When you think next-gen graphics, Call of Duty: Ghosts probably isn't the first game to come to mind. But Activision is making its own technical strides that may go unnoticed to some. They are ahead of the curve with what is easily the most unappreciated advancement in Call of Duty: Ghosts… perfectly rounded gun scopes.
That's right, say goodbye to blocky edges thanks to a new engine feature called Sub-D, a technique which takes the most blocky geeometry and builds them into perfectly smooth curves.
"It's been used for a while in Hollywood in film, but the real breakthrough for us has been utilizing it real-time, in engine," Activision told GameZone. Activision showed us an example with Sub-D turned off, revealing frighteningly jagged edges because of the normal poly count. With it turned on, the normal poly count increased exponentially.
"What's amazing about Sub-D is that it will continue to subdivide in real-time as you get closer to objects. No matter how close you get, nothing will breakdown."
The result? Perfectly rounded gun scopes in Call of Duty: Ghosts. This is next-gen, folks.
*NOTE: The accompanying picture is of Modern Warfare 3 — look at those harsh edges; those jagged edges are painful on the eyes.