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Epic: first Project Natal games use Unreal Engine

OXM UK: Epic's Mark Rein has revealed that Microsoft's E3 demos of Project Natal - Ricochet and Paint Party - were created using Unreal Engine, which is the first game engine to support Microsoft's new motion sensor.

qface646168d ago (Edited 6168d ago )

unreal engine that alone is just meh

but honestly i couldn't tell

Pizzagaki6168d ago

And i doubt you could tell what engine a game uses, if your not told.
You could only guess....

Once Upon a Fable6168d ago

Its funny how they all sound pumped for Natal...

Its like "Everyones using our engine for Natal first!"

lol I think a lot of developers are really thinking Natal will be big.

Marcelles256168d ago (Edited 6168d ago )

i think this IS what they should be using for Natal its a diverse engine that doesn't rely on graphics or physics so it would be perfect for games like Ricochet.

This is the only thing the UE3 should be used for regular core games like Wii sports that are produced with budget costs, Perfect and absolutely Brilliant idea.

Reibooi6168d ago

Yay a sub par engine used to make a few sub par games.

6168d ago
Microsoft Xbox 3606168d ago

I could spot a game running the UE3 engine from a mile away.

Reibooi6168d ago

@fermcr11

Yeah those games look decent but here is the problem they don't compare do other games out there like Rage, Uncharted 2, Killzone 2 etc. The unreal engine has reached it's limit. Need proof? Gears 2 looks like gears 1. Rainbow six Vegas 2 looked like Vegas 1, Bioshock 2 is looking like Bioshock 1. That being the case the engine is quickly getting left behind.

Not only that but if you want a game that is visually different then you don't want Unreal as every game that uses it tends to look similar even if they are vastly different games. I knew Mirror's Edge used Unreal the second i put the disc in and I never followed it's development same can be said for Bioshock.

Need proof that Unreal has a difficult time looking Different. Look at the concept art for Lost Odyssey and see how the game wasn't able to completely capture the look and feel of the original concept art.

N4g_null6168d ago

Seriously you could use kismet for natal yet are they trying to say they will have a motion base control set up for FPS! If so that would be good but who like UT3 on the xbox or tell me how much gears of war would rock with motion controls?

This engine was built for FPS if you make any thing else with it expect it to break...

phosphor1126168d ago

+Gears of War 1 and 2 - technically good, but the art style made it ugly
+Batman: Arkham Asylum - still don't like the glossy look, but art style is significantly better than gears, making it look better
+BioShock 1 and 2 - Still good, but not my thing, you can easily see the shader heavy textures, its annoying, and a lot of bloom is also annoying
Borderlands - dunno
+Mass Effect 1 - Technical f*ck up
+Mass Effect 2 - Looks so much better than the first.
+Mirror's Edge - Clean look compared to the engines typical muddy look
+Singularity - Dunno
+Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 1 and 2 - ugly, 2 was atleast a lot better
+Unreal Tournament 3 - Looks exactly like Gears... lots of bloom and glossy shaders look ugly, same over all art style as well. Yay soldiers in football gear

So far, UE3 has been a lot of "meh". The engine doesn't hold up well with the AI and has overused "techniques", when all those "techniques" are, are just the only strong points of the engine. Eg shaders/normal mapping

Hell, their texture streaming is garbage still.

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 6168d ago
iamtehpwn6168d ago (Edited 6168d ago )

...I LOL'D.

Really developers. There's are other engines available.

Raf1k16168d ago

lol yeh

I'm not surprised though.

Pizzagaki6168d ago (Edited 6168d ago )

Yes there is, but the unreal engine is a very rich versatile environment that has been worked on for more then a century.
UE is to developers what Windows is to end users.

Its loved and hated, but in the end its the best choise....

SuperM6168d ago

the best choice for developers who want to make games easily perhaps. not the best choice for consumers. Just look at Id tech 5 for instance. Rage blows away anything thats been done on the Unreal engine, and the game runs at 60 fps, i repeat 60 fps. Doom 4 is gonna run at 30 fps and according to id software that means they can put 3 times as much resources in there. Its hard to imagine how good that game will look.

The unreal engine is really showing its age now. The developers that dont move on are gonna be left behind in the dust.

Reibooi6168d ago

The unreal engine was a decent engine at the start of this gen but it just doesn't cut it anymore.

