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Rumor: Firaxis working on Unreal 3-powered console game, Civ Revolution sequel existed
Working through LinkedIn profile pages and various resumes of current and former Firaxis Games employees, internet detective Supererogatory unearthed what appear to be two juicy bits of information about the studio. First up: Apparently Firaxis was developing a sequel to Civilization Revolution back in 2008 for PC, PS3 and 360, according to the resume of David Jones, a current character artist at Firaxis. Also of note, the LinkedIn profile of ex-Firaxis level engineer Chris Doyle and the resume of former game programmer Will Miller both reference an "unannounced," multiplatform title, using Unreal Engine 3, as being in development at the Civ studio. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Miller's resume classifies the mystery game as a "AAA strategy title." Supererogatory posits that it could be the same title that was first spotted on a resume from 2008. We've yet to get a response from Firaxis or 2K Games on the matter.
LucasArts licenses Unreal Engine 3 for long-term, multi-project use
LucasArts has entered into a multi-year licensing agreement with Epic Games to develop with Unreal Engine 3, the studios announced today. The deal will encompass "multiple projects" and looks to provide a shortcut for LucasArts "between inspiration and execution on a wide variety of gaming platforms," according to Zak Phelps, the company's director of technology. Epic VP Mark Rein echoed that sentiment when he trumpeted "Unreal Engine 3's ability to scale across platforms, from mobile, through PC and console all the way up to the next generation of games." Epic's recent tech demo of the latest UE3 updates certainly looked incredible, but we didn't notice any new features promising to render a deeper Star Wars experience. Then again, we'd probably pay a buck just to see the Force unleashed on our iPhone, inspired or not. Previously, LucasArts licensed Unreal Engine 2 for 2005's Star Wars: Republic Commando (pictured).
Unreal-powered 'Dream:scape' coming to iOS
Developer Speedbump Studios refers to Dream:scape as "an explorable narrative," tasking players with reconstructing the past of Wilson, a man "caught in the limbo between life and death." If that pitch hasn't hooked you, maybe the mere mention of Unreal Engine 3 graphics will -- a so far marginally tapped resource for iOS games. Dream:scape is headed to iPhone and iPad "soon." Check out the ethereal, semi-spooky trailer after the break.
NetherRealm and Rocksteady using Unreal Engine 3 for 'the next few years'
Epic's Unreal Engine 3 will power any games developed by Rocksteady Studios (Batman: Arkham City) and NetherRealm Studios (Mortal Kombat) through 2014 as part of a deal announced today by parent company Warner Bros. Interactive. Sure, the news in and of itself isn't all that exciting, but it does hint at the future of the Unreal Engine and the timeframe for the dawn of the next console generation. Specifically, this news would suggest that we're not going to see Unreal Engine 4 for at least a couple of years. Given that Epic has said UE4 is being targeted "exclusively" at next-gen consoles, it gives us some insight into when Epic -- and developers -- are expecting to be creating games for successors to PS3 and Xbox 360. Sometime around, say, 2014? Of course, there's no saying Unreal Engine 3 won't be used for next-gen games -- one look at the GDC 2011 demo of new UE3 features and it's obvious the engine still has a lot of miles left on it.
Unreal Engine 3 tech demo video is all flashing lights, dudes getting messed up
You know that Unreal Engine 3 tech demo Epic showed off at GDC 2011? Of course you don't -- we weren't allowed to post it, save for some direct-feed screenshots. That's changed, as IGN has posted the full demo, which you can now ogle for yourself past the break.
