Epic Games to privately showcase Unreal Engine 4 at GDC

Unreal Engine 3 is one of (if not the most) prolific gaming technologies in existence right now, powering everything from Mortal Kombat and Asura's Wrath to Gears of War 3 and Batman: Arkham City. If you're one of the many developers that depend on Epic's engine, the upcoming 2012 Game Developers Conference may be your first chance to see the next generation of Unreal Engine in action.

Epic will be showcasing Unreal Engine 4 to "select licensees, partners and prospective customers" behind closed doors at the conference; demonstrations will be given by appointment only, and all who attend must sign what we can only assume is the most air-tight, all-encompassing non-disclosure agreement ever written. For instance, developers allowed into Epic's demonstration area may not smuggle air out of the demonstration area inside of their lungs and then transfer that air to the lungs of another living person, under pain of chainsaw death. It's pretty serious stuff, but it's probably worth it to see some totally sweet tech demos.

Show full PR text

Epic Games Readies for Action at Game Developers Conference 2012

On the heels of a legendary D.I.C.E. Summit celebrating 20 years of the studio's success, Epic prepares to usher in the next wave of world-class games at GDC 2012

CARY, N.C. (February 27, 2012) – Epic Games, Inc. announces its participation in the Game Developers Conference (GDC) to be held March 5-9, 2012 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Epic will host press sessions and meet with developers and partners of its award-winning Unreal Engine technology in Business Suite 800, West Hall, at GDC 2012. In addition, Epic Games Design Director Cliff Bleszinski is set to host the Game Developer Choice Awards, and a dozen senior members of Epic's staff are scheduled to speak at the conference.

Leading the Way in Next-Gen
Epic will conduct business and technical meetings for Unreal Engine 3, which offers the best toolset available for AAA game development, from mobile platforms and web-based gaming to consoles, high-end PC and beyond. The Unreal Engine holds eight consecutive Game Developer magazine Front Line Awards, with Unreal Engine 3 receiving the most recent accolade for best engine last month.

Epic will also unveil a preview of its next-generation game technology, Unreal Engine 4, to select licensees, partners and prospective customers during the exhibition. Space is very limited, and appointments and non-disclosure agreements are required to see the Unreal Engine 4 presentation.

Those wishing to meet with Epic should email licensing@epicgames.com. Please specify three possible meeting times, the number of people planning to attend and whether those individuals would like to see a technology demonstration, chat with Epic business representatives, speak with Epic technical representatives or discuss other matters.

Appointments are not required but priority will be given to those with confirmed arrangements. In addition, Epic will host free advanced training sessions for its game engine licensees. Representatives from Epic Games Korea, Epic Games Japan and Yingpei Games (formerly Epic Games China) will be on hand to speak with licensees and prospective customers from those regions.

Hours for Epic's expo suite are as follows: Wednesday, March 7, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Thursday, March 8, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Friday, March 9, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Announcing the Latest News
Epic will host media briefings on Wednesday, March 7, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m., and Thursday, March 8, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. in its private expo suite. Thursday's session will repeat content from Wednesday. Media wishing to attend either event should RSVP to pr@epicgames.com with representative and outlet name, number of attendees and day preference. Space is limited, and RSVPs must be confirmed to guarantee entry.

Emceeing the Choice Awards
Epic is honored for Design Director Cliff Bleszinski to host the 12th Annual Game Developer Choice Awards, one of the premier accolades for peer recognition in the digital games industry. Each year, the Choice Awards recognize and celebrate the creativity, artistry and technical genius of the finest developers and games created in the last year.

Sharing Valuable Knowledge
Staying true to tradition, Epic is supporting GDC with a bevy of talented speakers. The following sessions are listed in order of occurrence.

