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New interview with Venture Beat.

GamesBeat: Some of the other products out there have similar ideas, but they’re free-to-play games. Eutechnyx has its Auto Club Revolution in China and other places. If you’re shooting for a premium experience, what do you have to deliver to stay above that competition.

Rustchynsky: For a premium experience, it’s all about the visual detail, pushing the PlayStation 4 to its absolute limits. I truly believe that there’s no other racing game out there with cars of this level of detail. Not just in the showroom but actually in the race. We want to make sure that when you’re racing, that’s where you see the detail. And not just on the cars but on the tracks as well. We’ve got tracks spanning 10 kilometers. I don’t know all the stats, but we have massive vistas, as far as the eye can see.

GamesBeat: It looked like in one of the scenes there, you could drive above or below the fog.

Rustchynsky: That was a demonstration of our cloud system. It’s not faked. It’s not just an image in the background that looks like a skybox. These are dynamic, volumetric clouds. They’re all random as well. It’s not like the clouds will be in the same formation every time you play the same race. They’ll change. It might sound like a gimmick, but it changes the way the whole stage is lit. You’ll be racing in the same conditions – cloudy at noon – but because the cloud cover is different, it lights the stage completely differently, giving a whole different tone and feel to the stage.

GamesBeat: Does it look like you’re going to hit your framerate target easily?

Rustchynsky: Thirty frames? We’re nailing it right now. We’re locked at 30. There’s no drops. That’s very important. We want to make sure that — 30 frames was a choice by us, to make sure we can push the visual fidelity of the game. But we also didn’t want to compromise the gameplay in any way, shape, or form. We tried to make sure that latency between your inputs and what happens on screen is as rapid as humanly possible. You always feel completely in control of the car.

More in the article

http://venturebeat.com/2014/05/22/w...60-for-racing-games-like-driveclub-interview/

The volumetric clouds bit is new I think.

 

[Principate]

Dat super smooth premium of 30 fps.

Spoiler

Nope not remotely

 

[SuicidalSteve]

Forza Horizon was 30fps yet looked gorgeous! Driveclub at 30 will look gorgeous too

 

[MMaRsu]

30 fps looked pretty slow in that offscreen vid

 

[SteveWinwood]

But we also didn’t want to compromise the gameplay in any way, shape, or form. 

but you already did

 

[BigJoeGrizzly]

But we also didn’t want to compromise the gameplay in any way, shape, or form. 

but you already did

Haha, that was pretty good.

 

[nelchaar]

Dat super smooth premium of 30 fps.

Spoiler

Nope not remotely

I'm pretty happy with locked 30fps. Different strokes. And this game looks phenomenal.

 

[Thrakier]

30 frames was a choice by us, to make sure we can push the visual fidelity of the game. But we also didn’t want to compromise the gameplay in any way, shape, or form.

How can a dev who wants to be taken serious make a statement like that? It's an obvious lie. It's ok to just say that they focused on visual fidelity or that they think that "the experience" TM is the most important thing...many ways to say that without stating bullshit. If you say that the switch from 60 to 30FPS has no impact on gameplay, that's a lie. It's as easy as that.

 

[HueyFreeman]

How many threads on DC framerate do we need? It's one issue, way too big a deal is being made out of it.

 

[Gorillaz]

When is this releasing again? like an actual solid date and not a "well maybe this day"

Its getting a little tiring hearing the PR notes from them

 

[Ysiadmihi]

No point in "pushing visual fidelity" if you're just going to make it look ugly with a choppy framerate.

 

[Karl Hawk]

When is this releasing again? like an actual solid date and not a "well maybe this day"

Its getting a little tiring hearing the PR notes from them

October 8th.

 

[Gorillaz]

October 8th.

Thanks, I thought they were still drifting around in the "coming soon" territory

 

[johnny956]

No point in "pushing visual fidelity" if you're just going to make it look ugly with a choppy framerate.

I don't consider 30fps choppy

 

[StoopKid]

How many threads on DC framerate do we need? It's one issue, way to big a deal is being made out of it.

.

 

[thekiddfran]

They know better than we ever will so I can't wait to play this!

 

[Lima]

A bad choice.

 

[Kayant]

A choice within limitations

Really though there is no reason to sugar coat it so much. Personally am fine with their decision as the gains in lighting, environment, atmosphere etc is more important than 60fps as long as it's locked to 30fps that is and as am not much of a sim racer the atmosphere is more important IMO.

 

[MrJollyLivesNextDoor]

No point in "pushing visual fidelity" if you're just going to make it look ugly with a choppy framerate.

Solid 30fps = choppy, got it.

It's always a compromise of visuals and frame rate, Evo have chosen visuals, get over it.

 

[thekiddfran]

A bad choice.

Why? Have you played the final retail code? Are you a programmer or engineer in a AAA studio?

 

[Requiem]

Good shit Evo.

Happy to see they didn't sacrifice their vision for some arbitrary benchmark set by some here.

 

[Zukuu]

I yearn for the time when games were about gameplay and responsiveness too.

"Hey, here's your new Unreal Tournament at 30 FPS. It plays like shit but LOOK AT DEM GRAPHICS".

 

[Bedlam]

Yeah no, I'm "okay" with 30fps racing games (loved PGR4 and Forza Horizon) but volumetric clouds doesn't sound like a good tradeoff for better fps at all. Although they probably wouldn't have hit 60fps without that particular feature anyway so it might as well be included and with the fps locked at 30.

 

[Militant17]

So a rock solid 30fps with no dips is bad? So I guess Forza horizon and PGR are horrible too?

