Cross-platform gaming: from simple ports to the Gates of Oblivion

[Neeyik]

Cross-platform gaming is on almost every publisher's agenda in 2007 and beyond. In this special feature, YouGamers tests cross-platform games on PCs and consoles to see what's different and where the best value is. We get started with a look back at three very different titles.

http://www.yougamers.com/articles/10...s_of_oblivion/

[valtterieranen]

I gotta give it to Yougamers; their writers are pretty much always on the ball when it comes to hardware and performance. It's a pleasant change from gamespot etc.

It's quite evident that the PC has surpassed the 360. I can't quite remember what the top-of-the-line GPU was when the 360 first came out, 7800/x1800 I guess? Even crappy ports like Lost Planet are better on a highend PC. I felt my PC was already a bit more powerful when I had c2d+x1900xtx compared to my 360. Now with a 8800GTX it's on a whole'nother ballpark.

But then, there's other factors than performance/graphics to consider as well.

I have only played oblivion on PC, but from what I have heard, the hardware situation seems as explained in the article.

There is one thing I don't quite agree with though, and thats the interface comments.

"Unlike the two ported games discussed previously in this article, Oblivion is a true cross-platform game - this shows in the interface, which looks almost identical between the PC and Xbox 360 versions, yet is suitable for both platforms."

I thought it was pretty clear that the interface was designed for Xbox mainly and for some reason not altered for PC users.
I remember inventory only could display 6 items at a time before you had to scroll down. And with a big font that seemed most usefull for an xbox where you look from a bit father away normally.
Many PC users, including me got user made addons to reduce the font and increase the number of items that you could see without scrolling.

[antti]

Originally Posted by Foss

I thought it was pretty clear that the interface was designed for Xbox mainly and for some reason not altered for PC users.
I remember inventory only could display 6 items at a time before you had to scroll down. And with a big font that seemed most usefull for an xbox where you look from a bit father away normally.
Many PC users, including me got user made addons to reduce the font and increase the number of items that you could see without scrolling.

Hey Foss, thanks for the feedback! You're quite right, UI enhancements are among the most popular Oblivion mods. Still, my assessment is that the interface was developed with both platforms in mind, not mainly the Xbox 360. The UI is intuitive to use with a mouse and keyboard, and the inventory system and text size may have been design choices rather than oversights: the developers wanted to present content in the same way on both platforms, possibly to avoid problems. Looks like interface decisions are going to be a recurring theme in these cross-platform reviews.

[Mara_YG]

I would have wanted to see comparison shots with graphic mods :)

There's no doubt what is the best looking game out, when you have mods on Oblivion.

[ajbarnes]

I imaged my Oblivion directory because of the sheer amount of time it took to properly install and setup the visual enhancements and other mods. Oblivion Mod Manger made this process easier, but it was still tweak Hell.

But yes, Oblivion looks stunning with some of the community-made tweaks and content.