Joystiq

Unreal Engine 4 not designed to work on Wii U [Update]

JC Fletcher — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 05:00:00 EST

Epic Games' Unreal Engine 4 won't support the Wii U, Epic VP Mark Rein said during GDC. During a theater presentation of the Infiltrator demo, Rein laughed and said "no" when asked if UE4 would run on Wii U.

"Our goal for Unreal Engine 4 console-wise is next-gen consoles," he explained to Kotaku. "That's really what our energies are focused on. If you want to make a Wii U game, we have Unreal Engine 3, and it's powering some of the best games on the Wii U already."

Battlefield series executive producer Patrick Bach told Eurogamer this week that not only is Battlefield 4 not coming to Wii U, the new Frostbite 3 engine on which it runs is also not designed for Wii U. "We right now don't have support for the Wii U in the Frostbite engine," he said. "The reason for that is it takes development time."

Update: Rein spoke with Engadget and clarified his comment from the presentation, noting that it's totally possible to run Unreal Engine 4 games on Wii U. "You heard the stupid gaffe yesterday about the Wii U," he said. "If someone wants to take Unreal Engine 4 and ship a game on Wii U, they can! If they wanna ship an Unreal Engine 4 game on Xbox 360, they could make it happen."

Unreal Engine 4 not designed to work on Wii U [Update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 30 Mar 2013 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PS4 'Elemental' demo of Unreal Engine 4 gets an extension

Sinan Kubba — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 03:00:00 EST

In addition to the new 'Infiltrator' video, Epic Games brought to GDC an extended version of the PS4 'Elemental' demo highlighting its Unreal Engine 4 engine, the demo first shown at the console's reveal event. You can now see two more minutes of Epic's next-gen engine running in real-time on Sony's next-gen console.

PS4 'Elemental' demo of Unreal Engine 4 gets an extension originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 30 Mar 2013 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unreal Engine 4 'Infiltrator' video

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EST

Here's the Unreal Engine 4 "Infiltrator" video, which was shown off as a demo this week at GDC, displaying the power of Epic's latest tech. The company jumped through different filters to show the demo was being rendered in real-time. Yes, it will run so many major titles for next-gen systems. Now, enjoy.

Unreal Engine 4 'Infiltrator' video originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Project Awakened's Unreal Engine 4 tech demo is impressive, gross

Jordan Mallory — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:30:00 EST

We don't know if you guys are aware of this or not, but the human body is a disgusting thing. Even the really top notch, showroom-quality human bodies are essentially sacks of greasy tubes and cartilage. Here to remind us of that fact in stunning detail is Project Awakened's Unreal Engine 4 tech demo, which shows just how elaborate the game's character creation system could be.

Now, we doubt Project Awakened will allow players to select from a multitude of different organs or anything, but the super powers shown off are quite impressive looking, if a bit disturbing at times -- we're looking at you, weird split-open-hand-bone-thing.

Of course, Phosphor Games will only be able to turn this flashy demo into something tangible if its ongoing Kickstarter proves successful, but with only four days left on the clock, and around $300,000 in funding still needing to be raised, that looks increasingly unlikely.

[Thanks, Ryan!]

Project Awakened's Unreal Engine 4 tech demo is impressive, gross originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is Unreal Engine 4 running on PlayStation 4

David Hinkle — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:11:00 EST

Epic's Unreal Engine 4 was shown off during Sony's PlayStation 2013 event today, where the PlayStation 4 was formally announced. Above you can see demo footage of the "Elemental" demo, while below you can comb through a gallery of some still.

Epic's Seattle arm has been toiling away on Unreal Engine 4 since the studio's formation late last year. In October, Square Enix confirmed it was the first company to publicly license Unreal Engine 4.

Gallery: Unreal Engine 4 (Elemental - PS4)

This is Unreal Engine 4 running on PlayStation 4 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square Enix becomes first publicly confirmed Unreal Engine 4 licensee

Sinan Kubba — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 10:20:00 EST

Epic Games announced today Square Enix now has full access to Unreal Engine 3 and 4, making the Japanese company the first publicly confirmed UE4 licensee. Epic disclosed the agreement is "long-term" and will span multiple games. In other words, the deal is a very, very big deal.

"Epic has a strong relationship with Square Enix, and it's an honor to provide their creative and technical talent with the best game technology available for licensing," said Taka Kawasaki, Epic Games Japan territory manager. "We look forward to supporting their developers with world-class tools for years to come."

Earlier this year Epic revealed Fortnite as the first game to use Unreal's new engine. It's expected to launch next year, so it'll likely be a while yet before we see what UE4 does for Square Enix going forward.

