Star Wars 1313

[Sabretooth]

PC Gamer article on the ILM involvement

 

To create that elevator visual, ILM found the guys who created the original hologram effects in Episodes IV-VI, who work at LucasFilm Animation in the same building as ILM and LucasArts. They discovered that the effects were achieved by looping VHS footage over and over, and found a way to recreate it.

 

To prove what we’re looking at is in-engine, real-time rendering, the devs indulge in a bit of Blade Runner-style zoom and rotate while they’re showing it off to us in their San Francisco HQ. As the player character and his boss bundle a Trandoshan onto the elevator and descend to 1313, the devs stop and zoom in to examine every one of the pores on their faces. It isn’t flattering, but it’s a powerful demonstration of the detail in each inch of game.

 

As art director Dave Smith explains, that extreme fidelity brings a unique challenge: “We have to build the things digitally as if we’d actually built them for real.” He points to a battered storage crate: “This is a metal crate with a layer of undercoat on it, then another layer of paint, then a treatment finish.” A crate.

[DarthParametric]

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/352406/confirmed-next-gen-star-wars-1313-is-unreal-engine-3/

 

So yeah, "next gen". I'm sure some of you remember a certain other E3 demo for PS3 a few years back and how indicative that proved to be of the final product. A repeat of history inbound.

[Sabretooth]

@Parametric: Article is dated 6 June and we already knew that it was Unreal Engine 3. Just because it's Unreal 3 doesn't mean it can't be 'next gen', both the BioShock games were made on Unreal 2 and I'd have a hard time lumping them with the previous generation than this one.

[DarthParametric]

It was never a matter of the engine. It's about the hardware limitations of consoles. The next next gen consoles are still an unknown, but making it for PS3/360 is going to hamstring it. Sure the PC version might get some higher res textures, but that's about it.

 

As to the article, a few popped up after a Facebook post about it, but somehow that old one also got mixed in with the list I saw. Here's a more relevant one - http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-01-17-star-wars-1313-will-release-on-playstation-3-this-year-sony-facebook-page-says

 

LA have since disputed its veracity.

[Alexrd]

It was never a matter of the engine. It's about the hardware limitations of consoles. The next next gen consoles are still an unknown, but making it for PS3/360 is going to hamstring it.

 

Well, they are making the PC version first, so that's a plus. And if there are limitations by making it for the current generation, at least I can run it on my laptop.

[Lynk Former]

For consoles, all you'd really need to limit to get 1313 to run on them are the usual lower resolution (720p on ps3 and 720 upscaled to 1080p on 360), lower framerate, low res textures.

 

Unless the models in 1313 are super high polygon models that are off the current scale and the effects are totally new and either don't exist or can't be replicated on the current gen consoles, then there's really nothing at all that they need to worry about as long as the port isn't rushed.

 

Also, I wouldn't be surprised if 1313, if released within the current gen consoles timeframe came out and then was re-released on the ps4 and 720 as a special edition version.

[Jamps]

Heres the most recent word on 1313:

 

http://kotaku.com/5987674/the-strange-status-of-star-wars-1313-a-hot-game-with-an-uncertain-future

 

Given Lucasarts' history, can't say I'm surprised.... maybe this year's E3 will give us an update.

[Alexrd]

I'm still betting we'll see the game this year.