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[Sami+]

Here's the trailer.

Image on the left is Sonic Unleashed (2008), and the one on the right is Sonic Project 2017. I keep reading everywhere that people are disappointed about Sonic 17 being revealed with a CGI trailer and was scoffed at on here for being impressed with the visuals of a "CGI trailer with no gameplay". I've gone over the trailer a few times and do see some shots that look like they might have CGI touch ups but even so, overall I think it looks like what any decent 2017 video game tech demo would be expected to look like. Sonic Team doesn't really push the envelope but their games have been known to look quite good since Unleashed.

The environment in Project 2017 is clearly new (some more keen-eyed fans have noticed a resemblance to Amsterdam, go figure) so obviously there's different lighting and all, but even so. The difference in sheer visual quality seems so vast to me that I find it hard to believe it's due to anything other than... you know, it not being CGI?

I'm not very technically proficient, and I'd be very interested to read an impression from someone who really knows what they're talking about and how to tell with this kind of thing. Really the only reason I have is that it just looks way worse than the CGI we've been seeing from SEGA for the past decade.

Some examples of what SEGA's CGI has been like to compare:

(2006)

(2008)

(2010)

There's also precedent for this, with them revealing Sonic 06 with a working title real-time demo at E3 2005 before we got gameplay later that year at Tokyo Game Show.

I just think it's weird how easily accepted it was as CGI when it looks in-engine. What do you guys think?

Also please keep comments on how "dark" and "gritty" and "sonic cycle" and "06" it is because I genuinely really want to focus on the graphics here.

 

[NOLA_Gaffer]

Can't we just Tweet Aaron to ask if he knows?

 

[TrueBlue]

Sonic Lost World's CG might be worth using comsidering its recency.

 

[Sami+]

Can't we just Tweet Aaron to ask if he knows?

ya know I probably should have thought of this before makin a whole big thread...

Sonic Lost World's CG might be worth using comsidering its recency.

It looks about the same as Colors and Unleashed to me (although Unleashed had more impressive set pieces happening) and I thought I was already getting REALLY gif heavy lol

 

[ShadiWulf]

I'm leaning towards in engine but not the graphics the game will be delivered at, unless Sonic Team is really going to blow our minds.

Hopefully they won't leave us hanging too long for some actual gameplay. SEGA always has big events at TGS so maybe we could get something there, I know if they show us some, it won't be a ton though. They are gonna be keeping things very short as we got all the way till Holiday 2017 for them to tease and reveal things.. quite a long time.

 

[Nintendoga]

CGI. Although I did think for a split second when the camera panned to 2D it was going to seamlessly transfer into gameplay, Classic Sonic's model made it seem like it's a CGI trailer.

Sega's CGI has been all over the place with Sonic this past generation, I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't have too much of a budget put into it considering it's supposed to be a teaser. Although I'm not really an expert (or beginner) when it comes to real time graphics, Classic and Modern look a little more out of place together in this trailer than they did in the original Gens teaser. Maybe it's just the lighting.

 

[Inuhanyou]

My guess would be in engine. It obviously isn't good enough to be normal CG like their previous games have had. But it looks like something a PS4 could do, or something with the engine and models they are using for the game to save on costs of CGI maybe?

 

[whitemex88]

#teamcgi
There is just no way that was in game. Sonic is perfectly round

 

[Sami+]

CGI. Although I did think for a split second when the camera panned to 2D it was going to seamlessly transfer into gameplay, Classic Sonic's model made it seem like it's a CGI trailer.



Sega's CGI has been all over the place with Sonic this past generation, I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't have too much of a budget put into it considering it's supposed to be a teaser. Although I'm not really an expert (or beginner) when it comes to real time graphics, Classic and Modern look a little more out of place together in this trailer than they did in the original Gens teaser. Maybe it's just the lighting.

There are certain shots that look really good, but then in-engine tech demos this generation have gotten pretty bonkers either way. There are elements to it that look too flawed to be in a proper CGI trailer.

 

[Aki-at]

Team CGI. I think if it was ingame they would have clarified as much.

 

[Trigonometrize.]

I thought at first it looked like really good in-game, but then I reminded myself how it's much easier to make mediocre CG than really good real time so I'll just keep my expectations in check.

 

[Inuhanyou]

No takers for team in engine?

 

[Jharp]

I will never not be grossed out by his single eye-ball with two pupils design.

 

[Sciz]

The overall direction of the piece feels a lot more like Marza's previous work than any cutscene Sonic Team's ever done themselves.

 

[Indigo Rush]

Team InGame

I didn't notice it at first, but reviewing the trailer I do see how 'off' it is compared to the CGI from previous games. We'll see in due time, of course.

But if this is in-game... whoah momma this game is gonna be pretty.

I thought at first it looked like really good in-game, but then I reminded myself how it's much easier to make mediocre CG than really good real time so I'll just keep my expectations in check.

Precedent has made a good case for Sega not doing this, however. I think this is the real deal.

 

[Trigonometrize.]

I will never not be grossed out by his single eye-ball with two pupils design.

Even if there was a separation the eyeballs are still huge and disfigured enough to be gross if you were to remove them from the skull.

 

[Sami+]

I thought at first it looked like really good in-game, but then I reminded myself how it's much easier to make mediocre CG than really good real time so I'll just keep my expectations in check.

Why would SEGA keep this game completely under wraps for three years (arguably more) with absolutely no word on it, hype up its announcement, and then finally deliver with CGI that's a million times worse than any CGI they've ever released since 2003?

