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SneakyStephan · Dec 10, 2014

Lys Skygge said:
Is there a story behind this? What game is it from?

It's an image from better days.

MS marketing shopped a standard photoshop lens flare on top of an xbox snowboard game screenshot and got lambasted for it, they even issued a public apology for it.

Now false advertising is normal instead of illegal.

IdreamofHIME · Dec 10, 2014

Napalm_Frank said:
Yup.

Also:

Is the pixelated version from a PS2 game or one of the DS games?

ISee · Dec 10, 2014

Dark Souls 2 PS3:

Dark Souls 2 PS4:

Jotamide · Dec 10, 2014

ShogunDarius said:
wow, I really am starting to truly dislike Ubisoft now

Now? Hahahaha

forgeforsaken · Dec 10, 2014

What's the source of the OP?

Henrar · Dec 10, 2014

I think those sprites are world map sprites shown as battle map ones to fool people. Can someone check?

jim2point0 · Dec 10, 2014

Henrar said:
I think those sprites are world map sprites shown as battle map ones to fool people. Can someone check?

Yeah I pointed that out here based on what someone said on Reddit. I haven't seen anyone post any good screenshots of the world map though to confirm.

I want to know what the source is. Maybe Ubisoft's comparison was really to show off the differences in the world map sprites?

Green Wiggly · Dec 10, 2014

TheSlySoul said:
Resident Evil 4 on GC:

I...want to play that...

Tiandrad · Dec 10, 2014

I think Ubisoft will finally dethrone EA as the worst company in America this year.

shysaursoft · Dec 10, 2014

IdreamofHIME said:
Is the pixelated version from a PS2 game or one of the DS games?

Neither - it's just the footage of the HD version, with a pixel filter applied to it.

Sciz · Dec 10, 2014

IdreamofHIME said:
Is the pixelated version from a PS2 game or one of the DS games?

At a guess, the "retro" version is just footage of the remaster run through a desaturation filter and saved at a low resolution.

Datapack · Dec 10, 2014

Henrar said:
I think those sprites are world map sprites shown as battle map ones to fool people. Can someone check?

I stand corrected they actually took the world sprites stretched them into oblivion and then made that comparison.

greyskull · Dec 10, 2014

Does Ubisoft have separate divisions that are all failing to get the memo until they screw up on their own? At this point I'm starting to think they're being done on purpose.

TheBanditKing · Dec 10, 2014

I would say that Ubi should be ashamed of themselves but we all know dignity, pride and honesty were written out of the company manual.

IdreamofHIME · Dec 10, 2014

Miktar said:
Neither - it's just the footage of the HD version, with a pixel filter applied to it.

So that scene doesn't appear in any of the PS2 or 3DS games, interesting.

Roo · Dec 10, 2014

-griffy- said:
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition on PS4:

Tomb Raider on PS3:

I lol'd

Oddduck · Dec 10, 2014

Ubisoft might be the most annoying video game company in 2014. At least in my opinion.

Armaros · Dec 10, 2014

Datapack said:
The battle and the overworld sprites are the same except for sizes.

And why would someone use the battle background when comparing overworld sprites? Any HoMM III vet will instantly see that background as a battle, and make the connection, "these are battle sprites"

jackissocool · Dec 10, 2014

Armaros said:
And why would someone use the battle background when comparing overworld sprites? Any HoMM III vet will instantly see that background as a battle, and make the connection, "these are battle sprites"

Yup. This shit is extremely blatant from the perspective of a life long Heroes fan.

Datapack · Dec 10, 2014

Armaros said:
And why would someone use the battle background when comparing overworld sprites? Any HoMM III vet will instantly see that background as a battle, and make the connection, "these are battle sprites"

I know, but that doesn't change the fact they they're the same sprite just flipped and made smaller.

shysaursoft · Dec 10, 2014

IdreamofHIME said:
So that scene doesn't appear in any of the PS2 or 3DS games, interesting.

I'm pretty sure that scene does appear in the PS2 version. I'm saying they didn't bother to load up a PS2 and capture the footage from that scene for the comparison vid: that it was easier for them to just pixlelate the footage they already did have from the HD version.

