MotoGP 14 Interview: The Tech Behind The PS4 Version

MotoGP 14 on the PC is perhaps the most impressive entry in the long running series and now Milestone s.r.l. are bringing it to the PlayStation 4. GamingBolt got the opportunity to speak to Andrea Basilio, Director at Milestone, to know all about the PlayStation 4 version which is due later this year. Check out his response below.

Rashid Sayed: Can you tell us about the difference between the PS4 and PC versions of the game?

Andrea Basilio: The PC and the PS4 versions are quite similar, our new engine is developed to have the best performance on next gen and PC.

Rashid Sayed: What kind of modifications have you done for MotoGP 2014?

Andrea Basilio: MotoGP 14 is enhanced in each part compared to MotoGP 13. We have developed a new engine that work smoothly on the old and new generations, plus we’ve includedtwo powerful middlewares: F-Mod for the audio and YEBIS 2 for lighting and after effects. In MotoGP 14 we have 2 new offline modes: 2013 Real Events and MotoGP Champions Challenges, plus 1 new online mode: Split Times.

We’ve improved the career mode. This year the player will be more “be inside” MotoGP world. We also recreate the iconic places of the real MotoGP championship such as the paddock. The physics engine, starting from the strong base of MotoGP 13, is three times more accurate and the AI system has been completely rebuilt.

"We have developed a new engine that work smoothly on the old and new generations, plus we’ve includedtwo powerful middlewares: F-Mod for the audio and YEBIS 2 for lighting and after effects."

Rashid Sayed: Can you tell us how the PS Vita version will differ from the console ones? Will it be dumbed down in any way?

Andrea Basilio: In Milestone we are very proud of the PS Vita version. The contents are exactly the same as the other console versions. Our new engine pushes Vita to its hardware limits. On MotoGP 14 PS4 we also support the Remote Play feature.

Rashid Sayed: What kind of research have you done to accurately capture the real world tracks?

Andrea Basilio: The tracks are one of our strongest points. Dorna, the MotoGP licensor, helped us a lot in supplying GPS data and 3D architectural files. We also sent our artist on the tracks in order to obtain pictures and video reference for each track.

Rashid Sayed: Tell us a bit about the PC version and whether you will be pushing the visuals on it.

Andrea Basilio: The visual and the concept are exactly the same as the PS4 version. The idea behind it is the same and the effort we put into the development follow is exactly the same. For sure, PC lives an evolving world, and it’s easier to push it more than a console, but keep in mind that we always keep in mind every single player no matter where he plays.

Rashid Sayed: What anti aliasing solution are you using for the PS4 version?

Andrea Basilio: Yebis2 is a very strong tool, it takes care of the anti aliasing management.

"It is pretty difficult to be technically overwhelmed by a new hardware. A developer is also an artist, every time you want to add more and more, and with more power you can push the boundaries further."

Rashid Sayed: Is the PS4 version running at 60fps and 1080p?

Andrea Basilio: The PS4 version is running at 30FPS/1080p, because we really want to ensure our players a stable and visually rich experience. MotoGP is also featuring a maximum of 34 bikes together on the track, so it’s not bad at all.

Rashid Sayed: What are your thoughts on the resolution and frame rate debate that is going on? What do you prefer; a higher resolution or higher frame rate?

Andrea Basilio: In my honest opinion the real deal is the resolution, rather than 1080p, a 4K texture makes a huge different especially on the new TVs that are starting to come out recently.

Rashid Sayed: What is one technical aspect about the PS4 which is not talked about a lot but you liked the most?

Andrea Basilio: It was quite famous, but after the launch the feature has disappeared a bit. PS4 had this amazing possibility where it can share and “participate remotely” to play with friends. I hope that this feature will regain popularity in the future.

Rashid Sayed: Generally speaking gaming PC don’t come loaded with 8GB of RAM. When you started working on the PS4 version were you overwhelmed by the amount of memory it offered?

Andrea Basilio: It is pretty difficult to be technically overwhelmed by a new hardware. A developer is also an artist, every time you want to add more and more, and with more power you can push the boundaries further.

"The new SDK and the console architecture of PS4 are much easier to work when compared to the old PS3."

Rashid Sayed: The PS4 API allows for closer to the metal kind of coding. Since you are also working on the PC version, did you found the PS4 API more easier to use?

Andrea Basilio: The right comparison is between PS3 and PS4. The new SDK and the console architecture of PS4 are much easier to work when compared to the old PS3. Obviously, the fact that the console itself is very similar to a PC is a very good news for the developer; Sony worked very hard in order to obtain a simple and usable platform for the developers and we appreciate that.

Rashid Sayed: MOTO GP 2014 is not scheduled for the Xbox One. Is there a reason behind this?

Andrea Basilio: This year we’d like to reach high standards in terms of quality. We’ve started the development of MotoGP 14 for PS4 more than a year before the release date. So basically it’s a balance between time and quality. We can ensure our fans that we will include Xbox One in our next line up.