Deus Ex 3 May Not Hit Consoles, Developer Claims Original Wasn't Exciting Enough

While it was initially believed that the long-awaited third Deus Ex game would hit PC and consoles, a new interview with Eidos Montreal lead designer Jean-Francois Dugas suggests that the 2009-due shooter-RPG prequel could be a PC-exclusive.

"We don't know exactly which platforms we're going to be out on," he explained to Edge. "If we're to go console we will want to keep the complexity alive. We want the menu interface and controller to feel simple without risking any of their potential."

Both the Ion Storm-developed original Deus Ex and sequel arrived on PC and consoles--the first hitting PlayStation 2, the second arriving on Xbox--with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360-friendly Tomb Raider engine powering Deus Ex 3.

Dugas further commented that "for us, console-isation isn't about dumbing down features," mirroring BioWare's approach towards bringing its PC RPG Dragon Age to consoles, and added his belief that Ion Storm's original Deus Ex was "kind of slow."

"There weren't enough exciting, memorable moments [in the original]," Dugas explained." It was aimed more towards a simulation rather than a game experience."

Faylor's Take: No matter what Dugas says, I really can't see Deus Ex 3 being a PC-only title. It's a high-profile franchise that has always hit consoles in the past, uses a console-friendly engine, and Eidos isn't exactly a PC-centric publisher.

That said, it's somewhat reassuring to hear that Eidos Montreal is cautious about "console-isation," as many complained about its effect on Deux Ex 2.