Zune HD 3D games video hands-on
By Nilay Patel 
posted Nov 11th 2009 1:58PM
posted Nov 11th 2009 1:58PM
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I head iPhone/iPod Touch will soon have games that look anywhere near as nice as these.
2012
well if youre giving them away i will provide a loving home
why do you keep calling it zine? does the Zune HD bother you that much that you have to change its name slightly like a schoolyard insult, or are you actually unaware of the correct name
Did you eat your 'U' key?
@Colin: He doesnt have a U key anymore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTwgNhX4BSo
Word stuffed it up his nose. Just like Homer Simpson, it's pushing aganst his brain, keeping him from being the award winning software designer he once was.
I'm pretty sure this joker is using an iPhone or iPod Touch to post comments. It probably keeps "correcting" Zune to Zine and he had no idea how to fix that.
he's baaaack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTwgNhX4BSo
Yeah, man, what the fick is wrong with yoi?
What's a Zune
I feel sorry for you. Really, I do. -100000000000000000000
There are ads on viddler too :|
Release in the rest of the world and people will know :)
Please disappear faster!
Well I dont thiunk you can buy mch other places than the US which make sure that not very many people know about it. If i didnt read this id think its like a tv or something.
Yes this is a repost from the last article about this, but I thought people might still find it useful.
I just got done playing all the new games (a short skim anyway).
Audio surf is far and away the best app. It was the only one that really kept me from wondering about the remaining apps I had not seen yet for at least 30 minutes. Being able to play it with all your tracks gives this almost unlimited replay potential too. The graphics are as smooth as butter (not surprising as there are next to no textures to render) and give a real sense of speed on faster songs. The design of the tracks do seem to at least try to fit the music and often having you pick up "dots" to the rhythm of the song. Control was tight, responsive and amazingly controllable for a tilt racer. I've never been a fan of tilt racers as they are usually very difficult and tedious to control (see below), but this one seemed to have resolved my concerns by limiting movement to three lanes and not "crashing" on the sides. Simply LOVE this game!! 9+
PGR is next in fun factor. Graphics blow Audio surf away, but control can be overly sensitive and difficult to pick up. I've never been a fan of tilt racing games for this reason as I stated above and this game is no exception. Still, it's free and I'll try to get the hang of it. 8
Next is the skater game. It's ok. The graphics are between Audio Surf and PGR. I would discribe it to fit right between DS and PSP level. The framerate dropped SEVERAL times in the short test I gave it, but I doubt that is because of tegra and more because of flawed coding that will probably be optimized later on. The real issue with this game is very complicated, tedious, and unintuitive controls. The Zune MUST be held parallel with the ground to work right. It took me 5 minutes just to figure THAT out because the tutorial doesn't say so. Even after I figured that out, my neck did not like the proposition and it did not make controls much easier. Once again, perhaps it will be more fun after I get the hang of it, but for now.....6.
You'll feel right at home with the bowling game if you've ever played Wii sports. It's very cutesy and almost "Mii"ish. The graphics are about right on par with Wii bowling as well. You can control it by either drawing lines or swinging your Zune. Simply put....the controls need a lot of work. The movement of the ball seemed to have little correlation with the lines you draw. And just forget about the swing method. No really....just forget about it. It was HORRID. It works with the Wii because the TV doesn't move. But swinging the Zune means you have to stop looking at the game and imagine what you are aiming at. Worse still, the controls were simply laughable in its interpretation of your movement. Simply UNPLAYABLE by this method. The designers and MS really could have put a better foot forward here especially for such a simple App. 6....but only because the line drawing method is at least playable.
The piano app and checkers are just that...graphics were SNES level if that. Nothing to really talk about here. n/a on a score.
Anyway, download them all because they are free and take up very little space on the Zune, but the only real app that you simply should not miss is Audio Surf. This this app NOW! It should be a standard on all PMPs from now on IMO. It simply makes that much sense and is that fun.