Not only is it not that impressive graphically compared to stuff like Rage, Uncharted 2 and Killzone 2 but it's also not a very stable engine it still has issues with slow down(main reason alot didn't like Last Remnant), and collision detection in almost every game that uses it.

Not to mention it doesn't work very well with art assets as you can almost always tell when a game is using the engine because of it's plastic like look.

coolirisGB6168d ago (Edited 6168d ago )

The LEAD engine, Alan Wake engine, FrostBite engine, FrameWork 2.0 engine are all more advanced than EU 3.0 and 3.5 Go advertise PS3 somewhere else.

@2.3

Rage blows away anything on consoles so far maybe until CryENGINE shows up on consoles. We will see what Unreal eninge 4.0 offers.

Kushan6168d ago (Edited 6168d ago )

Show me just one engine that has the same feature-set (or better) that Unreal 3 does. No, really, show me, I want to know what I've apparently been missing out on.

Oh and let me clarify: An engine that LOOKS better graphically is not necessarily "better". Unreal Engine is more than just about making pretty pictures on screen.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 6168d ago
coolirisGB6168d ago

Most of the 1st party games will probably use the X-engine lol.

ULTIMATE_REVENGE6168d ago

UE? WHAT IN THE FLIPPIN HECK IS IT WITH THE UE AND MICROSOFT!!!

MKV6168d ago

UE brings pretty good graphics aka Gears and Bioshock.

IdleLeeSiuLung6168d ago

UE gave us Gears of War 2! Enough said!!!

gamingisnotacrime6168d ago (Edited 6168d ago )

Whatever works i guess, the motion is what Natal is all about not the game engines, is all in the developers hands (as always)

EDIT
Wow 3 disagree and no reply! gotta love n4g

Hisiru6168d ago

Hi :) (now you have a reply).

coolirisGB6168d ago (Edited 6168d ago )

I disagreed because your comment doesn't make sense and is somewhat contradicting. You were expecting more excitement for the engine in Natal games yet Natal had the biggest Buzz from E3 reaching beyond the realm of the game industry earning massive hype and popularity. Natal is still buzzing in the industry and in the minds of people in the game industry and out! to this day, this is why you see fanboys bashing Natal.

You said whatever works sort of demeaning The tech demo games and later in you comment you admitted you understood these where just tech demo games and the developers will use what ever engine they choose.

I said before I don't understand what the haters points are, are you guys suggesting Natal will only use the UE 3.0 engine?

sparta766168d ago

Don't worry cooliris aka whydis,pog,ididnotmurderhim will disagree is u say anything bad about M$.

coolirisGB6168d ago (Edited 6168d ago )

Oh boy not that again. Stop calling those people.

Are you trying to throw me off with you writing skills? because you are ULTIMATE_REVENGE and god knows who else. This seems familiar to me, every time I reply to somebody trying to stealth troll I get the same come to the rescue attacks calling me these people. Pirate Thom, Antan, and a few others always seem to read my comment in the 360 section accusing me of being some monster while I reply to trolls bashing the news I like.

gamingisnotacrime6168d ago

i am not making statements against Natal, for me the Unreal Engine has done its job and i was expecting more effort in producing a whole new engine.
Personally i dont want the 360 games to keep looking alike besides a change in colors and some textures.

coolirisGB6168d ago

It doesn't matter what the engine is, no one knew what it was when they were showing Natal and no one knew up until now. Its incoherent thinking on the part of the fanboys and others like you which seem to have an constructive opinion? Those were not games they where tech demo games built for E3 using the EU engine your comments(all PS3 fanboys) don't make sense.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 6168d ago
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500°

Kinect Technical Specifications & Xbox 360 Requirements Revealed

The most notable reveal would perhaps by the requirements of the Xbox 360 console itself. While Microsoft has insisted since the original unveiling of Kinect at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in 2009, then known as Project NATAL, that the device would be compatible with all Xbox 360 consoles, the revelation of a dedicated port included on the newly redesigned Xbox 360 model has sparked rumours of incompatibility, which were quickly debunked.

Read Full Story >>
electronictheatre.co.uk
5826d ago Replies(12)
lzim5826d ago

odd, i was led to believe it lacked an internal processor and so also needed a core to itself, if not 1-2 processing threads.

