Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z uses Unreal Engine 3

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, the collaborative Comcept/Team Ninja/Spark Unlimited action game, isn't just undead, it's also Unreal. Tecmo Koei has licensed Unreal Engine 3 from Epic Games Japan for use in the new zombie-filled spinoff.

"In the past I have been involved with numerous projects built upon Unreal Engine 3, so I understand its benefits and reliability," Keiji Inafune said. "Unreal allows us to focus on making the game fun, and to push the boundaries of visuals and gameplay in the shortest time possible." Team NinjaIchigaya Development Group 1 studio head Yosuke Hayashi pointed to Unreal's potential usefulness for refining gameplay, saying that "Unreal Engine allows us to quickly and efficiently iterate on countless ideas, and 'YAIBA' is now taking on a life of its own."

Of course, these are both marketing-y press release quotes, but they point to UE3 as a choice made to keep development quick and economical.

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Epic Games and Tecmo Koei Games Sign Unreal Engine 3 Licensing Agreement for "YAIBA: NINJA GAIDEN Z"

Burlingame, CA and CARY, N.C. (March 27, 2013) – Epic Games, Inc. announced an agreement with Tecmo Koei Games to license Epic's award-winning Unreal Engine 3 technology for the development of "YAIBA: NINJA GAIDEN Z," the next title in the renowned "NINJA GAIDEN" franchise. The agreement was brokered by Epic Games Japan, which supports the company's licensees locally.

As announced previously, Team NINJA, the world-famous development team from Tecmo Koei Games, is working on this title in collaboration with Keiji Inafune, founder and chief executive officer of comcept, and developer Spark Unlimited.

"We couldn't be happier to develop 'YAIBA: NINJA GAIDEN Z' on Unreal Engine 3," said Inafune. "In the past I have been involved with numerous projects built upon Unreal Engine 3, so I understand its benefits and reliability. Unreal allows us to focus on making the game fun, and to push the boundaries of visuals and gameplay in the shortest time possible."

"'YAIBA: NINJA GAIDEN Z' is not a sequel. It is a new experience for gamers," said Yosuke Hayashi, studio head of Team NINJA. "As with any new title, there are many new challenges, from the game design to art style and even development team structure. Unreal Engine 3 is a great ally to have when taking on those challenges. Unreal Engine allows us to quickly and efficiently iterate on countless ideas, and 'YAIBA' is now taking on a life of its own. We can't wait until gamers everywhere get their hands on the ultimate ninja zombie experience."

"Gamers around the world are awaiting 'YAIBA: NINJA GAIDEN Z' with great anticipation," said Taka Kawasaki, territory manager of Epic Games Japan. "I'm really excited to see what the great talent at Team NINJA, comcept and Spark come up with, as they comprise some of the best creative minds in Japan and the United States. I'm honored to see how Unreal Engine 3 technology helps the team as they reinvent this beloved franchise."

'YAIBA: NINJA GAIDEN Z' is currently in development. Tecmo Koei will reveal more information in the coming months.

About Unreal Engine
Developed by Epic Games, the award-winning Unreal Engine is known for its cutting-edge graphics technology, world-class toolset and scalability across PC, console and mobile platforms. Unreal Engine 3 (UE3) is designed to accelerate developers' productivity for creating high-quality games, applications, training simulations, visualizations, digital films and animated entertainment. Powering hundreds of games and integrated with two dozen leading middleware technologies, UE3 holds more than 20 technology awards, including eight Game Developer Front Line Awards and five Develop Industry Excellence Awards. The Unreal Engine also owns a seat in the Front Line Awards Hall of Fame. Unreal Engine 4 (UE4), winner of multiple Best of E3 2012 awards, offers unprecedented graphical capabilities and workflow improvements that provide unparalleled accessibility for developers building the next generation of games and applications. For more information, visit http://www.unrealengine.com and follow @UnrealEngine.

About Epic Games
Established in 1991, Epic Games, Inc. develops cutting-edge games and cross-platform game engine technology. The company is responsible for the bestselling "Unreal" series of games, the blockbuster "Gears of War" franchise and the groundbreaking "Infinity Blade" line of mobile games. Epic's award-winning Unreal Engine technology has won dozens of awards and is available for licensing. Epic is continually recruiting top talent for its studios located in North Carolina, Washington, Utah, Poland, Korea and Japan. For more information, visit http://www.epicgames.com and follow @EpicGames.

Epic, Epic GamesUnreal, Unreal Engine, UE3 and UE4 are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

About TECMO KOEI AMERICA CORP
TECMO KOEI AMERICA CORP. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Burlingame, California. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of TECMO KOEI HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive®, Ninja Gaiden®, Tecmo Bowl®, and Fatal Frame® series. KOEI is best known for its Dynasty Warriors® and Samurai Warriors® franchises. On April 1, 2009, TECMO KOEI HOLDINGS CO., LTD was established as a result of the TECMO, LTD. and KOEI Co., Ltd. Merger.