I am absolutely in LOVE with Audio Surf. I agree...best app so far.
What's a Zune?... An Apple-hater's iPod Touch.
Audiosurf is actually originally a Steam game. It's very very good on PC, check it out if you liked the portable version.
Audiosurf cut my song off at about 15 mins(Count of Tuscany -Dream Theater)... Luckily most of my music is not that long.
Can Audiosurf play Zune Pass songs?
ifalldownstairs @ Nov 11th 2009 11:10PM
Can Audiosurf play Zune Pass songs?
Absolutely! Nearly ALL my tunes are Zunepass tunes - no problems. Also, if you quit Audiosurf, your tune keeps playing! That's a nice touch.
Dead video.
I would trade my iPhone in for a Zune Phone in a second. Looks like Apple is going to have quite a bit of catching up to do. I hope they release one soon. I know Nvidia has been talking about a Tegra Phone forever.
Wrong person.
Forget about seeing the games in action...watch the video to get an up close glimpse of Nilay's forehead!
Zune HD FTW !!!!!!! Now thats a complete entertainment device.
If you are looking for a gaming device...why not just get a PSP or DS?
Sure this is great and all but lack of controls is a big let down for me. I own an iphone and I hate gaming on it. Controlling them involves blocking my view of the screen with my fingers. Not Ideal.
I will admit though, these graphic look great and I am interested to see what direction Microsoft is going to take the Zune.
@Brian, in fairness, he didn't say "Gaming" device. He said "entertainment" device. Devices like this and the Touch do a great job of balancing different forms of entertainment.
@Brian
What this does for me...it doesn't really make me go "wow" at the Zune HD (I do have one). Because for me...it's a MP3 player first and foremost. And I have the same gripe about all touchscreen gaming. Obstruction of view and too much screen taken for controls or the lack of.
But what this does get me excited about is the rumor of the next DS iteration using the Tegra chipset. if it's looking this good in the beginning stage...on a MP3 player. Just imaging a full fledged gaming device taking ability of it. I get chills...
@ Brian
I'm not too terribly up-to-date on the Zune HD, but supposing it has Bluetooth (which I'm sure it does) they could always make peripherals for it. Still, not as ideal as controls on the phone I suppose, but it'd be better than on-screen.
a Zune Phone would be a complete everything device
The Zune looks pretty good, but I think comparing this to the PSP is ridiculous.
Megarace, a CD PC game, looked a lot better than Gran Turismo 1. But was it? No... it was on rails instead of a simulation, and just wasn't nearly as much fun or advanced. Graphics alone are not even close to enough to make this game as entertaining as Gran Turismo on the PSP. The controls simply are not there to make this thing a competent game machine. That's a shame, because with a dpad and two buttons, I think this would be kickass.
Though free games sound great, and I want more all in one devices, this is not as good an all in one as a PSP.
@ iDavey
Assuming these can be played without internet connection.
-Ever been stuck on a 4 hour layover in an airport? Suddenly, even the most mundane games are very VERY fun.
I agree, the graphics look great, but I won't take this seriously as a gaming device having played games in the iPhone,
It was really stupid for Microsoft to compete directly with the iPod Touch and still not fix one of the biggest complaints people had with it; no controls
Jorvay, the PSP is an "entertainment device" it does everything, it has a web browser with flash, rss, remote play, location free, audio video photo players, visualizers, skype, so on and so forth.
I'll also add that psp games from its 2004 launch were far superior to this "pgr: ferrari edition" (ridge racer, wipeout, burnout, etc) and contemporary psp games are laps and bounds better than its launch titles.
Microsoft: Make a Zune HD Phone, dont put WM on it (even though 6.5 dosn't stink like the rest), get a larger app store.
If that happens, i can see microsoft really competing with you know who.
Definitely don't mind seeing ads if the games are free. As long as they don't popup in game I'm down. Audiosurf looks so good for the Zune HD.
