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[Nirolak]

The picture is really washed out and bad, but hey, why not.

The first Dragon Age 3 screenshot was revealed last night at the Bradford Animation Festival, attended by Eurogamer.

BioWare art and animation director Neil Thompson showed off the image as part of a talk designed to highlight how video game art has progressed throughout the years.

He first showed an image of classic arcade game Space Invaders, then two images of Mass Effect 3 and then the first screenshot of Dragon Age 3, saying his talk would be about “how we got from here as an interactive screen to this, and to this, and ultimately to this”.

It didn't stay up on the screen for long though - Thompson moved past it after just three seconds. But, thankfully, one fan managed to take a snap and posted in on the BioWare forum (higher resolution images may be available in the future, we're told).

...

“That is Dragon Age: Inquisition,” he said. “It's the first time anyone has seen a frame of it outside BioWare studios.”

“Mass Effect was done on Unreal of course,” he replied. “Dragon Age was done on the proprietary engine Eclipse. I think anyone who played Dragon Age 2 would agree that engine was starting to creak a little bit by the time that was released.

“Obviously Frostbite is the Battlefield engine built by DICE. It's a beautiful, beautiful engine. And what we've found is an improvement with DA3, is the artists who were really battling with the Eclipse engine have just embraced Frostbite. The work they're doing now is stunning.

“I think the screenshot I showed earlier is pretty stunning. That's unusual for pre-production. Usually you don't get to that kind of quality until a week before gold master.”

He continued: “It makes my job easier because then it's all about discussing the aesthetic and what you want to achieve. When you're a character artist or an environment artist you're focusing on a small aspect of the greater whole of the game. As an art director you're concerned about the whole, the frame and everything it contains and how everything sits and the consistency. An engine like Frostbite allows you to focus more on that rather than the technological challenges of just getting the damn thing to run.”

...

Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...rt-and-animation-director-praises-frostbite-2

Edit:

the pic you posted of DA 3 is a screenshot from green plains concept art shown in pax

 

[strata8]

It's a bad photo of a guy taking a better photo.

 

[XANDER CAGE]

“I think the screenshot I showed earlier is pretty stunning. That's unusual for pre-production. Usually you don't get to that kind of quality until a week before gold master.”

What is this supposed to mean? We certainly see screens a lot earlier than that, and they tend to look better (at least in terms of image quality and composition) than anything we'd see running on a final build on a console.

An amusing glance into Bioware's production pipeline, or weird spin?

 

[angular graphics]

It's a bad photo of a guy taking a better photo.

Haha!

 

[Nirolak]

What is this supposed to mean? We certainly see screens a lot earlier than that, and they tend to look better (at least in terms of image quality and composition) than anything we'd see running on a final build on a console.

An amusing glance into Bioware's production pipeline, or weird spin?

Well, consider what DA2 looked like at reveal and you'll get a sense of the Dragon Age 1/2 engine and its general production pipeline.

 

[deviljho]

So Dragon Age 3 will look like what Monster Hunter 3 should look like?

 

[electroshockwave]

Much is already known about Dragon Age 3: Inquisition, due out autumn 2013. We know Dragon Age 3 had longer pre-production than either Dragon Age: Origins, Mass Effect or Dragon Age 2. And one level in Dragon Age 3 is said to be as big as all of Dragon Age 2's levels.

Is this true? If DA3 has longer pre-production than Origins then how long was the latter in full production? And it seems odd to me that a sequel would have a longer pre-production than the first in the series (both DA and Mass Effect).

 

[Nirolak]

Is this true? If DA3 has longer pre-production than Origins then how long was the latter in full production? And it seems odd to me that a sequel would have a longer pre-production than the first in the series (both DA and Mass Effect).

Dragon Age 1 had a really terrible production cycle where they kept making things and then throwing everything out because the game was terrible.

It was very Take-Two-esque.

 

[alexandros]

Where are the iconic goblin paratroopers?

 

[strafer]

The picture is really washed out and bad, but hey, why not.

 

[dimb]

As much as I disliked DA2 I'm still kind of excited to see how this turns out. Hard to tell much from the picture, but that one area is more expansive than most of those in the last game, so that's a good sign.

