California Man Sues Sony Because Killzone: Shadowfall Isn't Really 1080 286
Sonny Yatsen (603655) writes A California man with nothing better to do has launched a class-action lawsuit against Sony because he claims he was harmed because Killzone: Shadowfall's multiplayer mode doesn't have native 1080p resolution as Sony originally claimed. He now demands 'all economic, monetary, actual, consequential, statutory and compensatory damages' as well as punitive damages from Sony.
"With Nothing Better To Do"? (Score:5, Insightful)
So he should just take it up the rear and not do anything about the company's lies? BOHICA! I'm glad he's suing. Let him represent the rest of us. Hopefully, companies will learn that they can't get away with this BS.
You go girl (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm for it. Blatant false advertizing needs to be punished and this is the route that's available to him.
Seems more reasonable once you read the article (Score:5, Insightful)
The guy just wants his $50 back because the graphics in the game aren't as good as advertised. Frankly, that's actually a reasonable request. You tell someone the game will perform some technical feat, and it doesn't, no shit the customer wants a refund.
Re:That's a garbage lawsuit (Score:5, Insightful)
- so every second line consists of pixels from previous frames, but those are still pixels that are not the same as the ones in the current frame, the output has all of the 1920x1080 pixels in it, it's not like 2 lines of pixels are just 1 line stretched vertically. Technically Sony should win this.
That's a bit disingenuous. Could they render at 320x240 and stretch to fill so the output resolution is still technically 1080p and still advertise "1080p" support?
Troll much? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:They deserve it (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:You go girl (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm for it. Blatant false advertizing needs to be punished and this is the route that's available to him.
On the one hand, I agree with this, especially considering that Sony is pretty well known for their shady business practices.
On the other hand... I just bought a monitor that Tigerdirect advertised as 22", but when it was delivered the box says 21.5", and I don't think that's really worth paying my lawyer $250/hr to handle.
Re:Are you kidding me? (Score:5, Insightful)
Okay maybe its not the kind of thing I would be willing to invest time and money in; but you could easily ask the opposite question:
What kind of society have we become when we allow vendors to blatantly misrepresent products prior to sale?
Sony should be honest about the products actual specifications. We have regulations in place because we collectively decided that all the snake-oil selling had to stop. We standardized weights and measures, and pass truth in advertising laws. They should be followed, simple as that.
Re:First world problems (Score:4, Insightful)
Yes, it's a first-world problem, but at the same time, that doesn't excuse Sony (and Microsoft) for their false advertising.
Placed side by side with the worst atrocities in the world, all kinds of problems seem trivial. Still, they're problems. So you say "this guy has a serious first-world problem," and I say, "Isn't the world bad enough without companies like Sony and Microsoft piling on little bits of bullshit everywhere? Those little bits add up."
Re:That's a garbage lawsuit (Score:5, Insightful)
Killzone's multiplayer mode actually outputs natively in 960x1080 resolution, half of the 1920x1080 standard for "1080p." To output full 1080p graphics, this source image is fixed with a "temporal upscale" that fills in gaps with a horizontal interlace made up of pixels from the previous frame. The result is graphical performance that the lawsuit (and many reviews) call "blurry to the point of distraction."
Last time I checked that's called interlaced video, not progressive. Just because source video is 1080i, but goes out the HDMI video transmitter chip as 1080p it does not make it OK to call it 1080p since the source video is not progressive.
Re:That's a garbage lawsuit (Score:4, Insightful)
To output full 1080p graphics, this source image is fixed with a "temporal upscale" that fills in gaps with a horizontal interlace made up of pixels from the previous frame.
- so every second line consists of pixels from previous frames, but those are still pixels that are not the same as the ones in the current frame, the output has all of the 1920x1080 pixels in it
So..in other words, they advertised 1080p and are delivering 1080i, but presumably at a 1080p frame rate instead of the usual, faster 1080i rate.
I think you're trying to argue that it's still 1080, and it is, but it's still not what they advertised. No, this guy shouldn't be suing them. The FTC should be fining them for false advertising.
Re:"With Nothing Better To Do"? (Score:5, Insightful)
Exactly... What was with the opening?
If they claimed X and did not deliver it, it's a legitimate claim to be made. Should game companies be immune to false advertising claims just becuase they make "video games".
Would the writer also say that the Aliens:CM false trailer was also frivolous?
Re:They deserve it (Score:4, Insightful)
That quote is also likely incorrect. It's almost certainly sending 1920x1080 signal to the TV. But rendering at 960x180. Atari emulators can do 1080p HD video output. The company knew what they were doing when they intentionally used weasel wording for their 1080p logo.
Re:You go girl (Score:4, Insightful)
There needs to be an addition to contract law wherein if something is in large print, it trumps anything in small print.