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Crytek: Next Xbox To Debut at E3 2012, TimeSplitters 4 In The Works

A high-ranking industry source at Crytek (the developer behind Crysis 2) has said to videogamer.com that Microsoft will announce the new Xbox sometime within the 12 months, suggesting that E3 2012 could see the revealing of the console. They say the new Playstation is also in the works, and that Crytek is currently in development of TimeSplitters 4 and will appear on both consoles. The source also mentioned that Crytek suspects that Microsoft will launch their next console before Sony launches the next Playstation.

The next Xbox, rumoured for a while to be called the Xbox 720 (which I doubt will be it’s name) hasn’t finalised it’s specifications, but Crytek is heavily investing in Microsoft’s DirectX 11 as the current basis for next-generation development, and with the upcoming DX11 patch for the PC version coming soon, they are using their title Crysis 2 as a benchmark of the anticipated hardware trends. DirectX 11 features include Tessellation, multithreaded rendering and compute shaders, and the source claims that TimeSplitters 4’s graphics are quite superior to current generation technology, with DX11 tessellation effects’ having a massive impact on the visuals.

TimeSplitters 4 is being built also with CryEngine 3, allegedly is being demonstrated internally, even going so far to say that video footage of it was being shown in private at E3 2011. The CryEngine 3 will also support Nintendo’s Wii U hardware. CEO Cevat Yerli has commented saying “Crytek’s support for Wii U is definitely going to happen” With this in mind, it’s not unthinkable that TS4 may also appear on the Wii U, as it was rumored to be a Wii exclusive back in 2009. TimeSplitters 4 apparently will focus on the exploration element of the franchise, with sandbox-styled gameplay being a major factor of the game. That each level will feature multiple routes that lead to the same overall conclusion.

And yeah, you guessed it. Both Microsoft and Crytek have refused to confirm or comment on any of this, so for now it’s just speculation and rumours. Still, its kind of exciting, don’t you agree?

Matthew Vella
Matthew Vellahttp://www.facebook.com/mattvellaftw
Matt Vella. Capsule Computers' Community Manager. I say 'Laters' a lot.