Continuing the trend of showing off the game by demoing its spaceships as in-game commercials, here’s the latest from Star Citizen; the Anvil Aerospace Hornet. what makes this trailer special though, is that it’s available to watch in 4K resolution, if you have the requisite hardware. I don’t – but it looks pretty damned amazing in 1080p. And it’s all in-engine, in real time.
"We’re pushing the limits with Star Citizen, and this commercial is our best example yet," Star Citizen’s Chris Roberts said on the Robert’s Space Industries site.
"It’s rendered 100 per cent in-engine in real-time at 4K resolution. We scale everything for the super high resolutions that will be the basis of tomorrow’s gaming experience; our assets are designed with high polycounts instead of having details baked into their textures. That’s a big part of why Nvidia and AMD have been demoing Star Citizen at 4K!
"The next generation of CPUs and GPUs will make this kind of experience possible in gameplay, and we are building Star Citizen to be ready. With the Hornet commercial, we wanted to give our backers an early look."
If you have a 4K monitor, firstly, curse you. Secondly, make sure the clip is set to “Original HD”. Something tells me this game is going to be responsible for many a PC upgrade.
Last Updated: October 23, 2013
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
October 23, 2013 at 13:07
The only thing that worries me about Star Citizen is that for an indie title it’s incredibly ambitious (and just look at Gary’s Incident -easily the worst game after War Z). Having said that, I’m getting awesome Colony Wars vibes from it. 😀
Rags
October 23, 2013 at 13:41
Trying to understand your concern, if it was a publisher studio would you be more at ease? If so, why?
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
October 23, 2013 at 13:52
Resources! Smaller devs and indies have less resources, so if an indie title is extremely ambitious you should be concerned. The trashheap of gaming is littered with excellent game ideas that were hampered by limited resources – be it man power, funds or just putting too much on one plate.
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 23, 2013 at 13:55
$24 million & counting & multiple experienced dev teams.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
October 23, 2013 at 14:07
Which isn’t profit, that’s development and marketing costs, if you’re a small dev who needs to cover that in the short term (post release – to keep investors happy or the kickstarter folk smiling), and you’re not Notch* with his handful of staff for Minecraft – then it’s going to get pretty interesting.
I guess on the plus side, they’ve been doing some amazing marketing work on this game. The ship videos are gold, and there’s definitely a buzz surrounding it. The big boys should take note, but if this game fails or fails to reach whatever target they set to remain in the black, it’s going to be curtains for Roberts and co.
*Of course Notch started off small with Minecraft, and due to its success managed to build a larger enterprise. These guys are starting off big.
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 23, 2013 at 14:11
The profit comes from selling the game after release & additional content. They’ve been pretty clear about that. Don’t shift the goal posts from resources to profit 😛
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
October 23, 2013 at 14:15
The two aren’t that different.
Also, $24 million for one ambitious game sounds like a lot, but when you consider the overall costs involved from team sizes, salaries, marketing, developing, and how long the project has to run, It still boils down to… RESOURCES being a limiting factor!
The big boys have multiple projects running at the same time, but the company itself has tidy nest egg in assets and the bank (unless you’re Capcom.. cough.. too soon?).
Here we have one game, that’s generously funded, but it will all hinge on how well it sells, and whether the project is managed to remain in the black.
It still comes back to the worry that Star Citizen is ambitious for a fledgling Indie dev.
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 23, 2013 at 14:52
They’re very different. Resources are required to get a product to market. Profit is generated from sales after that point. If it doesn’t sell, then yes, they go boom. That’s the risk all independent devs take, and it’ll suck for people like me who hope it’ll do well. That’s the way the world works.
Yes they’re limited by resources, everything is including publisher backed games – but they also don’t have the massive costs associated to big publishers either, nor are they blasting the airwaves with marketing. Also, an ambitious concept does not mean it costs a fortune. They’ve been pretty transparent in what things cost, they’re hitting milestones like the recent hanger module, so everything appears to be in hand & it doesn’t seem likely that we’ll end up with a Double Fine.
I’m also bit confused how you can call the creator of the Wing Commander series a fledgling indie dev.
Rags
October 23, 2013 at 14:53
The game was budgeted at a cost of $21m. So no there is not a lack of resources, not in terms of money or manpower.
Manic
October 23, 2013 at 16:17
Their marketing is free. Know why? WE are the marketing.
Rags
October 23, 2013 at 14:06
Yeah, but I don’t see how that applies here? 😛 Cloud Imperium seem to have both the resources and the manpower to deliver on the ideas. Just like I won’t be concerned for Epic Games to deliver their next big UE4 game(s). 😛
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
October 23, 2013 at 14:09
Tell that to THQ.
Admiral Chief Ninja
October 23, 2013 at 14:10
Haha
No Longer SIR Twakkus
October 23, 2013 at 14:21
I hear you mr Banana but I think THQ had waaaay to much riding on sub-par games. This is being developed by gamers for gamers without suits interfering in its development. Well that is what I am hoping for.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
October 23, 2013 at 15:32
Don’t get me wrong, I’m hoping that this game delivers, it looks absolutely stunning, and just the kind of title that I’ll force me to upgrade my ageing rig. I’m just pointing out the potential downside of such an ambitious title.
Devourer of Small Bunnies
October 23, 2013 at 13:47
but but wing commander!!
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 23, 2013 at 13:11
I hate this commercial. My 300i got blown to smithereens.
