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Console Crysis was 'inevitable'

Q&A: Crytek CEO says developer spent nearly three years of R&D to ensure that Xbox 360 and PS3 editions of first-person shooter series would live up to company's standards.

Console gamers have been waiting years for Crytek's Crysis series to make its long-awaited living room debut. At last week's Electronic Entertainment Expo, Electronic Arts announced that the German developer's signature series would arrive in stores for the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 as part of the EA Partners program. Crytek CEO and president Cevat Yerli and EA Partners GM David DeMartini spoke with GameSpot after the announcement, with Yerli explaining the reasons behind the developer's multiplatform move.

"It's a question of more than economics," Yerli explained. "At the end of the day we're paying salaries and we all have to live, but that's one side of this job. But most importantly and a bit more tangible to us are the families, the nephews, and sons who ask, 'Why aren't you going to consoles?' It's kind of like bothering people. We've been asked a lot in the last three or four years now, 'When consoles? When consoles? When consoles?' It was literally inevitable that we would bring it."

Despite that inevitability, Yerli insists the company wouldn't commit to a console Crysis 2 unless it could live up to the reputation established with benchmark-setting efforts like Crysis and Far Cry. It showed that it could at the 2009 Game Developers Conference, when it showed off impressive tech demos of the CryEngine 3 running on both the PS3 and Xbox 360. (Video of demo below.)

"There was 2 to 3 years of technical research and development into consoles before development on Crysis 2 started," Yerli said. "We had to make a technological breakthrough before we could commit to those quality bars. ... We had to make a technical base before we could get into great gameplay, story, settings, etc."

DeMartini lauded Yerli for the discipline needed to balk at cranking out substandard editions of Crysis or Crysis: Warhead for console crowds, empathizing with what he is sure was a difficult choice.

"It would be almost like a filmmaker making a film, but it doesn't get to show on 2,000 screens," DeMartini said. "You only get to show it on 600 screens, and Europe doesn't get to see it. This is game making, and we're trying to make money, but their creative souls is what they put into these products and to have other groups of the audience that can't enjoy what they spent so long to create is frustrating."

That frustration may soon be a thing of the past, but Crytek still faces a number of challenges before Crysis 2 launches, not the least of which will be taking full advantage of the hardware and features on three different platforms. While Yerli wouldn't discuss specific differences between the PC and console versions of the game, he left the door open for significant differences to exist.

"One thing you can be sure of is that we need to compete within each platform," Yerli said. "If we want to be successful, our game has to be the best game that can exist on Xbox 360 and PS3. They're not competing versus each other; they're competing within PS3, within 360, within PC. That means we will try to maximize whatever PC gives us, whatever 360 gives us, whatever PS3 gives us. The achievement systems, trophies, etc. are all slightly different, but we'll try to get the maximum service for the gamer at the end of the day."

The "end of the day" may still be a ways off. Just announced last week, Crysis 2 doesn't even have an announced release window yet.

363 Comments

  • Okplay

    Posted Jul 2, 2011 1:21 am GMT

    Well lets think,if they will make Crysis console version it will run most like pc version of crysis on medium settings,in that case ,game might even wouldn't look like best console shooter/game.
    However from CE3 we can wait for surprises..

  • kmconstable

    Posted Mar 23, 2011 10:12 am GMT

    Too bad they did not spend 3 years making sure it lives up to PC standards as well. Makes me so angry I could punch a kitten at its cutest!

    BTW Advanracer that is not the way to go or talk if you want the PC to continue to get premium content, just sayin.

  • Intranetusa

    Posted Mar 22, 2011 9:48 pm GMT

    No dx10, no dx11, no vehicles in multiplayer, no advanced graphical option-settings, game engine looks worse than Crysis 1 maxed out, etc

    Give me a good reason why I should buy this console-port from Crytek who has sold out their PC fanbase.

  • advanracer

    Posted Mar 20, 2011 10:26 am GMT

    ChiefFreeman :: Well said, considering NOW there's a copy of Crysis 2 out there for everyone who owns PC lol.

