UT3 Won't Feature Cross Play Capability 141
Next Generation is reporting on comments from Epic's Mark Rein, who participated in an IRC chat with some members of the Unreal community recently. In the chat, Rein revealed that Unreal Tournament 3 will not feature the ability for PS3 and PC players to compete on the same servers. Said Rein, "We looked at how this would impact our ability to respond quickly to things happening at internet speed on the PC side of the equation and realized that this would not be in the best interests of our very loyal PC userbase because we would constantly be holding on to updates to wait until they passed cert on the console platform. Our PC fanbase is of ultimate importance to us. They are our bread and butter. We can't let them down or compromise their experience in any way to accommodate cross platform play."
What?!? (Score:4, Interesting)
The proposed brick wall between the different platform users would make this a pointless purchase for me because I would want to play against some friends that use consoles. I wonder if this would also mixed prevent lan play?
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Re:What?!? (Score:5, Informative)
OK, I've been following the UT3 development as closely as I can since UT 2004 came out. Now Let me summarize what I've read/heard/watched on several interviews and blogs (with Epic Employees.)
That said, Epic has a history of listening to the community, raise a stink on the forums and they may add it in a patch. Also If you post about the different version restrictions, it's similar to UT2Kx where if I'm running a certain version server, and you have a different client we can't connect, so It is a valid idea.
If microsoft Live servers weren't so restricted all 3 platforms would launch at the same time. If you're a console gamer and want to make maps, then you will need to buy the PC version as well as your console version. IIRC you will be able to browse UT3 download sites for maps to directly on the PS3, but I may be wrong on that part.
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I think it will make sense for me to wait and see what they will actually commit to supporting before buying any version. By that time I'll just get a used copy and save some cash.
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And they had better release it as I want this game, hell I'll even pay slightly extra for a Linux cd and box!
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This process is not unique to Sony, it al
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Besides, we all know console users w/ out a mouse and keyboard don't stand a chance in UT... this is the real reason for it
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Transcodes media, on demand, so your PS3 will play it.
I use it running inside a stripped down VM running Windows on a Sid host. Just mount your media from the local machine over Samba and point it at the share.
It also plays nicely with the Wii, 360, most smart phones, most of the DLNA home media devices, and can stream to any web browser that has Flash installed.
Re:What?!? (Score:4, Interesting)
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Still, while I do find both console and PC shooters to be fun on their own merits, I am
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Personally, I think the best FPS system to date is the Wii numchuck. The problem with the analog stick is that once you get a realism game like R6, Counter Strike, or any other game with breathing or gun sway, its hard to do a head shot without a mouse.
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I have a BFGTech Geforce 8800GTX and it displays on my HDTV just fine. I played Prey on it last night and it completely owns the X360 version.
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Oh, and if you doubt such, we will see on October 10th when the Orange Box is released on PC/360. Those poor 360 users won't stand a chance in TF2 (though I'm considering picking it up for my 360 just to check it out).
TF2 won't have PC and Console players playing one another:
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/19/team-fortress-will-not-have-cross-platform-play-but-valve-plays/ [joystiq.com]
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However, if you want to release for the PS3 you need to run everything past Sony first. That is what takes time.
Dunno what hardware you run Linux on to play games, but I for one use a PC.
Quibbling aside, there is, suprisingly, no authority who has to check everything released on Linux
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I'm hoping that they just make it optional for interplay between all of the platforms so the server maintainer can allow or disallow consoles instead of just creating a permanent barrier
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If people run servers supporting both PCs and consoles, then when an update comes out for the PC, they'll have to choose whether to upgrade and lose the console players till the console upgrades, or wait for the console upgrades, and lose the PC players who eventually update because all the other servers have.
Or, worse, you could get a situation
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Will linux users not be able to play against PC users either?
Of course they will. Windows and Linux support the same computer architectures and implement the same network protocols. The biggest reason most game developers don't support Linux is because most games are developed using the Microsoft's DirectX graphics libraries. The Unreal Tournament series, as well as the Quake series, have always supported OpenGL, a set of open graphics libraries. Hence the name. Plus, I doubt that the server you will be playing on will be running Windows anything.
