Ubisoft engineer says Microsoft & Sony pressuring them 30fps on PC
An intersting story was posted at Reddit, basically at a school presentation about game programming a Ubisoft engineer / Game architect slipped a few words he probably should not have told, he stated that they aim for 60 fps but due to "limitations", they have to settle for 30 fps in recent games.
He then implied that console makers are pressuring them into doing the same thing on PC. Here's a transcript of it all, thanks for harkinsteven for spotting this one:
Proof : http://i.imgur.com/hBdu5ot.jpg
A lot of things were said during the presentation, there was a Game Architect, an Online Programmer, and a person from HR.
"So what the hell happened with watch dogs?" u/Egg_Slicer
During the presentation, the Online Programmer said that just before they release a game, they have to send a copy to console manufacturers, which then tell them what to keep and what to throw away (sooo yeah Watch Dogs maybe ?).
"30fps vs 60fps" ? everyone
The Game Architect said that they aim for 60 fps but due to "limitations", they have to settle for 30 fps in recent games. He then implied that console makers are pressuring them into doing the same thing on PC.
"Ask how bad the upper/middle management is." u/Ed130_The_Vanguard
The HR rep said that managers are former programmers and can sometimes be interns. But people are always managed by someone who could do their job.
Not asked, but worth mentionning :
The Game Architect said that they try to re-use code as much as possible. So that's maybe what happened with the AI in Watch Dogs which was taken from AC.
"Are you aware of the negative response to the recent decision to lock your games (like AC:Unity) into 30 frames per second? If so, what do you think about that?" u/TwinDragonsOfChaos
I asked this question at the end of the presentation, everyone laughed. The Game Architect said that on consoles, and for this type of game, they have to chose between graphical fidelity and smoothness. He implied that MS is making them lock the framerate on PC too. Then, he smiled, said "But our eyes can't see past 24 fps anyway" and winked at me.
"Then maybe ask about the impact of AI on these APUs in the consoles."
They said they have to use Microsoft's cloud instead of the APU to do the AI in certain games due to hardware limitations.
"You can also ask what is the preferred platform to develop for."
PC, because they have to use specific languages and debuggers for each console and then validate the game with the constructor.
"You should ask them if they get any say in what the PR people are telling us."
They don't. Clearly the two engineers were no peasants, but they were asked questions they could not answer. He only implied that there were hardware limitations all over the place. And his wink when he told me that 24fps was all we needed confirmed that.
"Do people who work for Ubisoft have mobility ? Can they work abroad if they want or change their career path ?" (question from a classmate)
Yes, engineers can become managers and vice-versa, they can also fill openings in other studios, or change teams.
If you have any questions about the presentation, feel free to ask. It was very interesting, and they offered us internships and jobs. They told us a lot of stuff about game development.
Edit : Thanks for the gold !
Ubisoft and NVIDIA Partner Up for Assassin's Creed Unity Far Cry 4 And More - 06/05/2014 09:03 AM
Ubisoft and NVIDIA today announced the next chapter in their strategic partnership bringing amazing PC gaming experiences to life in Ubisoft's highly anticipated upcoming titles including Assassin's...
Ubisoft shows off the Snowdrop engine (video) - 12/11/2013 03:32 PM
Ubisoft uploaded a clip that shows off the features of Snowdrop. Powered by the Next Gen Snowdrop engine, Tom Clancy's The Division sets a new bar in video game realism and open-world rendering. Exp...
Ubisoft online store leaks Battlefield 4 system requirements - 07/24/2013 08:44 AM
In a fortunate event Battlefield 4′s system requirements are stated to be similar to those of Battlefield 3. By mistake the specs have been publish on Ubisoft’s online store. Inte...
Ubisoft Website Confirmed to be Hacked - 07/02/2013 08:26 PM
Usernames and email addresses stolen as Ubisoft recommends password change. Ubisoft has confirmed that its website has been hacked. According to an email sent to all users, usernames, email addresses...
Ubisoft takes Uplay down after Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon gets hacked - 04/10/2013 08:50 AM
Ubisoft has disabled the PC game download service for Uplay, its digital distribution and digital rights management service, after an exploit allowed users to download upcoming spin-off Far Cry 3: Blo...
Senior Member
Posts: 7113
Joined: 2004-10-01
And so the blame game has started.. lol
Senior Member
Posts: 4196
Joined: 2004-09-28
If I was a game developer I would say no to both Sony and MS about limiting PC games to 30fps and continue to make them 60fps. Why should Pc gamers suffer if their console counter part can't do 60fps on a consistent basis.
Senior Member
Posts: 2942
Joined: 2008-11-29
PC gamers need to raise a massive sh1tstorm because of this.
Senior Member
Posts: 785
Joined: 2014-09-22
I don't see how this could possibly be true. There are less than a handful of games that ran at 60 frames last gen and almost none that ran at 60 frames at 1080p.
Most games this gen have been 30 frames too except for indie games and remakes of last gen games.
Sony literally has nothing to gain from doing this.
Senior Member
Posts: 9784
Joined: 2008-01-06