  • jonjon81

    Posted Jun 14, 2010 5:49 am GMT

    AZE160 - Because it's better for everybody to have more options as opposed to less, and the crybabies who want to complain because it's no longer "exclusive" can get bent. But don't worry, you can always bore everybody to death with tech specs showing how much better it is on PC.

  • ChiefFreeman

    Posted Jan 28, 2010 4:43 pm GMT

    too much $ from console owners for Crytek to NOT make a console game. That, and all the nasty piracy that's ruining pc gaming.

  • AZE160

    Posted Nov 3, 2009 10:16 pm GMT

    Consoles Keep ruling everything these days why can't someone at least help the PC generation to join the seat.I mean Crysis was meant for the PC only.

  • snokdruid

    Posted Oct 25, 2009 3:57 pm GMT

    Crysis 2 on consoles is proven to be original crysis with low/medium setting textures and a horrible draw distance, why would you want that when an al-cheapo graphics card for a PC can do better. Crysis 2 on dx11 on PC is going to be stunning.

  • Hellspawn_1581

    Posted Oct 22, 2009 9:38 am GMT

    @ aesuppiah
    don't worry about SW the force unleashed, they'll release a pc version next year (i'm not BS you, look it up in here ), and of course Resistance and MGS4 (my personal favourite if i had a PS3) unfortunetly are not available, and i think never will...a shame

  • djridzwan

    Posted Oct 21, 2009 7:13 pm GMT

    im sure they learned their mistake of making crysis a hardware hog. maybe the next one wont be requiring too much powerful hardware? and i think all 3 versions of crysis 2 will have the same graphic quality..except for pc... its going to be way way way better..

  • aesuppiah

    Posted Sep 29, 2009 3:39 am GMT

    It's nice to see that console owners are going to share in the excitement of playing Crysis, like PC owners do....what gets me is that the reverse rarely happens. Why is it PC owners don't get a chance to share in playing games like Metal Gear Solid 4? or Resistance? or Star Wars force Unleased? or Sonic Unleashed?....the list could go on. :-(

  • mridulmaiden posted Aug 2, 2009 7:54 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    mridulmaiden

    Posted Aug 2, 2009 7:54 am GMT (hide)

    mr yossi i hope u r saeeing teir teaser vid its hardly ever come to ps3 or 360 coz both kiccks pc ass

  • olle1990

    Posted Jul 28, 2009 2:42 pm GMT

    cant wait for the Xbox 360 version, the PS3 and xbox360 verison looks indentical =D

  • wookieeassassin

    Posted Jul 13, 2009 3:41 am GMT

    Wait a minute, they said this was a PC exclusive. Oh, wait, they always say that.

  • Yossi1007

    Posted Jul 8, 2009 5:37 pm GMT

    even if u did have 32 cores it wont help u with 256 mb video card
    even the ps3 is not close to the pc's crysis on medium
    for example there is no trees in the distant mountain while pc got a forrest
    the shadows r laggy while the pc's is realtime the clouds r 2d while the pc's r volumatric (3d) clouds

    and there is no even fullscreen motion blur
    while the pc's got per object motion blur

    and there is no aa on consoles

    pc rocks

    pruf...
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRWRskYLdno THIS IS HD
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMZEO3z4maE THIS IS HQ

  • ThiagoAbreu

    Posted Jul 8, 2009 12:37 pm GMT

    Give us a real trailer

  • ThiagoAbreu

    Posted Jul 8, 2009 12:36 pm GMT

    Come on, where is it? Come on!!!!

  • Prototype-Jack

    Posted Jun 18, 2009 4:58 pm GMT

    is nothing sacred.... ;(

  • Nihonomaru posted Jun 15, 2009 3:35 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Nihonomaru

    Posted Jun 15, 2009 3:35 pm GMT (hide)

    Cant wait for the PS3 Version .

  • Balaji1212

    Posted Jun 15, 2009 7:49 am GMT

    I am PC Gamer and i am sure it will push the PC hardware when it comes out and so this news doesn't make a huge difference to me,as i am sure PC version will have better graphics than 360 and the PS3,I just hope they handle their artistic side better,technically they are brilliant we all know that but storytelling and character development is there weakness.