Forgot password?  |  Register  |    
User Name:     Password:    
Blog - General Entry   

Do We Really Need Everything In HD?


On 10/17/2013 at 01:41 AM by Halochief90

See More From This User »

Has anybody else noticed that we as consumers have totally been suckered into this HD craze? With regards to HD upgraded games and movies on Blu-ray, we are spending a lot of money on things we already own. And almost everyone is not complaining!

Raise your hand if you already own two copies of the same game, one in its original state and one in HD. What about movies? I’ve re-bought plenty of my favorite movies on Blu-ray even though they still look good on DVD (I’m even leaving out the possible upgrade from VHS to DVD!).

I would say that usually the fact that I’m a sucker for rebuying things in HD is not really a problem. These are my favorite games and movies, so it’s not that bad to have a slightly better version that gives you a good reason to revisit it. Luckily, the price difference between Blu-rays and DVDs is also not as big as it used to be. My original Xbox doesn’t work anymore, so owning the HD upgraded Ninja Gaiden Sigma might not be a bad choice.

However, the fact that I’m pre-ordering Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD does show that I’m not making the wisest decisions. FFX may be one of my favorite games but the videos I’ve seen of the remake are not to my liking. The visuals look a little off and the re-orchestrated soundtrack doesn’t sound as good as the original. It sounds like I would be better off just replaying my original PS2 copy. It’s like when fans whined about all the changes made in those Star Wars Blu-rays and yet still bought them day one!

I wonder how many people have bought a Wii U solely to play Wind Waker in HD...

I have also seen people making pretty lame excuses for rebuying anything that they already own in DVD. They will claim they can see all the poor quality and artefacts in DVDs and they can’t unsee them. Is that more distracting than all the other problems in story, pacing, and dialogue? Somehow I doubt it. At the end of the day, a bad movie is still bad in HD and a good movie is still good in standard definition. HD upgrades won’t make games more fun to play either, so why make a big deal of them?

Granted, I’m no better than anybody else. This HD thing has me spending more than money than I should be. I remember telling myself that if I ever got an HDTV, eventually I would just get used to it and find it nearly impossible to watch/play things on anything less. That prophecy seems to have come true. Though maybe I’ll draw the line when the next upgrade in media comes along and I convince myself it is really just an unnecessary cosmetic improvement!


 

Comments

KnightDriver

10/17/2013 at 02:45 AM

The new games make me think I should have a better TV to really take advantage of the graphical improvements. But that means probably $1000 just to play Killzone: Shadowfall (42" HDTV $500, PS4/Killzone bundle $500). Is any one game really worth $1000? 

Halochief90

10/17/2013 at 07:55 PM

That's funny, because I looked at it the reverse way. I likely spend over $500 dollars a year on games and movies so getting a 40", $500 HDTV that makes all those things look better was an investment that would be worth it in the long run. Of course, I was rocking a mere 20" before that so I needed a bigger TV anyway!

KnightDriver

10/18/2013 at 01:16 AM

Yea, both of those purchases are not just for one game really. That's $1000 to last me five years or more of many games and movies.

I think it's been four or five years since I bought a 32" TV that gets up to 1080i and it's been five years since my last console purchase. The time is coming soon for both I think.

jgusw

10/17/2013 at 06:33 AM

I'll buy the hd remake collections when I don't own the games already and if there are improvements to the game besides it being hd (which doesn't happen often enough), or I'll buy hd versions if I find them real cheap. 

Halochief90

10/17/2013 at 08:00 PM

Luckily, most HD games are bundles with 2 or 3 games for only $40 so I can't say the gaming industry is being as greedy as movie companies. I too wish there were more actual improvements to HD games. However, I can't say the effort Square-Enix is putting into FFX HD are "improvements."

avidacridjam

10/17/2013 at 08:56 AM

When HD remasters of games and movies are done well, the results can truly be impressive. I for one would like to see this entertainment in the highest quality possible and I've bought and watched plenty of films on blu-ray that blew the SD DVDs away, pure and simple. Standard definition presentations on HDTVs aren't VHS-level abysmal but they can only go so far.