Game developers looking at iPad 2's speedier A5
The iPad 2's Apple A5 processor may not be listed as faster than the existing A4 -- it's running at the same 1 GHz speed -- but the dual core architecture will be able to accomplish a lot more number crunching while still providing great battery life. Now game developers are getting excited about the possibilities for the new processor. MacNN is reporting that Unity's Chief Creative Officer, Nicholas Francis, has said that his company will use the A5 to "really fine tune and really optimize it to run fantastic on the iPad." The Unity game engine already runs on multi-core processors like the A5, and now Unity developers can start adding effects to iOS games that previously took a dedicated gaming console or powerful PC. Francis noted that some upgrades could include real-time shadows and shafts of light, effects not previously available on the iPad. Infinity Blade developer Epic Games comments that their gaming engine -- Unreal Engine 3 -- can already take advantage of the iPad 2's A5 dual-core processor. When PC games are moved to a more powerful PC with multiple cores, "you can ... turn up all the dials in your game to get more details, more textures, more shaders," says Epic's Mark Rein. He also noted that more CPUs brings up the possibility of more complicated physics or more enemies on the screen at once, or perhaps expanding the view of an environment. Firemint, developers of Real Racing HD, anticipates that the next version of the game will take advantage of another new feature of the iPad 2 as well -- the built-in gyroscope. The company is hoping that they'll be able to improve steering through use of the gyro, as well as kick the graphics of the racing game up a notch. There is a potential downside for developers: unless apps are coded to take best advantage of the hardware that they're running on, the new apps might need to be marketed for a specific iPad version or they might run slower on the original iPad. From the comments made by these top iOS game developers, it's apparent that they're doing their best to give all iPad users the best possible gaming experience.
Check out Epic's Unreal Engine GDC tech demo (while you can)
Someone's posted a steady, shaky cam version of Epic's very sexy GDC 2011 Unreal Engine 3 tech upgrade demo on YouTube. Seeing as how Bleszinski and company are none too pleased, don't expect it to be up for long.Update: Surprise! The video was pulled. We've replaced it with the official video.
Mark Rein: If 3DS could 'deliver' Unreal Engine 3, we'd be on it
Mark Rein is getting a little tired of "the 3DS question" but, alas, my journalistic instincts demanded I ask him once again. With the launch of Nintendo's handheld right around the corner, it seemed like a prudent inquiry. "Why do people keep asking about the platforms we don't love?" he asked me in an interview room at the back of Epic's booth on the GDC show floor. "Nothing's changed," he added, "There's only so much time in the day; our engine requires a certain level of hardware capabilities to make our pipeline, our tools work -- and we work on the ones that do. The second Nintendo releases a piece of hardware that can run our engine well, we'll be on it like water on fish." For Rein, it's not a beef with Nintendo -- he's actually fond of The House Mario Built and has multiple handhelds and Wiis in his home. "There's nothing against Nintendo. I hate that people somehow think that's the case," he said. "If we felt it could run [Unreal Engine] and deliver the kind of experience people license our technology to build, we'd be on [the 3DS]." Well then, guess we won't ask Santa for that 3D version of Infinity Blade we've been dreaming of.
Unreal Engine 3 running on Mac OS X (and images of DirectX 11 features on PC, cigarettes)
We just got out of a GDC demo of some Unreal Engine 3 improvements already available to licensees but, perhaps more interestingly, Mark Rein promised that UE3 on Mac OS X is still coming. While towing a laptop sporting the UDK test game (it's pretty much Unreal Tournament) running on Mac OS X, Rein has confirmed that Unreal Engine has finally made its way to Mac OS ... only four years after announcing Gears of War for the platform. We've got an interview with Rein soon, so keep an eye on the site for that later. In the meantime, feel free to peruse our gallery below full of shots documenting the new features of Unreal Engine 3, including Direct X11 functionality. It would appear the engine has managed to do what Melanie Griffith hasn't: age gracefully. %Gallery-118241%
Gameloft developing 4 multiplatform, Unreal Engine games for iOS, Android, PSN and set-top boxes
Gameloft's getting cozy with Unreal Engine 3, as the company has made known its plans to develop four new, unannounced games (well, we guess they're kinda announced now) powered by Epic's development suite. It's all part of a "long-term" deal between Epic and Gameloft, spanning multiple platforms. Two of these proposed titles will be available this year, while the other two are planned to drop in 2012. "Gameloft is very pleased to partner with Epic, especially with their ability to stay ahead of the curve and continually place the best game engine technology in developers' hands at any given point in time," said Julien Fournials, Gameloft VP of production, in what we could only assume was one long, long breath. "Using Unreal Engine 3 allows us to push game visuals with remarkable lighting and high-fidelity environments. We are confident that players will enjoy the games powered by Unreal Engine 3." Gameloft will release these games on "multiple mobile and downloadable" platforms, including iOS, Android, PlayStation Network and "set-top boxes."
