Next-gen is biggest step since 3D - Doak

The move to developing on next-generation consoles is "as big a step as we've made since we all went 3D," according to Free Radical Design boss David Doak - who told GamesIndustry.biz that the industry had "underestimated how big a leap this generation was going to take".

Speaking in an interview published on the site today, Doak said that Free Radical - which is working on two next-gen titles, first person shooter Haze for Ubisoft and an unnamed product for LucasArts - has spent between a year and a half and two years building technology for games on next-gen systems.

"We have all this technology around us to make games, and then we all switch to new tools and new engines," he explained. "I was saying to someone the other day, it's like going into a new house and thinking, 'let's cook dinner. But hang on, we've got no f**king cutlery. And we need to make the pots and pans. Right, let's start making them.' Everyone is asking us what dinner is going to taste like and we're too busy making the pots and pans."

Doak also commented on the prospects for Sony's online service on the PS3, saying that he has faith in the firm's ability to deliver a working service "because it absolutely must get it sorted out" - and arguing that Sony must follow Microsoft's lead with the Xbox Live service.

"There's a clear model that works, and I think that Sony has to follow that," he commented.

You can read the full interview with David Doak, which also covers issues such as developer independence and the ownership of IP, on the site today.