We are all interested in the future. Indeed, as the great Criswell so astutely observed, "We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives." And it wouldn't be much of a life if it wasn't spent playing the latest video games, no doubt powered by trillions of tetraflops and a giggle-inducing number of gigabytes. Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli has seen this future (it's where he bought his Crysis-capable computer), and has concluded that the next generation of consoles -- as in the Xbox 720 and the PlayStation 4 -- could arrive in 2011 or 2012.
Discussing "The Future of Gaming Graphics" at Leipzig's GC Developer Conference, Yerli estimated that Microsoft and Sony's next offerings would arrive "in three to four years' time, although there are good reasons why it should be 2010 already...but we'll see." Crytek, which most recently worked on Crysis Warhead, has also pinned 2012 as the debut year for its next in-house engine and follow-up to last year's impressive CryEngine2.
Regardless of timing, we're pleased to see that not everybody thinks the current cavalcade of consoles is our last.
A glib response from a Crytek representative may have revealed that Crysis is coming to the Xbox 360. The rep reportedly told Primotech that the Xbox 360 version was being shown behind close doors to "prospective publishers" at last month's Game Developers Conference.
This is far from a confirmation; the Crytek rep may have misspoken. Furthermore, we'd be surprised if Crysis PC publisher Electronic Arts didn't have the foresight to secure rights to the console game as well. We do know that Crytek planned on showing off a console version of CryEngine 2 (which runs Crysis), and although the assets were likely Crysis, perhaps the prospective publishers were just looking for a game engine.
Crytek recently whipped up a tech demonstration for their haughty, hardware punishing software, CryENGINE2, to show off at GDC. Mimicking an unforgettable ad for the Sony Bravia, the demo turned quite a few heads -- but how did the visuals of the ball-droppin' doppelganger compare to the original advertisement? Never one to miss an opportunity for a video comparison, Gametrailers whipped up the above video. What do you think -- are video games nearing photorealism? Or were your discerning, pixel-counting eyes not fooled?
According to CVG, Crytek will unveil a cross-platform version of its CryEngine 2 at next month's Game Developers Conference. The CryEngine 2 is best known for making PCs across the planet chug in pain attempting to run Crysis at high settings; this new cross-platform engine will be unveiled running on the Xbox 360 and PS3, but no word on what game will be shown. Crytek will also show off "how well the fully optimized" engine runs on a PC costing around $600.
Although the implication of this news is that Crysis is making its way to consoles after a less-than-stellar PC performance, the latest rumors talk about a Crysis 1.5 for PS3. This would be very similar to what Crytek already did when its first game Far Cry was altered for consoles.
Electronic Arts has announced that the gorgeous (i.e. hardware-intensive) PC shooter Crysishas gone gold. Not just any gold, mind you, but a shiny brick of gold enhanced by HDR lighting and sure to require at least five denimite mem-shards.
Crysis, the first game to utilize CryENGINE 2, is still on track for its November 16 release. For those who want to brick their PCs early, the single-player demo is now available.
Epic Games has found a wide audience, from Silicon Knights to Square Enix, with its UnrealEngine3; meanwhile Crytek is looking to find success by licensing out CryEngine2. Both companies also release games highlighting the engines (UnrealTournament and Crysis, respectively).
Next Generation has an article where both Epic Games' Mark Rein and Crytek's Harald Seeley talk about the competitive field of game engines. According to the opening remarks, the article sees Crytek as one of the more promising competitors to the Gears of War developer.
It's an interesting read, but we shouldn't forget one engine that just recently made its first unveiling: id Tech 5. Creator John Carmack promised more information at Min-E3, and we think there's a good chance the House of Doom will add some major heat to all game engines.
We first showed you a glimpse of Crytek's GDC booth, now see why it was built. Talk about a convincing sales pitch. Something tells us Avatar Reality won't be the only studio with a CryENGINE2 license for much longer. (Better quality videos available for download at Crysis-Online.)
Crytek occupies a medium-sized booth space at this year's GDC show floor. The company, showing its CryENGINE2 to developers, announced that it found its first customer in Avatar Reality, Inc. Hoping to land more interest, the company is hosting a series of rotating presentations about its level editor, sound system, character animation, engine, and other features.
Harald Seeley, Development Director for Crytek briefly spoke with us about the engine and its outlook, saying that it's at alpha now for the PC, and they'll ship the SDK to AVI in four to six weeks. Seeley said that Crytek is working to bring CryENGINE2 to the PS3 and Xbox 360, but those plans don't mean that Crysis will be released on those platforms.
Modders and indie designers should look for a PC version of the development environment bundled with Crysis. Seeley said that the consumer tools offer nearly all of the features of the fully licensed engine, and that modders may be able to work out terms to release commercial software created with the free editor.
Seeley thinks that the commercial version of CryENGINE2 will lead other middleware engines because it was developed for DirectX 10 instead of being prettied up from an older version of the API. He said, "This will become the standard. ... [Gamers] won't be willing to settle for titanium trees any longer. If it looks breakable, if it looks like you should be able to pick it up, [you will.]"
Crytek is putting the finishing touches on its grand sales pitch, preparing the first public demonstration of its CryENGINE 2 middleware. To be held at Booth 848 on the GDC show floor, the demonstration will provide hands-on time for the curious passer-by and, more importantly, for developers interesting in licensing the custom technology. The full set of tricks will be on display, including "what you see is what you play" Sandbox2 editing (trust us, it's like 'night and day'), interactive vegetation pumped in real-time from the asset creation pipeline -- and (just maybe) a rabbit outta the hat. We'll be sure to bring a smoke detector and check for mirrors behind those monitors...
Xboxic reports that an unnamed developer, speaking to 1UP, has revealed details about a Crysis game headed to Xbox 360. Allegedly, the console version will not be a direct port of the PC title that's currently in development. Like Far Cry before it, Crysis will be stripped down for its console debut.
The Xbox 360 version will supposedly incorporate similar story elements to its PC brethren, but will feature different gameplay aspects (physics, environments, etc.) that better utilize 360's DirectX 9 technology (the PC version is being built using DirectX 10). Expect full details if and when Crytek finally (and officially) announces this much-anticipated console installment of its high-profile franchise.
Folks expecting a prettier version of Far Cry with CryTek's new Cry Engine 2 can now gape in awe
at what's possible with Crysis, the company's next-gen shooter for EA. No more off-screen video recordings for
us!
If nothing's changed about the FPS gameplay presented, we can look forward to some of the most
realistically rendered in-game foliage ever, as well as a buggy boss who will most likely make another appearance at
E3. Who wouldn't want to get Lost in that kind of tropical environment?
[Thanks, Phil and alvin;
smaller HD versions in WMV and QT over here]
