UT3 could launch in 2008

In an interview with GamesRadar Epic Games has refused to commit to a 2007 launch date for the hotly anticipated UT3, explaining that by changing the game's name - which used to be Unreal Tournament 2007 - it would not be forced into releasing the new UT this year.

"We hope we're going to ship it at the end of this year," Epic producer Jeff Morris told us at Midway's recent Las Vegas-based event, "but if the game's not done, we're not going to ship it". Morris then explained that this meant changing the name was essential: "We don't want to try to sell a game that says '2007' in big letters in 2008". UT3 is currently pencilled in for a launch in the second half of this year, but Morris won't be pinned down to a concrete date - or a definite slip.

In addition, Morris was also able to offer that rarest of things - a positive opinion on Sony's position with PlayStation 3. "I remember the early days of Xbox 360, and it wasn't like it had 100 games that everybody loved. Give [Sony] a year and I think they'll be in the exact same place that 360 is," he stressed, no doubt raising the eyebrows of stubborn cynics across the globe. Listen up, though, dear reader, because we reckon Morris is speaking words of rational wisdom.

Elsewhere, we were entertained by Morris' frank feelings on that most hated of multiplayer bores - the cheating griefer. "I hate cheaters," he bellowed, "I think they're the scum of the Earth, and so we want to minimise cheating as much as we possibly can. We want to fight cheaters. What we want to do is make sure that people who are exposed to cheating, their fun isn't impacted by it".

Epic will also use stat-tracking on PC, PS3 and 360 to highlight cheating players, and allow admins to report repeat offenders and ultimately see them banned "on a global level".

Whatever the launch date, the Unreal Tournament franchise has been one of the most consistently stunning and thrilling series we know, and there's no reason that UT3 should be any different. We ache to get stuck into this eye-piercingly pretty blasterpiece, but we'll happily wait for the mind-blowing experience we know Epic is capable of. Even if we go mad with the agony of it all.

via gamesradar

is this coming out to 360? does anybody know? i bet it will due to the already large install base. it'd be sweet on live too that's for sure!?

er... Wasn't UT2k4 technically UT3? ;)

This will undoubtedly be the FPS shooter that will define what future FPS's will look like. Extra polish time is to be expected (also it means they might not give it retarded names like "Unreal Tournament 2007". Lets see something a bit more original eh?