As for games, I've only dabbled in this area just recently (e.g., Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, Ratchet & Clank trilogy, Metal Gear Solid 2 & 3) with my PS3 and Vita and in most cases, I found the purchases very affordable and the results pleasing to the eye and ear (in the case of SotC, it's probably a matter of framerate improvement, but whatever).

It was easy for me think upgrading to DVD from VHS was worthwhile but it did take time. I resisted blu-ray for as long as I could until the price was affordable and the library was bigger and I'm still building. There are still plenty of dvds in my collection but I keep those for sentimental value or other reasons (out of print, artwork, features not ported to blu-ray). I've been content with blu-ray but I'm not sure that the jump to the next format will be that easy for me; the bar has truly been raised.

Halochief90

10/17/2013 at 08:12 PM

I personally don't think HD games are done as well as they could be. Most of them have only minor improvements visually. Ico HD is the only one so far that has really pleased me, but I didn't play the original to compare it to. Most others like MGS3 and SoTC only looked a bit less choppy to me (though the framerate may have improved more than I can tell, I don't have a good eye for that). I wish all of them were given the care that Wind Waker seems to have got.

If there is another upgrade in media, there's going to need to be something more than improved picture and audio quality for me to make the jump. I only briefly bought VHS when I was younger, but the improvement DVDs brought was night-and-day. Rewinding tapes was a huge pain, they were too bulky and lacked any special features. Blu-rays look better and have more space, but the difference isn't that big to me. I'm still perfectly fine with DVDs unless its one of my favorites.

Matt Snee Staff Writer

10/17/2013 at 09:01 AM

No, Batman and Robin does not need to be in HD.  Laughing

I dunno, I really want to play WWHD and FFX HD on a Vita.  I think that would be great.  I wish they would release Xenosaga in HD too. 

Halochief90

10/17/2013 at 08:15 PM

Batman and Robin does not even need to exist!

I also want to play both those and of course the added portability of some titles is another plus. I do have to personally acknowledge that I've kind of been suckered into this HD craze though.

Matt Snee Staff Writer

10/17/2013 at 08:21 PM

resistance is useless!

transmet2033

10/17/2013 at 09:16 AM

I own four copies of MGS3, with a possible fifth copy on the way.  It depends if I want a portable copy.  That is beside the point, so yes I have an SD and HD version of the same game.   

I no longer see HD as being super important.  For the most part I make the decision based on price.  If there is a significant difference in price I will lean towards the cheapest.  

As far as Windwaker and  FFX are concerned.  I did not experience them with their original release, so I have no probelm picking them up nowadays.

Halochief90

10/17/2013 at 08:22 PM

I'm likely to have three copies of Ninja Gaiden eventually... whenever I finally cave-in to buying Sigma.

I agree, HD is not the most important part of these rereleases to me either. The most important part is just getting your hands on a cheap copy with a system you still own/play on. I'd gladly play Wind Waker in SD if I owned a system to play it on.

Chris Yarger Community Manager

10/17/2013 at 10:43 AM

I tend to buy the HD ports if I don't have the game or if I do own it, it's bundled with something that I don't currently have. I really don't see the point in owning multiple copies of various games just for a graphical boost.

Halochief90

10/17/2013 at 08:24 PM

Yes, you can get just as much fun out of the old, standard definition game. Now if only I could convince my wallet of this more...

goaztecs

10/17/2013 at 01:05 PM

I'm in the group that has copies of the game in SD and HD, but in my defense I bought the Ico/Shadow of the Colossus collection because I didn't have a copy of SotC on PS2, and it was super cheap (under $10). Heck we can take it a step further because I downloaded both games on PSN when it was the free game on PS+.

I haven't purposely went out and bought an HD version of a game I already own, because well I already own it. If there isn't something new in terms of content, then there really isn't a point for me to buy it. If some folks want the newer versions, great, but I'll just stick with my older copy.