FleetingFlowAir · Dec 10, 2014

Ubisoft really wants EA's spot this year.

Duster · Dec 10, 2014

Rayman Legends PS4

Rayman Legends PS3

Wolfgunblood Garopa · Dec 10, 2014

These aren't funny.

The op is. Ubisoft are used car salesmen these days.

BlazingDarkness · Dec 10, 2014

Dinjooh said:
To put it simply:

To be honest, the HD remaster just looks like someone went nuts with the smudge tool in photoshop.

What the hell? The original version looks better than the remaster.

Giriath_89 · Dec 10, 2014

I starting to wonder if Ubisoft shenanigans will become a weekly occurrence.

PuppetSlave · Dec 10, 2014

nasos_333 said:
I think the pixelated one is derived from the new blurry model directly and not from the old one. Notice the blue dot and aura in the lightning, vs the old that has none

Also the shape looks close to the new one, they just pixelated them and presented as the "bad old look" lol

This would be hilarious if true. That they couldn't even be bothered to make the effort of pixelating the true image.

No pixel experts here who can confirm/deny?

Brick · Dec 10, 2014

Giriath_89 said:
I starting to wonder if Ubisoft shenanigans will become a weekly occurrence.

The Super Best Friend Cast has had a nearly weekly "Ubi Please" segment.

fernoca · Dec 10, 2014

Yep...not new and not something from Ubisoft.

They usually do it to show the "now in HD" aspect of ths remaster, and intentionally either blurry the original game or take the 640 x 480 source and enlarge it to 1920 x 1080 to say like "see how blurry it looked and how clean it looks now!!".

Randam · Dec 10, 2014

META said:
http://cdn.medialib.computerandvideogames.com/screens/dir_3001/image_300143_620.jpg

Smellycat said:
New? lol

Edit: Ah, I see what you are saying

http://revolutionmedia.ign.com/revo...40/e3-red-steel-screens-20060501034051480.jpg

thanks for the name of the game and context guys.

Vash63 · Dec 10, 2014

fernoca said:
Yep...not new and not something from Ubisoft.

They usually do it to show the "now in HD" aspect of ths remaster, and intentionally either blurry the original game or take the 640 x 480 source and enlarge it to 1920 x 1080 to say like "see how blurry it looked and how clean it looks now!!".

For games that actually ran at 640x480 that isn't all that unfair. It's going to get scaled up. This is much worse as the original ran at near HD res anyway and they took samples at sub-SD. PC has been 'HD' for a long time.

StoppedInTracks · Dec 10, 2014

ISee said:
Dark Souls 2 PS3:

Dark Souls 2 PS4:

Ahh... Ultima 9... my long lost love... is that Buccaneer's Den?

Toxi · Dec 10, 2014

Metroid Prime (GCN)

Metroid Prime Trilogy (Wii)

tensuke · Dec 10, 2014

You won't believe the bullshit Acti is pulling now. Just found these press pics for COD:AW. Sickening.

PS4/XBO

PS3/360

I know for a fact the PS360 version had better smoke effects.

Mihael Mello Keehl · Dec 10, 2014

PdotMichael said:
So many and long discussions about the Wii being on par with the PS3 and Xbox 360 (just not HD!) based on the Red Bull bullshots.

Good memories.

Those were the good ol days

Tunesmith · Dec 10, 2014

They did what to my favorite HOMM game?!?!!!

#VaselineEdition

SURGEdude · Dec 10, 2014

Hoho for breakfast said:
You can't trust anything that Ubisoft shows. None of it. They do it every. single. time. This is pretty comical though.

Man I'd be pissed if I were the original artist who made those sprites. Ubi making my work look like shit and all, just to score a few extra sales.

ISee · Dec 10, 2014

StoppedInTracks said:
Ahh... Ultima 9... my long lost love... is that Buccaneer's Den?

Yes

Nikodemos · Dec 10, 2014

Why didn't they just take a few screenshots of GOG's edition and use those for comparison? Sure, the difference wouldn't have been that big, and people would've fought over whether the old style or the new one is better, but at least they would be spared another embarassing episode.

