Crytek Announces Engine For Upcoming Consoles News

If there's a turning point where you stop referring to the Xbox 360 and PS3 as 'next-gen' and instead call them the current crop of consoles, then this is it: Crytek has revealed that it is set to unveil the first "truly next-gen ready" game engine at the Game Developers Conference later this month.

Crytek is of course referring to the next line of consoles from manufacturers Microsoft and Sony, which Crytek's CEO, Cevat Yerli, previously estimated to be arriving some time between 2011 and 2012 when he spoke at the Leipzig Game Convention last year.

The CryEngine 3 (as this latest Crytek engine has been predictably titled) is set for its unveiling at this year's GDC between March 25th-27th and will present "scalable computation and graphics for all major upcoming platforms."

Until the new consoles arrive, though, Crytek will be turning its attentions to the current crop of consoles, as the CryEngine 3 is designed for the Xbox 360, PS3, MMOs, and DX9/DX10 PC games. This marks a significant change in Crytek's engine strategy, as the developer has previously manufactured PC-only engines.

"CryEngine 3 is a revolutionary change from our previous PC-only engines - and we're applying a similar revolution to the service we provide to developers using the software to create extraordinary games," commented Carl Jones, Director of Business Development, CryEngine. "CryEngine 3 will set the benchmark for complete game engine solutions in performance, and services to game engine licensees and their players.  We've been preparing a long time for CryEngine consoles and we're confident that Crytek will again amaze developers at GDC."

Crytek has been open about its intention to develop console games in the past, with its acquisition of Free Radical Design earlier this year being a key part of that marketing strategy.

"With CryEngine 3 we are delivering our best game development technology that enables our clients to achieve their vision on current and future platforms to develop games such as MMOs, action games and more," said Cevat Yerli, CEO & President of Crytek. "Our complete game engine solution enables realtime development, ensures teams are able to maximise their own creativity, saves budget and creates greater gaming experiences. Also with our solution developers can start working on their next generation games today."