Audiosurf is fantastic. I'd be perfectly willing to pay for content like this, and getting it for free is even better.
I just really hope that this is another Vista Ultimate Extras afair. If they don't keep pushing content out every 5~6 months, they should just open up development for us programmers.
Now if we could only get an email client and maybe an MSN Messenger program, then I'd be perfectly happy.
@Delta: As soon as they open up their SDK, you'll have your MSN Messenger client...
http://www.zuneboards.com/forums/game-requests/23971-audiosurf.html
Lol...guess things change.
Audiosurf is a perfect fit for the HD, but I would appreciate better controls, especially for more intense songs. Clicking on the individual lanes would be a better way, I'd think. The video was short, so perhaps those controls exist, and if so, w00t.
Don't have a zune but when I saw that ad yet again right at the end of the vid, well if I had one I'd throw it through the wall at that point.
Some don't mind, some certainly do.
i agree, and those ads are not bad at all, i cant belive thats what everyone was complaining about. i was imagining a minute long clip like on hulu or something with the way people were talking about it.
Those graphics are really nice. Wasn't really expecting them that nice actually. Probably once they mess around some more they will get even more graphically rich content on it.
Yeah, but without it speaker, gaming won't progress as far as it did on other devices.
That's what headphones are, and have always been for. I don't really want to hear what you're playing unless I'm playing with you.
Well, some people want the option to play without headphones. Not all gaming takes place in a public place. Different strokes for different folks.
You could hook up a small speaker then.
@Templarian
I totally agree, the graphics are really nice. Now I'm hoping that next-gen DS with 2nd gen Tegra rumor comes true. If launch titles for zune HD on 1st gen Tegra look this good, I can only imagine what next-gen DS games based on 2nd gen Tegra would be like.
Yes. I'm upgrading my firmware as we SPEAK!
I can not WAIT to try these games out. I'm not even going to look at the vid. It'd ruin the experience.
lol...as soon as he said there were some ads engadget ads popped up over the video!
Yes , I noticed too. lol
They seem to have gotten rid of the video ads so far, which is nice.
@Dafrety
Nope. Just saw the video Kia Soul ad right when I launched Audiosurf: Tilt.
@ mhwwdman: I think he meant the 10 second video car ads. I have not seen those since 4.3. They were the ones that bothered me the most. I can deal with a 5 second static image.
Nope, sorry, the Kia video ad is still there, intrusive music and all. It's the only one that bothers me.
Nice.
Was the Bowling game already on there when the article first was posted?
Daaaaamn, so much for the ipod touch/iphone, the graphics here shames them! (i own an ipod touch, so yes i do know what i'm talking about, thank you).
You do? It doesn't sound like it. Have you even tried games like Real Racing GTi? It's hard to tell the real quality of PGR from a video like that, but it really doesn't look any better than GTi, as an example.
GTi sure does look great for the Touch but I think Kitsune is right. PGR has a surprisingly smooth appearance whereas GTi looks quite jagged. It's not a massive difference but considering this is among the very first 3D Zune games as opposed to one of the best looking iPod games to date, you can see that there's a lot of potential for the Zune showing through this title.
I have real racing (complete version) and while it has some excellent graphics, they are just not as smooth as the ones on this version, and I don't recall the tracks to have so much details. Of course real racing being more of a simulation maybe the details on the tracks are voluntarily left out.
I still think those graphics are a step up than those on the iDevices.
"It's not a massive difference but considering this is among the very first 3D Zune games as opposed to one of the best looking iPod games to date, you can see that there's a lot of potential for the Zune showing through this title."
I don't think that's a fair comparison. PGR may be one of the first ZuneHD games, but it was made by a second-party Microsoft studio whereas Firemint (the makers of Real Racing) is basically a small independent developer. Plus, Real Racing was made for the original iPhone and not for the iPhone 3GS – there is a video in which the developers increased the amount of cars on track to something like 40 and it still ran smoothly on the 3GS so I think there is a lot of potential on that platform, too.
