Just a quick question.....

[Paul3704]

How come it takes Lionhead (Fable) and Elixir Studios (Republic) over four years to create a remarkably unconvincing world, yet DMA/Rockstar manage to create a pretty convincing environment THREE TIMES in the same period of time?

Is it me or am i missing something?

[Mr Ono]

Ahh, you see, that's where you're wrong.

GTA, VC and SA are all unconvincing as well.

[2097]

DMA/Rockstar have the budget, backing, direction and ownership of one of the worlds largest 3rd party publishers behind them. They have a huge team. Its the 3,4 and 5th (or 4,5 and 6 if you count the add-on) versions of an already established game series. They use an already existing game engine (renderware), they use this in all their games and they design their game for a console.

Lionhead and Elixir have to pitch to publishers, they have to spend development effort on trying to get milestone payments, they cant spend 100% of the time on development. They use their own engines, in Republics case it was developed for the PC with its ever changing specs, they are not only new franchises but new ideas too that havent been proven or have previous games that ironed out the faults. They are overambitious and overhyped.

Although this isnt to take anything away from DMA, they have done what Republic didnt do

[weightgain]

How come it takes Lionhead (Fable) and Elixir Studios (Republic) over four years to create a remarkably unconvincing world, yet DMA/Rockstar manage to create a pretty convincing environment THREE TIMES in the same period of time?

Is it me or am i missing something?

It's all like one game tho isn't it really ?? Personally I though VC wasn't as good as GTA. Can't comment on SA tho

[Flabio]

Renderware?

[Kotatsu Neko]

They use an already existing game engine (renderware), they use this in all their games and they design their game for a console.

Without wanting to be overly pedantic, Renderware is not an engine in the sense that Unreal and Source are engines. Renderware is just a platform, a set of APIs if you like. They are gaining complexity and versatility, but are still a long way from being a proper game engine.

DMA/Rockstar North wrote their own engine using Renderware rendering for GTA 3. Although Renderware softens the blow of development, especially on tangled mess of bizarre custom chips that is the PS2, writing an engine as versatile as GTA is still a considerable achievement.

The reason I suspect Fable took as long as it did was due to poor planning, an inexperienced team learning as they developed the game, and over ambition. The next Fable, assuming there is one, should move a lot smoother. Provided that is Molyneux doesn't get his hands on it too much.

[MD]

So they use Renderware so what? Lotus used Cosworth, Renault, Ford and even Isuzu (and I'm pretty sure Rover) engines in their cars, they knew that they didn't have to build everything to make a great car just as Rockstar know you don't need to write everything to make a great game.

[Paul3704]

Yeah i prefered GTA3 over vice city, thought i was the only one....

I agree with Neko about the inexperienced team i think, but it's always been the same with bullfrog/lionhead. Powermonger, Black and White, black and white 2 etc....