Tim Sweeney Talks Microsoft, VR, and Project Scorpio

"Epic’s Tim Sweeney pulls no punches in our in-depth interview where he talks about new consoles, VR, AR, and more."

[ScorpiusX]

Dude needs to just Piss off already , sound like the little kid in school that nobody wants to pick or be friends with .
so all they do is whining.

[qwerty676]

you tell em ScorpiusX

[Kleptic]

wrong reply

[Kleptic]

Yes..Tim Sweeney is a nobody. He has had zero impact on the industry. All the stuff he said in this article (that scorpiusX didn't read and/or understand) is completely unfounded.

Exactly like John Carmack and Gabe Newell. None of these guys have ever had a good understanding of what MS is up to (even though one was an employee of them), and all they do is whine like brats on gaming forums.

the floor is yours, sir. Please clarify the ethics of how MS backed Oculus is going about wrangling developers...and please add your thoughts on the intricacies of UWP, and MS's laughable history with moving goal posts...and being unanimously rejected because of it. Tim sure as hell doesn't know what he's talking about, nor do any other industry founders...but...you do...I'm sure.

[joeorc]

@Kleptic

Thumbs up!
Great post...

http://programmers.stackexc...

Take a read people..this is programmers talking about it..what Tim is saying is the Truth, be that you hate what he is saying or Like it or are indifferent to his opinion..he is just in blunt simple terms telling it like it is.

[UltraNova]

Nice reposte there Kleptic.

I m sure no matter how much sense you throw at a certain demographic they would never question their mighty Gods at Redmont.

MS will always set monopoly as their ultimate target, thing is now they dont give a shit about how low they reach until they achive it.

[Kleptic]

Glad some people know who he is, at least...

360 gen... anything this guy said would've been carved into stone...He MADE UE3, he is WHY Gears of War blew everyone away at the timell..the primary ammo that camp used against competition...

and now they abandon him...If you could filter Xbox down to just a handful of people that kept it alive for a decade and a half...I 100% guarantee this guy's name would be one of them.

He knows what he is talking about...and deserves nothing but respect from anyone that enjoys video games...especially people that opted into a situation that has gone south significantly more than expected...he's on your side; promise.

[MachuchalBrotha316]

Ok so you're a whiner....is kinda what I read between the lines. Lol

[starchild]

I have known who Tim Sweeney is for longer than some N4G users have been alive and I do have a lot of respect for him.

But I also have a lot of respect for John Carmack and I still remember all the hate he got from Sony fanboys for saying the Xbox 360 was functionally more powerful than the PS3. People were calling him a dinosaur who hadn't made a good game in years and who didn't know what he was talking about.

[ScorpiusX]

Don 't care for what he has done or how everyone seem to worship him like gaming would die without him .
The man has said his peace , its now time for him to do one of 2 things not provide anything for MS software plans and move on or shut the hell up and go about his business.
This whining like a child about something is getting old & tiresome already.

[rainslacker]

Yeah, guy making the most influential and powerful game engine in the industry for the past 20 years obviously has no respect, nor are his opinions of any merit because obviously he has no clue about anything whatsoever when it comes to technology.

[ScorpiusX]

I don't give a rats Arse who he is or what he has done , the man is whining like petulant child .
Its either provide or don't provide but the Whining has to stop already .

[rainslacker]

Perhaps you can find quotes from this interview that show him whining like a petulant child? He seemed pretty calm, collected, and able to deliver his opinion without being irrational or childish. Maybe I missed something while reading it.

[SirBradders]

Good interview.

[XanderZane]

Yes. very good interview. Tim Sweeney has been around for a long time. Very intelligent guy who pulls no punches and tells it like it is.

[qwerty676]

good interview

[joeorc]

[Open source projects generally like technical competition. The Halloween documents showed that Microsoft didn't want to compete on technical terms, they wanted to disrupt open source projects so they didn't have to. Open sources like a fair fight, basically. – Tom Anderson Dec 29 '10 at 14:59]

http://programmers.stackexc...

As you can see Tim is not the only one who can tell it like it is..Microsoft's own words and actions back this up..do not get angry at Tim or others who are telling the truth.

When Even the company itself backs up your claim , that you know what Tim is saying is True. Getting upset over it is , pointless but choosing to ignore what it's telling you is foolish. And not heeding the warning and taking heed of the advice is not pointless.

[Kleptic]

when all this is removed from the context of gaming...to a strictly business situation...there is no arguing that MS has always been pretty brilliant about it. The views of most famous gaming developers/programmers always have an almost idealistic and/or artistic approach...where as MS has maintained a strictly cut-throat objective nature...it's important to not blame them for that directly, as that is first and foremost their 'economic purpose'...Guys like Sweeney used what MS had figured out how to sell very effectively, and paved their own fortunes...and MS, obviously, has been trying to figure out how to get a better cut of stuff like that ever since...it's in this arena (no pun intended) that they've struggled more than expected, and for longer than expected...and now it's dire enough to sacrifice the xbox brand for it...it seems, anyway.

it's only when it's meddled with gaming forum'ers that attempt to go toe to toe with someone like Sweeney, and disagree with his points...without reading them...that it becomes difficult to separate any MS or Xbox fan outside of the stereotypical label of...idiot...