Epic to show new Unreal Engine 3 updates at GDC, raises UDK royalty-free threshold to $50K
Next week, Epic Games will once again premiere the latest build of Unreal Engine 3 at GDC, a showing-off that's become pretty much tradition for the North Carolina-based studio. In its announcement, Epic promises behind-closed-doors demonstrations of the new tech every half-hour during the conference for "licensees, partners, prospective customers and the media." Additionally, Epic plans to hold free training sessions for Unreal Engine 3 licensees, covering topics such as "content creation best practices" and "rapid prototyping with Unreal Kismet." Making your Unreal characters look like they have cars strapped to their torsos apparently won't be covered. In a separate announcement, Epic notified UDK licensees that the royalty-free threshhold has been raised tenfold from $5,000 to $50,000 -- meaning Unreal developers don't pay royalities to Epic on the first $50K in (wholesale) revenue generated from their UDK-built games. That's pretty epic.
Rush'N Attack: Ex-Patriot launching last week of March on PSN, XBLA
The most unnerving thing about the impending Rush'N Attack is that we've never quite known when to expect it. To make matters worse, updates went cold just as soon as we learned of the new threat -- a plot 25 years in the making. Konami has alleviated some of our anxiety -- or perhaps just the opposite -- by confirming with Joystiq that the new Rush'N Attack is indeed going down ... loadable at the end of March. Yikes! Rush'N Attack: Ex-Patriot is scheduled to strike PlayStation Network on Tuesday, March 29, followed by its launch on Xbox Live Arcade one day later (March 30); at which point you can take a stab at it for $10 (800 points). Developed by Vatra Games (Silent Hill: Downpour), this sequel to the 1985 Cold War platformer drew comparisons to Shadow Complex when it was first unveiled last April. While certain similarities are undeniable (both are Unreal Engine games in 2.5D), Ex-Patriot is actually set in a Siberian prison complex. So it's totally different until you infiltrate the nuclear weapons base.
Starbreeze licenses Unreal Engine 3 for future projects
Starbreeze, developer of The Darkness and Chronicles of Riddick, has announced a "multi-year, studio-wide license agreement" to develop projects using Unreal Engine 3. CEO Johan Kristiansson has stated that the engine is "the solution that best fits [Starbreeze's] needs." Presumably, UE3 will be the engine behind Project RedLime, Starbreeze's rumored Syndicate revival for EA. The news should come as something of a surprise to industry watchers, as the company previously made a name for itself using its own proprietary Starbreeze engine. The engine was used to power both The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay and The Darkness. Riddick in particular is generally regarded as one of the most graphically impressive titles on the original Xbox.
Unreal-powered Dungeon Defenders: First Wave now available for Android
In case you had any preconceptions that you were going to be able to put down your phone long enough to greet friends and family members this holiday weekend... well, think again, because Dungeon Defenders: First Wave -- built atop Unreal Engine 3 -- is now available on Android. Tegra 2 devices like the Optimus 2X are billed as the "best" choices for playing the game, but seeing how those aren't really available, your next best options are Samsung's Hummingbird-based phones including the Galaxy Tab, Galaxy S series, and the Nexus S. A patch to be released next month will allow players to interact with their iOS-sporting counterparts online, while those on Tegra-based devices will get the opportunity to play with folks on PCs sometime later in the first quarter. Grab it now for $2.99; follow the break for the full press release.
Dungeon Defenders delivers Unreal Engine to Android next week
Will Unreal Engine be able to take over the Android sales charts, much as it has on iOS with Infinity Blade? Trendy Entertainment hopes so, as it plans on bringing the first Unreal Engine-powered game to Android phones next week, on December 23rd. Dungeon Defenders: First Wave is a tower defense-RPG hybrid that our own Mike Schramm described as "fast-paced, complex and, at times, utterly overwhelming." Dungeon Defenders is already available on iOS for $2.99, and we're assuming the Android version won't differ significantly. If you're wondering if the game will work on your Android device, check out the system requirements after the break.
