Wed, Apr 20, 2011 | 07:59 BST

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Epic’s Sweeney: Better characters and environments are the next step to engagement

More realistic characters and environments are the most important graphical leaps to be made, according to Epic Games’ Tim Sweeney.

In a print interview with Game Informer, the technical director behind the Unreal Engine said better graphics will increase player engagement.

“I’m most excited about the ability for more realistic characters and movie-quality environments to enhance the player’s emotional attachment to the game world,” he said.

Sweeney said games like Donkey Kong had graphics just good enough to convey fun, but it wasn’t until Doom that games were able to convey real emotion – in this case, fear.

“Game developers have much further to go in delivering truly dramatic interpersonal experiences,” he said, citing Valve as an example of a developer beginning to tap that potential.

“Alyx in Half-Life 2 offered a glimpse into this possibility; I think increasingly lifelike characters are key to further progress.”

Something like the characters seen in the next Unreal Engine, presumably.

Thanks, CVG.

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