Gears of War 3 is the latest game to leverage its numerical modifier by adding 3D support (first pioneered by classic films like Jaws 3-D and SpyKids 3-D), and joins other participants like Killzone 3, Uncharted 3, and Resistance 3. "It felt like something we wanted to have. It was a feature we didn't want to be deficient in," Gears producer Rod Fergusson told Eurogamer. "When you look at Gears 1, it was what people used to demo HD at the time. "Ironically enough, the tradeoff for 3D support in Gears 3 will be sub-HD resolutions. "Instead of 720p you're at five something," Fergusson said. "It's a little bit jaggier in certain areas." If it sounds weird to hear an Epic employee suggesting that an Epic game is anything less than a technology high-water mark, there's a reason for it: 3D support "was something that came in really late in our process," Fergusson explained. Instead of building in 3D support from the ground up, Epic instead opted for a post-processing effect that "generally works," he said. The technology is most likely TriOviz, which was accepted into Unreal Engine's Integrated Partners Program last year.



Ahead of its launch next month, we check out the opening chapter of Epic’s four-player co-op war against the Locust. Includes words from Rod Fergusson and new screens and video.


With the narrative placed firmly in safe hands, Epic has focused on how best to make the busy business of running and gunning work for four players. Fergusson has previously spoken about the requirement to provide cover positions and flanking opportunities for four players and how, to facilitate this, Epic has gone back to the “combat bowls” of the first game – large, sealed off, arena-type areas in which battles can be pitched and players can work cooperatively without getting in each other’s way.


Our play-through of chapter one presents a number of these areas: from the large floating fortress the Gears now call home to town squares, sprawling warehouses and even a football stadium, each with sufficient space to accommodate the multiple burly forms rendered by the Unreal Engine.


The concerted effort of our four human-players against hardcore-level opposition reveals that the game is no pushover, although Fergusson later explains that casual mode has been made easier to eliminate the barrier of entry for new players.


We lack headsets, so are unable to effectively communicate above the general hubbub of the dozen or so demo pods present, but despite this being chapter one and us being four players with varying levels of Gears experience, we see the game over screen more times than one might expect as one, some or all of us bleed-out at various times.


This is due, in no small part, to the Lambent: mutated Locust foes, misshapen and twisted by the effects of the Imulsion that has infected them. The Lambent are Epic’s specific and focused response to the threat of having four humans able to coordinate their efforts and they offer far tougher resistance than their less deformed Locust brethren.


“We looked very carefully at the difficulty issue, knowing that four human players would be much more effective than one player with AI bots,” Fergusson confirms. “We were aware that if all four players were to concentrate their fire on one enemy then they’re going to just mow them down, so that’s where the idea for the Lambent design came in.
“Now, we have enemies that are strong enough to counter that threat, that have the ability to mutate and shoot at multiple people at a time or to shoot over cover to drive players out into the open. They may also explode if players get in too close and just generally harder to kill. All of this is to deal with the difficulty level issues and to avoid players just tearing through the game.”




Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/15/gears-of-war-3-adds-3d-support-we-await-gears-of-war-3-d-re-tit/
Source: http://www.vg247.com/2011/08/15/fenix-nights-gears-of-war-3-%E2%80%93-four-player-co-op-hands-on/

Posted: Aug 15, 2011 3:06 pm