Dungeon Defenders: First Wave brings Unreal Engine to Android this month
Along with Rage HD, Infinity Blade has been one of the titles to really solidify iOS' position as the leader in mobile gaming right now, but that's not to say Android isn't in hot pursuit: besides this Zeus we have on the horizon, Gingerbread improves gaming support on the API level -- and now we're seeing our first Unreal Engine 3-based title make the leap. Dungeon Defenders: First Wave, which just launched on iOS, is coming to Android 2.1 and above on December 23rd bringing with it an online, multiplayer tower defense gaming experience. Of course, one problem these guys have now is that Android hardware is all over the map, so they actually need to publish a long list of minimum requirements -- just like PC titles -- and in this case you need 512MB of RAM, an 800MHz or better SOC with support for OpenGL ES 2.0, and at least 400MB of free storage. Apart from the myTouch 4G (which has some occasional "stability issues"), most recent mid- to high-end handsets seem to be ready to roll, including "all Tegra 2 based devices" like the Optimus 2X that was just announced. Follow the break for some video action and the full press release.
UDK out for iOS, Epic demonstrates with Jazz Jackrabbit [update: video!]
The December update for the Unreal Development Kit is available, adding support for development of iOS games in Unreal Engine 3. To help you get started, the latest version includes the full source code for Epic Citadel (along with another new castle map), so you can figure out how those impressive medieval landscapes came to be. To further prove what's possible with the engine, Epic put together a technically impressive twin-stick shooter starring none other than Jazz Jackrabbit, star of Cliff Bleszinski's 1994 side-scroller of the same name. Check out screenshots of this proof-of-concept game in our gallery. Epic told Joystiq that it's currently just a demonstration; the company doesn't have plans to release it. [Update: There's now a tutorial video featuring the Jazz Jackrabbit game, and a "sizzle" video for UDK, after the break.]%Gallery-111515%
Unreal Engine 3 dev kit adding iOS support tomorrow, Infinity Blade clones coming Friday
The Unreal Engine 3 already made a quite spectacular debut on iOS with Epic Games' own Infinity Blade, but the company's decided it's time to finally stop teasing and give us the software to really play with it. Tomorrow's planned update to the UDK will deliver iOS support, meaning that all the fancy tools that helped make Infinity Blade such a blindingly gorgeous game will be at your fingertips should you be feeling creative. Licensing for the Engine is free for testing and non-commercial use, but you'll have to pay $99 if you want to sell anything you produce with it, to be followed by a 25 percent slice of your earnings beyond $5,000 and, of course, Apple's 30 percent cut of whatever's left. That might not sound like the best business plan in the world, but consider that Infinity Blade is estimated to have racked up over $1.5 million in sales already -- we're sure there'll be enough change left for ice cream even after Epic and Apple have had their share.
Epic Games to release updated Unreal Dev Kit for iOS on Thursday
Epic Games, creator of recently released game "Infinity Blade," is publicly releasing an updated version of its Unreal Development Kit on Thursday. The game-development package simplifies the creation of graphics and animations on Apple's iOS, and if TUAW's Chris Rawson's recent review of Infinity Blade is any indication of what can be done with it, we should be in store for some amazing graphics in upcoming games. While it is free to download and use, iPhone and iPad developers interested in selling paid apps they have created with it must pay Epic a $99 licensing fee and 25 percent of royalties after the initial $5,000 in sales. Gaming has really taken off on iOS devices, as 43.8 percent of the gaming market is playing games on phones like the iPhone, and game developers for iOS outnumber their DS and PSP counterparts two-to-one. With Infinity Blade raking in at least 1.6 million dollars in the first five days of its release, you can be assured that developers will be clamoring to create the next big thing with Epic's release of its Unreal Development Kit.
App review: Infinity Blade (iPhone)
Aww, would you look at that, the iPhone's trying to play big boy games! Following in the well received footsteps of Rage HD, today marks the debut of Infinity Blade, the second in what's hopefully a wave of gorgeous-looking iOS games boasting advanced 3D graphics, if not 3D gameplay. Epic Games has put aside the chainsaw-equipped projectile weaponry of its wildly successful Gears of War console series to deliver the first mobile game built around its Unreal Engine 3. You won't be surprised to hear that it's utterly delicious to look at, and the visuals certainly helped transport us to this alien realm of swords, axes, shields, and magical rings -- where body armor is optional, but helmets apparently are not. Jump past the break to see this visual feast in motion and to soak up some more of our impressions. %Gallery-110231%
