CD Projekt dev switching lead platform from PC to console *spawn

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What happened to my post where I mentioned that I can't help but drool over just imagining games in the future consoles when we had games like F-Zero GX on the Gamecube, that looked and played great and also ran so smooth? :???:

Projekt RED are known for their commitment to the PC, but in a new interview, their managing director Adam Badowski suggested the team are going to put power ahead of platform allegiance.

CD Projekt say next gen Xbox could overtake PC as lead development platform. It seems to me next gen consoles are powerful enough and there are winds of change.

http://www.oxm.co.uk/50970/cd-projekt-next-gen-xbox-could-overtake-pc-as-lead-development-platform/

CD Projekt: next gen Xbox could overtake PC as lead development platform

"PC allows for more at the moment, but new platforms are stepping up."

The weekend! It bears down upon us like an avalanche of catharsis and relaxation. Time for one more nugget of extra-spicy hardware commentary before you sign off?

Very well then - CD Projekt RED's managing director Adam Badowski reckons the next Xbox and PS4 are sufficiently powerful and flexible that they may serve as lead development platforms in future, eclipsing the mighty PC.

"We know a lot about the next gen platforms that we can't comment on yet, but our strategy is that we're always trying to maximise the quality for the platform, to use its particular strengths and advantages," he told GamesIndustry.

"Usually the weakest platform dictates the quality for all platforms, but high-quality visuals are our trademark so we need to approach each platform as individually as possible."

"Of course, large scale technical decisions in our engine, such as opting for 64-but architecture, Direct X11, are made globally, but we do try to treat platforms individually," Badowski went on.

"PC allows for more at the moment, but new platforms are stepping up. In the future, it should be much easier to unify the requirements.


"Some things, like control schemes, will still need to be tailored to the platforms but the new platforms will unify requirements. PC was the lead platform for Witcher 2 because it was the most powerful, but that might change in the future."

CD Projekt RED's debut next generation console project is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - read all about the game here. It's a catastrophically pretty effort, though not quite as pretty as stablemate Cyberpunk 2077, due for release no earlier than 2015. Check out that trailer. Those bullets are sparkly, aren't they?
 
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I'm not sure what's so interesting about that. Next generation consoles are always more than powerful enough to act as lead platforms compared with PC when they initially launch and in fact the 360 has been the lead platform for the majprity of multiplatform games for years now.
 
No they're not.

x86 cpu's based on pc land hardware and gpu's derived from existing hardware for the pc market? They are as close to being pc's as they can be without actually being a pc.

I would like to know if there is still a real programming difference between the next gen consoles and pc or if it's pretty much the same now they all run the same kind of hardware albeit in different configurations.
 
Sure, this will be ok in the beginning of a gen. The next gen consoles will look like decent PC's in years 1-2. In years 3+, consoles will start looking dated again.

An old cycle that never changes.

Also, it's an inflammatory headline that isn't really what he said. (The OXM headline about, "CD PROJECT SWITCHING FROM PC TO XBOX FOR LEAD PLATFORM")
 
What's interesting here is that while CD Projekt Red made that comment about switching lead platform to consoles, other console devs have mentioned switching their lead platform to PC since the architectures will be much more similar and the porting process much simpler.

Regards,
SB
 
What's interesting here is that while CD Projekt Red made that comment about switching lead platform to consoles, other console devs have mentioned switching their lead platform to PC since the architectures will be much more similar and the porting process much simpler.

Regards,
SB

Also, isn't it counterintuitive to want the most powerful platform to lead, as he claims?

You'd think you'd want to start with Durango (if rumors are true) and build to lowest common denominator.

If you build to a powerful PC, you're just going to have to struggle with cutbacks later.
 
It's probably easier to start with high quality assets and reduce them based on need. Rather than starting with low quality assets and then somehow improve them.

WRT - CD Projekt Red, I'd imagine the large RAM pool is particularly attractive to them. On PC you still have to deal with 32 bit Windows users and the 2 GB VA memory limit per application. Making a PC version require 64 bit could cause some consumer confusion.

