A. It's on the PC too.
B. It proves you wrong that SD will not see any upgrade.
C. It's BETA code. Not code with features that will be stripped, code that has features yet to be added and optimized.
D. PGR3 provides the most visceral virtual racing currently available. The detailed cockpit replicas help with imersion and make the game feel more real.
a; um...so? I said the game didn't interest me in any case. In any case, I doubt it would run on my Pc, and pound for pound a 360 (if you find one) is probably cheaper than a top-gen upgrade........
b;Sorry? It's a less significant upgrade in my opinion at this stage. To me it's a rather simple equation; less optimized games (new technology), written to run effectively on higher resolution, mean both less of a visual improvement on SDTV than games on the same console running at a fixed SDTV resolution, and less of an immediate improvement upon the best recent/old-gen games (which have the advantage of not catering to higher resolution nor the need to aqquaint oneselve with a new toolset). In any case, of all the released games I've seen so far, the primary change has been higher resolution and anti-aliasing. That will likely change, but it still dampens the arguement.
More importantly, I guess, both Sony and MS have been very keen to champion the 360 and PS3 as heralding the age of 'HD gaming'; in other words to link the console with these expensive TVs in the consumers' minds, almost trying to make them feel obliged to buy (a) HDTV with the console - or neither. Which was essentially my point; the primary marketing push seems to me to centre around the HDTV resolution of the games, probably because the visual difference isn't massively easy to quantify (especially in the first gen)
c; Features are not added in Beta testing; they are added during Alpha. Beta is the process when code is feature-locked and tested for correctness prior to release; all code changes are for corrections. Features can, though, be removed or trimmed during beta if there are unfixable errors relating to them; one example that comes to mind is BF:Vietnam, which cut a number of items from it (B-52 bombers and flare guns in particular), causing much chagrin to magazines that reviewed the beta version (gits). In any case, it's unwise to use a non-finalized version as a judge of the final product; it can cut both ways, either giving an unfairly poor example of the game, or allowing and unfairly positive one (due to the expectation of significant corrections); how many times have we seen magazine previews (even when seen shortly before) that are far, far more positive than the eventually review? I also remember stories - may be wrong here - about concerns over the performance of PGR3 which seemed resolved by revealing it 'only' ran at 720p rather than 1080p.
In any case, features are
never added in beta - that'd be blatant stupidity as it would require restarting the whole beta testing process.
d; You opinion, I guess (sounds a bit like a PR soundbite, actually - 'visceral'?!). All I've read (from professional reviewers, like) is that it's essentially a shinier version of PGR2. I doubt added detail in the interiors has or ever will impact gameplay; certainly I'd (for example) rate a few of the N64 games above PS2 and PC equivalents. More importantly, again, the players visual focus is upon the road and opponents in front of them; these flashy cockpits become peripheral vision objects. Obviously you'll see it more and more, replete with motion captured Havk physics furry dice, but I suspect it's down to the developers feeling obliged to add something and keep pace rather than any actual advantage to gameplay. Also gaming is a fundamentally dissasociative medium anyways, and the whole uncanny valley effect numbs the response to graphics; I've not been exactly blown away by anything of late on PC, 360, PS3, etc, although I am now somewhat cynical & numb to the 'bigger, flasher' syndrome affecting most new games, nowadays.
Anyways, to get back on topic. The original criticism you made of blu-ray was that it required HD-TV for full effect, and that low HD-TV ownership would mean DVDs would be dominant. My point was, isn't that equally applicable to next-gen consoles trumpeting the 'HD revolution' or somesuch? As in, why would people upgrade to them if they don't get the full HD-TV effect?
We know, of course, people do anyways. People futureproof in bits and bobs; they don't just go out one day and buy a top of the range everything, unless they're stinking rich. So odds are Blu-ray - or HD-DVD or a similar HD-TV benefitting standard - will gain acceptance, because people will expect it to become adopted. Why release CDs when people have tape decks at home? Etc.