In the end I think the platforms are pretty similar. The iPhone 3GS has a stronger CPU whereas the ZuneHD has the better GPU. Competition (for the iPhone as well as for the classical gaming handhelds) is always good, especially if it opens the doors for indie developers. Let's just hope that Sony and Nintendo will allow homebrewing in the future as well.
I totally agree with Yoshi1080. Few games have been released optimized for the 3GS' chipset, so it's too early to go nuts drawing comparisons based on PGR made in-house basically (which looks great and I love the series). Also, these are 1st generation games, so it's only going to get better if they can attract developers!
As far as gaming goes, the most powerful system has not always been the most successful, right? I bet the same will be true here.
This is why I need to keep a sync cable at work.
No you won't if you have wifi to access.
Took the words right out of my mouth! The original post even said "The v4.3 update is available now by selecting "Player Update" from within the device itself". What??? LOL I tried finding that option for like 10 minutes before realizing that it just aint there.
I personally don't wish for them to open development up to everyone. The iTunes App Store is filled with thousands upon thousands of garbage apps. I say, instead, that Microsoft should make deals with specific big companies (similar to how game companies develop games for consoles) such as EA, Ubisoft, Facebook, Google, Yahoo!, etc. and allow those companies to develop. I know that sounds very totalitarian, but I don't believe it's that unreasonable. The fact that not everyone can develop games for PS3 or the 360 is a good thing, because the games you do buy for the systems you know are big budget.
Everyperson that owns a zune would have to code and send apps in to rival the app store and I don't think that will happen any time soon. unless the zune becomes the most popular pmp(I don't think the public is going to let that happen any time soon...)
Actually, anyone can develop games for the 360. Check out the XNA development studio. Here's an annoucement that appeared on Ars: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2006/12/xna.ars
Don't know about developing for the PS3 but there may be similar tools.
What do you mean?
@Gixser
I hear ya. I suppose what I meant is when you walk into Best Buy and look at the selection of games, they are (mostly) all made by big-name companies, so you know it wasn't an amateur making the game in one night.
@koala: i dont get the point youre trying to make
The problem with that model is that you miss out on really great niche apps. There are tons of crap apps on the App Store for sure, but there are just as many if not more great niche apps. For instance, some I enjoy are Dropbox, SunPower Solar Monitor, Weber's On The Grill, Tom Harrison Nat'l Park Maps, etc. With your type of model, those won't exist. However, the Zune may not want to be that type of device. It actually seems that the Zune HD is geared as a pure entertainment device, while the Touch and iPhone are geared more as mini netbook, do-it-all device. Unfortunately for MS, I don't think, and the numbers seem to show, people don't really want a PMP that plays games. They want more.
im saying that it would take everybody that owns a zune to make a game to rival the app store, or the zune would need to become as popular as the iPhone/iPod touch
"The fact that not everyone can develop games for PS3 or the 360 is a good thing, because the games you do buy for the systems you know are big budget."
And still many of them are crap, so what's your point? I love indie games and if I have to dig through a pile of crappy games to find one jewel, I'll happily do it! Better than digging through a pile of crappy and unoriginal EA and Activision games ...
@ 13ghosts13's OP
"I know that sounds very totalitarian"
Yup, it does sound totalitarian lol. MS must love you! :D
Seriously though, I'm a little surprised that you're arguing that a bigger market place with more competition is bad. You would prefer a few companies to produce the content, and lock out anyone from creating random new games or apps?
Imagine the desktop PC market if it was controlled this way in terms of apps. Sounds pretty uninspiring and restricted for the user. Yes, people will make crap, but you are talking like you have tunnel vision. What about the good apps?
I agree about the niche apps too, there are all kinds of apps coming out that a larger company would be unwilling to take the risk or time to take on. Another key point is that this allows start-ups to ... well.... to start up!
@koala
I still have no idea what you're talking about. Explain.
