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GamePro's GoW2 article isn't an announcement
Over the weekend, we told you about GamePro's mysterious Gears of War 2 mention on its upcoming March cover and how mysterious the whole thing is. You'll also recall that we were a bit skeptical to how newsy GamePro's GoW2 mention really is, seeing that any huge announcement like GoW2 becoming official would, at the very least, garner a huge cover spread. And now we find out that we were right to be pessimistic.Epic's Mark Rein hopped on the Gears of War forums to tell everyone that Epic has "not announced a sequel to Gears of War to Gamepro or anyone else for that matter" and that the whole thing "is complete nonsense". So, we're guessing that the GoW2 mention on GamePro's cover is nothing more than a speculative article, maybe what they want or expect GoW2 to include "if" it were made. Back to waiting for our official GoW2 confirmation ... GDC anyone?[Thanks, Hooligunn]
Rein still hoping MS will allow UT3 user content
In an interview with Guardian Unlimited, Epic's head honcho Mark Rein talks everything and anything Unreal Tournament 3, specifically development on the 360 version.What we learn is that team Epic has had UT3 up and running buttery smooth on the 360 for a while now and that the only development left is Xbox Live implementation. And speaking of Xbox Live, Rein is still pressing Microsoft about UT3's user generated content and how best to serve it up. It's no secret that Rein and Epic want Microsoft to allow free, open access to map mods a la the PS3 version and it's no secret Microsoft has been reluctant. According to Rein, "Microsoft hasn't said "no" yet, but then they haven't said "yes" either", but development is wrapping up and Rein needs answers soon. It'll be interesting to see where these discussions end up, but our money is on Microsoft standing firm and only allowing DLC through the XBLM. We'll see free community generated UT3 content, but only stuff that has been hand seleceted, certified and placed on the Marketplace.[Via TeamXbox]
Watch this space, Epic Games plans to double in size
Having tired of rubbing actual elbows with fellow teammates, Epic Games' always verbose VP Mark Rein has confessed that he and his squad of developers have "pretty much run out of space" in the company's North Carolina base of operations, and that plans are well underway for an expansion to "at least" double the facility's current size. According to a report by North Carolina's News Observer, the devs coughed up a cool $1.57 million for the new office space, which will be positioned on a five-acre lot adjacent to Epic's current 31,000-square foot HQ.Headcount at Epic currently stands at 94, with current growth of around one new employee a month expected to continue for the next couple of years. So with all of this added space, will the developers get to spread out, and maybe quit knocking over each others' Mt. Dew as they reach for their mouse? Unlikely, as the report notes that the new facility will instead be largely used to house the numerous play testers that visit Epic, rather than have to rent out space down the street. We understand the need completely, though until the devs get additional space of their own we'd suggest judicious application of lids.
Unreal Tournament 3 mod-cooker could be out next week
The ever-chatty vice president of Epic, Mark Rein, has posted on the official Unreal Tournament III forums to let us know that they're in the final stages of testing the public code that allows for "cooking" mod code for the PS3. Rein believes that testing should be finished sometime next week and the update can then be immediately released. This will open the flood gates and we will then see a huge amount of user generated content being played on the PS3. We can't wait.Once the "cooker" is finally released, we at PS3 Fanboy will be running a new feature showcasing the best UTIII mods available for PS3. More on that next week, hopefully![Via N4G]
Rein applauds PSN's open-platform policy
In a massive interview with Gamasutra, Mark Rein sat down to discuss pretty much everything that makes him, him and Epic Games, Epic Games. For the sake of space and your sanity, we'll close the gap on the wide array of questions and focus on Mark Rein's stance on the PSN. It's a good one. The PSN is open-platform, meaning it will allow us to utilize user-generated content. Rein's thoughts? "It's fantastic! I can't understand why people are so nervous about what Sony... no, Sony's wonderful. 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." We sure are with Unreal Tournament 3 hitting this December. It'll be very easy to load up the mods from the PC and transfer them onto the PS3 and if it's any indication how future titles will utilize the open platform, then we're in for a treat.
AcroGames using Unreal Engine in new online game
AcroGames, an upstart Korean game development company, has licensed Epic's Unreal Engine 3 for a new game. Epic told Gamasutra that the new game is an online title for the PC. There are lots of different kinds of online titles, but AcroGames is partly comprised of former Lineage II team members, so it's a good, educated guess to suggest that the new title is an MMO. Also, Lineage II was developed using the previous Unreal Engine iteration. Epic VP Jay Wilbur was quoted in Gamasutra, saying: "AcroGames is a promising team comprised of top talent and we look forward to working with them. We are committed to supporting the Asian game market with best of breed development tools, and our agreement with AcroGames marks a significant achievement in this effort."In an interview published just yesterday, Epic's Mark Rein described the language-barrier-related challenges Epic is having with supporting its engine in non-English speaking countries (specifically Japan, in that article). One wonders if they'll run into the same troubles when working with a Korean studio.
