Epic's Mark Rein: Consoles will define look of PC games

[tbone4690]

Epic's Mark Rein: Consoles will define look of PC games
28 Comments by Ludwig Kietzmann Jul 30th 2007 4:25PM
Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Business



Speaking to CVG, Epic Games vice president Mark Rein has expressed his belief that graphical advancement in PC games will be partially reined in (OOF!) due to the limitations and financial viability of consoles. "Publishers are generally putting their money where the highest return is, and in the past that's been on consoles and I think that's still the case," said Rein. "So if you build the game that's a really super amazing high-end game, how do you make all the money you could make from that game, because it'll be too high end eventually to be on PS3 or Xbox 360."

As a result, Rein expects consoles to "pretty much define what the next five years of games look like on the PC" and titles pushing the DirectX 10 envelope to be in the minority. PC versions should, however, benefit from several enhancements a la Gears of War. "That's the value to me of the PC, that the source content we have is still really high resolution, much higher than we can show on a 512MB machine. You can use that content on the PC, you can express it in higher resolutions and higher frame rates and turn on more effects. I think that's what you'll see, PC games where we turn it up higher."

Though it sounds like console technology is cramping the PC's style, the Xbox 360 and PS3 (and those who develop for them) are still immersed in the design transition from single processors to parallel architectures. There's a lot more wind to be coaxed from those sails yet.


http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/30/epics-mark-rein-consoles-will-define-look-of-pc-games/


Or the pc developers are being lazy and don't feel like making the pc versions look better, I wonder what it is?:rolleyes:

[masterninja]

I actually think he is kind of right most pc games will hardly look much better then the best looking console game at least for a while.

However since the new nvidia generation is rumored to be ready allready this november wich is expected to at least be twice as powerfull as the current generation counterparts.

Wich is a powerfull increase since the current powerfull directx 10 Graphicscards can have a decrease in performance in games like company of heroes with direct x 10 on wich can make some of them only run 1/3 of the fps they can get in direct x 9.

So in probably 1 or 2 years we will see more better looking pc games like he said higher resolutions more effects and higher framerates.

[tbone4690]

I think Nvidia relies on Sli way too much. I'm sure there would be more powerful cards that ran alone if it weren't for Sli.

[masterninja]

I think Nvidia relies on Sli way too much. I'm sure there would be more powerful cards that ran alone if it weren't for Sli.

Standalone Nvidia cards are powerfull in their generation as well right now Nvidia is still beating ATI in performance.

But dual graphics cards in one system is a logical step for the high end pc gamer too bad thats too expensive for me.

But there is still allways the option to go with just one card they get more powerfull with every generation its just the first generation of direct x 10 graphics cards wasn't powerfull enough to push certain direct x 10 features in some games and still keeping a decent performance.

[tbone4690]

Well we are still in the 8th generation, I don't think they are going to go to 9 just yet.

[masterninja]

Well we are still in the 8th generation, I don't think they are going to go to 9 just yet.

Well in november we will see.

[tbone4690]

they still have to make a 8900 and they will prob do a 8950 or something.

[masterninja]

they still have to make a 8900 and they will prob do a 8950 or something.

Probably im just saying the rumor sounds good i read it on tweakers.net some time back its supposedly leaked by X-bit labs.

Besides it seems like a good time to introduce the new line of Graphics cards.

[tbone4690]

Yeah hopefully they can make them really good. I still think pc developers are being lazy with making a pc game look better than its' console counterpart.

[masterninja]

Yeah hopefully they can make them really good. I still think pc developers are being lazy with making a pc game look better than its' console counterpart.

But they see it like why create such a beautifull game that not many people can enjoy unless they turn of so many stuff.

Thats mostly the main reason i think it would probably feel like doing a lot of work for nothing.

[tbone4690]

Well I think games look great the way they are at the moment, and when the time comes will look even better, but we probably won't see that until the next generation of consoles in a few years. Still waiting for 2010 hopefully that will be the magic number when they come out or sooner like 09.