It's bad enough that Valve's The Orange Box is suffering from a joke of a delay on the PlayStation 3, but if 1Up is to be believed, the wait isn't even going to be worth it. Once again, the prospect of severe framerate issues rears its ugly head, which is said render the game "unplayable" at times. Just what is the EA port team playing at?
After spending a significant amount of time with a near final version of the PS3 game, it's apparent that this version suffers from a number of technical flaws, which at best merely hinder game play and at worst make the experience downright unplayable. Framerate is a consistent issue throughout the Half-Life series of games included in The Orange Box. One moment you'll be cruising through the game at 30 frames per second and the next you'll be enjoying a slideshow of series protagonist Gordon Freeman cruising down the river. However, Portal suffers from no such technical hiccups and is on its way to being a pitch-perfect port of the spatial reasoning exercise. Due to a server connection issue, we were unable to get any time with Team Fortress 2.
At least Portal's okay, that's the main thing. One can only hope that "near final" isn't completely "final," but I don't know how much more work they're hoping to do with it to fix such glaring issues. Between the ridiculous delay and the shoddy porting effort, by all accounts it seems that Valve's offer of the year has totally shafted the PS3. No surprise, since Valve head Gabe Newell thinks Sony's console is a complete waste of time.
If there were any PlayStation 3 owners waiting for this one, I hope they have a good PC, just in case.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
5:30 AM on 11.23.2007
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So, everyone, how's the weather?
I'm hoping against hope that 1up.com saw some unoptimized debug build but I still have zero confidence until I see reviews given Gabe's pissing-into-his-own-trifle attitude.
S'why I get annoyed by arrogant PC gamers (not you) who advocate Keyboard/Mouse as the ONLY way to play. It really isn't. Some people just don't like that setup.
Also, this proves that the Cell is so beyond us all that people don't know how to use it. Fact.
EA just DID it on the cheap.
On the port side, that sucks for PS3 users. I wouldn't say this is so much Valves fault as it is EA's. People seem to forget though, EA is porting a whole new engine to the system, one that they didn't write. That must be difficult. I don't think they'd do it on purpose, I just think that the deadline that was set with the release of the PC and 360 versions was unmatchable for EA with the PS3 version.
Proper term: Some people haven't gotten used to that setup.
I used to be like you, you know. Then I converted once I got used to playing Quake.
Skip the PS3 version. Get the PC version. It controls better than the 360 version anyway.
I suppose the good news for those who still need/want the PS3 version is that EA can resolve technical issues with patches. I suppose the bad news for those who still need/want the PS3 version is that EA typically doesn't do patch support for their games for very long after release. If they don't fix it right away, they probably won't fix it.
Valve programmers made the 360 version. "An internal team at EA" handled the PS3 version. So far, every team outside Valve that has licensed the Source engine has run into fatal or near-fatal issues with it. This report should surprise no one who takes all these things into account.
Hell, Valve is making so much dosh with the PC versions through Steam and such, they might have just signed off to EA for all the profits off the PS3 version.
All the ports from the pc have been crap so far. Why is this anything new?
and before people go baggin on the ps3, go play drake's uncharted on a nice hd tv. You'll see why any ps3 nay sayers are wrong. This game is amazing.
Sucks that the PS3 owners are getting the shaft with this. I also don't think it's Gabe's fault. I mean sure, he doesn't like the PS3, but be that as it may, he does like money. Unfortunately, he handed the game off to one of the most ham-handed game studios in the entire world to port, and that's just bad freaking news.
With a little luck they'll get'er all cleaned up before launch and you can finally get your Portal on.
OH SNAP
And Warhawk is third person, not first. Jeez.
And if you must play with thumbsticks (can't see why you would want to if you didnt have to), there is a PC version of the Xbox360 controller
as to where the xbox, if you use one ppc in it runs more like a p4 2.4ghz computer, which was my system with a gforce 6800gt when i played half life 2.
So yes.. It's not moot, it is how the systems are exploited. These stupid ports are mostly running the ps3 as a single ppc with no mutlithreaded code at all. MY point is very valid..
Who cares about half life, i've been over that over hyped game for 2 years now, some stupid retread for stuff that should of been free to begin with is not up my ally at all. I think they ruined tem fortress by making it look like a pixar cartoon. portal, looks like a public domain game you should of been able to download for free or maybe 5 bucks.. team fortress was a free download on the quake engine.. what a joke.
i don't care, and not cause it runs bad. even if this game ran at 60 frames on the ps3, i still would not buy it. if i had a 360, i wouldn't buy it, i'm more that over half life.
Doesn't matter. both systems are great. I'm talking issues with ports. The 360 is great for those pc style games. The ps3 is great if you are more into console style games, like ratchet and clank, drake's uncharted, heavenly sword, etc etc..
Right now, 360 is the king of the first person shooter. and the ps3 is the king of the platformers with adult themes and console style play with great presentation. wii is the king of fluffy kids plat formers and party games..
All of the sytems offer something the others don't. too bad for those who don't have a ton of money.
Thats great that you dont care about Orange Box. If you did I'd bet you'd feel real bad right about now. I bet you don't care about Halo, Gears, Madden, Mario Galaxy, Zelda, Bioshock or any other hit game that isn't PS3 friendly, if it was on the PS3 at all.
@hexfix
So have you played Mass Effect yet? Have you taken in its awesomeness and realized its one of the greatest rpgs to come out this year? Oh yeah, and its on the 360, "the king of of the first person shooter."
I want to play gears so bad. I wont buy pcs anymore. i'm a mac guy now. So i cant wait for a stable 360, and a good price point, and i will play bioshock, gears, and mass effect then for sure..
I still favor the ps3 over all systems. But if i had the money and space, i would have them all.
I'm glad you don't like the Orange Box. Because there is little chance of me being on the same server as you on TF2.
But everyone should play portal.
@Amp, converted? So you ceased to play console FPS games?
Get it through your skull, some people don't like that damn set-up, I played Quake, Counterstrike, the Original Half Life, Doom 1 through 3, I DONT LIKE PC GAMING.
Oh dear...oh dear.
I hate EA, yet I buy their games.
I feel anger over Valve though, for not giving a crap!
Yet I'll get this for the BS3. ( PORTAL )
& I ain't buying no 360, EVA! ( I'ld rather buy a Wii ! )
"Half Life 2 sucks period, PS3 owners should be thankful that Crap Life 2 hasn't darkened their console, PS3's library gets enough flack as it is without adding one more turd to the mix."
Did you....were you serious? I'm all for everyone having their own opinion, but not even acknowledging it's amazing story telling and innovative puzzle solving gameplay by calling the entire game crap, is..I don't know. You're fucking stupid, is all I have to say.
@ hexfix
You're trying so hard not to explode into a ball of fanboy hatred. It's actually pretty funny to watch. And I love how you're discounting the Half-Life series as just a last gen title when it's better than any game on the PS3, period.
Half life 2 was a huge let down for me 2 years ago. i mean it really tanked on me. i loved the first one so much, thought the second one would take yah back into that sci fi place it had at the end of it. instead, it was more like a halloween game, i thought parts of it were ok, but way over hyped, and i played it again recently and still, it wasnt that good.
TO ME any way. I'm not a fan boy. How many times do i have to give props to the wii and the 360 before you guys stop labeling me as a fan boy. the truth is, the people who throw that shit at me are sony bashers.