Mark Rein excited about UT3 mods on PS3
The always talkative Epic Games VP Mark Rein is exuberant about the open system for downloading Unreal Tournament 3 mods for the PlayStation 3. "It's fantastic! I can't understand why people are so nervous about what Sony... no, Sony's wonderful," said Rein in a lengthy interview with Gamasutra. Rein also noted how this advantage is why the game landed on the PS3 first, before they resume Xbox 360 development next year.Rein also lauded the freedom in having an open system for mod downloads and stated that they will encourage modding through sponsored contests much like they have in the past (note: ironic to this situation, Rein's last name means "to restrain or control"). He did add, however, that they have an ability to "blacklist mods that do bad things." The two interviewers seemed befuddled by the freedom of the system, giving Rein more of a chance to assert his gospel. The next challenge for Epic is to try an accomplish that same openness on Microsoft's closed system Xbox Live. "They may or may not embrace it. We don't know," he said "That's why we've made the game for the PlayStation 3 first, because we knew exactly what the boundaries were going to be." Unreal Tournament 3 is due out December 10.
Unreal Engine 3 coming to Wii (but not by Epic)
Epic Vice President Mark Rein has said repeatedly that they will not port their popular Unreal Engine 3 to the Wii, but that isn't stopping others from doing the conversion for them. In an interview with Kikizo, Rein has stated that an unnamed licensee is bringing the engine to Nintendo's console."It's their own port, in the same way Ubisoft brought Unreal Engine 2 to the Wii [for Red Steel]," he said, noting prior to that response, "I just don't see a big market there to bring this big hulking memory intensive engine over to a much smaller system."We tend to think Rein might have a point, given the Wii's hardware limitations in relation to Epic's goal with Unreal Engine 3. Then again, developers don't usually go through the labor-intensive process of porting engines to consoles unless there are either tools that streamline the development process or they're looking to go multiplatform. (If it's the latter, we'd suspect a major studio like Ubisoft or Electronic Arts.) Option three, of course, is that someone is hoping to fail and get in on some of the lawsuit frenzy. It'd be just like The Producers for the video game industry![Thanks, Cam]
Rein: UT3 could hit shelves by Dec. 11
It seems Epic's Mark Rein has remained true to his word that the PS3 version of Unreal Tournament 3 would release before the end of the year in North America as he announced the game has gone gold and is now in the hands of North American manufacturing.Although an exact release date probably won't be set until next week, Rein did say the game will hit shelves early next month. "My guess is that Midway will start shipping the title to North American retailers on Monday December 10, and it could show up in stores as early as December 11, but more likely toward the middle of that week," he said in a statement. "I think PS3 owners are going to really enjoy UT3 this holiday so make sure you get it on your shopping list!" he said. While this is welcomed news for North American PS3 owners, we're sorry to say but our European friends will still have to wait until January or February for the newest entry into the series. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Unreal Tournament 3 on PS3 has gone gold, likely due mid-December
PS3 owners can put their fears to rest: It looks likes you are going to get your hands on Unreal Tournament 3 before year's end. Epic's Mark Rein has just posted on the company's official forums: "We got news last night that Unreal Tournament 3 has been approved by SCEA and has been released to North American manufacturing."Now, the big question is when you or Santa (wink!) will be able to get your hot/gloved hands on it. Rein says Midway will have a formal announcement early next week, but he guessed they "will start shipping the title to North American retailers on Monday December 10th and it could show up in stores as early as December 11th, but more likely toward the middle of that week."Rein still isn't sure about PAL territories because of some localization issues. His best guess is that the the game will ship there in January or February.
