OXMUK
Epic's graphics guru Tim Sweeney feels that Xbox 360's longevity is a "mixed blessing", as it becomes "harder to generate excitement from the same hardware", but reckons new hardware generations are justified only when "you can make a dramatic leap in quality".
Speaking to VentureBeat, Sweeney claimed that Microsoft's decision to expand Xbox 360's memory at Epic's suggestion was instrumental to the console's success. "They put in extra memory and that is one of the reasons we were able to make Gears of War look so compelling. Without that extra memory, we would have far less space for details.
"That decision cost Microsoft about $1 billion, but you can say that it paid off big time. They would not have succeeded to the extent they have today if they had not done that."
Sweeney and his cohorts want similar bumps in fidelity from the Xbox 360's successor. Epic famously set a benchmark for what it expects of next generation consoles at the Game Developer Conference last year, wowing audiences with its "Samaritan" tech demo.
That's not to say that working with what you know doesn't have its advantages, however. "The longevity of this console generation has been a mixed blessing," Sweeney went on. "On the game side, it's been really great for our business."
"We have been able to ship three Gears of War games on the same generation of hardware, each one with dramatic improvements over the last and a two to three-year development cycle. So it's been a very good thing for a game business today. With each new title, there is a bigger and bigger Xbox 360 installed base of users, so the games can sell more.
"On the other hand, it gets harder to generate the same excitement from the same hardware. That is when the new hardware is justified. But then you reset the installed base to zero and it's a lot harder to sell a lot of games again. So you should only replace the hardware when you can make a dramatic leap in quality, not just 2X or 3X. It has to be huge and fundamentally new."
Epic's focus remains on console, despite increasing success in the mobile game field. "With every console transition, people ask if there will be another console transition or another successful console platform. We are betting big that there will be. If you look at games like Call of Duty and Gears of War, it's clear that console is the pinnacle of the gaming experience.
"So we are investing heavily with our engine and game development efforts for the next generation of console technology and games. But at the same time, we actually see this wonderful thing happening where the mobile platform and web platforms are getting to the point where they can run an AAA game.
"One consistent game engine technology can run across console, PC, mobile and web games. We're really happy with that position. It lets game developers target lots of different platforms. We have shipped Infinity Blade of iOS. We have announced a new game Fortnite for an entirely different audience, more casual.
"It appeals to a wider audience than a hardcore game like Gears of War. We are branching out, but we tie it all together with AAA production values."
For more on what Epic wants from next generation consoles, check out http://www.oxm.co.uk/35017/features/xbox-360-2-what-epic-wants/">our interview with senior tech artist Alan Willard and the inimitable Cliff Bleszinski
http://www.oxm.co.uk/38268/epic-xbox-720-must-be-at-least-three-times-xbox-360s-power/
Currently Online 