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Its a pretty safe bet that the PC version will receive many patches over its lifetime, while the PS3 version will receive only those absolutely necessary.
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No, there is not a length certification process for PC patches. You also don't have to pay Sony/Microsoft to release a patch on the PC.
And finally, you will never get 360/PS3 play going, ever. Sony and Microsoft will not play nice, they provide two completely different APIs, and have completely different security/encryption aspects.
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Well, the problem is also (Score:4, Insightful)
On the other hand,
Re:Well, the problem is also (Score:5, Interesting)
It was going to be like a flamewar, only with guns.
Damn you, Epic! Damn you! (shakes fist)
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2. Plug USB keyboard and mouse into PS3
3. Ownage! (And possibly profit if you play "professionally")
You don't even need to ???.
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If the day comes and you need someone to watch your flank, call me.
Sera
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Then again it's bluetooth anyway. They should just bite the bullet and include a Wiimote driver
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I'd buy a console then.
Too bad PS3 doesn't have an X86 CPU.
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But now both the PS3 and the Xbox360 can be in high def. So now we have 1920x1080 with progressive scan. So you get 4 people on that and it's much better than b
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I've just gotten selfish I guess - I like having my own space and my own monitor when playing; my constant UT playing has gotten me in that mode.
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Just not with Windows.
http://linuxgazette.net/124/smith.html [linuxgazette.net]
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PS3 UT3 supports kb/mouse (Score:1)
Good (Score:2)
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I think I completely missed the bus on that one because console multiplayer is a good 5-7 years behind PC multiplayer and the complexities of the games offered in PC multiplayer offerings is many times great (due to such constrained processing capabilities on the consoles).
And please don't forget! PC's were the original controller market with the massive amount of offerings, with probably 20 times the offerings cur
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Controller (Score:2)
I seem to remember hearing that when they ported Halo to the PC they had to take out a delay the enemies had in firing so it would be more challenging.
Console vs PC = bad idea for developers (Score:5, Insightful)
When I played Halo on an Xbox (not a lengthy play session, admittedly), it felt like I was playing wearing mittens.
There's something to be said about having your mouse set almost fast enough for the cursor to register your pulse - because in an FPS, being able to do a quick 360 in midair in a fraction of a second is the difference between getting a kill and being a kill.
This could lead players to assume that the PC is the platform to be on, much to the detriment of console game sales and rentals.
I don't have a use for consoles - I dislike the limitations and the controllers have been horrendous since the days of the Atari 2600 and don't care much for the kind of games that consoles do better than PCs, so while I admit I might be short-changing the console side a little, that's my take.
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*dolt* 360 is facing the same way you started. It's a no-op.
And remember, linux can complete an infinite loop faster than any other OS.
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To tell you the truth I would seriously consider buying a console (or three) if I could game with a keyboard/mouse-style (doesn't need to be a qwerty keyboard just a WASD-style) controller.
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Exactly. When MS or Sony realizes this fact they will destroy the PC gaming market once and for all.
This is probably one of the reasons Microsoft doesn't want keyboards attached to their console. They don't want to move all of the pc games off of the platform they have a monopoly on and onto a platform where there is actually competition.
OK, maybe not destroy, but seriously dampen it. I fully expect next-gen consoles to tout the bundled keyboard/mouse as an advantage, and ship with web browsers in so you c
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You've clearly not played the UT series much. I have, and going down to a sniper weapon is relatively rare, except on certain maps (such as Torlan, but even then you know exactly where the guy with the lightning gun is going to be stood 90% of the time)
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Well... (Score:4, Insightful)
Of course, the tinfoil hatter in me speculates that the console MAKERS wouldn't have much incentive to support/encourage a product that would illustrate to their players how really crippled they are by the control systems....but that's just nuts, right?
No, no, I'm SURE it's just about them supporting their loyal fanbase and not wanting to wait for console-certification. Sure it is.
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Let's not forget... (Score:4, Informative)
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Try to keep up, people (Score:3, Insightful)
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This has been proven over and over in the marketplace - keyboard addons for consoles have never met with success. The only way to ensure adoption is to force the issue on every model, even (especially!) on the low-end, or else the console keyboard and mouse will continue to be a niche product that most people aren't even aware exists, much less want to buy.
