Bungie: Destiny Xbox One Is Not "Dumbed Down" Compared To PS4

Though Sony wants PlayStation to be "the best place to play" Bungie's upcoming shooter Destiny, the developer now assures fans that it is doing its best to ensure that the experience is equal across PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. In an interview with GamingBolt, Bungie senior environment artist Jason Sussman was asked if the Xbox One version was "dumbed down" compared to PS4.

He replied: "No. We're working really hard to make sure that the best experience and the quality of the game we're trying to deliver is equal across the platforms." The interviewer also asked Sussman about the Xbox One's eSRAM, which reportedly caused issues for developers looking to reach 1080p on the system. He said every console has its subtle differences, but it won't keep Destiny from looking "good" on Xbox One.

"Each console has their own nuances; there is always like little tweaks and things," he said. "That's standard. Anytime you're working cross-platforms there is a-lot of new nuances to each console and we're making sure that the game looks best on all of them and it does; it looks really good. I think we've succeeded. It definitely looks good."



Bungie has confirmed that Destiny will run in 1080p on PS4, but the Xbox One's resolution is still not finalized. However, Bungie is hopeful that it can reach 1080p, thanks in part to the June Xbox One SDK that boosts console GPU power.

The interview also touches on a number of hot-button topics like microtransactions and a potential PC version of Destiny. Addressing microtransactions, Sussman said, "Currently, there are no microtransactions, everything is in-game." Microtransactions for Destiny have not been ruled out altogether, however. Asked about the topic in a separate interview this year, Bungie community manager Eric Osborne said if Destiny ends up adding microtransactions some day, Bungie won't offer "pay-for-power type stuff" to avoid schemes that nickel and dime players. "We're not going to do that," he said at the time.

Regarding a PC version of Destiny, Sussman said, "Wouldn't that be awesome?! Dude, I honestly like playing PC games. But honestly we've been so focused on delivering the game on four consoles and it's such an undertaking. It's the most inclusive thing that the Bungie has been working on. We'll see what the future holds, but for right now we're focused on these four consoles."

Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, said previously that Destiny is a "natural fit" for PC. Destiny launches September 9 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, and PS4. For more, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

Destiny's PS4 and Xbox One Visual Quality Will Probably Be Equal, Analysis Shows

Bungie's upcoming shooter Destiny has been in beta for a week now, and both Xbox and PlayStation owners have been able to try it out. But some people wondered going into the beta how the two current-gen versions would compare graphically. It was recently revealed that the Xbox One version would run at 900p, while the PlayStation 4 version would be 1080p. Although Bungie promised that the Xbox One version would run at 1080p at the game's full launch in September, it isn't known if the two games will have full graphical parity.

GameSpot recently made an Xbox One-PS4 graphics comparison of the Destiny beta, which you can watch above. But Eurogamer's Digital Foundry decided to delve into the technical aspects of the games and created a complete breakdown of Destiny's graphics on the two consoles. In the beta, the group acknowledges that the PS4 version does have noticeably better detail in the environments, but that the Xbox beta has virtually equivalent quality elsewhere: "Put side-by-side, the Xbox One produces slightly fuzzier detailing on these elements, though the actual quality of textures--and filtering--is a complete match between the two."

"Based on footage released of the 1080p Xbox One build so far, this is to be corrected with no apparent sacrifices to visuals elsewhere."

But will the final version be able to close the gap even further? The article states that it's very likely that the 1080p Xbox One version will be almost identical to the PS4 version. "When comparing the constituent parts of the world design, everything remains precisely the same," Thomas Morgan from Digital Foundry writes, "from Bungie's beautiful, full-resolution skybox, to the ripped, cloth-physics-affected flags. Even the approach to shadows is identical, with a likewise cascade, and a faint dithering across spot-lit silhouettes behind characters."

There may be one small difference between the two versions, however. From analysis of gameplay clips of the Xbox One version, the HUD is 2D and static. On the PS4, the HUD is rendered in 3D with a few extra flourishes. It's a very small detail that "mostly comes down to personal preference," Morgan says.