Continue reading Square Enix becomes first publicly confirmed Unreal Engine 4 licensee

Square Enix becomes first publicly confirmed Unreal Engine 4 licensee originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Epic hires former WB Games Seattle manager to lead Seattle studio

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:00:00 EST

Laura Fryer, previously general manager of WB Games Seattle, will now serve the same role for Epic's new Seattle studio, the company has announced. Prior to her time at Warner Bros, where she oversaw studios like Monolith, Fryer also worked for Microsoft Game Studios (now simply Microsoft Studios), and was "a founding member of the Xbox project."

This won't be the first time Fryer has worked with Epic. While at Microsoft, she served as executive producer on both Gears of War and Gears of War 2.

Epic's Seattle studio, as yet still unnamed, was launched last month. Its primary focus, initially, revolves around "engineering efforts" for Unreal Engine 4. As of this writing, it appears the studio is still hiring, with several active job listings still available on Epic's careers site.

Continue reading Epic hires former WB Games Seattle manager to lead Seattle studio

Epic hires former WB Games Seattle manager to lead Seattle studio originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Epic launches Seattle studio to work on Unreal Engine 4

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 14:02:00 EST

Epic has launched a new Seattle based studio to concentrate on Unreal Engine 4 development. The studio will be "initially focused on engineering efforts" for the engine, and Epic is now recruiting "exceptional programmers and support staff to collaborate with its engineering group." Specifically, the company is looking for "senior-level talent specializing in online game services and the infrastructure to support them."

As of this writing, seven positions are listed on Epic's Careers Center site for the Seattle studio, all of which certainly appear geared toward engine development (animation systems, audio tools, online, rendering, etc).

The actual name of the studio, not to mention the people who will take charge of it, will be revealed "soon," according to Epic.

Continue reading Epic launches Seattle studio to work on Unreal Engine 4

Epic launches Seattle studio to work on Unreal Engine 4 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bleszinski: Fortnite on PC 'primary and first,' other platforms not ruled out

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 16:00:00 EST

Having announced Fortnite as Epic Games' first Unreal Engine 4 game, "exclusively for the PC," Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski took to Twitter this afternoon to make some breathing room. "We wouldn't rule out the possibility of other platforms later," he wrote. That is, while Fortnite will be "primary and first" on PC, it may not be exclusive to the platform forever.

Given that Fortnite is built using UE4, it stands to reason that those "other platforms" won't be of the current generation (none of Microsoft's, Sony's, or Nintendo's current hardware can run UE4-based games). What might they be, then? We'll have to wait until the next console generation to find out, it sounds like.

Gallery: Fortnite (San Diego Comic Con 2012)

Bleszinski: Fortnite on PC 'primary and first,' other platforms not ruled out originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fortnite is Epic's first Unreal Engine 4 game, heading exclusively to PC

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 14:00:00 EST

Fortnite is Epic's first Unreal Engine 4 game and it'll ship "exclusively for the PC," Epic Games' Cliff Bleszinksi said today during a San Diego Comic-Con 2012 panel. "We're here and we're announcing that this is a PC-designed game, it's shipping exclusively for the PC," he told a crowd of attendees.

"Next-gen's here. It's been here. It's a high-end PC," Bleszinski said. He added that the dudebro-free Fortnite didn't "make sense" for Unreal Engine 3, and cheered PCs as being part of Epic's "heritage."

Fortnite, which sees characters building bunkers and emplacements to defend against the monsters of the night, was suspected of being a PC exclusive earlier this year when it popped up on a LinkedIn listing for PC. The listing was quickly changed after we brought it to the attention of Epic Games.

We'll have more from Epic's SDCC panel as soon as we can (it's still going on!).

Fortnite is Epic's first Unreal Engine 4 game, heading exclusively to PC originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Epic's Mark Rein on UE4, Epic Baltimore and Gears of War: Judgment

Ludwig Kietzmann — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 12:30:00 EST

Given the engine's dynamic illumination features, it's only appropriate for Epic Vice President Mark Rein to start lighting up when he starts talking about Unreal Engine 4. We spoke to Rein on the last day of E3 about the engine's possibilities, and how its robust developer toolset addresses the dangerous costs of game development.

Rein also comments on the multinational efforts behind Gears of War: Judgment (with special mention of People Can Fly's Creative Director, Adrian Chmielarz) and the recent addition of Epic Baltimore to the family.