 

[XANDER CAGE]

Well, consider what DA2 looked like at reveal and you'll get a sense of the Dragon Age 1/2 engine and its general production pipeline.

I guess that's true. Wasn't the game revealed entirely with concept art and a CG trailer? Sort of similar to 3 so far.

 

[Rebel Leader]

As much as I disliked DA2 I'm still kind of excited to see how this turns out. Hard to tell much from the picture, but that one area is more expansive than most of those in the last game, so that's a good sign.

I'm not

 

[Easy_D]

Lots of green..puke mountain?

 

[reminder]

There are photos from WW1 that look better than this.

 

[Pooya]

Can't see much other than colors, I see blue and green, it better be not brown and red again. it would look much better

 

[TheShampion]

Not gonna lie, I was expecting worse. Though I grew up with magazines using polaroids as screenshots.

 

[Tricky I Shadow]

It's a bad photo of a guy taking a better photo.

 

[EatChildren]

Sooo I'm guessing this will have fields and skies?

 

[XANDER CAGE]

Sooo I'm guessing this will have fields and skies?

And a friendly statue waving!

 

[Lakitu]

Do we know if this is current-gen or next-gen? Or both.

 

[DTKT]

Looks like a really narrow path in a cayon.

Linear RPG with no choice confirmed.

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

Sooo I'm guessing this will have fields and skies?

But I only see some large rocks

 

[dimb]

Do we know if this is current-gen or next-gen? Or both.

They are using a current generation engine.

 

[McHuj]

Trailer/Premiere at VGA's?

 

[EVOL 100%]

lol

 

[SirIgbyCeaser]

How do I know this isn't skyrim?

 

[Jawmuncher]

Dragon Age 1 had a really terrible production cycle where they kept making things and then throwing everything out because the game was terrible.

It was very Take-Two-esque.

I remember those days.
Hell they even had a different logo that still ended up getting used on some of the books.
not to mention I remember they even said it was only for PC at one point.

 

[Pyrrhus]

How do I know this isn't skyrim?

Don't spoil the twist for the rest of us.

 

[Fersis]

Sooo I'm guessing this will have fields and skies?

Frostbite Two Point O powered fields and skies.

 

[Sapphire Dreams]

I really hope Bioware could make a good RPG this time, but I know that WON'T happen, old school Bioware is long gone

 

[EVOL 100%]

I really hope Bioware could make a good RPG this time, but I know that WON'T happen, old school Bioware is long gone

I made peace with it ages ago.

Man, BG2 is still awesome. What the hell happened? ..Well I guess I didn't make peace after all.

I'm settling for being as good as Origins, although that doesn't seem very likely.

 

[Bomber Bob]

creep shot

 

[DTKT]

Frostbite Two Point O powered fields and skies.

Now with more Blinding Sun™

 

[Arjen]

Hope we see some more info soon. I'm one of the few people here who had a pretty damn good time with DA2 despite all it's faults.

 

[Metalmurphy]

I can already tell it's going to be awful based on that tiny, rather blurry screenshot.

 

[vareon]

Hmmm ok.

I had this faith of it can't get any worse than DA2, and I enjoyed DA2.

 

[Kritz]

I really hope Bioware could make a good RPG this time, but I know that WON'T happen, old school Bioware is long gone

Hey, don't worry, I'm sure there'll be plenty of player agency and meaningful, divergent responses to actions you've made across the series justifying the dialogue choices and narrative driven experiences that not only have an effect within the containment of a single story but also reach into the 80 hours of data collection retained by previous iterations' saved games and whatever you do please don't try to read this sentence out loud you might suffocate.

I am entirely sure of that thing I just said.

I am going to go shit my pants and pass out in excitement.

 

[Killzig]

So Orlais is going to look like Scotland?

Wake me when the series gets to the Tevinter Imperium.

 

[Nirolak]

So Orlais is going to look like Scotland?

Wake me when the series gets to the Tevinter Imperium.

Well there's a Tevinter something.

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

I was gonna say that I can't wait, but that would be a fat fucking lie. At the moment I fully intend to buy DA3 just so I can complain about it.