Regards,
SB
 
So how does a generic "you never know what might happen" comment become "OMG they're switching to console PC gaming is dead lulz"?
 
x86 cpu's based on pc land hardware and gpu's derived from existing hardware for the pc market? They are as close to being pc's as they can be without actually being a pc.

I would like to know if there is still a real programming difference between the next gen consoles and pc or if it's pretty much the same now they all run the same kind of hardware albeit in different configurations.
Maybe this is semantics about the definition of a PC, but a PC isn't a specific hardware architecture. It's a system that supports multiple hardware components and thus abstracts those components. A console is locked down so only approved code runs and the programming interface is different from a PC.
 
Unless you are using an ancient model that is still going to have intel/amd/nvidia hardware (makes those who buy that overpriced junk look even more stupid).
 
The idiots that overpaid for a Mac?
news flash macs having been using intel/nvidia (and possible amd) for many years
the only recent ppl that would fall under that category I can think of are those handful of ppl that brought windows RT/chrome OS pc though calling them idiots is a bit harsh
 
people that buy macbooks install windows over it. Its still a pc.
and with ps4, generally the hardware wont be as different as PS3 era.
 
Hint: next-gen consoles are pc's.
imho, next gen consoles are very different than PCs. They have very specific and specialized hardware to help the typical rendering hardware.

I'm not sure what's so interesting about that. Next generation consoles are always more than powerful enough to act as lead platforms compared with PC when they initially launch and in fact the 360 has been the lead platform for the majprity of multiplatform games for years now.
I agree with many people who consider that PC hardware is again undergoing much more advancements and will never remain same, in fact the top of the line PCs are already more powerful than next gen consoles.
 
But, there is always a but... it is true that other systems will step up because while the PC is not standing still, so aren't consoles.

However, it seems to me that finally for many companies and studios it was about time that at some point the consoles became *good enough* and have sufficient RAM -which, imho, was the biggest difference between consoles and PCs until now- and they can become the lead platform without limiting the possibilities of PCs.
 
Now, with 8GB of memory each, next gen consoles are really good at everything. I can see PCs still offering some extra powers, but mostly some extra resolution and not much -maybe SSAA-.

Right now PCs offer more in almost every possible way, from resolution, to AA, to textures, to HDR, to new techniques that are impossible with current generation hardware, etc.
 
On the other hand, now that next gen consoles are on their way to our living rooms, we know they will be capable of offering the same rendering technologies than future PCs, a little bit of everything, so I can see how studios are considering the idea of using them as their lead development hardware, it seems reasonable.
 
Cyan said:
They have very specific and specialized hardware to help the typical rendering hardware.

I'm sure that's what you would like to believe.

3dcgi said:
Maybe this is semantics about the definition of a PC, but a PC isn't a specific hardware architecture. It's a system that supports multiple hardware components and thus abstracts those components. A console is locked down so only approved code runs and the programming interface is different from a PC.

But that's clearly not what I was talking about. I was referring to the fact that next gen consoles are essentially based on hardware you can (or will) be able to buy for a pc.
 
I'm sure that's what you would like to believe.



But that's clearly not what I was talking about. I was referring to the fact that next gen consoles are essentially based on hardware you can (or will) be able to buy for a pc.
Honestly I think that's the case because both consoles feature custom audio chips and I am pretty sure the GPUs are heavily customized, by getting rid of silicon that isn't necessary on PC, where some of the silicon is there for legacy purposes.

Not to mention the eSRAM, the DMEs and the display planes. Consoles always retain its capability to be heavily tweaked by their makers.
 
I am pretty sure the GPUs are heavily customized...

Again, I'm sure that is what you would like to believe. Your other examples are irrelevant (the "custom audio chip" won't lead to anything practical that a pc couldn't do; edram is coming to pc's; etc.). There won't be some "special graphical feature" that consoles can do that pc's couldn't. You guys act as if the PS4/720 are going to be the first apus ever...
 
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