Bits Mark Rein on PS3, PhysX and Pwnage

[Tim S]

http://www.bit-tech.net/bits/2007/11...x_and_pwnage/1

We recently had a chance to talk to Mark Rein, VP for Epic Games, at the European Launch for Unreal Tournament 3. Over the course of many beers, we discussed the PS3, PhysX and the future of Epic - so check out the interview inside.

[DougEdey]

Nothing about Gears Of War trilogy?

/dissapointed

[Ramble]

Spelling error. Title should read "Joe wets his knickers".

In all awesomeness though it looks like a cool game, unfortunately not technically immense like the hype said.

[[EOCF] Tim]

Basically if you want to know anything about the PC version, ask somebody else. Perhaps that's why he's so enthusiastic about PS3, cuz he doesn't know anything about the PC version. Crazy. Should have asked him why the Demo looked so crappy compared to the screenshots we've had for ages.

[capnPedro]

I don't know who this Mark Rein character is, but is there any reason you seem quite condescending and insulting towards him in your writeup, Joe?

[sub routine]

hehe, nice article can`t wait for the PC version to be specked up and for you guys to test the nuts off it.

[Hamish]

should've asked him why it took a year to create such a shitty port of GoW

[The_Pope]

You won't have too long to wait, Sub Routine

[CardJoe]

Originally Posted by capnPedro

I don't know who this Mark Rein character is, but is there any reason you seem quite condescending and insulting towards him in your writeup, Joe?

:O That wasn't my intention! Mark Rein is an awesome guy! :O

I want to have his babies

[Mentai]

Originally Posted by EOCF Tim

Basically if you want to know anything about the PC version, ask somebody else. Perhaps that's why he's so enthusiastic about PS3, cuz he doesn't know anything about the PC version. Crazy. Should have asked him why the Demo looked so crappy compared to the screenshots we've had for ages.

Wouldn't that be cause the demo was only released with textures up to medium quality? Although having said that, I remember when they were doctering Unreal 2 screenshots.

I feel like Marks job is simply to go out and hype his products, which he doesn't do particually well. In Every interview I've read over the last few years he has known next no technicalities about the game (kinda important when you're dealing with the UT PC community), and has overhyped all games remotely related to his companies tech (yeah Bioshock won a BAFTA, so did Wii Sports...) And then he doesn't even overhype well, what with the straight out lies about parts of the game that must have been conceptual at the time (warfare at E3 a few years ago was much more epic than what it is today), the shoddy release dates (E3 06, the game would Definitely be out well before March 07), and his it'll be done when it's done policy, which excuses the late release date except for the fact that the last couple of UT's were released too early. There should have been no UT2003, which was essentially an unfinished UT2004. UT3 for PC went gold a week after the beta demos release, which makes me think the huge number of interface issues people had haven't been addressed, nor the few major bugs (the camera is above the head of the player at this stage, meaning if you are peeping over a wall, the shots you fire hit other players, however they cannot see you to shoot back).

*Sigh, I hope I'm wrong in my criticisms. I've been a huge fan of the UT series, however, Epic seems to be more orientated towards consoles and turning the PC version into a port. I can't understand this, the issues people had with the beta demo were perfectly reasonable. Things like only being able to set your mouse sensitivity to single digits instead of fine tuning it have been confirmed to be unchanged in the final version. Sure you can edit the ini, but why should you have to for a setting like this? It was available in previous versions of UT, why remove it now (along with nearly every graphical setting)? I suppose I should be getting used to this dumbing down by now being a PC gamer, but it just hurts that my favourite fast paced shooter is getting seemingly shafted at the final moment because they're concentrating on the PS3/Xbox360. It was the one game I wanted to be left untouched

Oh and Bioshock is a great game, however it's BAFTA is the last thing I'd mention about it. BAFTA's are just kind of... shameful

[devdevil85]

Originally Posted by Mark Rein

[M&K support is] cool because it's there if you want it, but I don't think many people do.