[joeorc]

@Kleptic

agree 100% , i think as you said many just does not look at it from a industry standpoint.only they only seem to look at it from their own personal feelings, not from the industry as a whole.

[rainslacker]

That's the problem though. Many XBox gamers(or fan boys rather) don't remove the gaming from MS to look at MS as a whole. To many here, MS is gaming, and without gaming, MS would be nothing to them. They won't look at MS objectively to see that these things people say about them, as a whole, not in gaming, are absolutely true, and they have a history of doing things which don't sit well with the consumer. It's like admitting that MS does these things would somehow ruin what they deliver with the XBox. All they're doing is ignoring history and potentially bad practices which they will one day be subjected to, and ultimately have to live with, because they are unwilling to accept XBox is not a singularity that is isolated from MS as a whole, but rather, just another part of MS used to drive their own business practices, and they will change that whenever it suits them best....like removing games from releasing on PC, or putting their games back on PC, or restricting used game sales.

It's fine to be happy with what MS delivers, and support their products, but don't be blind to what MS is, and certainly don't ignore what they do, or dismiss anything someone of importance actually does say about them. Outside gaming, the tech industry has people that know their sh*t, and their journalist will run circles around the average game forum user. The industry professionals in gaming that have been around a while, and the professionals who aren't in gaming itself, are damn smart, and recognize things long before they happen....and they've been seeing what MS is doing with Windows and UWP before it was even announced.

[rainslacker]

People take more offense that he supposedly was critical of MS, than they care to actually see what his actual criticism is, and even less trying to understand what he's trying to say.

At no point did I see him say MS is doing something bad. He just based his reasoning on what could potentially happen. Sure, it's a bit pessimistic, but he's approaching it from the point of view that it would be bad for everyone, and it's based on his knowledge of how MS has done things in the past.

What's ironic though, is that if people actually did read the interview, and weren't so pent up on focusing on the "criticism", they may actually find a lot of things he said to be beneficial to their own console war tirades in the future, because a lot of what he says is actually stuff that goes against the "concern troll".

I'm not saying he's right or wrong on any one aspect of anything he talked about. That's not really my point. But it's painfully obvious that people are more interested in discrediting someone as quickly as possible should they hold some contrary opinion, and won't even bother to hear what they have to say.

The fact most discussion in this whole thread is more about his credentials or agenda than what he actually says only shows that most people prefer to remain oblivious.

Someone up above called him a whiny petulant child, and all I could wonder is what is more indicative of a whiny petulant child? Someone who analyzes a situation, forms an opinon, can change his opinion when presented with new information, and can respectfully discuss his opinion without being offensive while also being extremely informative. Or the person who closes their eyes and ears and refuses to listen to anyone that seemingly goes against their own beliefs, and throws a tantrum because they feel their opinion is more important than someone else.

On a side note, this same person said "He's said his piece, now he should shut up"[in reference to his UWP outburst a couple months ago I assume]. So since I believe in holding people to the standards with which they hold himself, I will be sure to link that comment to most of his comments in the future, because he's said his piece, so now it's time for him to shut up.

His standards, not mine, so I can continue on repeating myself indefinitely, but will change my view should someone bring up something worth doing so...Like this interview which discusses the concept of mid-gen upgrades and it's effect on devs. What he said is actually something to consider, and while it's nothing new, it's way beyond the hyperbole that many fan boys throw out without the most cursory of understanding about what they are even saying.

People love to call out hypocrisy around here, and use general statements when doing so. Because of that, I'm sure that no one will have any problem with me using an explicit example of this individual who is hypocritical using their own words instead of some broad generalization about who does what.:)

[neutralgamer1992]

okay i know he will get a lot of hate but if some of you actually take the time to read he actually praises ms. He has one issue with Universal Windows Platform

i know people rather just hate based on article headline but read it

and his criticism of oculus is also legit

we should be happy people like sweeney call out these billion dollar corporations

in actuality he is defending us the gamers with some of these shady business practices

[joeorc]

@neutralgamer1992

100% agreed, thumbs up

I do not see how people can , not See what Tim is simple in his statements on what areas you as a consumer should pay attention.
Nothing wrong with what he stated , as you stated he said good things about Microsoft's actions also, just other actions that Microsoft has taken he has a problem with and from his and Epics position they see that there could be a problem. Not just for themselves, but the industry and consumers as a whole.

[rainslacker]

He's defending the industry as a whole, and looking out for the consumers interest as a whole. I respect people like that. Sometimes he can be reactionary, but the guy more often than not is right in what he says.

To ignore him is just ignoring what will happen, because MS itself does most of what he, and most tech industry analyst say they will. MS isn't as crafty as one may think, they are quite apparent in what they're doing. They just hide it behind a lot of PR jargon to confuse the common man. But people that watch the tech industry in general, can easily see where MS is headed with their current path, and if you go back and look, you will see most of the things they said would happen have happened, or are obviously coming.

