Real Time.....

What does it really mean, in gaming terms? I hear it mentioned all the time but perhaps don't fully appreciate the advantages.

As for Kara?. I want one! Anybody remember Cherry 2000?

I like my games to have depth to the back story and this looks like a lot of thought has gone into it. It might only be a tech demo for now, but I doubt it will remain that way.

1987, eh? I missed that one. That was the year Mannequin came out too. And I've yet to see that also.

That Kara demo sounds really cool. I am gonna look into that more later on. Makes you wonder. The history of man(kind) has sort of always been about slavery, getting other people to do your bidding. Male fantasies eh? We're just naturally programmed to want things we cannot have.

I wonder what the ultimate women's fantasy is? Is it the same as us? I doubt it. They probably want a man who comes with an inbuilt screwdriver or something.

Real time? Are you referring to how 3D images are processed in real time as opposed to having already been rendered earlier? If so, here's my take on it: in 3D games we get to look about a virtual world, choose our view point and so our graphics systems are constantly calculating what that view looks like. Remember that this view might also include dynamic lighting and shadow effects, movable objects (including yourself) and other characters (especially enemy AI) - all of this needs to be calculated as you view it (in real time).

If it was pre-rendered, you wouldn't have any other point of view. The rules of how a scene was going to unfold would already be laid out in such a restrictive way that they would follow what the artist/editor/programmer already prepared earlier, like watching a film that had been decided on earlier. There's no real time processing to calculate how a scene looks as it's all been decided already. There is some overlap though: cut scenes in some games (like GTA IV) account for how you've chosen to personalise your character model. Anyway, I doubt you'll read this. Just complain that I'm boring you again. One of them Cherry 2000* models look good to me. Just gotta remember not to get it (too) wet...

*NSFW - not really suitable for work/children

Edited by deleted (Sun 11-Mar-12 13:41:11)

Thanks mate.

I see where you are coming from, but I'm still unsure what the real benefits are. After all, many open world "sandbox" games seem to work ok already. Does it reduce the size of games on discs? Many Xbox games apparently have 3 discs already. I suppose further down the line when we inevitably turn to downloading all our content, it could prove far more effective.

I would never call you boring Spook. That said, if it comes to choosing with whom to enjoy an evening of scintillating conversation, I wouldn't climb over Melanie G to get to you. Not that she says a lot when I am imagining how the evening might go mind you.

Don't even know who Melanie G is. If she's anything like... Well, anyway. Back to real time - I don't think it has anything to do with game data size. I think (don't know), but I think most game data is texture and sound based.

Textures will be picked up and assembled into a scene, fitting a wireframe. I think this is what they call rendering. Anyway, I'm knackered. Gotta go to sleep. Shame there's no Melanies for me to climb over!

Melanie Griffith (aka Cherry).

Oh! That Mel G. Face. Palm. Doh.

Actually, ahem. In my defense I've only had 2 hours or so sleep. And no, no naughty business unfortunately. I was working on my little project. What little project? Ah. Well. Now that's a secret!

Edited by deleted (Mon 12-Mar-12 20:02:33)

Two hours sleep? Secret project? Good god man, you're not building your own?

Ahahaha. Yup! How did you guess?

real time rendering = any fully interactive 3d computer game.

Non real time or "pre-rendered" = Shrek, and avatar for example. These are rendered by huge super computers at about 1fps and recorded to be played back at a later date by a simple video.

I.E real time is anything that your computer physically has to calculate and render its self. So all 3D games. (some cut scenes are pre-rendered and are actually just video of this being played back. Lots of games do this for cut scenes. It is because it can look a lot better than a real time scene can look. But its only a video file thats it.)

Non real time is any video of CGI or animation. Its just a recording of something rendered outside of the machine and at an earlier time than it is being displayed. Its technically just a recording and its made into a video and sped up to a nice smooth FPS. Then is get played back to you on your TV or monitor.

This is done because it can take months to render a 180min CGI film with 100x the power of your computer. So its would be impossible for your computer to render even one frame of some things in an entire day, let alone second. This is why non real time graphics can look so much more amazing than real time stuff.


