Rein celebrates PS3 mod ability

Epic Games' Mark Rein has spoken in more depth about the degree to which user-generated content is possible in the PS3 version of Unreal Tournament 3 - and applauded Sony's "wonderful" decision to make PSN an "open system".

"This is the full power of the Unreal Editor," Rein said of what can be done on PS3 in an interview with Gamasutra.

"The same editor we used to create the games is now available to you. You want to import your objects you made in 3D Studio Max or Maya? Bring them in! You want to code an UnrealScript? Code an UnrealScript! All those things you can do. If they fit on our map, you can stick them on the PlayStation 3 and they'll run!"

All you do is download the map using a PC, pop it on a Memory Stick and then fire it up. The content has to be built on PC, but he described the process of converting a PC-made map to PS3 as "like saving a file in Word in a different format".

When pressed about whether Sony was bothered about the lack of restriction, Rein said he was confused about why journalists always brought it up. "I'm always shocked when I talk to media, and it's like, do you want to censor people? I know it sounds incredulous to say that, but that's kind of what I hear you say," he noted at one stage.

But he was typically effusive in his praise for Sony's online system. "When they embrace user-created content, that's what it means to be an open system. That's why we're on PlayStation 3 first - because they are embracing user-created content. It's not just moving the deck chairs around the boat. They are embracing real art."

And they're doing that this year in the US, with a release planned for mid-December, followed by Europe early in 2008. Unreal Tournament III launched on PC last Friday and we jolly well liked it. Look out for our thoughts on the PS3 version soonish.