@Yoshi1080
I definitely agree with you that even big budget games can potentially be very crappy (http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/11/02/baby-and-me-wii/). The point I'm trying to make is that I want there to be a certain standard, if not for Apple then at least for the Zune, so the games we have to sort through aren't the same quality as what high school Visual Basic students are making, you know? I've never been a fan of simple flash games or anything. I've always liked stuff with big production involved. Just my personal taste, I suppose.
@badison
I completely hear what you're saying. In terms of the PC market, I think that is a different story, though not entirely, and I do see your point. I am a big supporter of open systems, as I love Ubuntu, for example. However, I do believe that sometimes a closed system can be a good thing. A lot of my opinion stems from my disatisfaction with Apple's App Store and Apple's way of doing things in general. I'm a dreamer. I dream of a platform (such as what the Zune might be) that ONLY has quality apps (whoa, dream big). Maybe the system doesn't have to be closed, but it should at least be managed a different way to promote a higher standard of quality. I love open source too, because that seems to produce good results. But I don't think we're looking at iPhone or Zune apps being free, community-produced, open-source apps anytime soon.
I feel like Apple's model (which I don't want Microsoft to follow) allows way too much for mediocre developers to make mediocre 99 cent apps to try and make money (no offense to all the good app developers out there, such as those that make the niche apps you speak of). It just stinks that I have to sort through all that garbage.
Sorry I type so much.
I got the lastest games and they really show promise so I cannot wait to see what they will be like in the future and if Microsoft or anyone else is going to make a accessory that has a d pad and buttons and if they could kind of make it like the psp go you know the slide down controls
Great!
Now release it in Canada so I can buy one.
I play Burnout and GT nearly every day on my PSP and that has much, much better graphics. Almost like a PSP2. Still sucks that you have to put your fingers all over the screen your trying to control though.
Yes, it can run crysis.
Audiosurf looks super fun!!!
I've already tried all of them out, and Audiosurf is the best by far, imo. Project Gotham wasn't too bad, but it was hard to control, the turning wasn't sensitive enough for me, though I'm sure there's a way to change that.
swwwwwweeeeeettt!
Hmm, not bad. Don't think i will be buying a zune anytime soon.
Why are you such a giant douche?
cause he woke up on the wrong side of the bed?
The graphics look very nice :)
But without hardware gaming buttons i don't think this is very fun, at least you can't play the game to its full potential.
I agree. This, mixed with the lack of computing power, is why I don't believe PMPs-turned-Gaming devices will replace traditional consoles, even PSP and DS, anytime soon. I know Apple is going all out trying to promote my iPod Touch as a 3D gaming device, but I don't think it's up to par.
Exactly.
If they introduce an xbox 360-esque controller with a spot to dock this thing up above it, I'd be all over it. Even better, if you could actually use this xbox 360-esque controller as an actual 360 controller, and then use the Zune HD as a supplementary display, etc.
It won't happen though. At least, not for a long time.
ironic that AD popping up on the engadget video wishing for no ADs while loading free games on ZuneHD....
the control looks really bad, if they want it to be a gaming device, it has to have buttons
Considering this is the only standalone media player that rivals the iPod Touch's capabilities, I find it odd that Nilay didn't compare its graphics against the iPod/Phone. Surely that's what most people are wondering. I'm aware that "on par with the PSP and quite possibly better" can be translated to "superior to the iPhone (graphically)" but how much better?
Nilay can't admit it's better than the graphics of the iphone/ipod touch.
5000 better.
You can't just ask "How much better?" when it comes to graphics and gameplay. I'm sure a detailed review will hit comparing everything to everything else before the day is up.
The graphics are better than what I've seen on the iPhone and iPod touch.
You all insist that we're fanboys, but I'm not gonna fit in your box, man. I'm not some dancing monkey, you know? I have feelings... and dreams.
This video shows no bias, I think the fact that engadget posted a video shows enough dedication to a cool gadget like the zuneHD.