Admiral Chief Ninja
October 23, 2013 at 13:12
The level of PEW, ITS OVER 900000000000000000000000000000000!!!!!!!!!!
NecroRince
October 23, 2013 at 13:35
Neva!
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
October 23, 2013 at 14:04
Pew pew
No Longer SIR Twakkus
October 23, 2013 at 14:17
You can NEVER have too much Pew in space games!
John's (JJ's) Steaming backlog
October 23, 2013 at 14:27
Someone really doesn’t like you commenting today
Admiral Chief Ninja
October 23, 2013 at 14:28
I think its someone with console butthurt
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 23, 2013 at 14:53
Maybe they accidentally sat on their controller when hopping onto the old couch?
Admiral Chief Ninja
October 23, 2013 at 13:13
This looks better than most CGI movies
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 23, 2013 at 13:32
The best part… that’s in-game… alpha.
NecroRince
October 23, 2013 at 13:35
You called?
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 23, 2013 at 13:40
I did? I never said… erm… damn it! There’s so many options I can’t choose.
John's (JJ's) Steaming backlog
October 23, 2013 at 13:58
Time to buy a joystick…
John's (JJ's) Steaming backlog
October 23, 2013 at 13:56
Check all your downvotes. But why?
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 23, 2013 at 13:58
Some big CGI fans among the News24 readers.
John's (JJ's) Steaming backlog
October 23, 2013 at 13:59
IMHO Jurassic Park had amazing CGI, what, 20 years ago, and STILL most movies have CGI that can’t compare to that. There’s something very wrong here.
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
October 23, 2013 at 14:04
I’ve always wondered about that. The Jurassic Park graphics still hold up against today’s stuff. Dafuq is that possible?
Admiral Chief Ninja
October 23, 2013 at 14:05
REAL DINOS!!!
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
October 23, 2013 at 14:06
Exactly what I’ve been thinking all along. The reason it looks so real is coz THEY ARE REAL and Spielberg has been holding out on us!
Brady miaau
October 23, 2013 at 14:17
Silicon Graphics machines, dedicated from the ground up for one task, as I recall. Super expensive, out of reach of anybody but the largest companies at the time.
John's (JJ's) Steaming backlog
October 23, 2013 at 14:29
I have the special edition dvd with the making-of and they literally had rooms full of pc’s to run that. But still, I just don’t know why we STILL, after 20 years, have to watch inferior CGI.
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
October 23, 2013 at 15:03
You were supposed to say the Dinos were real. Thanx for destroying that dream!
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
October 23, 2013 at 16:12
Absolutely spot-on. I actually managed to check out one of those silicon graphics machines – as an undergrad (many.. many years ago). Did some climate modelling on one once as part of a prac. Hectic machinery!
Mark Treloar
October 23, 2013 at 14:07
Because Master Race FTW
Admiral Chief Ninja
October 23, 2013 at 14:08
I am of the master race, and we all know what level of rendering CGI movies needs (whole server farms), and by saying that this looks better, means that PC FTW in any case. So I’m actually giving this the highest praise. I fear most do not understand
No Longer SIR Twakkus
October 23, 2013 at 14:18
Whats going on with all these downvote trolls? Are we being invaded?
John's (JJ's) Steaming backlog
October 23, 2013 at 14:28
PC
F
T
W
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
October 23, 2013 at 13:34
This looks epic!!!!
NecroRince
October 23, 2013 at 13:38
Wow man, pretty damn sweet.
Unavengedavo(aka. IceCreamMan)
October 23, 2013 at 13:43
But there is no sound in space!!!
Hillbillly Gamer
October 23, 2013 at 13:48
Who caress, me want :{)
Devourer of Small Bunnies
October 23, 2013 at 13:47
Wonder how long it’d take to stream the add on 4k, or at least the bandwidth usage. For Science and shit.
Ultimo_Cleric N7
October 23, 2013 at 13:50
This game is going to own….. many awards to follow, mark my words.
No Longer SIR Twakkus
October 23, 2013 at 14:19
Think it might win game of the century!!
Kromas
October 23, 2013 at 13:52
Dat lens flare. Suppose JJ now wants to play it as well.
John's (JJ's) Steaming backlog
October 23, 2013 at 13:53
This, now!
HvR
October 23, 2013 at 14:23
2015 wishlist:
Brand new PC rig (the old bird have served me well just one more year)
Oculist Rift
Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog
Star Citizen
Divorce lawyer (do not really want one but going to need it since the wife ain’t going to be happy)
BacchusZA
October 23, 2013 at 16:06
In the last year I’ve acquired pretty much everything you have on your list other than the Oculus Rift. I’ve gone with a 3 monitor set-up for now, but I’ll be looking very closely at the OR when it’s released.
So yeah, it’s been an expensive year for me…….
Fortunately I’m not married so I don’t need to worry about the divorce lawyer 🙂
Oh, and P.S. – the Warthog is a thing of beauty if you’re into sims, worth every cent you spend on it.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
October 23, 2013 at 16:13
That’s it, I’m going to bum at my mate, Bacchus for a while. He has all the cool toys 😛
BacchusZA
October 23, 2013 at 20:43
Heh cool, anytime. I could use some civilised company up here in the heathen wilds of Gauteng.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
October 24, 2013 at 13:32
I’ll bring the PS4, some extra money for guiness and chinese take-out.
FoxOneZA
October 23, 2013 at 15:25
Star Citizen and Project CARS will turn a new page in gaming history, that’s if these games ever get released.