Halochief90

10/17/2013 at 08:30 PM

I was actually under the assumption that most people who commented would have two copies of the same game. I'm surprised to see there's a few that just have that as a coincidence more than intentional though.

I'm also surprised it was SoTC that you didn't own out of those two games. I still remember trying to track down a cheap copy of Ico on PS2, failing, and soon after hearing about a hd rerelease!

goaztecs

10/18/2013 at 12:47 AM

The funny thing is that I bought Ico before there was a big rush to own it. I don't think I paid more than $8 for it at GameStop. When SotC was released I found it to be the game that was harder to get at a decent price so I just passed on it until I found the combo. 

Halochief90

10/18/2013 at 01:13 AM

It is interesting how abundant SoTC on PS2 is compared to Ico. I'm pretty sure the game sold 1 million+ and I even remember seeing copies still in Walmart a few years ago.

ThatKidOverThere

10/17/2013 at 05:56 PM

I'm on the opposite side of the fence, sort of. I think that hd remasters and remakes are good for the industry, by making these older titles more accesible. Granted, not every game needs to be upgraded, but they do work for the benefit of the consumer, giving them a cheaper way to buy a collection of games instead of hunting down all of the individual games, and the older console to play them on. Also, they show that the developers care enough about older titles as to introduce them to newer gamers who might not have gotten it the first time around. Double dipping, though, is kinda pointless unless there is a real major overhaul like for example Wind Waker, which looks so much nicer than the original.

Halochief90

10/17/2013 at 08:36 PM

Yes, I do agree there more reasons to buy HD games than simply the graphical upgrade. I wish the industry would do more collections of older games regardless of whether they are in HD.

On the flipside, Wind Waker can be seen as a prime example of going too far for HD. Yes, it looks great and much better than most other rereleases but it is also the most expensive by far of all of them ($50 just for one game). And I have heard of several people who want to buy a Wii U just to play that game in HD!

KnightDriver

10/18/2013 at 01:39 AM

I got God of War HD Collection, but I had problems with it and I traded it in. I have the originals, but I might get it again and see if they fixed the problems with it. My game files kept getting corrupted so I couldn't continue where I left off. I do like even small improvements to my very favorite games. It's another excuse to play them again on a new system.

The Ico/Shadow of the Colossus HD collection is good for me because I never had those games on PS2 and now they're hard to find or expensive. 

Halochief90

10/18/2013 at 07:58 PM

I think I know someone who had problems with one of the games in the GoW HD Collection, so you might not be alone. And yes, I rejoiced when Ico HD was announced. I could finally stop scouring ebay for a reasonably priced, used copy of the game!

Ranger1

10/21/2013 at 09:15 AM

I have a few games in HD that I also have is SD. One of them is the Ratchet and Clank Collection, and it does look amazing in HD, I have to say. It was more for the trophies, though, lol. I bought Beyond Good and Evil HD in hopes that it might convince Ubisoft to make the sequel. Ha ha ha. I do think that releasing older games to make them more accessible is a good thing, though. I would never have played Ducktales, for example, if it hadn't been re-released for the current generation.

As for movies, I have been buying new movies that I want in bluray, but I'm not going to go back and replace all my old DVD format movies with bluray. I'd go broke. Your comment about Star Wars just reminded me that I need to go find a cheap used VCR, because I own the trilogy from before George Lucas "new and improved" it. Han shot first, dammit!

Halochief90

10/21/2013 at 11:56 PM

I do wonder if Ubisoft has done any work on BG&E2 since that trailer. I know they said it's years off, but something tells me the HD version didn't sell the millions they were hoping for!

I have a few VHS tapes lying around so I occasionally get the urge to pick up a VCR. However, it would likely only collect dust beside other unused hardware of mine like my original Xbox or GBA!

Log in to your PixlBit account in the bar above or join the site to leave a comment.