Mass Effect 2 text illegibility on SD TVs a design decision

ARS: Mass Effect 2 relies heavily on dialog and story to grab gamers, but many playing the game are having problems reading the text. The problem is most acute for those with standard-definition sets or those with smaller high-definition televisions. There is a 14-page thread in the official forum with gamers complaining about the text, and we've had readers e-mailing us about the problem as well.

"I can barely make out what some of the words are, even on my friend's HD TV it's nearly microscopic, very annoying," one annoyed gamer wrote. "On ME1 I enjoyed reading about planets and so forth, now I nearly go blind from trying to read blurry small text on ME2."

[BigKev45]

It's 2010, buy a HDTV already!

[TheDudeAbides]

true, get anything hd, 720p pc monitor is better than standard tv

[TotalPS3Fanboy]

They can't afford an HDTV yet.

My advice, buy the PC version so they can actually see and be able read the text.

[Major_Tom]

Buy the PC version for;

Real anti-aliasing
Real graphics
Real-HD
Faster loading
No disc swapping
Better controls

[Michael-Jackson]

360 doesn't need hd tvs :), but for ME2 it does.

[TheIneffableBob]

A PC monitor with 1680x1050 or 1920x1200 resolution can be found for as low as $150.

[MerkinMax]

If you actually owned the PC version you would know that there are no in game settings for anti-aliasing...

[bioshock1221]

This they have gotten pretty cheap now so I really don't see why anyone would not buy one. Technology is only gonna move forward and you have move along with it.

[Darkstorn]

I don't have an HDTV and am not going to be getting one any time soon. HDTVs may be mainstream for gamers, but only 1/4 of American households have HDTVs, even less in the UK.

It really bothers me that I wasn't able to read anything in MGS4 (I didn't even know that weapons were customizable until my second playthrough because I couldn't read anything).

Shame on BioWare for not at least having a setting to allow us SDTV gamers to read text (then again, I'm playing ME2 on my computer, so consider me lucky).

[raztad]

This is a serious issue. I'm surprised how many gamers are still using SDTV sets. I makes sense tough. Many are just kids or teens playing in the TV spared by mom and dad.

[Major_Tom]

ATi Catalyst

Nvidia control panel

People like yourself make it easy to troll when you don't know what you're talking about :).

[dirthurts]

Forcing AA in ATI CCC doesn't work. Not sure about Nvidia...
but no luck on ME2 with AA so far unless they patch it in.

[JsonHenry]

Who cares if there are in game settings for AA?! Force it through your video cards software!

[Bubbles_Kitty_Cat]

I have a 50" Samsung plasma.

Just let me know what parts you want to read and I will tell you what it says. :D

[MerkinMax]

You've just made it even more obvious you don't own the game. You can't force it with the Nvidia or ATI software. nTuner or downsampling are the only ways I've heard of and nTuner was unsuccessful for me. Seriously Tom, go away!

[Lich120]

I don't know about ME2, but forcing AA is never as good as in game. For example, Global Agenda, when you force AA with it, half the icons disappear.

[ReservoirDog316]

Yeah, I remember this happened to me with Dead Rising on the 360. That sucked cause you had to read the messages then janitor left you on your phone thing. But only have HDTVs now so yeah, not a problem for me.

Sucks for those who don't have one.

Remember, be nice people. Not everyone can afford stuff we're lucky enough to get. Some people just can't get one.

[Letros]

Catalyst 10.1 hotfix enables AA in ME2

[DSI]

Sound the alarm! aaaaaaarrrrrrr! AAAAAAAARRRRRR! Emergency! Emergency! Emergency! Mass Effect II is doing too well, Release the hounds, somebody blog something negative about it the jealousy is unbearable! Attention all hater, report to your duty stations! RED ALERT! /sarcasm

[Rush]

Yeah because people that can't afford a HDTV can afford a gaming pc....

And its good to know not everyone's rich like yourself.

[f789790]

http://www.newegg.com/Produ...

$150

[MerkinMax]

That is the monitor I have. Connect my PS3, 360 and PC to it. It's pretty good people.

And I stand corrected about the ATi Catalyst. I did not know it allowed for AA now. Now only if NVIDIA would do something similar....

[Rockox]

I've got an old 27" Sony Trinitron and I can't see the text worth a damn in this game. My TV's smallness never really bothered me until now, so my wife and I might go pick up an HDTV next weekend.

So the small text in ME2 may be a blessing in disguise...

[baum]

Who cares if the game is slow (not like that's a bad thing, but you know, it's the kind of games that Xbox fanboys hate, that is unless they are "exclusive" to 360) or unplayable on SDTVs or not really a graphical masterpiece or that the character animations are stiff by 2010 standards, let's hand out a 10 out of 10 because a 10 doesn't really mean anything anymore.

[Rush]

Seriously just stop typing before you make an even bigger A-hole out of yourself...

