With the New Xbox Experience drawing ever closer many are looking forward to the new and shiny menu system, as well as getting to install the games on HDD.
Apparently some games will be better off being installed as Variety’s Ben Fritz reports Lionhead’s Fable 2 looks much ”sharper and brighter.” It’s all down to access times.
If you’ve been playing Fable 2 you’ll know the speed of the games disc is almost enough to lift the console off the ground. When installed it can access the data much faster than on disc so the texture ‘popping’ is greatly reduced which basically means the higher quality visuals are loaded all the time, or very near all the time.
”“Fable 2” looks noticeably better. The graphics are sharper and brighter. So much so that it’s like the game, or my graphics processor, has gotten an upgrade,” writes Ben Fritz.
”Perhaps someone more familiar with programming can tell me why, but I assume it has to do with the fact that it’s easier for the console to access and process all the requisite data, so it has to make fewer compromises to deliver me graphics in real time.”
He adds that no one at Microsoft has ”talked about this benefit”, and frankly I can see why. If they start tooting their horn on improved visuals and the like then everyone is going to expect this for every single game, which just isn’t possible.
For videogames like Fable 2 and BioWare’s Mass Effect there will be significant improvements to visuals as the load times for their oceans of textures is greatly cut down. The majority of games though will just get to have their levels load a bit faster, not looking better. Shame that.