Epic's Mark Rein on UE4, Epic Baltimore and Gears of War: Judgment originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 Jun 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unreal Engine 4 demo deconstructed

Ludwig Kietzmann — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 09:05:00 EST

Epic's Unreal Engine 4 strides into public view with a spectacular real-time demo, dubbed "Elemental" (seen above). The short film depicts an ancient knight creaking to supernatural life while a decrepit castle comes apart around him, letting in floods of light and gusts of snow. It's a concise showcase of the underlying technology, which features sophisticated dynamic illumination, light-reactive materials, rich particle effects, per-pixel lens flares, and other visual processes that don't sound quite as sexy as they appear.

According to Epic, games running on Unreal Engine 4 won't ship until sometime in 2013 at earliest. With partners already lining up to use it, and the engine running in 1080p on a PC built from off-the-shelf parts (the demonstration I saw was running on a variant of the Falcon Northwest Fragbox, augmented with Nvidia's Geforce GTX 680), Epic can focus on highlighting the usability of the editor that accompanies UE4.

If you peer past the break you'll see a dry, detailed deconstruction of all the effects that comprise "Elemental," and a twist of sorts: the demo runs in real-time right from the editor itself. We'll leave it to Epic to explain how the engine allows for quick iteration on effects, materials and other visual properties, and how it can help manage the blueprints of a game, right down to the behaviour of the smallest particle.

We've also embedded several videos of some simple games created with the aid of Unreal Kismet, an integrated visual scripting system. if you have a cursory interest in the nuts and bolts of game creation, you may appreciate this informative glimpse at our impeccably lit future.

Continue reading Unreal Engine 4 demo deconstructed

Unreal Engine 4 demo deconstructed originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 09:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pitbull Studio assisting with Unreal Engine 4, also developing UE4-based games

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:30:00 EST

Never heard of Pitbull Studio? Neither had we. Apparently the English studio specializes in hired gun work and is lead by ex-Midway Newcastle's Robert Troughton (Wheelman, etc.). While unknown, the three-year-old studio is working on two things for Epic Games: Unreal Engine 4, and a game built in said engine. Not too bad for a group of guys no one's heard of, eh?

Job listings for positions at Pitbull reveal the studio is "working on Unreal Engine 4 with Epic Games," but also, "games derived from that and Unreal Engine 3." Positions range from environment artists to engine programmers, with a variety of other roles in between. Epic confirmed the work with Joystiq this afternoon, and offered a prepared statement from director of engineering, Daniel Vogel. "Epic has a great history working with Pitbull Studio. We can count on them to provide reliable engineering resources, and they're helping us prepare for the next generation of games."

We'll see more from Epic's next-gen engine this June.

Pitbull Studio assisting with Unreal Engine 4, also developing UE4-based games originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 May 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unreal Engine 4's GDC demo: exposed!

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:15:00 EST

Just around 30 lucky GDC attendees saw Epic Games' Unreal Engine 4 demo. And one such person was Wired's Stu Horvath, who describes the two minute demonstration as "breathtakingly photo-realistic" in an exclusive reveal. The demo apparently follows the demon knight seen above, as he wakes from a frozen sleep ... only to set everything on fire. That scamp!

The demo runs on Nvidia's Kepler GTX 680 - a graphics card often described as "next-gen" - and it follows the armored demon dude as he shows off his fancy, graphics-heavy castle. Just 14 Epic employees put together the demo, which apparently runs in real-time within the Unreal Engine 4 environment (a feat for modern game engines, including UE3). Don't be surprised if we see this demo show up in a future Epic game - the company's past demos for Unreal Engine lead to some of Epic's biggest games.

Lighting is also improved, according to the piece, with "dynamic lighting" within the engine rather than being individually implemented after the fact. "The number of man-years that required was astounding," Epic design director Cliff Bleszinski said. But with all the additions, Epic's new engine requires much more horsepower; horsepower for which Epic is pushing the likes of Microsoft and Sony. Whether Epic (and us gamers) will get that horsepower, however, remains to be seen.

Unreal Engine 4's GDC demo: exposed! originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 May 2012 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unreal Engine 4 images demonstrate top-of-the-line evil eyes

JC Fletcher — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:13:00 EST

What better way to understand the capabilities of Unreal Engine 4 than to look at this creepy knight guy in various stages of rendering? Glowing eyes that evil need the next generation of rendering technology.

Gallery: Unreal Engine 4

Unreal Engine 4 images demonstrate top-of-the-line evil eyes originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 May 2012 11:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Epic: Consoles must be 'bleeding edge' in next generation

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 15:45:00 EST

Epic believes that the next round of home consoles will have to be "bleeding edge" if the likes of Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo want to stay relevant in the video game market. Speaking to CVG, Epic VP Mark Rein noted that the publisher is "pushing" console makers to use the best possible hardware. "Because if they don't," said Rein, "Apple will go right past them."