[Shepherd 214]

Mommy and daddy may have bought you an HDTV, but people who struggle with gas/car insurance payments/bills/food/priorities have trouble forking over around 500 cash for a increase in resolution when they have a perfectly good working SDTV that does a decent job at displaying great experiences.

Some of you people need to get in touch with reality.

[shadow2797]

PS3 is hooked up to my 46" HDTV in my Den. X360 is hooked up to my 26" SDTV in my room.

All games should be able to be played in both definitions. Acting like this is somehow the consumers' fault is just plain ignorance.

I've yet to play Mass Effect 2, but if I can't read the writing, I won't be happy. Mass Effect is legible, though not easily, so I don't have high hopes for ME2. What a shame.

[bjornbear]

a massive phillips, so the games look good,but the resolution is horrible, and i have this problem sometimes with games, but its minimal =)

sucks for ME2 SD tv gamers =( i hate it when it happens...

and no not EVERYONE IN THE WORLD with a console can afford an HD TV at the moment...thats reality =/

[execution17]

fear 1 have some issues like this? barely even read whenever text came on the screen

[Nihilism]

Nhancer works like a charm

8aa 60 frames constant, dinner is done.

@sltPoison

Nhancer works fine, i'll grab you some screen shots

No AA

http://img686.imageshack.us...

8AA

http://img526.imageshack.us...

you can see jagged lines around the outside of the door frame etc in the first, none in the second.

[kissmeimgreek]

yah i hate having an SD tv... im having such a tough time reading the text. but its worth it. way to good of a game to let one thing stop me from playing it.

[edwineverready]

oooh sorry I forgot it's a xbox360 exclusive they are used to old outdated hardware.

[Shadow Man]

Fail!

[Conando]

They are also used to the best games on any current gen console. Zing!

The Xbox hardware was superior to the PS2's hardware, but which console came out on top there? The PS2, no competition. Graphics aren't everything. Unless, of course, you're a PS3 fanboy, in which case that's pretty much the only thing you have to boast about these days.

[rawd]

ahahaha

[Meus Renaissance]

This has always been an issue with some games.

[ExposingLames]

good decision, people still into gaming are doing themselves wrong playing on a SDTV anyways....they deserve not to be able to read the text lol

[swiftshot93]

lol, trying playing fallout 3 then.

[Conventional]

and I got a 22" tv, so it's definitely no behemoth. I believe it's 1080i but I'm too lazy to go check.

"I can barely make out what some of the words are, even on my friend's HD TV it's nearly microscopic, very annoying."

Seriously, how small is his friend's tv that he can't read something that's clear day for me?

[mikepmcc]

Same here, I have a small hd tv, no issues whatsoever, I never even thought about the text size.

[tplarkin7]

A 22" LG monitor at 1080p. No problems.

[Jdash24]

This is what happened to me with Dead Rising, I could never make out the text on standard def, but when I got my first HDTV and played it, I could read the text perfectly.

[danielle007]

This issue reminded me of Dead Rising also! I had a crap TV at first and didn't even know that there was a story going on in that little text.. I just killed zombies & was uber annoyed by the phone that I couldn't understand. Then I got my new TV and I was like ... Oh, there is a story! haha.

[Evocation]

On the plus side, dead rising on my HDTV had really bad screen tearing. SDTV was fine.
To others while HDTV are fine consoles are mostly for the younger none working teens and such, as I can remember not having a TV even when I was that age I'm not expecting parents to go out and buy all their kids HDTVs.
It can't really be that hard to have settings for different TV's a lot of PS2 games even have them.

[DeadGirls]

Now if you're playing the game on a television, you will never, in a --trillion years, experience the game. You'll think you've experienced it, but you'll be -ahem cheated. --Such a sadness. That you think you've played a game on a f-ing television. Get Real!

Play on a PC.

[Conventional]

because, you know...I have this endless supply of money and I'm gonna go out and drop a thousand bucks or so for a high end gaming rig just so that I can really and truly "experience" this title. You've completely changed my outlook on gaming!

Oh and comparing watching a movie on a 2.5" screen with headphones vs watching it in a theater with surround sound to playing a game in slightly different levels of resolution (when typically the console version is played on a larger screen) is totally fail.

[ASSASSYN 36o]

No HDTV. That is a personal problem. Get a job and upgrade. Got one...get another!

[Darkstorn]

You, my friend, are ignorant. A lot of people play games to relax, have some fun, or recover after a long day at work. They shouldn't have to invest in a gigantic screen to be able to appreciate video games. In addition, a lot of lower-middle class folks are too cash strapped from paying for healthcare (at least in the U.S., Europe doesn't really have that problem) to be able to afford a TV that costs upwards of $500 just for an enhanced viewing experience.

[Nineball2112]

^^^

Haha... I gotta give props to someone who can somehow turn a discussion of sdtvs and gaming into a commentary on health care! Hey, how about a different perspective?

In addition, a lot of lower-middle class folks are too cash strapped from paying exorbitant taxes for every social program under then sun to be able to afford a TV that costs upwards of $500 just for an enhanced viewing experience.

