PLAYSTATION 3 Unreal Tournament III Mod Cooker Coming Next Week

Mark Rein recently updated us on the official Epic Forums about the PLAYSTATION 3 PC to PS3 mod converter for Unreal Tournament III.

"We're very close to releasing an update to the Unreal Engine 3 editor, that comes with the PC version of UT3, that will allow UT3 mod-makers to cook their mods into the required PS3 format. We've been doing some internal testing and we're hoping to expand to a wider group tomorrow or Friday. If all goes well then we should see the update released next week which is what I expect will happen. Obviously the process works, as we put out a few mods before Christmas and people seem to be playing them, but it is the update to the editor that we're testing."

Seems that by next week, we will be modding the crap out of our Unreal Tournament III games.

[Via Epic Forums]

Want to Play Unreal Tournament III In Third-Person?

This is a message going out to all members of the Epic Forums. If you want to play Unreal Tournament III in a 3rd person view (picture Gears of War), then read on.

Mark Rein has been cooking up some of his favorite mods for the PLAYSTATION 3. Now it's our turn. Head over to the link below, and tell Mark Rein that you want this mod cooked up.

[Request: 3rd Person UT3]

Unreal Tournament III: 4 New Modifications Released

Mark Rein announced four new mods today for the PLAYSTATION 3 version of Unreal Tournament III. The new mods include 3 maps and 1 mutator. Download them below.

1. DM-Elevation by warby [Forum Post] [FileFront]

2. VCTF-Slax by Kantham [Forum Post] [FileFront]

3. DM-Krodan by Hourences [Forum Post] [FileFront]

4. Mutator: VASUT3AutoShields by KalCorp [Forum Post] [FileFront]

Hopefully, users will start making their own content to release on their own.

[Via Epic Forums]

Unreal Tournament III: Launch Glitches

Well, not every game is released without a few glitches, no? Unreal Tournament III comes with a few glitches as well. Let's take a look.

Mark Rein on voice chat problems:

"I had similar problems with voice chat today as well. I heard someone talking in one game but a friend and I tried to chat and we couldn't hear each other. I've passed it along to the dev team to look into. Sorry for the inconvenience."

Mark Rein on finding lag-free, low-ping, games:

"I've had some amazing online games today on the PS3. When you get the server browser up you want to scroll to the servers with the lowest ping (number in the far right hand column). [...] They are listed in reverse order (doh!)"

Josh Adams on mods:

"Hmm, sorry about the dead page. I'll get that looked into.

However, the PS3 mod tools aren't quite ready yet. We are working through some final legal/release issues.

When it's ready, you will need to download the latest PC patch and another PS3 Mod Tools "patch" that adds the full PS3 mod support to the PC version.

You will have to cook your mods for the PS3 specifically. You will also need removable media (memory card, USB drive, etc) to transfer the mod from your PC to your PS3. We will have the tools ready ASAP!!"

These glitches aren't much of a big deal, and should be fixed soon. Thats what happens when the game was supposed to come out in early 2008.

[Via Gaming Bits]

Mark Rein on Content: "This is why we've made the game for the PS3 first."

In a new interview with Epic VP Mark Rein, he explains how the legendary Unreal Tournament came to be on the PLAYSTATION 3. It's all about the freedom.

"This is the full power of the Unreal Editor. The same editor we used to create the games is now available to you," he says. "You want to import your objects you made in 3D Studio Max or Maya? Bring them in! You want to code an UnrealScript? Code an UnrealScript! All those things you can do. If they fit on our map, you can stick them on the PlayStation 3 and they'll run!"

The main thing is, no approval is need from either Epic or Sony, you just grab it, put it on a memory stick, and play it. "When they embrace user-created content, that's what it means to be an open system. That's why we're on PlayStation 3 first—because they are embracing user-created content. It's not just moving the deck chairs around the boat. They are embracing real art," Rein told Gamasutra. This type of open experience may be more of a challenge with Microsoft. "...we will sit down with Microsoft and have a dialog with them and say, 'Here is what we want to do. How can we do it?' They may or may not embrace it. We don't know. That's why we've made the game for the PlayStation 3 first, because we knew exactly what the boundaries were going to be."

