Epic wants Apple-beating next gen consoles

Unreal Engine developer Epic Games says it is pushing the Big Three to create the most advanced consoles possible – if only to fend off Apple.

In an interview with CVG, the company’s vice president Mark Rein said that tech demos such as last year’s Samaritan trailer are created to encourage Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo to use the most advanced technology available.

The Samaritan demo can be viewed below. It was unveiled at GDC 2011.

"We are absolutely every day [pushing platform holders]," said Rein.

"This is why we did Samaritan and why we’re doing a really high-end demo in the room here. We really are pushing these guys, because if they don’t, Apple will go right past them."

Rein went onto add that he believes there will always be a place for high-tech consoles, no matter how popular iPad gaming becomes.

"We really like the big screen, home console experience and we really like iPad gaming," he said. "We like all these gaming experience and we don’t think consumers want them to go away.

"The only way they’re going to go away is if they don’t stay true to what they are. The console gaming experience is about delivering something that’s way out past the bleeding edge and subsidising it through the software royalty model – just like Apple does with the phones. It’s not that much different."