Between this and the whole watch dogs thread it seems like gamers these days just look for the negatives and start the bashing. It's pathetic. If you don't like it then don't buy it, but don't stink up every thread with your shit.

 

[10k]

Ugh i hate that word "experience" in games. At least it will have the feel of 60.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

Yes because we're all concerned about clouds when we're going 150-200 mph on the highway.
Eh well. Still kinda interested.

 

[BLACK AMERICAN PSYCHO]

So graphics >>>>> gameplay? got it.

Yes because we're all concerned about clouds when we're going 150-200 mph on the highway.

.

 

[Discusguy]

Calling 30fps premium is as bad as saying games output to your TV is 1080P.

 

[Thrakier]

I don't consider 30fps choppy

Because you are used to it.

 

[RE_Player]

Still excited for this game no matter what.

 

[Trevelyan]

Yes because we're all concerned about clouds when we're going 150-200 mph on the highway.
Eh well. Still kinda interested.

You should, though. With volumetric clouds that are actually on the track, going the fast is a good way to get wrecked. It definitely lends itself well to the gameplay on mountain tracks.

 

[Ysiadmihi]

Solid 30fps = choppy, got it.

Just because 30fps has become the console standard doesn't mean it isn't choppy.

 

[TTUVAPOR]

Premium experience and 30fps in the same sentence doesn't make any sense.

30fps is not a premium experience. 60fps is.

 

[TheHall]

How can a dev who wants to be taken serious make a statement like that? It's an obvious lie. It's ok to just say that they focused on visual fidelity or that they think that "the experience" TM is the most important thing...many ways to say that without stating bullshit. If you say that the switch from 60 to 30FPS has no impact on gameplay, that's a lie. It's as easy as that.

Taken serious by whom? 120 dudes on Neogaf?

The visuals of this game or going to blow the minds of millions and only a very, VERY small percentage is going to go to a DF article to count the frames.

 

[StoopKid]

Just because 30fps has become the console standard doesn't mean it isn't choppy.

Yep I can't even play 30fps games it's like a fucking slideshow.

 

[Kintaro]

Premium experience, half the frame rate! Driveclub!

 

[rjc571]

Good shit Evo.

Happy to see they didn't sacrifice their vision for some arbitrary benchmark set by some here.

What makes you think they didn't have to sacrifice anything to get it to run at 30 fps?

 

[Principate]

Taken serious by whom? 120 dudes on Neogaf?

The visuals of this game or going to blow the minds of millions and only a very, VERY small percentage is going to go to a DF article to count the frames.

But they can feel the smoothness and response of the game. There's a reason why so many of the highest selling games ever are 60 fps and no it's not because of DF articles.

 

[DBT85]

I'm just looking forward to playing it. Regardless of the framerate. It looks fun.

 

[NullPointer]

Thirty frames? We’re nailing it right now. We’re locked at 30. There’s no drops.

 

[malyce]

Bullshit. It was a compromise. If the hardware could do 60 they would.

 

[ComputerMKII]

But we also didn’t want to compromise the gameplay in any way, shape, or form. 

but you already did

I wanted to post the exact same thing, word for word.

 

[Skinpop]

of course it's a choice, they are professional developers, it's not like they roll the dice to make game defining decisions. They choose it because focus testing and marketing says a nice screenshot is better than good smooth gameplay.

Bullshit. It was a compromise. If the hardware could do 60 they would.

no they wouldn't. They'd still "compromise" to get nicer screenshots. the hardware is fully capable of delivering 60fps.

 

[Larogue]

Really 30fps on Next-gen? I'm used to play at 120fps on my PC. That would be huge downgrade for me.

 

[LCGeek]

Just because 30fps has become the console standard doesn't mean it isn't choppy.

It's choppy using basic math and understanding time in regards to fps or refreshrate. If high fps situations like 60fps or 120fps with/without strobing are double to quadrable in terms of speed then yes it can be called choppy.

Human eyes aren't exactly fast from what we know this is not hard issue, it's simple biology and time.

with that being said I'm sick of people with enthusiast needs being unrealistic about PS4 game, most of knew from delay rumors this wasn't going to be hitting 60fps.

 

[Lima]

Why? Have you played the final retail code? Are you a programmer or engineer in a AAA studio?

I don't need to play it to know that 30fps for a racing game is a bad choice.

Will I be okay with it? Yeah just like Horizon, PGR and countless other racers at 30.
Would they have been a lot better at 60? Without a doubt.

So yeah go with 30 but shut up and don't try to sell it as a premium experience or some shit.

 

[velociraptor]

Really 30fps on Next-gen? I'm used to play at 120fps on my PC. That would be huge downgrade for me.

120fps? Is that it? I used to play 240fps on my PC.

 

[Larogue]

120fps? Is that it? I used to play 240fps on my PC.

Last time I checked there is no screen that supports 240fps on PC.

 

[GameSeeker]

Making DriveClub 30fps was absolutely the correct decision by Sony given the customers they are aiming to attract.

In a few short weeks Microsoft will prove just how good the 30fps decision was by announcing the heavily rumored 30fps Forza Horizon 2. Not surprisingly, with Forza Horizon 2 Microsoft will be aiming at the same customers as DriveClub.

 

[Canis lupus]

Calling 30fps premium is as bad as saying games output to your TV is 1080P.

wut?

Just because 30fps has become the console standard doesn't mean it isn't choppy.

Just because some 30fps games are choppy doesn't mean it's a console standard.

Bullshit. It was a compromise. If the hardware could do 60 they would.

Nope, the PS4 can do Driveclub in 60fps as can PS3, it's just a matter of how much sacrifice has to be made. If PS4 had better hardware, they would invest that again in the graphics.