This is what makes the PLAYSTATION 3 version of the game great, and with possible Home support on the way, you never know the possibilities.

[Via Opposable Thumbs]

Unreal Tournament III Mark Rein Interview: Home Integration, 'Trojan Horse' Strategy

In an new in-depth interview with Epic Vice President Mark Rein, the executive discusses Unreal Tournament III for the PLAYSTATION 3, praising the possibilities for upcoming Home integration and Sony's 'trojan horse' strategy of including Blu-ray in the PLAYSTATION 3.

Rein discusses the future use of Home for Unreal Tournament III.

"We're planning that you'll be able to get a party together in Home and then file into the game from an Unreal space. Home's pretty cool, so we're planning to do that. That'll make it easy for... what I like about that is that you'll be able to form without us having to build a party system. It won't be as detailed as a real party system, but the idea is that we could all meet up in a room and go together in the game."

It would be really great to see some Home integration in the title. Read the full interview at the link below.

[Read: Rein Interview]

Uneral Tournament III for PLAYSTATION 3 Gold, Shipping Dates

Mark Rein announced on the official Epic Games forum that Unreal Tournament III for the PLAYSTATION 3 has been approved by Sony and gone gold in North America.

Rein says the formal announcement should come early next week, and the game should ship to retailers in North American on Monday, December 10th, and show up in stores as early as December 11th.

For PAL territories, specifically UK and Europe, Epic is still working on localization. Rein estimates the game will ship over there early next year in January or February.

Looks like we can get Unreal this Christmas. Hmm, I might hold a little Christmas tournament...

[Via Epic Forums]

Unreal Tournament III: PLAYSTATION 3 Lovin'

In a recent interview Eurogamer interview with Epic Games Vice President Mark Rein, he discussed the PLAYSTATION 3 version of Unreal Tournament III, and how it's receiving the love.

He states that the 360 version is coming out sometime next year, and they are still going for a late 2007 release for the PLAYSTATION 3 version of the game.

The reason it is going to have a delay in Europe is because the certification process in Europe takes longer, so blame them. The European version is also being tested in different languages in all these different countries, so they doubt it will be released this year.

He explains that the PLAYSTATION version of Unreal Tournament III is receiving so much loving because of the modifications. They can release any mods they want on PLAYSTATION 3 because it's an open system, whereas Xbox Live is a closed system. They are also thinking about selling some modifications as well:

"Because yeah, all the mods in the top 10 of the last Make It Unreal could have been games in their own right, and that's something we're hoping to do with UT3. We're thinking of selling them over the Playstation Network, or Xbox Live, just anything to let these guys make some money from their projects."

He also reveals there is a new Make It Unreal coming as well, for development of modifications.

[Via Eurogamer]

Unreal Tournament III and Optional Installation

Mark Rein struck again today on the official Unreal Tournament III forums. He writes:

"Yes there is an install option which places a bunch of the commonly used content on your hard drive to speed up loading and texture streaming times a bit. It does not install everything - you still have to put the disc in the drive to run the game. The install is absolutely not essential. The game runs just fine from the Bluray and load times aren't bad but if you're going to play the game a lot, and you've got an extra 3.5Gb on your hard drive, then you might as well do the install because the few seconds you save here and there will add up over time. If you want to free up space you can delete the installed data at any time."

So basically, if you want to shorten your loading by 2-4 seconds, then go ahead an use up 3.5Gb on your PLAYSTATION 3's hard drive, if not, then don't mind the installation. It's good to see the feature though.

[Via Epic Forums]

Unreal Tournament III PS3 Graphics Better Than Gears of War 360 Graphics

According to Mark Rein, the Epic Games Vice President, Unreal Tournament III on the PLAYSTATION 3 has better graphics than Gears of War on the Xbox 360.

