Nintendo's 3DS Specs Too Low for Epic's Unreal Engine

[MovieBob]

Well, that tears it then - the 3DS can't count on graphics to be it's selling-point. What will Nintendo possibly sell it on, now - exclusivity for Mario, Zelda, Kirby, Metroid, Smash Bros. and StarFox games? How can a system live on just THAT!!??

In all seriousness, while it's theoretically interesting to see Epic wanting to push the handheld envelope - but what's the logic in completely writing-off what's almost-certainly going to be the handheld that actually matters? Let's be frank about this - smartphones aren't universal or stable enough to be serious gaming platforms at this juncture, and if the PSP2 really is just a more muscular PSP with a phone built in it's probably going to mirror it's predecessor in not being worth much outside of a handful of titles that only Japan really cares about.

So what's Epic's "angle" here, exactly? Are they gambling that they're going to make the game that "makes" smartphone-gaming or the PSP2? Because if they don't have a plan, they're basically taking the equivalent position of a musician who decides to only record his music at a frequency that human beings haven't evolved to hear yet.

 

[aaaaaDisregard]

Wrong, the 3DS features fully programmable shader architecture. Second, the 3DS' dual core CPU may not have a very high clock speed, but you can bet your ass that the CPU is a lot more advanced than what you will find in a PSP.

I can bet your ass it is not. PSP got MIPS architetecture CPU with variable 1-333MHz clock speed, 16/16KB cashes, integrated vector FPU with 2.6GFlops performance plus the second DSP core (video/audio acceleration, effect processing), all coupled with 128-bit memory bus at 2.6 Gbit/s. Look for precious details on http://ps2dev.org/. Overall, it's quite fast and directed specifically for gaming console. And by the way, pixel fillrate of integrated graphics chip is 664MPix/s with 33MPolys/s geometry performance.

For 3DS's supposed CPU go see
http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/Feature_Comparison:_ARM_926,_1136_and_Cortex-A8
http://www.arm.com/products/processors/classic/arm11/index.php

It is clearly not "a lot more advanced". Faster, but not by incredible amount. 3DS graphics is much better than PSP one (not in terms of raw performance, but rather capability-wise. Plus more eDRAM), but CPU isn't. And iPhone's Cortex wipes the floor clean with both.

 

[headless Monkey Boy]

I don't get it...
Its just an engine right, i mean its what you do with it that uses resources. i mean sure a game modeling the Finnish coast on a 1-1 scale renderd at 32000 x 2170 using dx 12, with real time ray tracing, particle physics and ant-aliasing x 1000 is going to be a little bit of a resourse hog. Even though the engine may be capable of it, it doesn't mean it has to be implented.

If the engine cant run on a 200Mhz system without even Modling anything in any dimensons or res should i be worried about what it is capable of?

I'm pretty confident that the engine can run on the 3ds, though maybe not with the same features as the i phone. Its seems strange to just dismiss it.

 

[Jesus Phish]

Can people also start remembering, the Unreal Engine isnt used just to make FPS games. Yes thats probably it's primary application, but it can run other genres succesfully.

 

[s0m3th1ng]

Whatever happened the the N64 kicking the Playstation's ASS on the technology front hmm?

 

[General_Potatoes]

That would be awesome if it could then you could play gears of war on the loo.

 

[tk1989]

the iphone 4 is actually pretty powerful, and has a ridiculously high resolution. Still, i call bullshit, just sounds like epic is pissed off! LOL!

 

[jamesworkshop]

Well, that tears it then - the 3DS can't count on graphics to be it's selling-point. What will Nintendo possibly sell it on, now - exclusivity for Mario, Zelda, Kirby, Metroid, Smash Bros. and StarFox games? How can a system live on just THAT!!??

In all seriousness, while it's theoretically interesting to see Epic wanting to push the handheld envelope - but what's the logic in completely writing-off what's almost-certainly going to be the handheld that actually matters? Let's be frank about this - smartphones aren't universal or stable enough to be serious gaming platforms at this juncture, and if the PSP2 really is just a more muscular PSP with a phone built in it's probably going to mirror it's predecessor in not being worth much outside of a handful of titles that only Japan really cares about.

