14 DAY TRIAL // The new Unreal Engine technology demo, nicknamed the Samaritan, will help hardware developers create new consoles, like the often rumored PlayStation 4 or Xbox 720, as it effectively pushes technology into the next generation.
Epic Games stunned the attendants at the Game Developers Conference when it showcased the new version of its Unreal Engine, the so-called Samaritan demo, which ran on a powerful PC that used the recent DirectX 11 graphics software.
According to the vice president of the company, Mark Rein, the new Unreal Engine justifies the creation of the next-generation consoles from hardware developers like Microsoft or Sony.
"The DX11 demo itself, that's our love letter to hardware manufacturers. We're able to give people another road map. If companies are building new consoles - and, who knows, I mean Apple just released an iPad that's nine times the power of its predecessor," Rein said to CVG.
He then added that Apple could build a device capable of running the new Unreal Engine in the future, but don't expect it anytime soon, as the maker of gadgets like the iPhone or iPad is still focused on consolidating its lead.
Still, Rein emphasizes that the technical demo is aimed squarely at console makers, in order to help them in the development of new consoles.
"But, that demo we've shown is aimed at the game console makers. We're telling them that this is the big leap that we think justifies that new piece of hardware you're going to build, and we're telling them that this is what we need next-gen consoles to be capable of, because we can't build a more powerful PC than the one that's running the DX11 demo! [Laughs]”
“For us, now when we sit down with various companies and talk about the future, the discussion is no longer theoretical. We can show them this. We can say 'here's our demo, try it on your hardware'. And we want feedback - let us know what we can simplify, let us know what we can improve."
The next generation of consoles has been talked about for quite some time, but, at least for the time being, it seems that companies like Nintendo, Microsoft or Sony aren't willing to even admit that they're thinking of new device liked the Wii 2, Xbox 720 or PlayStation 4.