 

[[Agent]ZeroNine]

Its obviously CG, my man. No Sonic game will ever be given a budget to produce visuals like that.

Slightly off topic: I cannot believe there are so many people talking about a 3D Sonic game in 2016. Does the Sonic IP really have fans that aren't living through childhood memories?

 

[Solid SOAP]

It was definitely CGI, I'm expecting the final product to look similar though. Given how good Unleashed and Generations look on previous hardware, this can only wind up looking better. The art style is basically the same, they can't really go wrong visually unless the entire game winds up being as drab and dour as the short clip we got.

Slightly off topic: I cannot believe there are so many people talking about a 3D Sonic game in 2016. Does the Sonic IP really have fans that aren't living through childhood memories?

I'm basically living through childhood memories, but at least Mania has a pretty big chance of being great!

 

[Trigonometrize.]

Why would SEGA keep this game completely under wraps for three years (arguably more) with absolutely no word on it, hype up its announcement, and then finally deliver with CGI that's a million times worse than any CGI they've ever released since 2003?

Because all of that is circumstantial. Sonic's budget might be dipping with sales of recent games like Boom which I think were pretty soft, hence, the lower quality CG. It still seems real time to me if there were not context to the video.

 

[Sami+]

Its obviously CG, my man. No Sonic game will ever be given a budget to produce visuals like that.

Slightly off topic: I cannot believe there are so many people talking about a 3D Sonic game in 2016. Does the Sonic IP really have fans that aren't living through childhood memories?

Sonic games have looked ace since Unleashed tbh.

And yeah man, I'm 20 and think I'm a pretty well adjusted guy lol. I think the character has a ton of appeal and there's just enough hints of brilliance in pretty decent games like Unleashed, Generations, and Colors that if Sonic Team (the current team has literally nothing to do with 06 and Boom) were given enough time and money to put that last bit of polish to their games they could finally hit that peak that I know the series can reach again in the right hands.

the bad games are poopy garbage and that's like 90% of the series but the Genesis games and SA1 are just so damn cool to me that I don't see the harm in at least checking out what they're doing every few years.

Because all of that is circumstantial. Sonic's budget might be dipping with sales of recent games, hence, the lower quality CG. It still seems real time to me if there were not context to the video.

I guess? I mean, do you have any reason why their CGI budget would suddenly completely vanish when the company is actually doing pretty alright and is supposedly focusing more on quality these days?

 

[Ogodei]

This is a Lost World model for reference.

http://gamerliving.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Sonic-Lost-World-4.jpg

(linked for huge, sorry it's from behind).

You could very well be right, though Sonic's model has frankly looked great all the way back from Secret Rings on Wii. It's more about the environments we saw.

 

[Sciz]

Why would SEGA keep this game completely under wraps for three years (arguably more) with absolutely no word on it, hype up its announcement, and then finally deliver with CGI that's a million times worse than any CGI they've ever released since 2003?

The quality doesn't look much different than the promotional CGI scenes they threw together for Generations, to my eyes.

 

[Trigonometrize.]

Honestly, it should be an industry standard at this point to at least put in the fine print of a trailer whether something is real-time, in-engine but pre-rendered, CGI, or a combination. Forcing people to speculate/ask and wait for a twitter response every time a questionable trailer comes out gets old quick for how technical a medium games are.

 

[Sami+]

Honestly, it should be an industry standard at this point to at least put in the fine print of a trailer whether something is real-time, in-engine but pre-rendered, CGI, or a combination. Forcing people to speculate/ask and wait for a twitter response every time a questionable trailer comes out gets old quick for how technical a medium games are.

This I absolutely agree with. There should be way more transparency about this sort of thing.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

Probably in-game engine cutscenes, so better IQ and stuff

 

[Doctre81]

Completely CG.

 

[Guess Who]

Absolutely CG.

Unleashed's CG looks so much better because Unleashed was the last actually-big-budget Sonic game. This trailer looks just like the Generations CG ones, quality wise.

 

[Veins]

#teamCG.

 

[MarcoZombieCannon]

Absolutely CG. Hell, if it was in engine the shadows alone would give it away.

 

[Masterspeed]

It's CGI, I think they just quickly made it for the small, cringy/worst conference ever.

 

[Twilightzoney]

Well Marza Studios has been using Unity for doing their CG stuff recently. In that one GDC video they showed it off. It could be them using it there. Thats why it doesn't exactly look CG and has that more In-Game look.

Like Sonic's model is clearly the CG model but the lighting isn't their usual lighting that they do for CG stuff. Even Lost World's CG have a certain look to it.

Their CG has been great since Unleashed pretty much. Only thing that has suffered in game is the cutscenes since Unleashed.

 

[Ferr986]

In-engine, not CG but neither truly in-game.

 

[Metal-Geo]

Rushed CG job is my guess. Definitely doesn't have the quality of SEGA's CGI animation studio / group they created some years ago, that's for sure.

 

[lensoftruth]

Hope not, doesn't look fun.

 

[Shpeshal Nick]

Pretty obviously CG

 

[Suzuki Yu]

in-engine but with minor editing is my guess.
at least i am 100% sure the models are in-game assets.

 

[jax]

My guess is real time gameplay with smidges of CG here and there.

 

[Piers]

I was going to say CGi, but on second thoughts something about the animation in that trailer didn't seem entirely right compared to most others. (It could just of been rushed)

But then again, it it was in-engine, Aaron would more than likely of boasted this.

 

[Mature]

Usually when things look nice and are in-engine, they make a point of saying so.

 

[Mediking]

In-engine, not CG but neither truly in-game.

.