DF Direct Weekly: Games Delayed, PC Tech Concerns & More
Game Delays and Industry Impact
Recent announcements have shaken the release calendar, with Starfield and Suicide Squad both facing delays.
• Starfield: The delay to September 6th is viewed positively by the team. A longer development time for such a massive Bethesda title increases the chances of a polished launch. There is significant curiosity regarding whether a 60 FPS performance mode will be feasible on consoles.
• Suicide Squad: The situation remains uncertain. The consensus is that six months may not be enough to fundamentally retool core games-as-a-service elements, such as gear score systems, which were heavily criticized by fans.
The Last of Us Part 1 PC Specs
Technical analysis of the PC requirements for The Last of Us Part 1 suggests caution.
• While the spec breakdown is more transparent than most, the hardware requirements for even 1080p/60 FPS seem high.
• The inclusion of DLSS and FSR 2.2 is a positive move, which may help mitigate performance issues on high-end hardware, especially by cleaning up the TAA shimmer found in the PS5 version.
• The team is particularly interested in whether the PC version will exceed the graphical fidelity of the PS5, considering the game’s heavy reliance on baked lighting.
The Activision Blizzard Acquisition
"It is lawyering gone mad."
The ongoing regulatory battle continues to produce strained arguments. The team rejects the notion that Microsoft would deliberately sabotage Call of Duty on PlayStation platforms, noting that historical precedent (such as MLB The Show) shows that companies generally maintain parity. Furthermore, the debate over a potential Nintendo Switch port is discussed, with the team noting that while it is technically possible to get Modern Warfare 2 or Warzone running on the hardware, it would necessitate heavy compromises in resolution and frame rate.
Halo Infinite and Ray Tracing
Halo Infinite received a ray tracing update for its multiplayer mode, specifically targeting Sun Shadows. The team was underwhelmed, suggesting that RT implementation would have been far more impactful in the campaign to address ambient occlusion and global illumination issues, rather than in the fast-paced multiplayer environment.