Home » Games » PC » Articles » SMITE Interview - On Xbox One, PS4 & More
0 comment

SMITE Interview - On Xbox One, PS4 & More

smite_logo
23 January 2015

Here’s our full interview with Todd Harris, COO of Hi-Rez Studios, the team behind SMITE. We hope you enjoyed yesterday’s preview, and stay tuned for more developer interviews soon!

smite_alpha_xb_3

  • You have confirmed that servers on Xbox One will be separate from the ones on PC. However, many players have been asking about the opportunity to transfer their PC accounts over to Xbox One - can you specify if this will be possible or not?
  • For players in Europe and North America we will offer an opportunity to copy their SMITE PC account status over to Xbox One.  That will transfer progress, unlocks and purchases.  So these players do not have to start from scratch on Xbox One.  After the Copy the player will have both a PC account and Xbox One account and those two accounts will progress separately.

 

  • As a developer, how did you find Xbox One so far? Was it complicated to get SMITE running on the platform?
  • The Xbox One development platform is very powerful and the core gameplay runs very well.  For SMITE the most challenging work has gone into redesigning the User Interface so features like the Item Store are more easily visible on the TV.

 

  • Do you expect the final version to run at 1080P@60FPS and if so, how did you overcome the limitation imposed by the eSRAM?
  • Our goals are fun core gameplay, amazing graphics, and smooth framerate, with the visual standard being the same as running the PC game with graphical settings maxxed out. For multiplayer experience it is most important to have a consistent framerate.  So for now we are setting FPS at a consistent 30, which provides a smooth gameplay experience and avoids issues with a fluctuating framerate.

 

  • The beta signups for the first test have just opened. Can you give us an estimate on how many beta tests you plan to conduct on Xbox One before launch? Also, will there be an Open Beta at some point?
  • We will have multiple phases of Closed Beta and an Open Beta before the launch.

 

  • You’ve announced that SMITE will be coming to Xbox One, but what about PlayStation 4, which remains the most successful next generation platform at this point? Is there a chance to see the game there in the future?
  • For now we are focused upon the Xbox One version and the existing PC version.

 

  • What can you tell us about SMITE’s future in general? What can the community expect to see in 2015 and beyond?
  • We expect 2015 to be a huge year for SMITE.  We have major additions and changes planned.  The biggest update is a brand new Conquest map with all new art and some gameplay changes as well.  Beyond that we expect to change/tweak about fifty items for Season Two.

 

  • Thank you for your time!