Ninja Gaiden Dev talks about PS3's Graphics...
1UP: So how long have you guys been working on Ninja Gaiden Sigma now?
Yosuke Hayashi: Obviously there was a period when we were studying the PS3 hardware and figuring out how it operates, so it's kind of hard to define when exactly we started. But basically, last time we met you at TGS and showed the trailer, we said we were at 20%. Now we're at 35%, and we've gotten to the point where we can run through all the stages back to back in the game.
1UP: What's taking the most work in bringing Ninja Gaiden to PS3?
YH: The PS3 has very unique architecture, so there's a lot of work that goes into making sure you optimize the game so it runs best on that architecture. But we're past the point of studying the hardware. Now we know how everything works, so it's about implementing each feature to use the machine to its fullest.
1UP: Since you worked on Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden Black on Xbox, now that you've had some time to familiarize yourself with the Cell processor and its multiple pipelines and the stuff you've got to work with, do you see any advantages in bringing this to the PS3? Does it help with enemy AI, or graphics processing, or anything specific?
YH: One important thing about the PS3 is the seven SPUs in addition to the main processor, and using those is what allows you to get the best graphic quality. So we have an entire section of programmers which is assigned to figure out how to get those SPUs working on graphics to the fullest. Now we're actually at the point where day-to-day you can see the graphic quality improve before your eyes, so to speak. So if you look at the screenshots we have for you today -- if you look at those compared to what we put out at TGS, there's a big difference in terms of the textures and the atmosphere. You can see the steps we've made since then.