Just kidding. I know somebody else who is buying it and I'm going to play his copy.

 

[Jarlaxle]

I'm still looking forward to DA3. I know I'm in the minority that didn't hate DA2. I agree it had a bunch of problems (first amongst those is the constant reuse of the same environments) but I still enjoyed the game. The characters and their interactions were where it was at for me.

A return to some nice outdoor landcapes sounds nice.

 

[Jibbajabbawockky]

Eh... can't make much of that one way or the other. I'm most curious how the characters look and animate in this. I have the feeling things might end up smack dab in the middle of the Uncanny Valley.

 

[Patryn]

I wish they'd stop hinting and just wait until they can do a full dump of information. This drip, drip, drip and build-up is actually defusing my enthusiasm for the game. It's like the more they build it up with comments about how pretty and great it is, the most certain I am that they're full of shit. Don't tell me, SHOW me. We've already established that Bioware are a bunch of liars, so I need to see this stuff with my own eyes to judge.

But I do want this game to succeed. If it doesn't, that'll be an absolute body blow for Bioware, because it'll mean that 3 out of their last 4 games were flops, and the fourth was controversial and still damaged their reputation.

 

[Jibbajabbawockky]

I wish they'd stop hinting and just wait until they can do a full dump of information. This drip, drip, drip and build-up is actually defusing my enthusiasm for the game. It's like the more they build it up with comments about how pretty and great it is, the most certain I am that they're full of shit. Don't tell me, SHOW me. We've already established that Bioware are a bunch of liars, so I need to see this stuff with my own eyes to judge.

Its funny you say that since it seems much of whats leaked out thus far and even the announcement of the game's existence was earlier than BioWare wanted. On the BioWare forums, Chris Priestley, one of the community managers, is saying to not expect any in depth info about the game until next spring. And David Gaider and Mike Laidlaw keep saying how they want to wait until they have something good to show before they show anything.

If BioWare is indeed targeting late 2013 for DA3, I wish they'd just copy how Bethesda marketed Skyrim. Announce with a hype inducing teaser trailer at the VGAs in December, January cover story for Game Informer with some details and screenshots, a gameplay trailer in February and then pretty much go dark until a couple months or so before you release the game in the fall.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Should probably get used to this valley if we're going to be seeing it 40 times in the game.

 

[ironcreed]

Green craggy fields? Well, at least it's more appealing than shit mountain. Give us more than 3 environments and you might be onto something, Bioware.

 

[EVOL 100%]

Should probably get used to this valley if we're going to be seeing it 40 times in the game.

So it wasn't a real screenshot then huh

Hard to be worse than Shit Mountain though.

 

[Patryn]

Its funny you say that since it seems much of whats leaked out thus far and even the announcement of the game's existence was earlier than BioWare wanted. On the BioWare forums, Chris Priestley, one of the community managers, is saying to not expect any in depth info about the game until next spring. And David Gaider and Mike Laidlaw keep saying how they want to wait until they have something good to show before they show anything.

If BioWare is indeed targeting late 2013 for DA3, I wish they'd just copy how Bethesda marketed Skyrim. Announce with a hype inducing teaser trailer at the VGAs in December, January cover story for Game Informer with some details and screenshots, a gameplay trailer in February and then pretty much go dark until a couple months or so before you release the game in the fall.

Yes, it's earlier than they wanted. But a lot of that was because they show these screenshots or whatever at small events and are shocked that they go wide.

Bioware, here's a hint: We live in the information age. Everyone has smart phones. If you show anything, no matter how small the event is, IT'S GOING TO LEAK.

As for your strategy, my only quibble is that they should just skip that initial trailer, because the groundwork has already been laid. That trailer revealed the existence of Skyrim, which I don't believe was directly known before then. This game? People kind of know it's coming and have a rough idea of the premise.

 

[bigdaddygamebot]

As much as I disliked DA2 I'm still kind of excited to see how this turns out. Hard to tell much from the picture, but that one area is more expansive than most of those in the last game, so that's a good sign.

I'm excited too.

Excited to see Bioware fail again.


< -- bad person