So when people say "this is real time footage of game X" They mean that the graphics are actually physically being rendered on the screen by that particular machine in real time, i.e at a nice smooth FPS hopefully


Hope this makes sense.

To put very simply.... Pre-rendered is just a video of computer generated graphics sped up to a smooth frame rate and played back.
And Real-Time is actual computer graphics being drawn on the screen by a machine AT THE TIME.

ALL computer games MUST be real-time, because otherwise you cant interact with whats being show on screen. You cant interact with a pre-recorded video. Its just what it is, a static video. A recording of something.

Edited by deleted (Tue 13-Mar-12 02:30:23)

Thanks Death.

So I guess the question is why are games developers making a big thing about it lately? If all graphics are real time anyway, are they just trying to point out how close to pre rendering their visuals are looking now? Or are they trying to show that real time cut scenes are saving another resource such as disc space? Do traditional pre rendered cut scenes take up large amounts of disc space? Or perhaps real time cut scenes shorten the development process? I have definitely noticed "real time" being referenced more and more often in developers articles.

Either way, Kara is a real time cut scene and looks excellent.

Post deleted by time2die

Pre rendered means they can take as long as they want to make the video and still achieve 30 fps on the screen because rendering in real time would probably result in abysmal fps to achieve the same visual fidelity. Videos can save space in reduced textures, animations and models.

The issue is, does it detract from the game when the video looks nothing like the in game graphics of the game, ie does it ruin the experience hence the push for real time cutscenes.

In reply to a post by mrnelster:

Thanks Death.

So I guess the question is why are games developers making a big thing about it lately? If all graphics are real time anyway, are they just trying to point out how close to pre rendering their visuals are looking now? Or are they trying to show that real time cut scenes are saving another resource such as disc space? Do traditional pre rendered cut scenes take up large amounts of disc space? Or perhaps real time cut scenes shorten the development process? I have definitely noticed "real time" being referenced more and more often in developers articles.

Either way, Kara is a real time cut scene and looks excellent.

Yeah it is just marketing really. They are basicaly saying look how good our engine looks. Its running real time at 30fps and looks great...

So people go oh wow that looks awesome i thought it was pre-renderd ! I mean to be fair the Kara graphics look no better than heavy rain. Of course because its the same engine and its at the limits of the consoles power... The facial capture tech they have used is the standout part. But the actual graphics are no better than many other console games. They are at the limit of what a console can render in realtime at a smooth playable FPS.


Its just marketing really and a way to show of the engine. It would be pointless showing something pre-renderd, because when u go and buy the game it will look way worse.

You will notice on TV adverts they use "not in game footage". So they have pre renderd scenes that look way better than what the actual game looks like running on the slow ass 6 year old consoles.


To be fair i play computer games because of the cool REAL TIME graphics. I dont want any prerendered VIDEO in my games lol. I hate it when they use prerendered stuff for cut scenes in games. It might look "better" but in reality it just looks like a video playing... which is exactly what it is. It detracts from the experience for me.

Edited by deleted (Tue 13-Mar-12 21:45:31)

In reply to a post by Gzero:

The issue is, does it detract from the game when the video looks nothing like the in game graphics of the game, ie does it ruin the experience hence the push for real time cutscenes.

That makes sense of it. I have noticed a big play on the phrase and can see why now.

The reason they say "this is real time!"

Is because they want to convey to people that what they see is what they are going to get in the game.

They are just saying that "This is what our entire game will look like".

I mean they could show avatar to you and say "this is not real time". But what is the point in that ?. People like to see what the game ACTUALLY looks like before they buy it. When ever they say "this is real time". They mean that they are showing you what the game will actually look like. Not some fake prerendered promo video.

Edited by deleted (Tue 13-Mar-12 22:14:25)

Thanks Death.

In reply to a post by DrDeath:

I hate it when they use prerendered stuff for cut scenes in games.

It does show up the in game graphics, but when done properly it can really add to the game. In Dead Space and Dead Island I find the cut scenes annoying.

