Could the Dreamcast have handled GTA III?

[c0ldb33r]

I was reading an issue of ODCM in the bathroom this morning and read a preview of GTA 2 for the Dreamcast. I wasn't overly impressed with the graphics. Here's a screencap of GTA 2 for DC.


So that got me thinking. Could the Dreamcast have handled GTA III? GTA III really defined the series. It brought it into the next generation. Could the Dreamcast have been the console to start it?

Here's a screencap of GTA III for PS2


And here's a screencap of Shenmue for DC


So, I dunno. Could the Dreamcast have handled it? I vote yes because the graphics don't look that different. And both games have huge worlds to explore - so the DC could definately handle the size and open nature of GTA III.

So, I vote yes, the DC could have been the home of the GTA 3D revolution.

[Kid Ice]

Shenmue had far superior graphics to GTA3. But I'm not sure it's a valid comparison as the gameplay styles are so different. Still I see no reason we couldn't have had GTA3 on the DC.

[AMG]

I believe the Dreamcast could handle GTA3 (even with some minor corners cut). The poly count isn't very high in GTA3 (as the game sacrifices detail for sheer size), so there is a good chance the DC could deal with the graphics. The Radio might need to be trimmed down some to fit on the GD ROM as apposed to the DVD format the game appears on originally.

Overall I think the Dreamcast would have made a nice home for GTA3.

[ProgrammingAce]

The dreamcast could have ran GTA3, there's even talk that it was in development (which rockstar has always denied).

There would have been more loading and less detailed textures, but it's doable in a playable form.

[diskoboy]

I definitely think so.

They'd probably leave a few songs off of the soundtrack, or axe one of the radio stations, all together.

I'm more curious to see if the DC could pull of Vice City since it was a bit larger, and had a bigger sdtk.

[MrRoboto19XX]

I think the DC could handle GTA III no problem. Like said previously, the game didnt have too high a poly count. The only problem I think they may have had would have been all the space for voice acting, but what do I know.

Oh how these debates used to rage on the DC message boards circa 2002. Those poor bitter sega fanboys...

[roushimsx]

I doubt it. It had half the memory of the PS2 so you would have to sacrifice yet more texture detail, the view distance would have been shorter (you think disappearing cars was a problem in Vice City? Imagine what it would have been like on the DC), and the city would have to be broken up into much smaller zones.

Headhunter is a much better comparison than Shenmue, mainly because the structures are more closely related (well ok, they're still very different games) and they actually use the same engine. Shenmue's enviornments are damned TINY (each zone is just a small part of a street compared to each zone in GTA3 being a third of a city).

But yea, apples meet oranges. Oranges, meet apples.

[Ed Oscuro]

I doubt it. It had half the memory of the PS2 so you would have to sacrifice yet more texture detail, the view distance would have been shorter (you think disappearing cars was a problem in Vice City?

Possibly. It's really hard to judge; the DC apparently had a few features better than the PS2, but nothing that could make up for the lack of RAM.

So yeah, it'd be doable, but would you trade in your PS2 (or Xbox) version for it?

[mezrabad]

So yeah, it'd be doable, but would you trade in your PS2 (or Xbox) version for it?

That's a really good point. Supposedly the Saturn was able to run a version of Shenmue but thankfully we got it on Dreamcast. Dreamcast may have been able to run a game like GTAIII but thankfully we got it on PS2/XBox where it's probably nicer than it would've been on DC.

Still. I love my DC. Why'd it have to die? Why???? *sob*

I not only mourn the DC I mourn what might've been the "DC 2" we'll never know.

[Cryomancer]

I'd say it COULD.

but...GTA is a PC game

[Neo Rasa]

The Dreamcast definitely could handle it. It could probably run at the same stability with higher resolution textures than what's on the PS2 version (as opposed to the XBox/PC release), but have more slowdown (real slowdown, not framerate choppiness) and some pretty epic load times.

[Richter Belmount]

imagine it if had actually been released on dc probably could of lived

[jajaja]

Hardware wise maybe, but the GD-discs can only store upto 1.2gb. GTA 3 for PS2 is like a full DVD altho i think alot is dummy file, real size is about 2.5gb if i remember right. It would have to be split up to 2 discs, possibly 3. I dont know how well this had turned out.

[playgeneration]

I reckon dreamcast could have done it no problem, Crazy Taxi had huge sprawling environments similar to GTA. Some of the music would have had to go to fit on the disk, but then theres some songs i wouldnt miss at all anyway.
Its a shame it was never released, it would have certainly prolonged the dreamcasts life, and the PS2 probably would have lost a fair few sales. Infact that one game could have completely changed the consoel outlook we have now, could four consoles have survived alongside each other?

[B - Mark]

yes, it´s possible.

I voted Yes in the pool´s topic and believes could the Dreamcast have handled GTA III.

I seen the screencaps of GTA III for PS2 and Shenmue for DC and i make a conclusion:

It´s possible produces GTA III for Dreamcast with same level of GTA III for PS2.

But his controls are the same for GTA III for X - Box because the controls for Dreamcast and X - Box are similars.

[shadowkn55]

The entire environment doesn't need to be rendered all at once. Only enough to see whats going on in the camera and then maybe a bit more as a buffer when the character starts moving. As far NPC interactions outside of the rendered area, those could be calculations done without graphics rendering. I think the only worthwhile concern is the space issue. Data would have to be compressed or cut out all together.

To put it short, my answer is yes.

[johno590]

I wouldn't see why the DC couldn't handle GTA 3. I think it would of done it very nicely.

[j_factor]

I agree that space would've been the only big concern. GTA3 doesn't have a high poly count at all, and high poly counts are the only major thing PS2 can do better than DC. It likely would've had smoother objects and better textures on Dreamcast, but perhaps with some content cut in the process. I don't know if a GTA3 type of game would really work split into multiple discs.

[Sweater Fish Deluxe]

Yes, of course the Dreamcast could do GTA3. Hell, it could do it with *BETTER* graphics and *LESS* loading and still have space *LEFT OVER* on a GD-ROM. Of course this feat would require coders with more skill than the hacks at Rockstar. Rockstar probably couldn't have made a playable verison of GTA3 on the Dreamcast, but a team like AM2 could have. Maybe it would have be a more enjoyable game if AM2 had made it, too.


...word is bondage...

[gjb-sensei]

No, it would've had to be reworked a bit to get it on the Dreamcast, and even then you probably couldn't truly consider it "Grand Theft Auto III".