In a recently translated interview, Capcom developer Masaru Iijuin stated that 8th generation requires 8 to 10 times as much work as 7th gen. Subsequently, they have developed their current game engines, MT Framework and Pantha Rhei, around it to make development easier.
For those who are unaware, MT Framework was the game engine Capcom used for the entirety of 7th gen. The engine was used in games as diverse as Dead Rising, Dragon’s Dogma, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, Sengoku Basara Samurai Heroes, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies. It was also the engine Megaman Legends 3 was being built on prior to that project’s cancellation.
Iijuin felt that MT Framework was already a powerful engine. However, it needed to be upgraded to adjust to the volume of work that the transition to 8th gen requires. In spite of opposition from Capcom’s own devs, the new MT Framework cut work time from an hour’s work to ten minutes. Thanks to these changes, MT Framework and MT Framework Mobile will continue to be Capcom’s primary game engines of choice.
Subsequently, Pantha Rhei is designed to take full advantage of the possibilities of 8th gen hardware. (This might be a translation quirk, but I noted there was no mention of PCs, or 4K for that matter). That one hour’s worth of iteration that MT Framework cut to ten minutes, is now a paltry minute.
Pantha Rhei raises the bar in other aspects as well. For example, certain development tasks that had to be performed one at a time can now be processed in parallel. Pantha Rhei can also reproduce global illumination, the way the colors of objects reflect on their surroundings, making CG images look near indistinguishable from actual photos.
For players, they will notice Pantha Rhei’s improvements in Deep Down, as the engine can express the motion of fire. It will be possible to have play scenarios where fire chases you down a tunnel, and it will move realistically as it would IRL. Ultimately, Pantha Rhei will be a general purpose engine, to be used in all sorts of games. Iijuin makes no mention of the future of MT Framework when PR gets used at this level.
As astounding as Capcom’s improvements are, it is scary to think of how gigantic a risk the jump to 8th gen is, especially considering how moderate a leap from 7th gen it is. Make no mistake; while these engines are engineering marvels, they are also gigantic investments and risks for Capcom. Their best laid plans for the future may come to naught if Capcom doesn’t rally into huge profitability for 2014. Not coincidentally, this is the same situation facing every AAA in the industry today.