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Can the goddamned proprietary connectors and protocols, and make mouse and keyboard compatibility mandatory in games where it makes sense to have a keyboard and mouse, and by golly, you'll see people with keyboards and mice! It'll even open
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Until a console ships with a keyboard and a mouse, most users of that console will not have one.
Yeah, keyboards and mice are notoriously hard to come by. There's only a pair of those in most every household in the country.
This has been proven over and over in the marketplace - keyboard addons for consoles have never met with success. The only way to ensure adoption is to force the issue on every model, even (especially!) on the low-end, or else the console keyboard and mouse will continue to be a niche product that most people aren't even aware exists, much less want to buy.
UT3 isn't shipping with support for some proprietary Sony keyboard, it's shipping with straight up "plug any USB keyboard or mouse into the damn USB ports on the front of the console" support. And USB keyboards and mice are not "niche peripherals"
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Yes, a USB standard keyboard and mouse are the best solution. So include one in the goddamn box so there's no question as to whether you actually need the thing. If you ship it in the bo
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Own a copy of Half Life, or Deus Ex for said PS2?
Plug in USB keyboard and/or mouse?
Do you know what happens? They work.
Course I do the smart thing and just plug in the mouse (optical wireless) so I can keep my superior analog movement rather than broken-kludgy WASD
The games also support the standard dualshock
It's not an either/or situation, games can support both
EPIC is making the right call on this... (Score:4, Insightful)
The other point to consider is that the entire Unreal series has been heavily modded by the PC gaming community...I recall nude skins and even black skins (invisible in the dark, except for the sniper bullets that fly off you), Simpsons mods, Mario Brothers mods, The Matrix mods, Aliens mods, etc.
Imagine the Republican uproar in Congress (e.g. Lieberman, McCain, et tu Clinton?) or the Florida courts (Jack Thompson) about little Johnny seeing a nude girl jumping around and shooting him while playing on his console...I say screw that. Keep the kiddies with their consoles locked in the original games and make them pay for mods using the Microsoft pay-for-download model...who cares if those clowns don't get community-based mods? EPIC is going to give us the PC version we want, with no filters or limitations, the way they always have.
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Hmmmm (Score:1)
Already knew this (Score:2)
The PS3 version is second grade anyway... (Score:5, Funny)
http://www.jolt.co.uk/index.php?articleid=9625 [jolt.co.uk]
The PS3 omgpowerhouse looks less and less powerful...
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And:
http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/188/Sony-Super-Engineers-Optimizing-Unreal-3 [ign.com]
Looks to me like there were some significant efforts to optimize the engine for the PS3... Heck, it's even been licensed by Sony.
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of a lot like OpenGL ES 2.0 which means it's an easy migration to/from other OS platforms. Unless it's a dramatic drop
in performance (I have to wonder exactly how fast that "native library" really is in comparison to OpenGL ES (which is
what they're using on the PS3...) as I've not heard about this uber fast API... I also wonder how easy it is to use and
develop for...) you'll do your lev
Cheats (Score:3, Insightful)
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All those PC trolls do not remember the ASUS Cheat drivers.
It was hit on Counter Strike mod for Half Life. Still is. Cheat star NEVER fades away.
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Thank god! (Score:5, Funny)
If only we could have been so lucky.
3? (Score:1)
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Hope this helps...
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gears or war? (Score:1)
Will GoW not have cross platform when it's released to PC? I've always suspected it wouldn't.
I have GoW for 360, and I have a lot of friends with PC's that refuse to pay for an expensive
console that I'd like to play with.
I was planning on getting UT3 for PC anyway since it's supposed to support Linux and I have a
box that's up to the task, and playing an FPS with a control pad is painful to me. (GoW seems
to have been designed with
Thats a shame (Score:2)
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I still cringe at it being called Shadowrun, though. I'll have to accept that FASA's dead one of these days.
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Final Fantasy XI
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A similar situation exists in regards to the PS2's ability to output sync-on-green VGA.