Crytek to Demo CryENGINE 2 on PS3, 360 at GDC

January 29, 2008 9:55 AM

Crytek will be demonstrating a cross-platform version of CryENGINE 2, the technology that powered Crysis (PC), at this year's Game Developers Conference.

The presentation, which will only be open to what Crytek refers to as a "select audience," will showcase the engine running on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Such a move may suggest that the console editions of Crysis, which were discussed in hypothetical terms late last year, are proceeding.

"You cannot get Crysis as it is on PC on any console," Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli said at the time. "What you would have to do is compromise the design and the level design--in order of the PS3 and Xbox 360 regards you have to fulfill the memory constraints."

Other GDC demonstrations from Crytek include a look at the architectural and serious game applications of CryENGINE 2, a showing of CryENGINE 2 performing in "extremely high quality" on a machine that was built for around $600, and a session hosted by key Crytek employees entitled "Crysis in the Making."

Chris Faylor

Chris Faylor was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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Kazomir

 reply
January 29, 2008 10:02 AM

Consoles are where the money is at. If creating console ports or other content makes them money to develop new PC games, then I'm all for it.
- Gwyndion
  
   reply
  January 29, 2008 10:27 AM
  
  But if they make TOO much money on console games... they might decide it isn't worth their time and money to make PC games. But I doubt that will happen with Crytek though... they seem to enjoy being on the bleeding edge... and bleeding edge usually has nothing to do with Consoles.
  - rustified
    
     reply
    January 29, 2008 11:34 AM
    
    Well, consoles will potentially teach them to optimize their code better. After all, with PC, you build a better looking game to take advatange of newer more expensive hardware. With consoles, you need to make a better looking game each time to take advantage of the same hardware--this means writing increasingly more elegant and optimized code...
    
    Valve made a xbox version of HL2 and from that they optimized the Source engine quite a bit.
    
    TLDR: I think consoles will teach Crytek to make better running, yet still pretty games.
    - SovietOrchestra
      
       reply
      January 29, 2008 1:42 PM
      
      Main problem is that if they start targetting consoles first PC games are going to be as hobbled and small as they are.
  - james t kirk
    
     reply
    January 29, 2008 3:32 PM
    
    Apparently from sales data this past year, it really isnt worth devs time and money to make PC games anymore.
    - SovietOrchestra
      
       reply
      January 29, 2008 8:54 PM
      
      That's not apparent at all. Even the NPD guy said the total retail sales are holding steady, and that online sales are skyrocketing.
      
      It may not be worth fatass publisher's time, but dev houses like valve can still make a buck.