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'PC quality' is what next-gen consoles can expect, says DICE
Posted: 24.10.2011 13:42 by Simon Priest Comments: 8
Swedish developer DICE, creator of Battlefield, firmly believes the next-gen consoles rumoured to be 2013 bound will be delivering 'PC quality'.

Actually they'll offer "probably more," says executive producer Patrick Bach. They don't know anything the new consoles "would do differently" than PC.


"If anyone would build a new console today, that would be the result," said Patrick Bach, referring to the PC version of Battlefield 3 as the 'next-gen console' level of quality. "At least. Probably more, because it's classic PC technology."

The PC and home consoles will be closely aligned moving forward, believes DICE.

"We know everything about multi-threading now. We know everything about multi-graphics card solutions now. If someone built a console where the specs are that or more, we have the technology to do something. We could port the game to that console tomorrow."

The developer designed their Frostbite Engine 2 to 'future proof' the Swedish studio for when the next-gen wave arrives. Battlefield 3 is the first full game to take full advantage of it with EA Black Box's Need for Speed: The Run incorporating its technology too.

"There's nothing we know about now that the new consoles would do differently, rather do more," executive producer Bach explained. "More processors. Bigger memory pools. Everything we have and more."

"The big step is to go from single processor to multi-processor. Single graphics card to multi-graphics card. To multi-memory. Do you do multiple memory pools or one memory pool? Since we can handle both consoles now, we control that as well. We have all the streaming systems. We have whatever we might need for the future."

"I would be surprised if there were something we couldn't do with the next-generation of consoles," added the Battlefield 3 top brass. Bach doesn't see the new console generation as being super expensive because of this leap in hardware. "Remember when the 360 and PS3 came out they weren't as expensive as an expensive PC," he explained.

"If you optimise things and say, instead of building 10,000 of these graphics cards we want 50 million of these graphics cards, it's like, wait a minute, we can push the price down to zero. Then you get a cheaper console. So if you take this PC technology and just mass produce it for consoles you will get a much lower price."

"There's some stuff in here that's truly next-gen," Bach insisted. "A lot of tech stuff, Frostbite 2. Rendering, the lighting, destruction, to me I'm mesmerised no one else has been trying to do it." Top line PCs offer a taste of next-gen consoles.

"I'm looking forward to see if other games can start to do some of the things we're doing. We have some really cool stuff." Battlefield 3 releases on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC October 25th in the US, 28th in Europe. Will the next Xbox and PlayStation deliver PC quality?

Source: Eurogamer

Comments

By nocutius (SI Elite) on Oct 24, 2011
nocutius
It was the same the last time around so i don't see why things would change now. The consoles stay on par for a while but then they inevitably fall behind and we repeat the cycle again.
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Oct 24, 2011
herodotus
Compared with what PC specs? Come 2013 the CPU's and GPU's available for PC will far outstrip anything on the drawing boards for consoles no matter whatgeneration of GPU or what CPU architecture they are centering them on. I presume of course we are talking about the XBox, as the PS4 will probably be launched later as is the usual case.
By obiwanmccartney (SI Veteran Newbie) on Oct 24, 2011
obiwanmccartney
my pc was better than the 360/ps3 when they came out, only diff is the consoles didnt get any better, where as my pc will be better than the next consoles when they come out. if console makers would wise up and include mouse and keyboard on ALL of them and for ALL games, then I see pc gamers needing to worry a tiny bit.
By noobst3R (SI Core) on Oct 24, 2011
noobst3R
They might be as close to as good as a decent gaming rig for at max a year. Then they're lost again.

Well, if console resolution was actually 1080 and not some shitty 720/sub-720, I'd be happy.
By Revan (SI Elite) on Oct 24, 2011
Revan
Huh, never knew DICE was a Swedish developer. Great company.
But dang, I sure hope nex-gen consoles will "probably have more" than PC's have performance/graphics wise these days.
Have to wait and see I guess.
But I think a security upgrade should be just as big a focus as graphics.
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Oct 25, 2011
nocutius
Well consoles don't have the OS overhead so they can use all their hardware much more efficiently, that is the only reason they can compete with the PC for that one year or two. Soon after that we, the PC crowd, start complaining how the consoles are holding the PC gaming back. It's inevitable, death, taxes and outdated consoles :).
By SiyaenSokol (SI Elite) on Oct 25, 2011
SiyaenSokol
Time will only tell what is going to happen. I don't believe that Consoles will ever overthrow PC's. Yes, sure, they might have a lead in performance for a while, but then PC will just come back again with an even more powerful CPU, and GPU.

Either way, I doubt that I would go over to Consoles. I love PC too much.
By sw33tsp0t1 (SI Veteran Newbie) on Oct 27, 2011
sw33tsp0t1
PC Is The Lead Platform for Most Massive Hit AAA Titles, PC Is the Only Platform that Offers Modders Modding Capabilites, which Pushes the Game to an Extra 600% Of what it Originally Was.

This is why PC Versions Accel Far Above Console Versions.

Not to Mention the Huge User Database, and Extensive Game Coverage the Websites and Devs/Contributers Have to Offer.

Even the Gaming Applications Only Available on PC throws another 20% on it as well.

Also in Complexity, Look at World of Warcraft for Example, Imagine having that Imported into your Xbox or PS, Wouldn't make any sense, Or be Playable.

PC AAA Titles will Always Retain the Utmost Depth, Moddability and 600% of the Original Release with its Supreme Sandbox of Creation and Depth Detail Capabilities.

PC Will always be Supreme, But Next Gen Consoles are Coming >very< Close to what a PC Is, But I Think they Will Never rise Above. (Look at Alienware for Example, 7000$ Computers, Console.... What??????)

Ive been an Avid PC Gamer untill my Rig got Fked up and I got a PS3, I Love the Sht Out of My PS3, but when I get my Alienware, it will Blow my ps3 out of the water and give it a long shelf life.

Overall thier both Great, but PC Will always be the Leading Edge.