Do you think the CoD Modern Warfare 2 beta was used to find bugs, test performance and servers? A developer from Infinity Ward recently stated that far more was tested over the two weekends than the makers of CoD have revealed so far.
What happened? At a press conference as part of the release of CoD MW2, Michal Drobot, head of Infinity Ward Poland, spoke about the past beta. There he revealed a long-kept secret: The studios behind Call of Duty have been working on a new technology for several years.
We developed this new technology a few years ago […]. It allows us to bring more resolution and more power to the screen, but only where it really counts.
Michal Drobot, Infinity Ward Poland
The technology is called “Software-based variable rate shading” and in MW2 ensures that you perceive your environment and your opponents differently. Apparently with success: The latest entry in the CoD series impresses with its strong graphics. One level in the campaign was particularly appealing to fans: the look of CoD Modern Warfare 2 blew me away, although the graphics don’t bother me at all.
The great graphics of CoD Modern Warfare 2 is particularly evident in urban settings. In the video you can admire the implementation of Amsterdam in the latest CoD.
CoD Modern Warfare 2: Campaign – Amsterdam Mission
Software-based variable rate shading mimics how your eyes work
How does the technology work? The principle behind the new technology actually sounds very simple. The game engine increases the resolution of the game in a few key places, most notably enemy units. In principle, however, the technology should increase the resolution in all areas that are of particular interest to gamers. Areas that are only at the edge of your field of vision, on the other hand, are displayed a little less sharply.
We want to bring you extra quality where you aim and where points of interest are on the map. When there’s an enemy in your field of view, we want to make sure they’re displayed in the highest possible resolution so you never feel like the game is slowing you down with low resolution.
Michal Dobrot, Infinity Ward Poland
How does the game decide which areas to upscale? The goal is to mimic the way the eye works. We only see the things that our brain considers important. These can be hazards, such as fast-moving objects. We also perceive colors and contrasts particularly clearly.
On the other hand, we take less notice of things that are outside of our focus. If we were to perceive everything in the same detail, our brain would quickly be overwhelmed. The developers have now copied this trick of nature for their game. This should improve the gaming experience while conserving resources.
So an algorithm ultimately decides what you see and how clearly you can see it. The game manipulates you by making you look where the developers want you to look.
Shader technology was a well-kept secret
How did the developers implement the technology? This is where machine learning comes into play. The developers analyzed hundreds of hours of gameplay. For a long time, internal testers were busy creating the first data sets that serve as the basis for an algorithm.
But internal tests alone are not enough to simulate real conditions. Therefore, beta testers had to serve as guinea pigs. The developers worked on the feature between the two beta weekends, but without telling the testers anything about it. There were no hints in the patch notes and no other communication.
The secrecy helped maintain the integrity of the systems. Any hint could have influenced the testers. The findings of the beta finally helped the developers to implement the new technology.
More about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 at MeinMMO:
Who can use the feature? The great thing about software-based variable rate shading is that the technology runs completely in the background. You don’t have to make any special settings.
Since it is a software solution that is firmly integrated into the game engine, you do not need to invest in new hardware. Even if you’re not using the very latest graphics card, you don’t have to worry. By the way, console players benefit equally from the variable shading. The technology is intended to increase performance on all platforms.
Have you noticed the shader technology? Are you surprised that the developers kept such a feature secret for so long? Leave us a comment!
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