BioShock and Halo 3 not "next-gen," says Braben

Frontier Developments boss David Braben believes BioShock and Halo 3 are not examples of "next-gen" games.

His comments came during an interview with our sister site, Eurogamer, about his new project, The Outsider, which he still believes will be one of the first proper examples of fifth generation gaming on the market.

"I loved the 1930s-1950s atmosphere of BioShock: the lovely Art Deco visuals and the audio that worked especially well," Braben said. "Overall the whole game was beautifully executed, but the gameplay itself was not 'next-gen'."

"I found Halo 3 great fun, too, but also a little disappointing - as although there were a few nice touches and improved graphical fidelity, it hadn't really moved on much from Halo 2 in terms of the gameplay.

"So to answer your question, if anything I am reassured; I think Outsider more than stands up to them, and I still think Outsider will be one of the first 'next-gen' games," he added.

The Outsider was announced back in 2005 as a game that would bring around the same sort of freedom as Braben's other famous creation, Elite. For him, a next-gen game means giving you the tools to change the outcome of a story much more dynamically than by choosing good or evil paths - something only the new consoles have the grunt to deliver.

No platforms or release dates have yet been announced.

The full interview will be published on Eurogamer later in the week.