In Uncharted 3 they made the game a truly cinematic experience and I loved every mInute of it.

Its not that the prerendered shows up the actual game graphics that makes me not like them. Its the fact they are just not right and it feel like cheating. I like to play games because they are games and they use realtime graphics. If i wanted to watch a animated prerendered film i would watch toy story or something. I like games acctualy being 100% real time rendered 3D graphics.

Also you can really notice the video compression on them, the colours are less vibrant and the lack of definition compared to real time graphics is just so noticeable. (this is probably not that noticeable on consoles because they are played at a distance on a TV. But im a PC gamer and prerenderd stuff in games is very noticeably just a lame video with bad quality compression compared to the rest of the game.)

But that is just me. Some like the whole "cinematic" thing that is going on games these days, where they seem to be trying to blend feature films with computer games. But it is not for me. I like games and i like films. Not a [censored] mix of the two.

But everyone is different i accept that completely !

Edited by deleted (Tue 13-Mar-12 23:02:00)

Your posts were extremely informative, thanks very much for the well constructed definition and for your opinion it's good to see

For me I do enjoy cutscenes if done well, only games I can think of that I really liked cutscenes in were Alan Wake, LA Noire & Red Dead. I would love to play Unchartered but don't own a PS3 unfortunately

Well unfortunately i don't feel sorry for you ,if you want to play games like Uncharted 3 and many more exclusives on either Playstation and Xbox 360 then Jaxx its time to invest in another console.

If you really love your games and i know that you do then in my eyes you have to have at least 2 of the 3 consoles especially the 360 and the Playstation 3 because you are missing out on some beautiful games such as Flower and Journey which are downloadable on the Playstation store.

Apart from that then you have the odd exclusive on each console so i never understand people saying i would love to play this and that but i don't have a whatever ?

I know some people can not afford both consoles but a person that enjoys his games like yourself and it isn't just a pastime i don't get it.

There is no way that i would find myself coming on here saying that i wish i could play that but i don't have a particular console.

Its the reason we have competition in the first place and i don't know many of my friends that are stuck with just one console because there are obvious reasons for owning them all.

Getting rid of the Nintendo Wii i can understand as mine rarely gets a look in and even now i still look at it as some party gimmick and child's toy.

At present i have no interest in Nintendo new WII U based on the rubbish that has been released on the Wii in the past 3 years and the fact that its going to be no more powerful than the 360 and playstation at present according to reports.

Never took to motion controlled gaming I'm just to dam lazy,much prefer to lie back in comfort feet up instead of waving my arms about frantically with a nunchuck in one hand and a wii remote in the other.

Hey and Jaxx matey dont take the post the wrong way as i just dont get the can not play this scenario when you love your games so much,if you were someone that had a family and little time i could understand but you seem to play quite a lot and enjoy your games and the price of consoles have fallen way down.

Might be able to pick one up from GAME in the coming weeks for peanuts as i think they are about to become no more .

Personally its sad that all those people may well lose there jobs but GAME are greedy and they have done themselves no favours with the majority of people and there attitude basically stinks and customer service is none existent .

Take Second hand copies of Uncharted 3 for example Christmas Period.............£37.99 pre/owned and i walked in Sainsbury's supermarket and on the shelf it was £24.99 Brand new.

Is it a surprise they are were they are.................NO

Yea to be honest I am my own worst enemy, I could play the games but I just don't want to go out and spend the money on the console for 4 games that I want to play. I do agree with what you said about it being a hobby I spend a lot of time doing but I also have other expensive hobbies so it's swings and roundabouts. Your post inspired me to talk to my friend though and I am borrowing his PS3 for a month so I am going to get God of War 3, Unchartered 3, Heavy Rain & Infamous and have myself a wild month on the Playstation! I will let you know how I get on

Could not have picked 4 better games and I'm sure that you may well invest in a Playstation soon afterwards matey..........Enjoy

I will definitely be picking up heavy rain and UC2. Just as soon as I get time to play 'em !