Oh, and I suspect the "missing source code" explanation to be BS. I don't see how Armageddon's Blade and Shadow of Death would have different source code, particularly since they weren't expandalones. I'm pretty certain the modders who made Wake of Gods would have been more than able to mod GOG's H3Complete version with the new content. I'm waiting for Ubi to announce that they've 'miraculously' found AB and SoD a short while after they release Restoration of Erathia HD.

Rapstah · Dec 10, 2014

jim2point0 said:
The original titan looks like he's holding a lightning bolt. The new one looks like he's holding a fucking light saber....

Also, I agree, this practice is disgusting.

The Titan unit in Heroes 3 is a ranged unit. That's supposed to be a lightning bolt. Now, Titans are the upgraded version of Giants, which don't have a ranged attack, but both units have the same weapon in their sprite, so maybe someone re-drew the Giant sprite and then added armour to it and made that the Titan sprite without thinking about it.

Giant:

Titan:

jay · Dec 10, 2014

Nikodemos said:
Why didn't they just take a few screenshots of GOG's edition and use those for comparison? Sure, the difference wouldn't have been that big, and people would've fought over whether the old style or the new one is better, but at least they would be spared another embarassing episode.

Generally, the hope of more sales is why companies use deceptive marketing tactics.

vid · Dec 10, 2014

Larogue said:
Halo collection on XB1

Halo on Original Xbox

I think this is a slightly more accurate representation.

KiraXD · Dec 10, 2014

Napalm_Frank said:
Yup.

Also:

to be fair i dont think they were trying to fool anyone with this... its more of an effect that looked cool for the trailer... not last gen then poof remaster. more likeit goes from fuzzy to crisp... iono... does anyone honestly think they were trying to fool anyone with this?

shysaursoft · Dec 10, 2014

KiraXD said:
does anyone honestly think they were trying to fool anyone with this?

Yes. 100% sure someone down the line from conception to signing off on it, thought "yeah, this will totally make the HD version look badass, even if it is totally misrepresentative"

That's marketing. Obviously not everyone will fall for it, most will just take it as standard marketing bullcarp - but there *are* people who take it at face value.

Just look at infomercials.

Adaren · Dec 10, 2014

KiraXD said:
to be fair i dont think they were trying to fool anyone with this... its more of an effect that looked cool for the trailer... not last gen then poof remaster. more likeit goes from fuzzy to crisp... iono... does anyone honestly think they were trying to fool anyone with this?

They could have gotten actual PS2 footage for the "before". At best, it's lazy and meant to get an emotional reaction through hyperbolic metaphor instead of actual footage. At worst, it's dishonest.

sobaka770 · Dec 10, 2014

Okay, I've just downloaded the original and played it for a bit.

Let's drop the hate, I don't know where the marketing screenshot come from, but judging by screenshots from this page the HD remaster is real.

https://mmh7.ubi.com/en/blog/post/view/a-special-announcement

It's actually a big visual upgrade, you can see fine details in creature faces, the map is not pixelated anymore, it's the real deal.

jim2point0 · Dec 10, 2014

What is the source of this image?

I can't seem to find it on any official Ubisoft source.

This was taken from their video of them repainting the hydra:

The "before" image doesn't show the same pixelated sprite.

ForsakenLotus · Dec 10, 2014

Man this brings me back. Too bad they won't release a console version (why would they?).

CapitalismSucks DonkeyBalls · Dec 10, 2014

Randam said:
thanks for the name of the game and context guys.

The screenshot is from an old PS2 game called Amped. Before it's release, this screenshot was published as promotional material. Not only is it clearly a bullshot, but a lens flare was cleverly placed in the shot for god knows what reasons.

It's become a good example of when bullshots go wrong.

Actual screenshot

Datapack · Dec 10, 2014

ForsakenLotus said:
Man this brings me back. Too bad they won't release a console version (why would they?).

Heroes 3 would actually work on the Wii U because of the gamepad.

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