Blu-ray: Still doesn't solve PS3's flaws

During the video, "Tech 5 developer walkthrough 1," found at GameTrailers.com, John Carmacks, the famous game designer at iD, talks about cross-platform development and how iD's new engine, Tech 5, can ease that process.

In this video, Carmack clearly shows the advantages of Blu-ray's large storage capacity when he reveals that Rage, iD's new game on the Tech 5 engine, is coming to the PS3 on a single Blu-ray disc. The 360 version is coming on 2 DVDs. And as you might know, the limited storage capacity of the DVD9 has recently become another one of well-known issues of the 360 console.

However, if you watch the parts from 1:30 to 1:45, Carmack brings up another issue. This time a well-known issue with the PS3.Carmack gives a example of a possible problem a game designer might face while creating a cross-platform game.

Carmack: "...you [the game developer] start up one moring and, it's like, oh, the memory no longer fits on the PS3, we better do something about it."

Perhaps the lack of memory on the PS3 is a bigger issue than 360's storage problem. While the storage problem can be solve with the "2-disc" approach, there doesn't seem to be a solution to PS3's shortage of memory. I mean, what good is a larger storage medium when you can't have better visual quality?

Discuss.

It doesn't have less RAM, it's just divided into 2 pools. It's not a flaw, it's an obstacle. Games can/will/have been shown to look very good, dispite this.

Also, I've just heard this from a message board poster, so I have 0 credibility in it, but I've heard it's possible to borrow between the 2, so ina way the PS3 does have unified RAM.

He was talking about how versatile this new technology is and how it sort of benefits multi-platform games in development. I don't think anyone's pointing a finger here. I don't care what platform this new engine runs best on; but from what I hear you can do some amazing things regardless of what console is in use or even the PC/Mac.

Now maybe some other developers have run into the same situation but I believe the individual on these teams are more then qualify to solve what you consider a issue. :P

He was talking about how versatile this new technology is and how it sort of benefits multi-platform games in development. I don't think anyone's pointing a finger here. I don't care what platform this new engine runs best on; but from what I hear you can do some amazing things regardless of what console is in use or even the PC/Mac.

Now maybe some other developers have run into the same situation but I believe the individual on these teams are more then qualify to solve what you consider a issue. :P

NeoGen85

The issue here is that while developing a multi-platform game a game designer might need to scale down the visual quality of the PS3 version due to this memory problem. Carmack takes the PS3 as an example for a reason. That is because he most likely came across this very issue while help making Enemy Territory on all three platforms (except for Wii).

I too do not care where Rage runs best on. I'm just using this video as an example because Carmack mentions certain problems faced in a multi-platform game development and he happens to hint at the memory issue of the PS3.

It bothers me the lack of knowledge of both the ps3 and xbox 360 specs. The ps3 and xbox 360 can use up to 512 mb of ram. The ps3 ram is seperated by 256, and 256. The OS for ps3 uses around 50 mb right now (the last update I think, lowered it to 50 mb), and the xbox 360 os takes up 32 mb. In about 6 or so months the ps3 os should only take up around the same amount as xbox 360 due to updates.numba1234

The thing is he was talking about multi-platform game development. In the video, he gives a possible instance in development where the PS3 version is over 80 MBs over the memory limit. Why would he take that as an example if indeed both 360 and PS3 have 512 mb of ram?

The thing is he was talking about multi-platform game development. In the video, he gives a possible instance in development where the PS3 version is over 80 MBs over the memory limit. Why would he take that as an example if indeed both 360 and PS3 have 512 mb of ram?jo0ni3