I mean, seriously. Take a look at this shot, from Star Trek: Legacy, a relatively new, as in released-in-2006 game.
Got it? Good. Now take a look at this shot.
That second one is from X: Beyond the Frontier.
BTF was released in 1999. Yep, you read that right - 1999. Our games seven years ago weren't too far behind what Legacy is struggling to do today.
Now, if you really want to blow your mind, check out what we did last year.
Yeah. My dad is so totally more awesome than your dad. So nyah.
To be fair to Bethesda, they are pushing a much higher polycount than BTF, and the effects work is a lot better than most of the stuff we've ever managed to ship. But I still think its funny that their planetary texture resolution looks like something older than three of my nephews. Just goes to show how much difference good artists make - and frankly, we have a couple of the best damn artists and visuals designers in the business.
So... right. Gloating time over, back to drinking vacation.
