bad iteration given it's the first title on the new console, and the deadline they had. If PD disappoint again with the PS4 GT game, then I suppose T10 will have a clear lead.
The way I see it, both sims are practically neck to neck. One boasts more quality, the other boasts more variety and features. In under 2 years, we're going to see who's the first one to truly innovate and give us fans more legit reasons to continue living life off their products! Fingers crossed.
