Digital Foundry: AMD Marketing and Console Court Cases

The AMD and Starfield Controversy

The team breaks down the ongoing discourse surrounding AMD-sponsored PC titles and the apparent absence of technologies like DLSS and XESS in those games. The discussion centers on the potential for marketing agreements to influence the feature sets available to end-users.

Core Issues of Exclusivity

• Lack of Transparency: The "no comment" response regarding Starfield's upscaling support is seen as a missed opportunity to clarify developer independence.
• Performance Impact: Comparisons between FSR 2 and DLSS 3 are highlighted, with particular focus on temporal artifacts that can mar the image quality of AMD's solution in motion.
• Developer Burden: The team discusses the value of manufacturer-provided technical support, questioning how agreements might restrict developers from implementing better-performing competitive technologies.

"It just doesn't make sense to me. And if this is turning into a PR nightmare, then ultimately the win that AMD gets from the association with Starfield is actually turning into a loss."

The Microsoft-Activision FTC Trial

The podcast dives into the deluge of information revealed during the recent court hearings, which acted as an inadvertent window into the economics of modern game development.

Key Takeaways

• Soaring Budgets: Internal documents revealed that major exclusives like Horizon Forbidden West and The Last of Us Part II cost over $200 million each, highlighting the immense risks and investments required for AAA gaming.
• The Call of Duty Factor: The trial underscores the massive revenue that Call of Duty generates, not just for its owner, but as a critical component of competitor console ecosystems.
• Strategic Acquisitions: The team debates whether Microsoft’s aggressive acquisition strategy is fundamentally different from the historical practice of "cherry-picking" titles for exclusivity, and how this consolidates power among few major industry players.

Retro Remasters and Intel Arc Updates

• Red Dead Redemption: The panel expresses skepticism regarding potential remasters, emphasizing that any project should focus on enhancing performance rather than repeating the mistakes of previous low-effort ports.
• Intel Arc Optimization: A significant driver update has seen Assassin's Creed Unity move from being largely unplayable on Intel Arc GPUs to performing competitively, demonstrating the critical role of software support in stabilizing the PC experience.