In an interview, Rein stated that he was "really proud" of the PLAYSTATION 3 game, which he hopes to be out by this year's end. He remained skeptical about a release for Europe this year:

"People are going to be pleasantly surprised. It's a really high end experience that pushes the graphics bar up even higher than Gears of War. There's more polygons, there's more stuff going on, there's more explosions and there's more things happening, so we're just really pleased with the way the game runs on the PS3."

Rein said that there is "something special" about playing Unreal Tournament III on the PLAYSTATION 3, and that while the speed of the game has been reduced by about 20%, "it feels just right to be playing it with a controller".

He states that:

"The goal in taking the game to PS3 is to make the best PS3 game we can possibly make", he said. "And to do that we had to take into account that most people are playing with the controller. There are certainly differences in some of the parameters of the PS3 version. Maybe the weapon speed is a little different, the turning speed is different, but we have to accommodate and make it a great game. Our goal is to make UT3 the best possible game it could be on every platform it's on. I think we've done a really good job of making it feel just right on the console and that's exciting to us."

It's exciting to us as well Mark, and I'm sure the whole community is very amped for the title.

[Via Pro-G]

"Good Chance" of Unreal Tournament III Being Here for Christmas

In a recent interview at the San Francsico UT III launch event with Destructiod, Epic VP Mark Rein answers concerns about the PLAYSTATION 3 release of Unreal Tournament III:

"We're getting awfully close. This version we had here today was [gestures] this close to being a release candidate, so hopefully we'll be done with it really soon. If we get it done at just the right time, there's a good chance it'll be out in stores just before Christmas."

Before Christmas is good enough for me Mark. I have a reserve down and $55 ready to be spent.

[Via Destructoid]

Mark Rein Says PS3 Unreal Tournament III Is Fantastic

Isn't it great quoting every single thing that Mark Rein says? You know why it's great? Cause' Mark Rein is a nice dude that understands gamers and actually interacts with them instead of hiding in secrecy. You can tell this by his 765 posts on the Epic Forums.

On the Epic Forums, in the "PS3 Users" topic, Mark Rein adds into the discussion by saying:

"I was playing the PS3 build for a few hours tonight and it is really, really fantastic. Amazingly smooth and solid. I think you PS3 users are in for a huge treat with UT3."

Could thing it's not coming out tomorrow, or else it would be a huge trick or treat, and that could go either way.

See what I did there? ...... Eh, nevermind.

[Via Epic Forums]

Unreal Tournament III: 360 Still In Works, PS3 Coming Extremely Well

In reference to the rumors posted yesterday about Unreal Tournament III being canceled for the Xbox 360, Mark Rein posted on the official Unreal Tournament III forums:

"So there is no change. Xbox 360 still in the works for 2008. In addition I'd like to point out that PS3 version of the game is coming along extremely well. We had some fan sites in here last week to play the game and one of them reported that they didn't see any difference between UT3 running on a high-end PC and running on the PS3 which is pretty amazing considering that our play test lab contains some pretty high-end PC hardware. Tomorrow I'm heading to San Francisco to take a few copies of UT3 PS3 to play at one of the major magazines and let them see how cool it is as well."

Seems like a good deal, maybe we will still get a 2007 release?

[Via UT3 Forums]

Unreal Tournament III for PlayStation 3 Could Receive All PC Maps

Today, Mark Rein tells us that Unreal Tournament III may be out in December. But it's not all bad news:

"Yes, there is a chance it will come out in December.

In addition there is some good news as well. A little extra time in development means that now the PS3 version will have all of the same maps as the PC version which wasn’t previously expected to be the case."

That means more maps, and custom maps, I don't know about you, but I could wait.

[Via Epic Forums]

TGS 2007: Unreal Tournament III: Mark Rein Interview

The Vice President of Epic talks about creating games for the consoles as well as supporting the modification community. Enjoy the inteview.