I can name off like 3 people out of the 5 that I know who own a PS3 that are going to use this feature as of day 1, and I think it's a great feature. Why buy it on PC to do it if..o let's say..your PC sucks (mine and all of my friends) and you just spent $400-500 on a console that can support such a feature along with hands-over twice as good of graphics as that crap PC? Anyways, the game looks great and I can't wait to see it in action....

I myself am going to get it on PC when I can afford to go to PCI-E.....gotta pay the car off first....

I wonder how the 360 version's coming along....?

[Cupboard]

When I saw the title, I thought this was a game review of Mark Rein on the PS3. Do'h.
Nice article though. Its a shame about Phyxs. It would be nice if it was like the difference between using integrated graphics/low end graphics card and a nice DX10 one. Did graphics cards start out as useless as this?
Is Omega Sektor still looking good now that is has been open for a bit, or is is starting to get a bit tatty?

[Ghys]

Originally Posted by Mentai

Wouldn't that be cause the demo was only released with textures up to medium quality? Although having said that, I remember when they were doctering Unreal 2 screenshots.

I feel like Marks job is simply to go out and hype his products, which he doesn't do particually well. In Every interview I've read over the last few years he has known next no technicalities about the game (kinda important when you're dealing with the UT PC community), and has overhyped all games remotely related to his companies tech (yeah Bioshock won a BAFTA, so did Wii Sports...) And then he doesn't even overhype well, what with the straight out lies about parts of the game that must have been conceptual at the time (warfare at E3 a few years ago was much more epic than what it is today), the shoddy release dates (E3 06, the game would Definitely be out well before March 07), and his it'll be done when it's done policy, which excuses the late release date except for the fact that the last couple of UT's were released too early. There should have been no UT2003, which was essentially an unfinished UT2004. UT3 for PC went gold a week after the beta demos release, which makes me think the huge number of interface issues people had haven't been addressed, nor the few major bugs (the camera is above the head of the player at this stage, meaning if you are peeping over a wall, the shots you fire hit other players, however they cannot see you to shoot back).

*Sigh, I hope I'm wrong in my criticisms. I've been a huge fan of the UT series, however, Epic seems to be more orientated towards consoles and turning the PC version into a port. I can't understand this, the issues people had with the beta demo were perfectly reasonable. Things like only being able to set your mouse sensitivity to single digits instead of fine tuning it have been confirmed to be unchanged in the final version. Sure you can edit the ini, but why should you have to for a setting like this? It was available in previous versions of UT, why remove it now (along with nearly every graphical setting)? I suppose I should be getting used to this dumbing down by now being a PC gamer, but it just hurts that my favourite fast paced shooter is getting seemingly shafted at the final moment because they're concentrating on the PS3/Xbox360. It was the one game I wanted to be left untouched

Oh and Bioshock is a great game, however it's BAFTA is the last thing I'd mention about it. BAFTA's are just kind of... shameful

I am perfectly aware of this reality but it still hurts to be reminded of the dark future of UT

[mrb_no1]

I always feel that when someone is so openly enthusiastic about something it says alot, rather than an add campaign that says its great with some rendered shots in the background. It was an adictive game from the short period i had to play on one of the previous versions. A game like this coupled with the 'possible' release of gta4 would probably get me buying into the ps3 console if i wasn't being sued personally. We have been spoilt this year in gaming....and with the addition to my favourite game of this year(supcom) coming soon, i almost want to go back to uni to do another degree so i can spend my first year getting smashed, sampling the totty and gaming with mates in the living room all day and on our pc's, ho hum, just evenings and weekends now then, soo many games, so little time.

peace

fatman

p.s nice article too and agreeing on the bafta comment too ... shhhhhhhhh dont mention that! :P

[Kurayamino]

Awesome stuff Joe, I'm starting to get Epicly excited about UT3

[CardJoe]

Originally Posted by Cupboard

Is Omega Sektor still looking good now that is has been open for a bit, or is is starting to get a bit tatty?

The place still looks surprisingly good. It still gets very warm very quick, but they've done a good job of keeping it clean and unsmelly. They also seem to have a few different consoles. The Xbox room was locked that day, but looked the same. The Wii from the bar had been replaced with some scantily clad models handing out beers, but there was four extra PS3s. How much of that was just for the day, I don't know.