Unreal Engine question

[WAR-BLAST]

I'm not a programmer, but I understand that PS4 and Xbox One have the ability to display graphical content at higher fidelity in comparison to PS3 and Xbox 360. Which is why I assume they want to streamline UE3 across all the platforms they are developing for.

But couldn't the code specifically written for MKX on UE3 just be ported over to UE4 for latest gen systems? Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Naughty Dog doing something like this with The Last of Us on their in-house engine.

 

[Youphemism]

Don't care about the question, I LOVE THE UNREAL ENGINE

Edit: K I looked at the question, and I don't know the answer. I'd assume so but couldn't confirm it.

 

[dotunderscore]

As with most programming questions the answer is probably "it depends".

Next gen systems use newer hardware which usually has updated APIs and deprecated old ones. It's something that could probably be done with enough time but unlikely to be just recompiled/redistributed.

 

[Rathalos]

To be honest I have no idea.

However, from what NRS has said in interviews on the subject, they have modified the UE3 so drastically at this point, it may as well be it's own engine.
So this would probably make it considerably more complicated.

 

[WAR-BLAST]

Thanks guys. Good points all around. Graphically speaking of course, I take it MKX will look better on newer gen hardware?

Edit: To rephrase my question, will the PS3 and 360 versions be able to achieve the graphical quality of the PS4 version, in which MKX was demoed on at E3?

 

[Youphemism]

Thanks guys. Good points all around. Graphically speaking of course, I take it MKX will look better on newer gen hardware?

Edit: To rephrase my question, will the PS3 and 360 versions be able to achieve the graphical quality of the PS4 version, in which MKX was demoed on at E3?

Due to hardware differences I'd assume not.

 

[d3v]

...will the PS3 and 360 versions be able to achieve the graphical quality of the PS4 version, in which MKX was demoed on at E3?

Common sense says no.

 

[Killphil]

I'm going to say no. I feel like a game engine, as little as I know of them, works in much the same fashion as an operating system does. The simplest way to put it is its like jumping from windows 7 to 8, vista to 7, etc. There are changes...small..big..new rules that can't be accounted for on the older platform.

I know programming, and actually now that I'm describing it, a game engine is EXACTLY like a computer operating system, just within a different scope.

 

[WAR-BLAST]

Common sense says no.

If it was common sense, I wouldn't have asked that question... especially considering my OP. And since they are are using the same engine for all platforms, I thought maybe the difference in visuals wouldn't be so drastic. But hey, what do I know right?

 

[Vulcan Hades]

If you care about graphics you'll have to buy a PS4 or XboxOne.

Actually if you plan on travelling to tournaments at all you should also buy a next gen console because that's going to be standard. And there's a good chance the game will feel different from old gen.

 

[EGGXI]

From my base understanding, the architecture/structure of an the Unreal engine, or any engine for that matter, is quite different between iterations, so "porting it over" isn't that simple. Also the Unreal Engine in particular is extremely modifiable, like other have mentioned in the thread, to the extent that whatever NRS is using at this point is probably nowhere near the "standard" form.

tl;dr: I want Unreal Tournament 4 already.

 

[Mechacide]

NRS are developing PS4 and Xbox One versions, another team are working on porting everything over to the PS3 and 360. Ed has said they're not thinking about what will work across the board, as well, they're going all out and letting the other team worry about how to port it. This may just be for the sake of PR, though.

I can't imagine the last gen consoles looking anywhere near as good as the demos we've seen, to be honest. This is the natural progression of technology and gaming.

 

[d3v]

If it was common sense, I wouldn't have asked that question... especially considering my OP. And since they are are using the same engine for all platforms, I thought maybe the difference in visuals wouldn't be so drastic. But hey, what do I know right?

Here's the thing, do you really think that Microsoft and Sony would allow a game to look just as good on their last gen consoles as it does on their current ones?

 

[Johnny San]

I know this is a FPS but you can expect something like this.

 

[deathblooms2k4]

Here's the thing, do you really think that Microsoft and Sony would allow a game to look just as good on their last gen consoles as it does on their current ones?

lol, they honestly don't even have to worry about that. As much of a PR nightmare that would be, the truth of the matter is the next gen platforms do indeed have have much better hardware in them than the previous gen. Which obviously makes sense, that's technology101. The only possible reason for graphical fidelity or performance to be the same would be if the developers are super lazy.

Expect the graphics to be worse on 360 and ps3. If they come close there will be some texture down grades and reduction of particle effects. And if you really care about the gameplay on previous gen consoles you don't want them to try to match graphics because that will come at a cost to the frame rate the game runs at. They've already stated it'll be 60FPS on XOne and PS4. Injustice already suffers frame rate issues especially on PS3 so pushing that envelope will just mean further performance issues on previous gen consoles.

 

[TaffyMeat]

Thanks guys. Good points all around. Graphically speaking of course, I take it MKX will look better on newer gen hardware?

Edit: To rephrase my question, will the PS3 and 360 versions be able to achieve the graphical quality of the PS4 version, in which MKX was demoed on at E3?

probably not. Which is why NRS are doing ps4/xbox1 and someone else is doing the ps3/xbox360 versions. But then again I want mkx ps vita

 

[Tony at Home]

To sort out some confusion, a game engine is basically built in command interfaces that extend a programming language.

It may make tedious tasks such as writing code to display a cube in OpenGL easy as calling a function and entering a few coordinates. In that sense they are partly what is called a "framework". You can look at it similar to scaffolding. There's already all these functions ready to go, you just need to fill in blanks.

In addition to being a framework for a graphics rendering language, they may also be a framework for a physics language as well, and tie those together. Often they tie diverse low level specifics into a single consistent high level interface.

High level in programming means abstraction. It goes from the 0's and 1's of machine code and hardware interfacing that drivers have to deal with, and gives the developers a general simplified interface that lets them write simple scripts while the appropriate framework ties it to the nitty gritty.

So the engine is still much less responsible for overall graphical quality than most believe. Its just a programming framework that doesn't even need to be followed strictly. In any case where you want to bypass the framework and write low level code that interfaces directly with graphics rendering, most engines if not all will let you do that. I can actually edit the underlying SDL functions in the LOVE framework for example, if I want to change how it takes the inputs for a line or a love. Draw. Rect() and its fine with that.

NRS seems to have done a great deal of modification to the Unreal Engine that as they stated, its essentially an entirely new engine that is not outdated and every bit as new as UE4.


Also, last note: UE3 is an awful game engine. My opinion of course.

 

[Mr_Swizzer]

Unreal engine is the run time environment the game is coded in, It's easier for programmers to use pre made engines to tweak things while developing.

 

[WakeUp DP]

If you care about graphics you'll have to buy a PS4 or XboxOne.

Actually if you plan on travelling to tournaments at all you should also buy a next gen console because that's going to be standard. And there's a good chance the game will feel different from old gen.

A dif developer is working on MKX for 360/ps3!

 

[VenomX-90]

Its so Unreal, it will take your soul and devour it.

 

[NoobHunter420]

They could, but the ported versions would probably have some issues with netcode and basic stuff.
the entire game was designed around a highly customized UE3, changing it would cause a chaos.
i think NRS went with their version of UE3 instead of the UE4 because they could get alot more of it, UE4 is somewhat new and they might not be able to get as much juice from it.
oh and previous gen consoles might have several issues with UE4.