He added that console gaming is about console makers "delivering something that's way out past the bleeding edge" and making their investment back with software royalties. If console makers don't opt for the latest and greatest tech, he said, there's a chance that consumers "won't want to take the leap" to future consoles.

In Rein's view, it's Epic's job to push console makers with advanced technology demos like the "Samaritan" video shown at GDC 2011 (above). Incidentally, Rein isn't worried that console makers will under-deliver with the next generation, believing that they will instead "blow us all away." With Unreal Engine 4 aimed at next generation consoles, and assuming UE4 is even more impressive than the UE3-powered Samaritan demo, we certainly hope he's right.

Epic: Consoles must be 'bleeding edge' in next generation originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Epic Games to privately showcase Unreal Engine 4 at GDC

Jordan Mallory — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:45:00 EST

Unreal Engine 3 is one of (if not the most) prolific gaming technologies in existence right now, powering everything from Mortal Kombat and Asura's Wrath to Gears of War 3 and Batman: Arkham City. If you're one of the many developers that depend on Epic's engine, the upcoming 2012 Game Developers Conference may be your first chance to see the next generation of Unreal Engine in action.

Epic will be showcasing Unreal Engine 4 to "select licensees, partners and prospective customers" behind closed doors at the conference; demonstrations will be given by appointment only, and all who attend must sign what we can only assume is the most air-tight, all-encompassing non-disclosure agreement ever written. For instance, developers allowed into Epic's demonstration area may not smuggle air out of the demonstration area inside of their lungs and then transfer that air to the lungs of another living person, under pain of chainsaw death. It's pretty serious stuff, but it's probably worth it to see some totally sweet tech demos.

Continue reading Epic Games to privately showcase Unreal Engine 4 at GDC

Epic Games to privately showcase Unreal Engine 4 at GDC originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Epic wants Unreal Engine 4 ready for the next-gen console launch

Justin McElroy — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 09:45:00 EST

Like an inattentive uncle, Unreal Engine 3 didn't visit this current generation of consoles until it was around a year old. But if Epic's Mark Rein has his way, Unreal Engine 4 will be right there in the birthing room to catch the Xbox 720 and PS4 from their ... electronic womb.

"I want Unreal Engine 4 to be ready far earlier than UE3 was; not a year after the consoles are released," he told Develop. "I think a year from a console's launch is perfectly fine for releasing a game, but not for releasing new tech. We need to be there day one or very early. That's my primary focus."

When asked what he wants from that next gen, Rein focused on giving developers and publishers more pricing freedom rather than pure horsepower. He wants a beefy GPU as well, but it's telling to see the acknowledgement that the next wave of consoles will be as much about how games are delivered as what they look like.

Epic wants Unreal Engine 4 ready for the next-gen console launch originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 Oct 2011 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Epic Games' Tim Sweeney talks Unreal Engine 4, be patient until 'around 2014'

Christopher Grant — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:28:00 EST

Epic (Mega) Games co-founder and CEO Tim Sweeney is one of our favorite people in the whole, wide gaming world, and it's not just because he told this writer that he reads Joystiq every day. While id's John Carmack is often placed atop our industry's tech pedestal, it's Tim Sweeney whose work on Unreal Engine not only shapes the way video games look but the business models behind how they're created. So when Sweeney talks about the elusive and intangible Unreal Engine 4, we pay attention.

"I spend about 60 percent of my time every day doing research work that's aimed at our next generation engine and the next generation of consoles," Sweeney told IGN, adding that this "technology that won't see the light of day until probably around 2014." Sweeney compared this early work to his work on the original Unreal engine in 1996, which introduced "a bunch of new features that hadn't been seen before." Sweeney said, "I feel like that's what I'm doing now on Unreal Engine 4 in exploring areas of the technology nobody else is really yet contemplating because they're still a few years away from practicality."

There are two primary technical challenges facing video games today, Sweeney said. The first, and most addressable, is the need to scale up "to tons of CPU cores." While UE3 can divide discrete processes across a handful of cores, "once you have 20 cores" it isn't that simple "because all these parameters change dynamically as different things come on screen and load as you shift from scene to scene." These advancements will help achieve "movie quality graphics" since that outcome has been limited primarily by horsepower. "We just haven't been able to do it because we don't have enough terra flops or petta flops of computer power to make it so," Sweeney said. Less likely to be conquered in the next 10 years: the "simulation of human aspects of the game experience," Sweeney explained. "We've seen very, very little progress in these areas over the past few decades so it leaves me very skeptical about our prospects for breakthroughs in the immediate future."

