(2024) The Wolfpack

I’ve been wanting to make this post for some time now, so last week I finally put some time aside! This tech demo goes against norms, but that is the point.

RELATIVITY
I’ve done quite a bit of platform / tech / port work; some public but most of it confidential. Across Unreal + Unity & Proprietary.

CONNECTIVITY
Last week I talked about game engines in regards to their business models and your near-term + long-term needs.
~ One thing I mentioned at the end is a MEGA-PLATFORM game.
• MULTI-PLATFORM games; will release on PC + Xbox + Playstation (maybe Switch); whether at the same time OR staggered (most = staggered).
• MEGA platform games are product releases that target almost every platform at the same time for the (1) biggest splash + (2) the most convenience for the consumer (play where you want) & returns (highest chance of sales).
= You don’t see this very often as it is a difficult proposition that benefits from being considered VERY early on and baked into your culture, hiring, process & tech.

PROPOSITION
If you make it a priority, you’d be shocked at how easy you can get a 3C ( fidelity, feel, flow) product to deploy from Mobile to PC.

DEMONSTRATION
#1. High fidelity FPS
#2. ALL major platforms including:
~ PC / Consoles / Handhelds + Mobile.
#3. Build your “Core Vision” as often as possible
~ NOT spending time doing specific work PER platforms
= Reducing friction here is the name of the game

TECHNICALS
The demo is reminiscent of a Doom-styled corridor shooter. What you see on screen is essentially all you’d ever need to render on screen at a given time.
= Very easy to achieve in that type of game
~ If you’re making a different type (more open) of game it’s simply other techniques

TAKEAWAY
Achieve SO much with SO little. I constantly try to prove this out; not only for myself; but for as many others to hopefully reduce friction and risks:
• Amazing PERF
• Amazing FEEL
• Amazing GRAPHICS
• Fast & Easy Workflows

NOTE
[ Generalization simply for demonstration ]
• A real game would have overhead like enemies, projectiles, systems/processes on CPU
= With actual proper time + effort for a real product you could very well get the game to look EVEN better across all fidelities (especially Potato Mode) and perform better too!

TL;DR
I know millions and billions of triangles are all the rage right now…
But have you considered not doing that?
= See if it works for you!
// Never be afraid to go against the norm

FACTS
1. Optimized Game
= Easier to bring to Platforms
2. More Platforms
= Less Risks
3. More Platforms
= More Revenue
4. More Revenue
= Higher chances of Success

ENDING NOTE
If you plan well ahead of time, you can have a product that is heavily optimized with little to no effort. On the other hand, if you make this an afterthought you could create a lot of pain down the line for you and your team.

Let me know your experiences and thoughts below or via DM!

[ THE REVIEW ]
I really enjoyed putting this together on the Unity game engine.
(thank you Unity)
• I was able to achieve my vision very quickly and deploy it anywhere with great FEEL (camera, controller, rumble, whatever!), FIDELITY (graphics to spec ratio) and FLOW (process of build, deploy, test & iterate.
• Both Unreal and Unity have recently announced some very exciting updates. I am very excited to dive in and share more soon!

[ INSPIRATION ]
For this demonstration I want to thank a few people that inspired the scene that I put together. That includes a trailer for an upcoming video game called “Den of Wolves”. Really cool looking project from 10 Chambers. Feel free to check it out and Wishlist it on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1818140/Den_of_Wolves/

Ironically, a music video that had a similar aesthetic also appeared while I was putting this together. Thank you to both^^
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOOhPfMbuIQ

[ THE HARDWARE ]

( Workstation )
• Windows 10
• Intel Core i7 9700K @ 3.60 GHz
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
• 32GB Ram DDR4

( ROG Ally )
// THE SPECS (ROG ALLY)
• Windows 11
• AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme
• AMD RDNA 3 iGPU
• 16GB Ram LPDDR5

// THE ENGINE
• Unity 5x (2021.3.15f1)
• Built-In Render Pipeline
• Deferred Rendering
• Linear Color Space
~ Real-Time Lighting
~ 0 Shadows
~ Zero Bakes

THE TECH DEMO
[ "Wolf Pack" ]
• I wanted to do a minor update by quickly adding some "Ultra Lights".
• Very similar to Unreal's Mega Lights in regards to workflow and end result.
• I also made some VERY minor geometry updates for a fun comparison.

THE COMPARISON
This Comparison Video includes the previous [ High Fidelity ] version from the quoted post above to the newer [ Enhanced Version ].