COO Tim Sweeney lays out roadmap for popular middleware - PC not a priority
In an interview with TGdaily, Epic Games COO Tim Sweeney has confirmed that the studio is planning to release a fourth version of its popular Unreal Engine in line with the next console generation.
While the engine won't be exclusively for the next-generation of consoles, it will be tailored and designed for those platforms (whatever they may be) in the first instance.
"The Unreal engine is really tied to a console cycle. We will continue to improve Unreal Engine 3 and add significant new features through the end of this console cycle. There is a long life ahead for Unreal Engine 3," he said, adding:
"Version 4 will exclusively target the next console generation, Microsoft's successor for the Xbox 360, Sony's successor for the Playstation 3 - and if Nintendo ships a machine with similar hardware specs, then that also. PCs will follow after that."
Focusing the development of the technology for the consoles rather than PC ties in with Sweeney's previous comments to TGdaily that the platform wasn't ideal for gaming.
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He said: ""Those machines are good for e-mail, web browsing, watching video. But as far as games go, those machines are just not adequate. It is no surprise that retail PC sales suffer from that."
Erm, why *are* Epic a member of the 'PC Gaming Alliance'?
When Tim says the next engine "will exclusively target the next console generation" what he means is that it won't be an engine suitable for this console generation Xbox 360, PS3 or the PC we have today. It does not mean it will be exclusive to consoles.
Epic are definately hammering the PC recently and I can't say it's a good thing to be doing. There's an element of "don't bite the hand that feeds you" that they should be aware of. Granted, they're desperately moving all resources to console platforms anyway, but if they manage to realise their new dream of making all their franchises and all their licencees' games into console exclusives then will all the FPS fans who've bought Epic games for years while they made their name on PC suddenly thank them for abandoning them and the PC platform?
I think there might be a bit of sour grapes going on as well as shrewd financial decisions to abandon loss-making sectors. I was one who was looking forward to Unreal Tournament 3, but I think it released at a time when there was too strong a competition - ET:QW in particular - and the game seemed poor performance and all too console-oriented. Even the map editor is console-friendly. I bought a copy, but it was purely for the editor and the DVD of tutorial videos - I've barely played the game itself.
This is confusing:
"While the engine won't be exclusively for the next-generation of consoles"
...
"Version 4 will exclusively target the next console generation"
I think the point is that they will build it with the next console cycle in mind, but then make it available for PC. It's the 'targetting' that's exclusive/tailored.
Not suitable for gaming? Either he is deliberately trying to avoid PC because consoles are "seemingly" more profitable (most likely reason) or he actually made an uninformed remark. Collectively PC is by far most profitable. By that I count everything, from simple games to mmorpg (like WoW). Consoles doesn't even come close. If you want to play FPS, nothing beats PC's (consoles with active aimbots is supported cheating). Online games such as Eve or WoW, PC again. The list goes on. I can understand the false safety of making profits on a console that supposedly have less piracy. But a better platform? Absolutely not. It was a long time ago PC's passed both the performance and capabilities of any console out there. I would appreciate more if he was honest enough to say that the platform is better for *them*. At least that would be true.
What does he mean the pc isnt adequate? its the only system capable of doing the latest effects theyre playing with. It would have been more accurate to say the neccessary pc isnt readily affordable.
@John - The Next PC isn't readily affordable? To WHAT, Console prices? PC Kick Console hardware capability where it hurts.
More like, "We're so paranoid of losing money on the PC scene to pirates, we're making the PC the lower priority in comparison to the console." Common denominator right now is DX9 level performance, as the XBox and PlayStation can't do any better than that. Yes, DX10 and DX11 programming is a little harder than DX9, but what they can do is more than DX9 can.
@Micke, I agree with your last statement. It *would* be more truthful to say that the platform (Consoles) are better for *them*.
@all, I think others have made a good point here, the title, and the direction of the message is a bit confusing... and as pointed out is that the UT4 engine will be aimed not at the current gen consoles, but the next, and then as an afterthought, the PC. (Nothing new there, as we suffer from console ports on the PC where even dialogues reflect that it was written FOR a console instead.)