[Via GameTrailers]

Mark Rein: Unreal Tournament III Will Not Ship With Cross-Platform Play

In a transcript of the IRC chat posted today, Rein told BeyondUnreal that synchronizing the PS3 build and PC builds of the game to allow cross-platform play would hamper the company's ability to respond quickly to issues that might crop up on the PC side (read: cheats and exploits.) His statement:

"We looked at how this would impact our ability to respond quickly to things happening at internet speed on the PC side of the equation and realized that would not be in the best interests of our very loyal PC user base because we would constantly be holding on to updates to wait until they passed cert on the console platform,"

Rein did not rule out future cross-platform UT3 compatibility, after the game stabilizes a bit and gets some early updates.

[Via IGN]

TGS 2007: Unreal Tournament III for PS3 Lacks All PC Maps

IGN did a recent progress report on Unreal Tournament III:

"Mark Rein said that they are shooting for a November release and did say that the PS3 version would have "most" of the content that would be found in its PC brother. He said that there would be a couple of maps that would be left out of the PS3 version simply because the system didn't have the resources to produce a smooth gameplay experience."

Hmm, that may upset you, but:

"But rest assured, the classic Unreal Tournament modding could still be performed and uploaded to your friends. Rein even told us that there were plans to allow for players to release mods for sale on the Playstation Network and that the most popular mods and maps would be compiled and sold in an updated Unreal Tournament 3 package later down the line. We'll have much more on Unreal Tournament 3 as its holiday release date draws closer."

I really don't mind as long as we can have our own maps and such, what do you think?

[Via IGN]

Epic's Rein Warns of Unreal Tournament III Delay

On the official Epic Games forums, in a topic where they were debating about the countdown till Unreal Tournament III, Rein posted in to settle the debate:

"We do not know exactly when the game will be completed. All we've said is that we're hoping for a November release but as you know we value getting it right over getting it right now so there's no guarantee of that."

Hopefully, it will still come out this year in time for the holiday season. All I know is you readers better get prepared to get your ass whooped when that time comes.

[Via Epic Forums]

Why Unreal Tournament III on PS3 Will Be Superior

Well, things have been going well on the PlayStation 3 lately, besides the PlayStation Store updates of course. But look at Unreal Tournament III, lets make a list of what the PlayStation 3 version has and the 360 version doesn't. I want to thank Darji of PS3Forums for making this list. People who own both consoles will probably do a reverse Madden 08 on this. Lets see what we got here.

1. PlayStation 3 Version = Complete Modification Support
2. Mouse and Keyboard Support
3. Possibly and Most Likely Cross Platform w/ PC
4. More Maps thanks to Blu-Ray Disc
5. Custom Maps Thanks To Modification Support
6. FragFX Controller = Rockin' UT3
7. No installation needed, unlike the PC.

Also, Mark Rein, VP of Epic Games, indicated that Unreal Tournament III for the Xbox 360 might have to get cut down in order to cope with the limitations of the console's hardware. He also says:

“We’ll compress some things. But you know, we may have fewer maps on the 360 version... Blu-Ray has definitely given us a lot of legroom. And what's really cool is if you think forward and think about what we've done in the past with UT. We had UT 2003 and then we had UT 2004, which was everything in UT 2003 plus a whole bunch of great mod stuff that we went out and purchased from mod makers.”
"If you think down the road, well maybe the next UT beyond this one, on Blu-Ray disc, we might fill the whole **** disc with all the cool stuff the mod makers make."

Seems very exciting for us PlayStation 3 owners. Keep looking ahead guys because Unreal Tournament III is right around the corner.

[View Darji's Topic]

'Gamercard' Spotted in UT3 Demo

At the Edinburgh Interactive Festival, during a playable demo of Unreal Tournament III, Games Digest noticed a very interesting option in the menu. There was an option for a 'Gamercard' and it may very well be the PlayStation 3's answer to the Xbox 360's Gamertag system.

When asking Epic's Mark Rein, he stated “Oops, you shouldn’t have seen that”. No picture was token due to it not being allowed, even so, Mark Rein covered the projector too fast to even take one. Only other information is it is activated with the triangle button. Hopefully this isn't just for Unreal Tournament III and it's a future system of the PlayStation Network.

For further evidence on how this may be a new PlayStation Network feature is the PlayStation Home player options:

Enjoy the picture. Thanks Eric2929.

[Via Games Digest]