Just was thinking about this earlier today while jogging... Excuse me if it doesn't make much sense but I thought I'd share anyway.
How is it that Sega managed to release 4 consecutive pieces of hardware, starting with the 16-bit generation - with no hardware transparency support?
First, some background as I see it. I bought a Genesis on release day. Loved it. However, when I first saw the SNES and its launch titles I was blown away. The transparencies in Super Mario World, F Zero and Pilotwings looked so awesome! In comparison the Genesis was instantly dated graphically (though yes, many good-looking titles were released for it over time), especially with the awful dithering/screen door effect many titles used in place of true transparency.
So thats fair enough. Nintendo one-upped Sega by adding transparency support in their 16-bit console. So you'd think that when Sega went back to the drawing board they'd come up with something more competitive. Nope. The Sega CD added a ton of processing power to Genesis, as well as Mode 7-esque scaling/rotation. But no transparencies. Ok, next time they'll get it then. Right?
Nope. Sega came up with the 32X, one of the first 32-bit consoles of its generation. The 32x added better sound hardware, twin SH2 processors, more memory etc. But still no transparency (though I've heard some tricks were used to overlay 32x output overtop Genesis output to hack transparency in certain games). Obviously, 32X was shortlived - Sega turned all their resources to the Saturn.
Its well recognized that during the early development of Saturn Sega attempted to create a 2D powerhouse, something that could absolutely blow away 16-bit 2D graphics as well as do straight arcade ports. It was only when rumours of Playstation swirled that they frantically added additional hardware to the Saturn in an attempt to add 3D power. So, if their original aim was 2D power for the Saturn, why did they neglect this huge importance detail of transparency *again*? Thats the hardest to understand for me. We are talking about a feature made standard by the Super Famicom in 1990. So five years later Sega released their second 32-bit system still without this vital graphical feature. *huh*??
(and yes I'm aware some Saturn games did hack software transparency. Or use a transparent background plane like Radiant Silvergun which is better than nothing I suppose)
Of course when the Playstation came out a few months later, this missing feature once again put Sega in the graphical doghouse - just like what happened with the Genesis when the SNES arrived.
I love Sega games, and I'm not bashing them in the slightest. I just find it totally puzzling that such an amazing game company didn't see the writing on the wall as far as hardware transparency for so long. Its also sad because Saturn really could have been much more competitive with just a few small feature tweaks...
Sega Consoles and Transparencies
Sure, well its open to interpretation whether the 32x or Sega CD count. But they were add-ons that did add hardware features - this one could have been added if there was the desire by Sega. They obviously copied the Mode 7 stuff from Nintendo for the Sega CD hardware...
Anyway, even excluding those add-ons - its really hard to fathom the Saturn not including this in 1995.
Anyway, even excluding those add-ons - its really hard to fathom the Saturn not including this in 1995.
I always found the screen-door transparency pretty obvious. That said I never played 32-bit systems on a really bad TV, so maybe its true and there is only a small difference there. Before I even got my Sony 27" flatscreen (woefully obselete now), I always played games on my old Commodore 64 computer monitor. These things were only 14" but they were incredibly sharp - not only that but they had S-Video connections when S-Video was normally only sold with very high end TVs. Anyway its OT but I highly recommend one of these monitors for a cheap, portable display.
Anyway, all of the good PS1 games make pretty heavy use of transparency. Firstly, you can't really do proper 3D lighting without it. So typically Saturn games have very bland or non-existant lighting.
Then of course there are transparent explosions, weapons and spell effects, water, cloud and other background layers etc. I think you'd be hard pressed to find too many games that *didn't* use transparency somehow on PS1. Perhaps arcade ports that didn't have hardware transparency.
Anyway, all of the good PS1 games make pretty heavy use of transparency. Firstly, you can't really do proper 3D lighting without it. So typically Saturn games have very bland or non-existant lighting.
Then of course there are transparent explosions, weapons and spell effects, water, cloud and other background layers etc. I think you'd be hard pressed to find too many games that *didn't* use transparency somehow on PS1. Perhaps arcade ports that didn't have hardware transparency.
Sorry to break this to you, but the fog in silent hill is not transparency. It's just a bunch of a dots. Or at least a few of the layers are. Again, use it on an HDTV or capture card with s-video, and you'll see the dots. The rest of those, I cant really remember too many transparencies. Even in Einhander with the water stage, the water used a reflection technique rather than transparency.JJJ wrote:Hmm, well all my favorites are pretty heavy users of transparency. Lets see, Einhander, Xenogears, Twisted Metal 1 and 2, Front Mission 3, Ridge Racer 4, Silent Hill (all that fog?), SOTN, all the Final Fantasy games... Einhander especially - so many different glow, weapon and lighting effects.
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lordofduct
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a couple of those games you listed didn't actually use transparency... though yes, Einhander and Xenogears certainly did.
As for the 32X and saturn in your list:
The 32X had hardware transparency effects... the thing is it was 2D transparency effect (like the SNES), not 3D. The hardware actually didn't do 3D... all 3D processing was done by software on the SH2 processor.
This also goes for the Saturn as well. Though it was probably a huge mistake on Sega's hand... they originally developed the Saturn as a hardcore top of the line 2D machine. It also supported 2D transparency (which was used in some games that mixed 2D sprites in 3D worlds... and vice versa). Not to say this is any good of an excuse... but the transparency isn't the let down here... it's the fact they didn't make a 3D machine from the get go!
As for the Genny, the system is more then 2 years older then the SNES. They didn't have that big of a market when releasing the genny, and when released it blew all the other competition at the time out of the water (mainly NEC and NES).
Personally I don't get the guff about transparency in older games, but that is me.
oh yeah, and all the fog in Silent Hill... Mozgus has it right. And the reason it was put in the game everywhere like that: to cover up the very short draw distance! heh...
damn I love that game
As for the 32X and saturn in your list:
The 32X had hardware transparency effects... the thing is it was 2D transparency effect (like the SNES), not 3D. The hardware actually didn't do 3D... all 3D processing was done by software on the SH2 processor.
This also goes for the Saturn as well. Though it was probably a huge mistake on Sega's hand... they originally developed the Saturn as a hardcore top of the line 2D machine. It also supported 2D transparency (which was used in some games that mixed 2D sprites in 3D worlds... and vice versa). Not to say this is any good of an excuse... but the transparency isn't the let down here... it's the fact they didn't make a 3D machine from the get go!
As for the Genny, the system is more then 2 years older then the SNES. They didn't have that big of a market when releasing the genny, and when released it blew all the other competition at the time out of the water (mainly NEC and NES).
Personally I don't get the guff about transparency in older games, but that is me.
oh yeah, and all the fog in Silent Hill... Mozgus has it right. And the reason it was put in the game everywhere like that: to cover up the very short draw distance! heh...
damn I love that game