Sweeny is one of the most influential people in gaming. He may not stand out like some prominent game developers or industry executives, but no one in the industry ignores him. Not even MS. This man could easily ruin any console makers hopes of succeeding in the market by simply not supporting their console with his game engine. I don't think he would do that though, because he isn't really about that kind of thing, but at the same time, when he has an opinion on something, it's best to listen. MS listens to him, and will respond to anything he says that isn't true if they feel they need any kind of defense because he's important enough to actually warrant such behavior. If MS stays silent, then you know he said something of merit.

[ChrisW]

Sweeney Todd??? Oh, sorry... Tim...

[cfc83]

How can such a good, in-depth interview be on this site under the headline, ' tim sweeney critisizes microsoft...'

[iceman06]

Because they KNOW that it will stoke the flames of fanboys that won't take the time to actually read it and discern exactly what he's saying. As soon as they see the headline, it's off to the comments section to question his credibility and motives. Happens all the time.

[cfc83]

I know, but surely admin can at least edit headlines if the bait is far too obvious.

[Ingram]

Super cool, super honest interview; most interesting read here in months.

[game4funz]

Insulting or being suspicious of MS is the newest fashion. This guy is just joining the bandwagon at this point.

As long as Xbox is gamer friendly it's all good. The moment they try to take advantage the gamers will abandon MS.... It's already happened so nothing to be worried about.

[Ingram]

This guy ain't joining any bandwagon, he did not insult microsoft, he just stated what we all know, that corporate culture should not keep on taking liberties away from users. It's what MS does, the problem is what they do, not people pointing them. This man is a legend, along with Carmack and Newell, not "some guy" hatin on MS nor a fanboy.

[game4funz]

That's fine. I was answering to the general idea or opinion.

My first line reads "insulting OR being suspicious"

Also didn't directly refer to him... This legend you speak of.

[Goldby]

@Game4funz

"This guy is just joining the bandwagon at this point. "

Thats a direct reference to him....

[MyDietEqualsGames]

You cannot talk to people who figuratively plug their ears. I don't care what corporation we're talking about.

If they impose on our rights, like they have been, we must seek change it. We're doing nothing. These corporate entities exist for profit and it is seemingly too late to do much about it since it seems like a continentally competitive thing that involves world governments along with the respective corporations that occupy their lands.

Government and business were never meant to be allies of one another, yet, today, we are here.
This discussion is beyond the gaming industry and it makes me cringe how much we let these companies that vampire off the country and our rights, get away with things that no one under the sovereign law or constitution should be able to do.

/rant

[rainslacker]

He didn't insult MS.

And it's not the newest fashion to insult or be suspicious of them. It's been going on for over 30 years now. That's one heck of a bandwagon filled with a lot of people. Guess it's not possible that MS actually does things worthy of critique?

Try looking outside gaming once in a while, and you'll see a lot more people who aren't going to settle well with you than you will see from the people on this forum. You bring these kinds of statements into any tech website forum, and you'll quickly realize just how ineffectual you are at delivering an argument, or backing up your arguments with anything substantial.

That being said, why not talk about the parts of his interview that had nothing to do with Xbox? You know...the place where he actually "insults" or is "suspicious of"? He backs up his reasoning, and it's worth maybe consideration or research on your part. Outright dismissal is only hurting you, not him or us, because as you say, when MS tries to screw people over, people will abandon them.

[noksucow73]

Good article

[TRS_Gear]

I like Epic and Tim Sweeney, but you think the guy would be a little more kind to the corporate giant that helped him go from rich to mega-rich.

[MyDietEqualsGames]

That had nothing to do with the talent they had?

[TRS_Gear]

I never implied that. Epic games in the mid 2000's, up until around 2013 had some hugely talented employees.

Lee Perry
Chris Wynn
Cliff Blezenski
Chris Perna
Joe Graf
Tanya Jessen
Mike Capps
and of course Rod Ferguson

While some have stayed at Epic, many have went on to start their own studios and make their own indie games. I take NOTHING away from Epic, they were one of my all time favorite developers before Tim Sweeney started shifting the direction of the company and sold a large portion of the company to Tencent.

[iceman06]

That's why he needs to speak up. If everybody took that approach with mega-corporations, they would never be held accountable. Just because someone gives you a million dollars it doesn't make them infallible or beyond reproach.

EDIT: One million or one hundred million SHOULDN'T be able to buy silence. (though it often does) Point being the same.

[TRS_Gear]

I agree with you.

But lets just be honest here, it was well, well, well, well more than just a million dollars.

[rainslacker]

Well, that's assuming that MS was the sole reason for them going mega-rich. I think they could have done that on their own. Gears of War was their idea, and could have been just as successful as a multi-plat, or exclusive to another system. Their unreal engine was them alone. MS supported their research and development, but so did Sony and many other companies. Most of their riches came from the engine last gen, and that was more due to the need for an engine like that, and it's capabilities, than anything MS did for them. Even to this day, their game engine makes up the bulk of their revenues. Always has, probably always will.

[Yetter]

Well that was a waste of a read. His criticism of MS is all about UWP and MS flipping a switch turning windows into a closed platform. A hypothetical situation which would likely kill windows and MS knows it. What a waste of time

[quent]

He is Epic