So what's Epic's "angle" here, exactly? Are they gambling that they're going to make the game that "makes" smartphone-gaming or the PSP2? Because if they don't have a plan, they're basically taking the equivalent position of a musician who decides to only record his music at a frequency that human beings haven't evolved to hear yet.

Dude you forgot KID FU***** ICARUS


"It's below our [minimum specifications], from what we can tell. We don't have a 3DS, so there's no way for us to verify that," Rein said. "Everything we've been led to believe is that it's below our min-spec. You couldn't do a game that looks like [Epic Citadel] on it, for example."

"We really don't know enough about it to make a formal comment, but I think if they considered that our engine would be good on it, they would have probably talked to us about it,"

Thats not a write off, they didn't even say they wouldn't target the platform in some fashion, fact is unless Nintendo gives you the all clear you can't develop for the system anyway, Hell even SCEE (Sony Computer Entertainment Europe) up in london has a functioning 3DS Devkit.

Somehow I think Nintendo just isn't interested in Epic's business

 

[JediMB]

'nuff said.

 

[gl1koz3]

UT3 can't even run properly on my old P4 3.2GHz on the lowest settings. I know it's an old machine, but... what the... lowest settings?! lagging all over the place?! Same with all recent UE games. Whatever they're doing, they're doing it wrong.

 

[DTWolfwood]

So is Nintendo always gonna be graphically one step backwards while being technologically one step forward?

wtf. y cant they just be better all around? Grr Nintendo!

and Quit jumping the gun EPIC

 

[AceDiamond]

First: why does this matter. So a platform with no tactile feedback in terms of its controls can run the unreal engine. Big fucking whoop. They had to code the engine to run on it didn't they?

Second: Without a DS demo kit in their hands, how the fuck does Epic even know it won't run? Answer, they don't.

Conclusion: Epic, put up or shut up. Also Mark Rein needs to not run his mouth so much...hell everybody at Epic could do with a little bit of self-control in regards to spouting off just about whatever they feel like.

Side Note: Are we seriously going to have the "hurf durf iPhone bettar than 3DS cuz tech specs" argument in this thread as well? Are we? I honestly think at this point it's a bit unfair to look at spec sheets and declare one is clearly superior to the other when

A) The iPhone is not a dedicated gaming console and thus needs to have more theoretical power in regards to things like its OS, media capabilities, etc.
B) the 3DS isn't out yet
and
C) Nobody here has even touched a 3DS so how can they make that kind of judgement.

 

[Jared]

Well, nopw we have a full grasp as to what it can, and cannot handle - which, is apparantly not alot if it cannot handle the Unreal Engine

I think the iPhone could, couldnt it?

 

[Rect Pola]

Oh well. While a game being pretty isn't a bad thing, I'm not loosing sleep over it. Besides, I've heard the 3DS's exact capabilities are a little weird depending on using both screens and 3D and what not.

 

[dochmbi]

That doesn't surprise me, since the Nintendo 3DS has as much VRAM as a graphics card from 1994.

 

[Scrythe]

I'm a bit lost here...

Exactly which Unreal Engine are we talking about?

Or do these guys take the "Never Look Back" approach to making games?

 

[felixader]

It is funny how after three sides of thread in wich numeros Commenters spoke and wrote about the power of Iphone compared to the 3DS still ask: "Doh!? Isn't the 3DS better than a phone? Duh!?"

That clearly shows that some are to lazy to read and just senselessly throw some words into a empty field cause it's obviously there to be filled. X-P

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

It is funny how after three sides of thread in wich numeros Commenters spoke and wrote about the power of Iphone compared to the 3DS still ask: "Doh!? Isn't the 3DS better than a phone? Duh!?"

That clearly shows that some are to lazy to read and just senselessly throw some words into a empty field cause it's obviously there to be filled. X-P

And they still can't believe it's not butter either.