So, to wrap up: Over the next ten years, the aliens / Nazis / zombies / bug monsters in your video games will appear in "movie quality," but will still be pretty stupid.

[Image credit: Forbes]

Epic Games' Tim Sweeney talks Unreal Engine 4, be patient until 'around 2014' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Check out Epic's Unreal Engine GDC tech demo (while you can)

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:15:00 EST

Someone's posted a steady, shaky cam version of Epic's very sexy GDC 2011 Unreal Engine 3 tech upgrade demo on YouTube. Seeing as how Bleszinski and company are none too pleased, don't expect it to be up for long.

Update: Surprise! The video was pulled. We've replaced it with the official video.

Continue reading Check out Epic's Unreal Engine GDC tech demo (while you can)

Check out Epic's Unreal Engine GDC tech demo (while you can) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Epic has high hopes for Unreal Engine 4, not worried about CryEngine yet

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 11 May 2010 17:00:00 EST

With the Unreal Engine 4 targeted for use on the next console generation (whenever that is), Epic President Mike Capps is confident that the product will have "better dominance" than its already ubiquitous Unreal Engine 3. Speaking with Edge, Capps notes the next console generation is "really murky compared to last time," but sees the next-gen tech hanging around the mean streets of the PC market.

Capps also isn't getting antsy about Crytek's CryEngine 3 being the best solution for developers. He explained, "They've positioned themselves strongly as the 'we're gonna be on console, push one button and it's great on all three platforms' engine. ... They've yet to ship an Xbox 360 game and we're five years in. It surprises me that people take them seriously as a crossplatform engine company. We don't know how to compete against a company that hasn't shipped yet. It's all potential, so we'll see." Crytek previously stated its next engine would arrive in 2012.

Now, the real question: will Crytek or Epic even have "next generation consoles" to sell these newfangled engines for in the next couple years?

Epic has high hopes for Unreal Engine 4, not worried about CryEngine yet originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 May 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unreal Engine 4 geared for next-gen consoles

Randy Nelson — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Business

Despite the fact that Unreal Engine 3 has been licensed by, oh, everyone for building their current-gen games, results have been hit or miss. While developers continue to get to grips with the current iteration of the technology, its creator, Epic Games, is already at work building the next version to ~~stump them~~ make their lives easier ... in the future.

In news sure to make Dennis Dyack happy, Epic's president, Mike Capps, revealed at Microsoft's Gamefest technology conference that the successors to the current crop of consoles (even Wii?) are its target platforms for Unreal Engine 4. "We've got Unreal [Engine] 4 in production right now," Capps told the gathering of developers, adding, "it's going to be in the next console generation ... our rough guess is 2012 to 2018." So, there you have it. Xbox 720 in 2012. We kid. We aren't kidding when we say that we hope developers other than Epic and a handful of others get a sound grasp on UE3 before then.

Unreal Engine 4 geared for next-gen consoles originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unreal Engine 4 will be ready for next console gen

Dustin Burg — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: News

Chatting with Gamasutra during Seattle's recent GameFest, Epic Games' Mike Capps confirmed progress on Unreal Engine 4 mentioning that it should be ready for debut "...in the next console generation - our rough guess is 2012 - 2018." Interesting too was confirmation from Capps that the UE4 will have "console focus" where "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."

One can only try to imagine what the next console generation will bring in terms of graphics and physics, especially seeing how amazing some games look using the Unreal Engine 3. One can only dream. But we're welcoming the next, next generation with open arms as we say; bring on the pretty!

Unreal Engine 4 will be ready for next console gen originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unreal Engine 4 to 'exclusively target the next console generation'

Christopher Grant — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:15:00 EST

Filed under: Business

The video game industry has no shortage of brilliant, outspoken thinkers and Epic CEO (and Unreal Engine guru) Tim Sweeney is no exception. In a previous installment of his interview with TG Daily, Sweeney said the PC wasn't a good platform for gaming and in this final installment he reveals that Unreal Engine 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." Where does that leave the poor, struggling PC gaming platform? Sweeney says, "PCs will follow after that." Ooh, dissed.

While he's not exactly dishing out granular details on the next major iteration of their ubiquitous engine - after all, he did just show us the latest upgrades for Unreal Engine 3 at GDC - Sweeney did share a big picture outlook on the direction of the engine: "scaling to lots and lots of cores." Using the number of cores in the Xbox 360 as a starting point, Sweeney busts out Moore's Law to determine "that around 2010 ... you can put tens of CPU cores on one processor chip and you will have a perfectly usable uniform computing environment." What if he used the PlayStation 3's seven synergistic processing elements as a starting point? The mind staggers ...

Unreal Engine 4 to 'exclusively target the next console generation' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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