From the parts of Destiny shown off, though, it's a good bet that the Xbox One and PS4 versions will have pretty much the same level of graphical quality. As Morgan concludes, "Both next-gen consoles run at the same levels of world detail in this early build, with Xbox One also a match for the PS4's stable frame rate. The only bug-bear is the 900p versus 1080p differential, where the PS4 benefits from a clearer image. However, based on footage released of the 1080p Xbox One build so far, this is to be corrected with no apparent sacrifices to visuals elsewhere."

Destiny launches on September 9 for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 3. We've extensively covered the beta and you can check out our guides and videos. Everyone can also play the beta from now until Sunday. Which console will you get Destiny on? Let us know in the comments!

Bungie explains why Destiny doesn’t have PS4-to-PS3, Xbox One-to-360 cross-platform multiplayer

 

Destiny will hit PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on Sept. 9, but new-gen players won’t get to play with their last-gen buddies.

Developer Bungie’s sci-fi online shooter doesn’t support cross-platform multiplayer. That’s nothing new when it comes to Microsoft and Sony systems, but the game also won’t enable PlayStation 4 gamers to get online and shoot aliens with people on PlayStation 3. In an interview with Digital Trends, Bungie engineer Roger Wolfson explained that it decided to cordon off new-gen from last-gen players for gameplay reasons and not due to technical limitations.

“I’ll speak for the hypothetical player,” Wolfson said. “[On PS3], I have a disadvantage sniping across the map because [my opponent with a new-gen console] is only two pixels on my screen, and I’m four pixels on his. You see that in the world of PC gaming, where people are always racing to the best video card to give themselves the advantage.”

That situation is due to the difference in resolution between the various versions of Destiny. On PS4 and Xbox One, the shooter will hit 1080p high definition, which means the game is rendering 1,080 horizontal lines for each frame. On PS3 and Xbox 360, the game will run at 720p.

That disparity in resolution doesn’t necessarily mean the PS3 player would always have a disadvantage compared to his PS4 counterpart. In most circumstances, a new-gen player and last-gen player would probably have even footing, but Bungie also wanted to avoid the appearance of giving Xbox One and PS4 a more favorable experience.

“Regardless of what the reality is, there’s definitely a perception among gamers that better hardware means you have an advantage,” said Wolfson. “We don’t want to have to enter that fray, so to create the best, most-level playing field, both actually and perceptually, we separated it by platform.”

So, does all this mean that Destiny looks lackluster on last gen? No. Bungie is insisting that isn’t the case. The developer notes that while the graphical fidelity may suffer, a lot of the other aspects are spot on.

“There’s really no difference at all in loading; the game is as fluid and as action-packed,” said Wolfson. “There are as many combatants on [screen as new-gen], and the loading times are equivalent.”

Players are getting their first taste of Destiny on PS3 right now. Bungie opened up a beta test yesterday for both Sony platforms for anyone who preordered (and thousands of others). The Xbox One and Xbox 360 beta will start next week.

Bungie Says It Loves Xbox and PlayStation Fans Equally

 

Most Bungie fans got to know the developer while it was working for Microsoft on the Halo series, which helped define Xbox in the last two console generations. Some of these fans, which stuck with Microsoft and Xbox One, are upset that Bungie has aligned itself with Sony and the PlayStation 4 for its upcoming sci-fi shooter Destiny. PS4 and PS3 owners already got a chance to play an alpha of the game, the beta will hit PlayStation consoles first, and Destiny will also have PlayStation-exclusive content.

In a recent post to Bungie’s official website, Community Manager David Dague explained that despite its new relationship with Sony, Bungie doesn’t “hate” its Xbox fans, as one fan suggested in a question.

“Loving a good game and the hard-working developers who create it is not a console exclusive,” Dague said. “Bungie has embraced many different platforms in our storied history. We have a hard time sitting still. Our goal has been to create amazing worlds and fill them with as many passionate people as possible. What we would tell you is that, if you want to explore the world of Destiny, it was built with you in mind. We make games here at Bungie. We love the people who play them equally.”

And as Head of Xbox Phil Spencer recently made clear, there’s no bad blood between Microsoft and Bungie.

Destiny launches September 9 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. A beta begins July 17 for PlayStation consoles, before coming to Xbox later in the month.