Wikkid6665826d ago

The article says nothing about whether the processor is internal or it uses the 360s.

darthv725825d ago

Also, the notion of a dedicated port really lends nothing to the idea of older units being incompatible. I believe the kinect port is a custom usb port (think the original xbox controller ports) but one that will feed power and data.

Older models will require a splitter that will run off a single usb port (prob the back one) that will work for the data but not the power. That is why they keep saying it will have an external power for those systems.

As for the processor, combo of both makes sense. Using 360 cpu/gpu power to help calculate the finished product on screen along with the cpu in the kinect.

Remember people...this is not a cheap usb web cam (like the original live vision).

Inside_out5826d ago (Edited 5826d ago )

They say they are using 10-15% of one 360 P4 cores. I know that the Kinect we see today is a watered down version of the patented tech they bought and own. Maybe one day the " real " tech will be cost effective. It still is very impressive tech even without a super computer running it.

wicked5826d ago

No, the previous artical said they removed a processor, but I would guess that it had more than 1 to start with. So it will have some form of processor still within it. Arm9 or Cortex M3, all dirt cheap now but powerful.

IdleLeeSiuLung5825d ago

Does it matter? They showed Forza Kinect that looked amazing working with Kinect real time!

callahan095825d ago

Are you just talking about how the graphics are able to look amazing while working with Kinect? If that's what you're talking about, ok. The game itself, though, well... I think I'll stick with the real Forza, with an Xbox 360 control pad. The limited-control Kinect Forza they showed doesn't look like it's worth any attention, in my opinion. Why would anyone want to control a car like that, with hands held out and holding onto nothing, with no control over acceleration or braking? Just seems totally pointless to me.

CrawFail5825d ago

lol real time? I don't quite think it was real time.

Bigpappy5825d ago

You guy know that the motion tech is from prime sense right? Please go to their web site primesense.com,and have a look at what they say the tech can do. It can read fingers well enough to type with each finger and can be used while sitting. No one ever said it has to scan the entire body to work. What we have seen from kinect so far is not all it is capable of.

Reading these specs and trying to compare them to PSeye is pointless, because they are different types of cameras and provide completely differnt types of info to the consoles (Kinect is a 3D camera and provides 3D images. PSeye is a 2D camera and provides 2D images). Per Primsense, the camera is capable of providing video at 60fps, but the 3D is 30fps. The specs for 2 players active is for full body scans. There are no specs given for people sitting and just using their hands.

This tech is obviously a work in progress and has yet to be fleshed out. I suggest all you N4G Kinect experts, research before you post you doom and gloom so you atleast have solid facts for you skepticism. You can also relax and see what M$ does with the tech insteat of pretending to know more that the people developing the tech.

IdleLeeSiuLung5824d ago

The game was available for people to try on the show floor at E3 so yes it was real time. Wetter you like it for Forza or not wasn't my point.

That is up to the developer to figure out.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 5824d ago
+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 5824d ago
Apolloeye5826d ago

So pretty much the same spec as the PS Eye, although I thought the eye went up to 120 Hertz...

Theonik5826d ago

The eye goes to 60Hz i think. Regardless the eye should be capable to do any Kinect shown so far with less lag. (they revolve on a 2D axis and only use the depth tracking to separate players.) I am really disappointed by the tech and how it is utilised thus far.

shoddy5825d ago

More or less powerful we need to see the product.
So far it seem the pseye can do anything kinect can do.
2d 3d I not yet see the advantage.

IHateYouFanboys5825d ago

no, the PSEye cannot do 3D tracking. Kinect can.

the PSEye does 2D motion recognition, Kinect does 3D motion tracking. they are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT things.

Sheikh Yerbouti5825d ago

Going from alkaline to lithium was a significant step for batteries, but at the end of the day it is just a battery. PSEye and Kinect are kind of the same way. At the end of the day it is a game camera - with camera games.

IHateYouFanboys5825d ago

@Sheikh Yerbouti: your example is not really on the same scale of difference as PSEye/Kinect.

a better example using batteries would be the jump from standard batteries to rechargable batteries. theyre both doing the same thing - being batteries - but one of them does things that the other one cannot possibly do, which is be recharged and used again. it does everything the standard battery does, and more.