Tuesday, March 6, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Room 2016, West Hall, 2nd Floor

· Level Design in a Day: Best Practices from the Best in the Business tutorial with the industry's top level designers, including Epic Games Lead Level Designer Jim Brown

Tuesday, March 6, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Room 3005, West Hall, 3rd Floor

· Producer Boot Camp tutorial featuring leaders in studio management and game production such as Epic Games Director of Production Rod Fergusson

Wednesday, March 7, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m., Room 2009, West Hall, 2nd Floor

· Subtracting to Add - Environment Optimization Techniques lecture by Epic Games Senior Environment Artist Kevin Johnstone

Wednesday, March 7, 11 a.m. – 11:25 a.m., Room 3009, West Hall, 3rd Floor

· Production Culture: How Two and a Half Artists Completed the FX for Gears of War 3 lecture by Epic Games Senior FX Artist Francois Antoine

Wednesday, March 7, 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Room 135, North Hall

· Back to the Garage: The Return of Indie Development panel featuring independent game development experts, including Epic Games Founder and Technical Director Tim Sweeney

Wednesday, March 7, 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Room 2012, West Hall, 2nd Floor

· Gears of War 3: Building a Better Pipeline (Presented by Autodesk) lecture by Epic Games Senior Technical Animator Jeremy Ernst

Thursday, March 8, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m., Room 2002, West Hall, 2nd Floor

· Bringing AAA Graphics to Mobile Platforms lecture by Epic Games Senior Engine Programmer Niklas Smedberg

Thursday, March 8, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Room 3014, West Hall, 3rd Floor

· Forgotten Tales Remembered: The Games that Inspired Leading Innovators panel consisting of industry luminaries, including Epic Games Design Director Cliff Bleszinski

Thursday, March 8, 12:05 p.m. – 12:30 p.m., Room 2006, West Hall, 2nd Floor

· Tackling Large Scale Destruction FX: Lessons Learned From RAAM's Shadow DLC lecture by Epic Games Senior FX Artist Francois Antoine

Thursday, March 8, 4 p.m. – 5 p.m., Room 3014, West Hall, 3rd Floor

· GDC Microtalks 2012: One Hour, Ten Voices, Countless Ideas back-to-back talks on the theme of "Paying for Time," featuring thought leaders such as Epic Games Design Director Cliff Bleszinski

Thursday, March 9, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Room 2009, West Hall, 2nd Floor

· Evolution of the Cinematic Process: The Gears of War Trilogy lecture by Epic Games Cinematic Director Greg Mitchell

Thursday, March 9, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Room 132, North Hall

· Re-orienting Development and Accelerating Production to Create Infinity Blade and Infinity Blade II lecture by ChAIR Entertainment Senior Producer Simon Hurley

Friday, March 9, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m., Room 2016, West Hall, 2nd Floor

· Gameplay Data Analysis: Asking the Right Questions lecture by Epic Games Senior Web Developer Ian Thomas

Friday, March 9, 10:10 a.m. – 11:10 a.m., Room 135, North Hall

· Killer Portfolio or Portfolio Killer: Advice from Industry Artists two-part panel featuring top talent from world-class studios, including Epic Games Lead Artist Wyeth Johnson

Friday, March 9, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., Room 300, South Hall

· Killer Portfolio or Portfolio Killer: 1-1 Portfolio Reviews one-on-one sessions with senior artists from half a dozen of the industry's most successful studios, including Epic Games Lead Artist Wyeth Johnson and Epic Games Senior Environment Artist Kevin Johnstone

About Epic Games
Epic Games, Inc., based in Cary, NC and established in 1991, develops cutting-edge games and cross-platform game engine technology. The company has created multiple million-selling, award-winning titles in its "Unreal" series, including "Unreal Tournament 3" for PC, PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360®. The first two games in Epic's "Gears of War" franchise have sold more than 13 million copies and won more than 50 game of the year awards. The third installment, "Gears of War 3," sold more than 3 million copies within its first week of release, catapulting the franchise beyond $1 billion in lifetime sales. Epic's Unreal Engine 3 holds more than 20 industry technology awards and powers many bestselling games. Additional information about Epic can be obtained at www.epicgames.com.

Epic, Epic Games, Gears of War, Gears of War 3, Infinity Blade, Unreal, Unreal Development Kit, UDK, Unreal Engine, UE3, UE4 and Unreal Tournament 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.


###