CliffyB: Epic Must "Drag" the Industry Into the Next Generation

[Andy Chalk]

CliffyB: Epic Must "Drag" the Industry Into the Next Generation

Cliff Bleszinski says the next generation of consoles must "damn near render Avatar in real time."

The Unreal Engine has been around in various forms since the 1998 release of Wired [http://www.amazon.com/Unreal-Jewel-Case-Pc/dp/B00000DMAM/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1337273480&sr=8-7] as "representing nothing less than the foundation for the next decade of gaming," is now ready to go.

That's a pretty bold statement, but Wired went even further, proclaiming that the engine will streamline development, make the videogames of the previous generation "look like puppet shows" and even have an impact on how Sony and Microsoft develop their next consoles. And it's a sentiment that Bleszinski, the design director at Epic, isn't shying away from.

"There is a huge responsibility on the shoulders of our engine team and our studio to drag this industry into the next generation," he said. "It is up to Epic, and [Epic CEO] Tim Sweeney in particular, to motivate Sony and Microsoft not to phone in what these next consoles are going to be. It needs to be a quantum leap. They need to damn near render Avatar in real time, because I want it and gamers want it-even if they don't know they want it."

Sweeney echoed Bleszinski's comments about Epic's influence, but did so much more delicately. "We're much more in sync with the console makers than any other developer is," he said. "That means we can give detailed recommendations with a complete understanding of what is going to be commercially possible."

The Unreal Engine 4 will be unveiled to the public at E3, which runs from June 5 to 7.


Permalink

 

[Irridium]

And... how do they plan on keeping game budgets from skyrocketing out of control?

I think we should solve that problem before we tackle making games look even more graphically advanced.

 

[Amnestic]

I'd just like to remind people that this is the same person who thought that Fatal Frame - a horror game - needed a multiplayer aspect.

We can handle the next generation just fine without him.

 

[Freechoice]

I'd just like to remind people that this is the same person who thought that Fatal Frame - a horror game - needed a multiplayer aspect.

We can handle the next generation just fine without him.

What, like co-op? Wasn't there twin sisters or something like that? It's not like he said it needed team deathmatch or something.

And considering half of anything is on Unreal, I don't think it's implausible.

 

[SilverBullets000]

"They need to damn near render Avatar in real time, because I want it and gamers want it-even if they don't know they want it."

By God, thank you Mr. Bleszinski for telling me what I want. I could have never figured it out on my own. I used to think I hated tacked on multiplayer, DLC that should've been part of the actual game, the sky-high cost of development, and the emphasis on graphics over aesthetics, but you've shown me the light! Thank you.

 

[RaikuFA]

This is the same guy who threw RME levels of tantrums over his game getting an 8 out of 10.

Just ignore the King of dudebro gaming and the industry will be better off for it.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Somebody better cool that guy's ego before his head explodes.

EDIT: Also, if he's going to be the one dragging the industry forward then I weep for the industry.

 

[Something Amyss]

And... how do they plan on keeping game budgets from skyrocketing out of control?

I don't know, but I think they'd need to develop a time machine and head back to 2000 (at the latest).

Also, screw the game budgets, what about the hardware it's gonna play on? Right now people in America (one of the larger markets in games, especially for shit that runs UnReal) are suffering from spending power issues. Why the hell would you want to outstrip what people are willing to spend, especially with the big tablet/casual market going on right now? Isn't this basically the same problem Nintendo and Sony have had with their portables? Do people even consider the real world these days?

Anyone else get the idea that Cliff Bliszenski only gets attention because he's got a cute nickname, and only has a cute nickname because nobody seems to be able to spell his last name without looking at it (Case in point, there's a 50% chance I just got his name wrong).

He says so much stupid crap, half the time he's worse than Michael Patcher. Which averages him out to...Michael Patcher. And he gets as much time as Bobby Kotick, who was at least being evil when he said all that crap.

 

[Harker067]

I'd just like to remind people that this is the same person who thought that Fatal Frame - a horror game - needed a multiplayer aspect.

We can handle the next generation just fine without him.

What, like co-op? Wasn't there twin sisters or something like that? It's not like he said it needed team deathmatch or something.

And considering half of anything is on Unreal, I don't think it's implausible.

Technically only Fatal frame 2 had twins that I know of and they are mostly seperated for the game.

His actualy idea was "Another multiplayer idea from Bleszinski: ?What if I had a Fatal Frame where anonymous people could join my game and be ghosts and try to scare the crap out of me, and then I rate how well they scared me? Basically a fancy hide and go seek.??

On the new unreal engine console issue I think Id honestly be more interested of a very modest increase in specs and a focus on makeing games cheaper to make then on real time avatar rendering...

 

[RaikuFA]

I'd just like to remind people that this is the same person who thought that Fatal Frame - a horror game - needed a multiplayer aspect.

We can handle the next generation just fine without him.

What, like co-op? Wasn't there twin sisters or something like that? It's not like he said it needed team deathmatch or something.

And considering half of anything is on Unreal, I don't think it's implausible.

He meant more like Gears or CoD MP. Which is a terrible idea.

The guys an idiot.

 

[Amnestic]

I'd just like to remind people that this is the same person who thought that Fatal Frame - a horror game - needed a multiplayer aspect.

We can handle the next generation just fine without him.

What, like co-op? Wasn't there twin sisters or something like that? It's not like he said it needed team deathmatch or something.

You do understand that merely adding a second person would kill the horror? A major aspect is the feeling of being all alone. It's why teaming you up with an AI partner in horror games is also almost universally stupid.

And... how do they plan on keeping game budgets from skyrocketing out of control?

I think we should solve that problem before we tackle making games look even more graphically advanced.

Screw that. Let's ramp up the budget and push AAA titles to a $80 release price! Nothing could go wrong!

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

"They need to damn near render Avatar in real time, because I want it and gamers want it-even if they don't know they want it."

By God, thank you Mr. Bleszinski for telling me what I want. I could have never figured it out on my own. I used to think I hated tacked on multiplayer, DLC that should've been part of the actual game, the sky-high cost of development, and the emphasis on graphics over aesthetics, but you've shown me the light! Thank you.

I know right?

How else am I to know what I should buy and what I shouldn't? I used to get so scared and freightened when I go to my local game store and then I remember what some developer told me and it all became so clear! I must buy something that has multiplayer and possibly shoddy single player.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Why do I always feel like punching a badger every time CliffyB opens his mouth?

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

"They need to damn near render Avatar in real time, because I want it and gamers want it-even if they don't know they want it."

By God, thank you Mr. Bleszinski for telling me what I want. I could have never figured it out on my own. I used to think I hated tacked on multiplayer, DLC that should've been part of the actual game, the sky-high cost of development, and the emphasis on graphics over aesthetics, but you've shown me the light! Thank you.

I know right?

How else am I to know what I should buy and what I shouldn't? I used to get so scared and freightened when I go to my local game store and then I remember what some developer told me and it all became so clear! I must buy something that has multiplayer and possibly shoddy single player.

Hey, come on! They're "so much more in sync with the console developers", so obviously any other opinions are invalid by comparison.

*sighs*

You're right, I should be kinder. I mean, they must know something I don't, how could I ever forget that.

 

[Nalgas D. Lemur]

Anything that gets us away from the long line of crappy PC ports of UE3 games that have no anti-aliasing without forcing it externally through video card control panels and horrible texture pop-in (despite my computer having enough RAM to cache the entire game in memory) is ok with me.

 

[Weaver]

Well, go ahead. I'll just be over here putting 100 more hours into Dungeon Crawl: Stone Soup.