Kinect does everything the PSEye does (2D motion recognition), and more (3D motion tracking). no amount of software updates can change the hardware in the PSEye, and the hardware is not capable of 3D motion tracking as it lacks infra-red.

IaMs125825d ago

Yes i see your point but how you guys feel about the PS3 can be said the same way.

The PS3 may produce better graphics and be more powerful then the Xbox360, but by the end of they day its still only a console. Also inferior to PC :)

PirosThe4th5825d ago

... PSeye can do 3d as you say... even eyetoy... they used shadows and other stuff to recognize it.
Move is also 3d...

Sheikh Yerbouti5825d ago

Lithium batteries are rechargeable batteries.

Kinect isn't a true 3D camera - it can't render a picture of your butt if you are always facing front. It makes an approximate 3D model using visual cues. The PSEye can do the same, although it will be cruder.

Plus, just because the technology is different, doesn't necessarily mean gameplay will be.

@lams12
Yes, you're right. Similarly Kinect will have some good games, different from PSEye, only if Microsoft makes them. But they haven't made games too different from the PSEye.

Theonik5825d ago

Which is what i meant from the start. None of the games they have shown so far could not have been on the PS Eye.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 5825d ago
Xwow20085826d ago

"Tracks up to 6 people, including 2 active players"
I think now its official that just 2 ppl can play at the same time.

Godmars2905825d ago

Love that you're quoting something and you're getting disagrees.

Sheikh Yerbouti5825d ago (Edited 5825d ago )

Only room for two anyway when you think about it...
but it can keep track of six people during a game in regards to facial recognition. I think that's impressive.

I would love to have Kinect built into my laptop, so only I can get in even without a password. Why is Microsoft wasting this on the XBox again?

Ilikegames765825d ago

still couldn't play it sitting down. Honestly, some guys are so easily impressed by copy cat technology.

blackpanther255825d ago

i was at the engadget show and kudo showed its 3d tracking and when two people where on screen......one person would be red while the other would be green.......but as soon as a third person steped into the camera view two people automatically turned gray and it couldnt read their movements well.

what i took away from that event is that the kinect is pretty kool but for right now it can only work with two people(they could still be working on it)

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 5825d ago
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150°

Kinect Re-Appears on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon & Miranda Cosgrove

Xbox Evolved:

"Microsoft is holding no breaks in making sure the general public knows all about Kinect. What cooler spot to also show it than with Jimmy Fallon? "

Read Full Story >>
xboxevolved.e-mpire.com
Coded-Dude5833d ago

although i usually watch fallon. i'll have to catch an internet clip of it later.

ProA0075833d ago

it's nothing you have to see. trust me. zzzzzzz

tokoshix5833d ago

I'm sure it's just the usual marketing stuff, so nothing really interesting. Pretty much learned everything about the device at E3.

Tony P5833d ago

The more I see this targeted at non-gamers, the sadder I get.

I want a Kinect game I can be *proud* to own as a gamer. One day.

sonarus5833d ago

I saw it full of lag. The girls was standing there and her character just started twitching out of control.

Plus you can clearly see the game is full of Lag. Regardless though i don't care...its a piece of tech directed to casual gamers so kudos to MS for this. Unfortunately i don't fall into the casual crowd so this does not interest me one bit.

What does interest me though is a cheaper 360 slim with a hard drive and wifi capablities for 50 or maybe 100 bucks cheaper

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 5833d ago
Blaze9295833d ago

was pretty funny. same demos they showed at E3 though. Nothing new. But they sure are marketing it quick.

AridSpider5833d ago

Yeah they did the same thing the day after they announced Natal last year with Good Morning America and Fallon back when it was called Natal. No doubt this thing will sell I suspect. Will it succeed technically though is the question

ProA0075833d ago

well they did say they are launching this like the launch of a new xbox.

AridSpider5833d ago

Well they price has not been 'confirmed' yet by anyone....

AridSpider5833d ago

wow first that girl's co-worker hosts the Kinect event and now she's her playing it. I see the audience Microsoft is definitely going after with Bieber, Cosgrove and McCurdy - teenage pop audiences.

Cueil5833d ago

it's that female crowd that they would love to hook into...

JasonXE5833d ago

She's kind of hot.

/pedobear

Boring show.

SpaceSquirrel5833d ago

Interesting. They did the same last year as well.

