Snooker computer game.

[Billy]

My one remaining fear now (and I'm sure it will be unfounded) is that they don't provide an option to turn off commentary. Judging from this gameplay it's terrible - possibly even buggy as we hear the commentator during this match say "I think he's going for the plant." when the player is on a colour. Terrible, corny and scripted commentary is nothing new for snooker games, but still a factor.

Also, price. It's available for pre-order on amazon at £26. Possibly a tad cheaper in the game shops and I can guarantee niche games like this don't hold their price. I'm predicting a fairly quick rate of 'trade-ins' from casual snooker fans, and that I'll be able to pick up a pre-owned copy within the week for about £17

[Csmith]

My one remaining fear now (and I'm sure it will be unfounded) is that they don't provide an option to turn off commentary. Judging from this gameplay it's terrible - possibly even buggy as we hear the commentator during this match say "I think he's going for the plant." when the player is on a colour. Terrible, corny and scripted commentary is nothing new for snooker games, but still a factor.

Also, price. It's available for pre-order on amazon at £26. Possibly a tad cheaper in the game shops and I can guarantee niche games like this don't hold their price. I'm predicting a fairly quick rate of 'trade-ins' from casual snooker fans, and that I'll be able to pick up a pre-owned copy within the week for about £17

I hope you are right about the commentary. Worst case that can be a patch. I've rarely heard good commentary in sports games. I feel like if the budget isn't high enough for it and they don't put enough effort into it you start hearing the same phrases multiple times over the course of just one game. I think Fifa did a good job, it didn't bother me and it sounded authentic.

[narl]

Graphically and from an animation standpoint it looks pretty "keek". Animations are wooden and the graphics look at least 10 years out of date. Considering they're rendering 2 players, a table and some balls i'm not sure why it doesn't have a LOT more detail than it does. This honestly looks like something you'd expect to see on an xbox 360.

[Billy]

Graphically and from an animation standpoint it looks pretty "keek". Animations are wooden and the graphics look at least 10 years out of date. Considering they're rendering 2 players, a table and some balls i'm not sure why it doesn't have a LOT more detail than it does. This honestly looks like something you'd expect to see on an xbox 360.

I can't find any reference to the word 'keek' - at least not one that makes any sense in the context you've used it - so you'll have to elaborate on that one.

As for the graphics etc, I have tried to explain in previous posts that all this costs vast amounts of money and requires many resources to produce to a level you seem to be expecting. These are luxuries low-profile game developers simply don't have.

Also, I've owned every one of the last gen snooker games, and believe me this is head and shoulders above those in every single department.

[Billy]

I hope you are right about the commentary. Worst case that can be a patch. I've rarely heard good commentary in sports games. I feel like if the budget isn't high enough for it and they don't put enough effort into it you start hearing the same phrases multiple times over the course of just one game. I think Fifa did a good job, it didn't bother me and it sounded authentic.

Yeah, I never played a lot of football games, but they did seem to be the one sports game that got close to recreating a natural, flowing commentary. The commentary in all other sports games - particularly snooker games - sounds like exactly what it is; a series of scripted one-liners triggered to play on certain shots. You can almost see Neal Foulds sat in the recording booth, holding the sheet of A4 paper containing his lines.

Producer: "Okay, Neal. In your own time."
Neal: [clears his throat] "Oh, what a pot!"
Producer: "That was great. And the next..."
Neal: "He'll do well to get out of this snooker."

... four hours later

Producer: "Okay, Neal, we're all done. Thanks very much for your time today."

[gavpowell]

As for the graphics etc, I have tried to explain in previous posts that all this costs vast amounts of money and requires many resources to produce to a level you seem to be expecting. These are luxuries low-profile game developers simply don't have.

Therein lies a question then: Why is Worldsnooker allowing their official endorsement to be attached to something of lower quality than it could be? Why not either find a more high-profile developer or put up more cash?

[jono*]

I hope not everyone is ambidextrous. I remember one version of the world snooker game where everyone could play an awkward shot with their left hand

[blahblah01]

I hope not everyone is ambidextrous. I remember one version of the world snooker game where everyone could play an awkward shot with their left hand

Like your avatar?

[Mark187187]

Therein lies a question then: Why is Worldsnooker allowing their official endorsement to be attached to something of lower quality than it could be? Why not either find a more high-profile developer or put up more cash?

Snooker games are pretty niche. Big developers would never get their money back if they invested too much. Besides, they might look better but doesn't mean they'd play better.

[gavpowell]

Snooker games are pretty niche. Big developers would never get their money back if they invested too much. Besides, they might look better but doesn't mean they'd play better.

Sega and Codemasters didn't have an issue previously.

[Billy]

Sega and Codemasters didn't have an issue previously.

But they were still aimed at a niche market and neither of those developers, although major, would have invested much in these titles... and it showed. Like this latest instalment, those games were inferior to AAA games of the time, in terms of graphics, animations etc.

All that said, though, and now having had a chance to watch real gameplay, and at length, I reckon they've done a staggering job. Some of the TV views when the player is taking a shot look incredibly authentic.

I had my doubts about this game... just read back through my posts prior to the last gameplay video and you'll see for yourself, but I must say many of those doubts have now been quashed.

[Csmith]

Sega and Codemasters didn't have an issue previously.

The games from the 2000’s did not look that great for the time. I think the 2005 games were the closest to he graphics got to their contemporary sports titles of the time and they haven’t improved much since.

But games don’t just look so much better now due to improved tech but also increased time and investment. In the Batman games you had someone who was assigned specifically to work on the animation for the cape. The teams are huge now which is why games are so expensive to make. Most AAA titles have credit sequences that lasts 30 min or more.

So for a team like the one that is doing Snooker 19, which is quite small, they either need more people or several years to approach the visual quality of contemporary sports titles. If I had to guess they probably had a development time of about 2 years. Next year I suspect the graphics of the players will have improved because they have a lot of the assets created, the physics engine is in place. In future iterations they can add features and build on what they have.

It’s similar to EA’s first UFC game where it was a really bare bones experience, though with better graphics since they had a larger budget. Each year they’ve added features and improved the experience.

[Billy]

If I had to guess they probably had a development time of about 2 years.

The rep in that last video does say how long this game was in development, but I can't locate the point now.

Next year I suspect the graphics of the players will have improved because they have a lot of the assets created, the physics engine is in place. In future iterations they can add features and build on what they have.

Talking of future iterations, I have my fingers crossed for a pool add-on somewhere down the line.

[zimrahil]

The rep in that last video does say how long this game was in development, but I can't locate the point now.



Talking of future iterations, I have my fingers crossed for a pool add-on somewhere down the line.

There is a pool add on that can be bought with game or as standalone called ‘This is Pool’

[Billy]

There is a pool add on that can be bought with game or as standalone called ‘This is Pool’

No, that's for the other snooker game that doesn't have a release date yet. It's called Stephen Hendry's This is Snooker.