News Unreal Engine 4.0 to exclusively target consoles

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/03/13/unreal_engine_4_to_exclusively_target_consoles/1

In what will be a blow to PC gamers, Tim Sweeney has revealed that Unreal Engine 4.0 will exclusively target the next generation of consoles.

 

And with that the reason for epic slating PC gaming becomes clear

 

Screw this... I woke up 3 minutes ago... and this is the news I get?!

 

Considering that we have no idea what sort of specs the next gen consoles are going to have, I can't see the benefit of this. This is especially true when you consider that future consoles are more likely than ever to be assembled from readily avaliable pc components than blank slate designs.

And with intel, ibm and amd's move to modular cpu's you could have a custom cpu assembled from standard design pieces, with a few custom DSP blocks, and paired with a gpu again assembled from standard design pieces to a custom design. Cheaper design costs, works with current standards, and allows a degree of flexibility to differentiate your console.

 

I think Crytek should get to work licensing CryEngine2 for PC's. We already know it will scale well for at least the next year or two.

Chop-Chop Lads!

 

epic epic epic by god you really are pissing off everyone. Don't you develop software on a ****ing PC. So why be an arse with this statement.

Epic pissing me off no end, **** it, thank god for blizzard, valve, crytek, bioware etc

 

I think bindi from another thread sums this up nicely.

When the current consoles are old hat who's going to be giving you money epic?

 

I don't see this as especially terrible news. There are so many other excellent engines around nowadays; CryEngine2, Source, Jupiter, X-Ray... and then there is a bunch of open-source stuff available to developers - look at Penumbra: Black Plague for a case-in-point.

It's true that licensees of the Unreal Engines get unmatched support and (arguably) the best toolkit, but I think that Epic are making a blunder in focusing on an engine that is slightly better visually than UE3 and supports comprehensive customisation/artistic freedom - surely the point of licensing engines is that the developers don't have the time/money/manpower to create a proprietary engine, and UE4 sounds like more work for the developer than before... in terms of visual assets anyway.

 

I think Tim S. has forgotten that PC gamers made the unreal engine BIG and now we are flushed through the toilet. If I was a PC gamer I would have boycot every game that uses any type of Epic engine... Epic should be kicked out of the PC gamer platform as i am writing this. Tthey are just being a SPY for the consoles.

I'am pissed off. And Tim "knows it all" S. can kiss my ass!

 

Excellent question.

My conspiracy theorist side reckons it's so they can kill PC gaming from the inside.

 

its ok UT3 is pants anyway

 

You make a good point - I have expanded upon my "kick in the nuts" comments to reflect that. I thought a kick in the nuts would be enough, but apparently not. Thanks for kicking me in the nuts.

Oh, and for the record, I don't like kissing ass.

 

The problem is that it's not just Unreal Tournament. There are many many licensees that use Epic's technology to make PC games as well. This is bigger than Unreal Tournament and I don't think it's good news for us PC gamers.

 

Is the point of dropping PC because ut3 flopped? Is this in fact a hissy fit from a primadona dev?

 

We have a winner.

Devs need to realise that pushing the graphical boundary further and further forward just isn't the way to make games that are profitable. They need to start making PC games that lots of people can play. Take for example, Sins of a Solar Empire. The graphics are adequate, very rarely will you be looking close up on a ship, but when you do, on the high settings they look nice, not amazing. But the gameplay is fantastic, and because it doesn't need such an amazing computer to play it, lots of people can play it. Anyone who doesn't play the game purely because the graphics aren't better than anything else before it won't really be missed.

 

F*** you Epic![/rant]

sorry, had to take that of my chest....

 

Cant exactly blame them for going where the money will be. They are a business after all.

Each console generation gets bigger and bigger, and each year the gaming market for non RTS/MMO games on the PC seems to be getting smaller.

So imagine the hype about the coming PS4 / Xbox 720 / Nintendo Muhuha. That market will be big, and worth $$$$$/£££££ to a company who has an early next gen product capable of uber cross platform development.

It will probably take 4 to 5 years to make (hey the UT3 engine did) so starting now is a realistic business proposition.

You people have got to realise that it isnt just because you thin UT3 sucked, and Epic sucks, so they are evil blah blah blah. Think beyond your initial disgust that Epic may be prioritising consoles first. Why shouldnt they ?

Just because Epic started out on PC's doesnt mean anything!!!! Once again.. think like a business. Epic makes a hell of a lot of money from licence technology, and arguably more so than any other developer at the moment.

Let the market decide... and in a few years we will see the following : The PC will still be king of the high end, with amazing RTS/MMO/RPG games, plus a lesser number of amazing shooters. The current consoles will be a massive market and a clear money maker, plus hype over the next gen will have geared up, and people will be starting to develop for those machines too.

It doesnt have to be another PC is dying thread. There is plenty of room to co-exist. The game developers should just start developing games for PC's that people actually want to play on PCs. Thats where the money is (Sims, MMO, Company of Heroes, Starcraft).. these games are licences to print money AND SHOCK HORROR on the PC as well.

 

Veles: that's all well and good, but you're forgetting that Epic's real money is made from licensing. Much like iD, their games are poster children: adverts for their new toys.

moving to console makes sense as a business proposition: consoles represent the majority demographic so you're not losing too much money, and your support costs go right down - three static platforms to support? easy! RnD suddenly gets a lot simpler for them too as they have plenty of time for plan and get to grips with new platforms that stick around for a long while.

basically what i'm saying is maybe Epic's got some financial issues, and due to having to drop PC platform as their focus (as it IS expensive), are spinning it into something positive.

 

... but they're still a part of the PC gaming alliance?

 

They already do I think.