Show all comments (31)
200°

Hey Microsoft, Where Are The Core Games For Kinect?

Meodia writes, "So about a year ago when Project Natal was first starting off, many Xbox 360 and even other gamers were worried about the future of their console. A local shovelware dumping ground didn't sound quite appealing and Natal looked like it would serve extra servings of it. But Microsoft reassured us, holding our hands and telling us that everything would be alright. Since then, nothing has changed. After that "conference" at E3, we were shown nothing but how to please little girls."

xHarvey5837d ago (Edited 5837d ago )

Kinectimals. Raising a tiger isn't hardcore? lol

ipwnall5837d ago

Bubbles to you sir.

I'm extremely aggravated about this Kinect business. I mean, look at the image in the article. Those are the games for Kinect's future. Do we want to be playing those?

B-Real2065837d ago

They told you to wait till gamescom and now you will wait.

005837d ago (Edited 5837d ago )

But you won't be when that tiger mauls you.

ShinMaster5837d ago

"Wait till E3" they said.
Well E3 has come and this is the result.

Moonboots5837d ago

LOL! +bub for funny on that one!

PS: I love you Skittles! Don't eat me!!!!

BiggCMan5837d ago Show
HolyOrangeCows5837d ago

"Wait until E3"
"Wait until Gamescon"
"Wait until release"
"Wait until next E3"
"Wait until...."

So if we want core games, the best option is the waiting game?

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 5837d ago
Alcon Caper5837d ago (Edited 5837d ago )

hey ms remember this list from tgs 09?

Activision Blizzard, Bethesda Softworks, Capcom Co. Ltd, Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Konami, MTV Games, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, THQ Inc. and Ubisoft

>:(

Imperator5837d ago

Behind closed doors being shown to paid celebrities who could care less about gaming.... if there's even any at all.

Mr Logic5837d ago

It needs buttons. There is only a limited a limited amount of things you can accomplish through gesture recognition.

Inane_Asylum5837d ago

I heard Kevin Butler say buttons existed in the future...

...I believe him...

Moonboots5837d ago (Edited 5837d ago )

Obviously Kinect is a casual device designed for those gamers first and foremost and that is the message MS wanted to send at E3 much to the angst of the core. And they have been saying all year that is what to expect.

I am going to give it some time because I don't think MS are going to ignore their core for long. And in the mean time enjoy my controller on games like Gears 3, Reach, Fable 3, Kingdoms, Black Ops, etc etc on the 360.. Not even going to mention my plate for the other systems I own.. There is just no time to play it all. (heaven?)

Redempteur5837d ago

Don't you see ? hardcore games are coming ..just now they annonced .. BURGER KING !!

............

neverming .

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 5837d ago
Arnon5837d ago

It's funny because after the Microsoft conference, we actually saw some. In fact, I'm surprised that they showed off the shovelware they did, and then an hour later Sonic Freedom Riders and Child of Eden were shown off and completely destroyed what Microsoft displayed.

Imperator5837d ago (Edited 5837d ago )

Child of Eden is a multiplat, and do you have any gameplay vids of Sonic (I honestly want to see how it works).

@Orange Juice, Ah, I see. Looks kinda simple though. wouldn't really call it a core game.

@Arnon, if that's the case then Kinect really does have the edge in that game... but that's just one game. MS needs to show a LOT more.

Orange Juice5837d ago (Edited 5837d ago )

http://n4g.com/news/546595/...

There you go

EDIT Now that I watch the gameplay closely its most likely a game for kids. I couldnt see an adult "hardcore" gamer playing this game for an extended period of time.

Erotic Sheep5837d ago (Edited 5837d ago )

Eyetoy Antigrav says hi..

Arnon5837d ago (Edited 5837d ago )

Child of Eden is multiplat, but it's exclusive to Kinect in regards to motion controls. The developer Tetsuya Mizuguchi does not have a dev kit for Move.

http://www.computerandvideo...

HaVoK3085837d ago

If core gamers are anything like me they could careless about them.

pimpmaster5837d ago

gotta agree, MS is exactly like nintendo 2 years ago. hey, what ever happened to that dumb ass vitality sensor.

gynecologistcobra5837d ago

Like Nintendo two years ago? As in, raking up a fuck ton of cash?

pimpmaster5836d ago

as in having nothing to offer for the hardcore audience. and only for casuals

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