Today, Epic Games gave us our first look at Unreal Engine 5 AND at PS5 gameplay, via an impressive tech demo on a Summer Game Fest livestream.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSbPo_vMZdU
Published
on
By
Unreal Engine 5 will arrive in 2021.
Today, via Summer Game Fest, Geoff Keighley and Epic Games gave us our first look at PS5 gameplay. The gameplay was from an Epic-created tech demo, though, so maybe “demoplay” is the appropriate term.
In any case, following the demo, Epic Games’ CTO Kim Libreri, Vice President of Engineering Nick Penwarden and CEO Tim Sweeney joined Keighley for a livestream breakdown.
“This really is a generational leap, or more, in technological capabilities,” Sweeney said of PlayStation 5.
“The hardware that Sony is launching is absolutely phenomenal. Not only an unprecedented amount of graphics power but also, a completely unique storage architecture that blows past architectures out of the water, and is far ahead of even the state of the art in the highest-end PCs you can buy.”
Much of the talk came down to nanite — which refers to a micropolygon modeling scheme — and lumin — a real-time global illumination system. We aren’t sure exactly what much of that means! But Digital Foundry provided a helpful, in-depth breakdown if you’re interested in the specifics.
The TL;DR of it all, though, is that Epic is making technology that will make the process of creating games easier.
“With Unreal Engine 5, we set out to build a new generation of technology that empowers creators to create photo-realistic scenes that are indistinguishable from reality,” Sweeney said, “and to do so with a very high degree of productivity.”
This will have ramifications for fans of Epic’s creative output, too. During the stream, Sweeney confirmed that Fortnite would transition to Unreal Engine 5 next year. Epic has consistently shown its ability to quickly make sweeping changes in Fortnite’s world. That’s an ability that almost certainly derives from the company’s thorough knowledge of its engine. If Unreal Engine 5 allows for significantly faster iteration, Epic’s approach to their popular live service game will likely change.
That said, it remains to be seen whether the ability to make games more easily will have any impact on crunch culture. New technologies have historically resulted in the reallocation of work, not its eradication. For example, a microwave allows you to prepare dinner in minutes. But, that opens up extra time to work on something else. Ease-of-use doesn’t guarantee good time management. We’ll have to wait and see if better technology will mean better work-life balance for the people who create the entertainment we enjoy.
We hate to ask, but global advertising revenues are the lowest they’ve ever been. It’s killing the online publishing world. If you found this article useful, interesting or entertaining, and you want to support quality games writing, then please consider supporting us via Patreon, buying us a coffee, or subscribing to our newsletter.
Andrew King is a journalist, critic, poet, stand-up comedian and museum caretaker living in Illinois.
Geoff Keighley announces four-month long Summer Game Fest
Epic Games gives $250k grant to a different game engine
Fortnite is back with Chapter 2 and a brand new map
Fortnite is gone, is replaced by a giant hole
Report: Epic Games paid a whopping £8.4m for Control exclusivity
9 video game stories you might have missed
The latest PlayStation Store sales focuses on PS4 video games with season passes and DLC, so you can save money and then spend some more money.
Published
on
By
The latest PlayStation Store sale focuses on PS4 video games with season passes and DLC, so you can save money and, erm, then spend some more money.
The new sale – which is running around the world – features some top PS4 games and downloadable content. Game highlights include Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, FIFA 20’s Champions Edition, and Bethesda’s improved online role-player, Fallout 76.
Some of latest year’s biggest releases are also on offer, with special editions of Metro Exodus, Borderlands 3, and Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order all reduced.
And if you’re already playing games like The Sims 4, Jurassic World Evolution, and Grand Theft Auto V, a range of add-on content and season pass discounts are available.
The Extended Play sale runs until May 27,2020. Check the PlayStation Store in your region for the complete list of game and DLC savings. In the meantime, here are some more of our picks,
For more bargains, visit our dedicated video game sales page and follow us on Flipboard, Facebook, Google News, and Twitter.
