Hold on! This can't be read on SDTV!

[ginji]

I was watching the Gamespot video interview, and since it showed some HUD I've decided to download the video (HD quality) and play it on my Xbox 360.

 

The menus are fine, but subtitles and Dialog Choices just can't be read on SDTV! And I have a 34''!

 

The subtitles have little too less contrast, and they melt with the background when you see the scenes from Saudi Arabia (brown on brown). Its' a critical issue for me, that I have to read subtitles since I'm not english.

Even worse, the dialog choices are completely unreadable! They melt with everything, you should really set the contrast UP to make the letters stand out from the rest of the HUD.

 

Come on! Make this thing readable, what am I asking for?

Edited April 15, 2010 by ginji

[Amentep]

Processed video, encoded, uploaded, downloaded and decoded is an accurate representation of how the game will look when directly played on a tv?

 

What?

[Pidesco]

In any case, isn't it standard to have two fonts in console games, one for HDTVs and another one for SDTVs? It seems like something obvious and trivial for a dev to do.

[Amentep]

and didn't they say it was tested with SDTVs and it looked fine?

[mr insomniac]

Processed video, encoded, uploaded, downloaded and decoded is an accurate representation of how the game will look when directly played on a tv?

 

What?

This. Admittedly I don't own a console and don't play games on a TV but other videos I've watched for games, even in HD, don't have the same appearance as the actual game on my screen. In any case, who's to say the settings for the game shown in the video are anything other than default settings?

 

A person could always rent the game first and see how it looks before buying.

[ginji]

Processed video, encoded, uploaded, downloaded and decoded is an accurate representation of how the game will look when directly played on a tv?

 

What?

 

Videos of Ninja Gaiden 2 or Sonic Unleashed (I'm saying the first 2 that comes to my mind) clearly showed that the text could be read on an SDTV. I can't read Alpha Protocol.

Something is wrong, then.

 

In any case, isn't it standard to have two fonts in console games, one for HDTVs and another one for SDTVs? It seems like something obvious and trivial for a dev to do.

 

Exactly. How hard could it be? People complained for Dead Rising, complained for Banjo & Kazooje, complained for weeks with hundreds of posts for Mass Effect 2, for an issue so stupid and so easy to address.

 

and didn't they say it was tested with SDTVs and it looked fine?

 

That's why I'm complaining!

 

Processed video, encoded, uploaded, downloaded and decoded is an accurate representation of how the game will look when directly played on a tv?

 

What?

This. Admittedly I don't own a console and don't play games on a TV but other videos I've watched for games, even in HD, don't have the same appearance as the actual game on my screen. In any case, who's to say the settings for the game shown in the video are anything other than default settings?

 

A person could always rent the game first and see how it looks before buying.

 

The fact is that, if it isn't readable, I just won't buy it because I couldn't play it.

[Pidesco]

In any case, isn't it standard to have two fonts in console games, one for HDTVs and another one for SDTVs? It seems like something obvious and trivial for a dev to do.

 

Exactly. How hard could it be? People complained for Dead Rising, complained for Banjo & Kazooje, complained for weeks with hundreds of posts for Mass Effect 2, for an issue so stupid and so easy to address.

 

My point is that if there are two differently sized fonts, you're obviously not seeing the SD font in the Gamespot footage.

[Tigranes]

1) Even though it might be okay for some videos, downloading gameplay vids and playing them is not an accurate way to determine how full game text will look in your TV, as Amentep says. Especially depending on what you did decode/encode-wise, etc.

 

2) What Pidesco says, re. SD font.

 

3) If you really really really want to be sure, just wait for people to buy it and then google. Devs have already given assurance that it's tested for SDTV. You putting a gameplay vid on doesn't really change this either way, because of 1).

[ginji]

You guys could be right...

I really hope you're right :D

 

It would be nice if some developer would come and post in this thread, just to say if the text font and size for SDTV is any different from that video.

[WorstUsernameEver]

Not completely related but J.E. Sawyer complained in his formspring page about the fact that some console games passed certification even when they're not readable on SDTV, so it seems this is a serious concern for Obsidian.

Not sure if this reassures you though.