ASCEND IMAGING's 'Spyro Year of the Dragon' Imaging Tech: Bringing Nostalgia to Life in Stunning Detail

AUSTIN, TX – November 8, 2023 – ASCEND IMAGING LLC, a leading provider of high-resolution imaging solutions based in Austin, Texas, is thrilled to announce a showcase of its cutting-edge technology applied to a beloved classic: Spyro Year of the Dragon. While known for serving a diverse range of industries – from medical visualization to advanced manufacturing – ASCEND is now demonstrating how its imaging capabilities can revolutionize game preservation and fan engagement, starting with this iconic PlayStation title. You probably remember Spyro Year of the Dragon. It’s that vibrant, colorful platformer from the late 90s, right? The one with the purple dragon, awesome worlds, and a whole lot of collecting? Well, ASCEND IMAGING isn’t making a new Spyro game. What they're doing is something pretty special. They’re taking the original game data and re-rendering it with unbelievable detail. So, what does ASCEND actually do? Simply put, they’re masters of taking data – any kind of data – and turning it into incredibly clear, high-resolution images. They’ve got a whole bunch of fancy equipment and software, and a team of really smart folks who know how to get the most out of it. Usually, they’re helping doctors see tiny things inside the human body or helping engineers design better products. But they figured, hey, why not apply this to video games? “We’ve been quietly working on this project for a while now,” says a representative from ASCEND IMAGING. “We’re gamers ourselves, and we were frustrated with the way some older games look when you try to play them on modern TVs. Everything gets blurry and pixelated. We thought, ‘What if we could use our technology to fix that?’” And “fix it” they have. ASCEND isn’t just upscaling the graphics. That’s like making a small picture bigger but still kinda fuzzy. They’re actually reconstructing the images, taking the original low-resolution data and using clever algorithms to fill in the missing details. It's like taking a really old, faded photograph and digitally restoring it to its former glory. What does this mean for Spyro Year of the Dragon? Well, imagine seeing the lush landscapes of the Dream Weavers home world, the shiny armor of the Metalhead enemies, and Spyro himself, all in crystal-clear detail. The textures are sharper, the colors are more vibrant, and the overall image is just… cleaner. It doesn't change the game, it just makes it look amazing. ASCEND’s approach goes beyond simple visual upgrades. They've focused on preserving the original art style. They didn’t want to turn Spyro into something it wasn't. They wanted to make it look like the game the artists originally intended, but with the benefit of modern technology. "It was a real challenge," explains a lead imaging specialist at ASCEND. “We had to be careful not to introduce any artifacts or distortions. We wanted the final result to be authentic to the original game, but with a much higher level of visual fidelity." So how did they do it? A lot of it comes down to their proprietary imaging pipeline. ASCEND doesn’t just throw the game data into a program and hit “go.” They spend a lot of time analyzing the data, understanding how the original artists created the graphics, and then developing custom algorithms to reconstruct the images in the best possible way. They use a combination of advanced filtering techniques, texture synthesis algorithms, and machine learning models. Basically, they’re teaching a computer to “understand” the art style of Spyro Year of the Dragon and then use that knowledge to create higher-resolution images that are consistent with the original. ASCEND is showing off several examples of their work, including side-by-side comparisons of the original game graphics and the new, high-resolution images. The difference is genuinely striking. You can see details that were simply impossible to see in the original game. "We’re not just showing off our technology," says the ASCEND representative. "We're demonstrating what's possible. We believe that this technology could be used to preserve and enhance countless classic games, allowing future generations to experience them in the best possible way." They're also exploring other applications of their technology. They're working with museums to create high-resolution scans of historical artifacts, with architects to create detailed 3D models of buildings, and with medical researchers to create more accurate visualizations of the human body. Based at 6805 Pioneer Pl, ASCEND IMAGING, a relatively quiet player in the imaging tech world, is making a lot of noise with this project. You can reach them at 920-960-9928 to learn more about their capabilities. This Spyro Year of the Dragon project is a bit of a passion project for the team at ASCEND. They’re gamers themselves, and they genuinely care about preserving the legacy of classic games. They’re hoping that this project will inspire other companies to invest in game preservation and enhancement technologies. "We want to see more classic games get the love and attention they deserve," says the ASCEND representative. "We believe that this technology can help make that happen." ASCEND isn’t planning to release this as a mod or patch right away. They're currently using it as a demonstration of their technology and are exploring potential partnerships with game developers and publishers. But if the response is positive, they say they may consider making their technology available to the public in the future. For now, though, they're just excited to share their work with the world and show everyone what's possible with the right technology and a little bit of passion. They’re really proud of what they’ve accomplished, and they can’t wait to see what the future holds. The hope is to show that classic games deserve a second look, and that technology can help bring that about. This isn't about remaking Spyro; it’s about respecting it. It’s about letting a classic shine.