Man, you can't even get politics out of gaming... *sigh*

[Darkstorn]

@8.2-
???
I'd say those lower-middle class folks are able to take advantage of the social programs provided by the government. Oh, and our (the U.S.'s) taxes are the lowest of any industrialized country, so I fail to see your point about being 'overtaxed.' The people who have trouble paying their taxes are able to use these programs, and the wealthier folks pay part of it. It's called a social safety net, and it's the humane thing to do.

[ASSASSYN 36o]

I got one to really piss you off. I don't pay taxes, and I have free health care. I am an Air Force 100% disabled veteran and have not work for 3 years. Now quit whining like a little girl go get two jobs and get your broke ass back to work. I got bills need paying.

Nobody cares about your opinion on government programs, or middle class struggle. We talk about games on this GAME website.

[AssassinHD]

I am going to go with #8 on this one. You can get a HD monitor for the cost of 3 games. If someone is complaining about how a HD game looks on an SDTV then they should just get a HD display.

[MSpence516]

This was the same problem with Dead Rising, but that was close to the beginning of the consoles life.

Now, if you can afford to buy the console, you can definitely afford a cheap LCD.

[Dark-vash]

Why buy a HD console and whine about HD Gfx and then play on a SDTV?

[Bathyj]

I dont want to sound like a rich snob or anything but seriously, HDTV's are so cheap now days, whats the problem. If you havent bought a new TV in the last 5 years, then maybe its time to open those purse strings and let that moth out to fly.
Plus gamers are people who adopt new technology, we lead the uptake.

If you're really that broke you cant afford one, then maybe you've got the wrong hobby. Frisbee is fun. Once you have the flying disc its very cheap.

If you want standard def, buy a Wii. Maybe that why they're so popular. Big blocky graphics work on a SDTV.

[Charmers]

I would say it is more down to "what is the point" in buying a HDTV ? Nearly all broadcasts are still standard definition so 90% of the time the HD TV will be behaving like an SD TV.

Here in the UK the only source of HD programming is Satellite and some cable providers that is it. I only have a HD TV because I like to connect my PC up to a TV and a Monitor. It is stupid and unnecessary to tell people to "buy a HDTV" there is no reason why Bioware couldn't have simply added a "bigger text" function for those without a HDTV. Alternatively if they had stayed with the original text size of ME 1 there wouldn't have been a problem.

This is one of many minor design annoyances that detract from an excellent game. I really wish Bioware had put a bit more thought into things.

[Bathyj]

Well in Australia ALL TV is going digital in the next couple of years, and more channels are going HD so why wouldnt you get one?

Plus, you know, they look better and stuff, so that would be the point.

[kewlkat007]

....Oh well

[baum]

What is it with you changing your avatar every day? Do you have an identity crisis? You also seem to be fixated with Mortal Kombat as of late. (?)

[FantasyStar]

Instead of Bioware being like douches, why don't they just support SD resolutions like most games can do? Your customers bought a game and expect it to work under most conditions, even SDTV. It is a legitimate complaint and Bioware needs to do something about it.

It's not Bioware's prerogative to offer home theater advice. It's to make a game that works for people. And a 14-pg thread on the Bioware forums complaining about illegible text clearly says something.

[v1c1ous]

this isn't a new issue.

this was an issue ever since xbox 360 was launched (and ps3 later on) where some games gave issues with reading text on sd tvs.

it's the old lost planet problem

[FantasyStar]

I would agree with you, however out of curiosity, I plugged my 360 into my old Sony TV. ME2 on SD is really illegible and just trying to read it on a SDTV is bad for your eyes. But I do see how the SD-issue has been an issue since 2006.

[QuantumWake]

If I remember correctly, one of the Rainbow Six: Vegas games had this problem. Well, this small text problem is not an issue for me since I have a HDTV! Just like BigKev said, it's 2010, get a HDTV already......

:D

[JaredH]

I must be an exception then because I could read everything just fine on my $200 20 inch sanyo I bought from wal-mart 4 years ago. I guess I do sit like 5 feet from it in my bedroom though.

[kraze07]

Time to get a new TV eh? I remember I couldn't read the text on the cell phone in GTA4. That was a pain in the ass and I was playing the game on a 47" HDTV.

[Darksyko]

I had this same issue with Street fighter 4. I couldn't figure out how to do any of the special moves in the training room because I couldn't read them.

[taylork37]

You have to leave some people behind if you really want to be next gen.

If they are worried about what the games look like on their SDTV then they should just get a Wii.

[Cernunnos]

HDTV's are cheap. Or do like me, buy a monitor with HDMI!

Stop complaining, buy something with HD res, or go play Wii/ps2

[artsaber]

my 8" Black & White portable TV? Hey wait a minute... why can't I see the words? This game stinks! LMAO just kidding. Game is great, perhaps his TV ain't so great.

[Slient Knight 9]

all i can say is should have gone to specsavers

[AnotherGamerUser]

Still have it hooked up with just the regular AV cables. Use component if your tv supports it.