UT3's 360 development just postponed, will resume in '08
Epic's Mark Rein sometimes says one thing, then says another in a different way, then says he said what he said in the first place to be true, but just mistaken. And that's exactly what happened when Rein talked about development on the 360 version of Unreal Tournament 3 only starting in 2008.The merciless folks at Joystiq shot off an email to Mr. Rein to get more inside into the UT3 development drama after finding out that OXM already played the game on the 360 in light of the fact that Rein said the game was only starting development in 2008. Rein clarified his remarks and responded:"What I probably should have said was 'start working on it again.' We had the game up and running on all three platforms up until last spring. In fact Official Xbox Magazine came out and played the game for a great cover story they did on it. We stopped working on the 360 version so we could concentrate our efforts on shipping the various PC and PS3 versions. Once we get those out of the way, and take some time to enjoy the holidays with our friends and families, we'll start working on the 360 version again."There you have it. Xbox 360 UT3 has been in development, but is now in standby mode and will be picked up after the holidays. Clarification is a good thing.
Rein: Work on 360's Unreal Tournament III just on hold
We had a spot of confusion yesterday when Epic's Mark Rein was quoted in one piece as saying work hadn't started on the Unreal Tournament III 360 version. Meanwhile, another site was reporting that they'd already played it on 360. Now, Rein has explained to us that it's not that work on the 360 version hasn't started yet, it's just that it's on hold."What I probably should have said was 'start working on it again.' We had the game up and running on all three platforms up until last spring. In fact Official Xbox Magazine came out and played the game for a great cover story they did on it. We stopped working on the 360 version so we could concentrate our efforts on shipping the various PC and PS3 versions. Once we get those out of the way, and take some time to enjoy the holidays with our friends and families, we'll start working on the 360 version again. There's still a decent bit of work to do. For example we have simple LAN play but no Xbox Live implementation yet and we need to work with Microsoft to figure out how to accommodate mods on their platform."So take heart, 360 owners. While it may still be a while until you get your hands on the game, the wait won't be quite as excruciating as you thought.
Rein: No work [for now] on 360's Unreal Tournament III, Us: Oh, OK [Updated]
You think it's easy sitting around all day blogging about video games? Not so, sir. Take today for example. First we see this interview with Mark Rein, wherein he says that work on Unreal Tournament III's 360 version won't even begin until next year. "Wow, that's interesting," we think, and we start dashing out a post for you to enjoy.But then we get a tip from a reader leading us to Australian site Gameplayer, which previewed the game. Specifically, he told us to check out Page 3, wherein the site says it previewed the game ... on the 360. "So what should I do?" you wonder. Well, the answer is obvious: Email Mark Rein for clarification, of course. But shouldn't you have a post up about it while you wait to hear back so no one is in the dark? Yes, of course you should. So, there you have it.[Via X3F][Update: We just got the following note from Mark Rein: "What I probably should have said was 'start working on it again'. We had the game up and running on all three platforms up until last spring. In fact Official Xbox Magazine came out and played the game for a great cover story they did on it. We stopped working on the 360 version so we could concentrate our efforts on shipping the various PC and PS3 versions. Once we get those out of the way, and take some time to enjoy the holidays with our friends and families, we'll start working on the 360 version again. There's still a decent bit of work to do. For example we have simple LAN play but no Xbox Live implementation yet and we need to work with Microsoft to figure out how to accommodate mods on their platform."]
Mark Rein talks Sixaxis controls for Unreal Tournament 3
Another interview took place where Mark Rein, the man behind Epic Games' Unreal Tournament 3, chatted about the PlayStation 3 version of the game as well as some other bits. A lot of the information is redundant, such as keyboard and mouse support and the lack of cross-platform play (unless you own the PC and PS3 versions, you can use your PC as a dedicated server and move all the mods and such from the PC to the PS3). What Mark hadn't talked about before was the Sixaxis. It will be used, but only to steer the hoverboard and Redeemer. He didn't say if there was an option to turn the controls off, but we'd imagine so. Another thing he mentioned was the reason for the PS3 version's delay. The PS3 version has to go through a lot of certification processes, and those are taking longer than anticipated. Nothing wrong with the code or any difficulties working with the PS3.There's a lot more information in the interview, especially if you're predominantly a PC gamer. Talks of PhysX ensue and the jargon started to go over our heads. Still, we know our readership isn't solely Sony supporters, thus our heads up to you guys to check out the interview if you're curious about that.
Unreal Tournament 3 raises the graphics bar, says Mark Rein
Does it still count as flamebaiting if the one making the claim is responsible for both games? Either way, Mark Rein of Epic Games has expressed how proud he is of Unreal Tournament 3 and really hopes it can still get a release this year in Europe, but probably won't. The game boasts amazing graphics, so amazing he said, "It's a really high end experience that pushes the graphics bar up even higher than Gears of War. There's more polygons, there's more stuff going on, there's more explosions and there's more things happening." Draw your own conclusions.How about programming difficulties? Rein says such things had no effect on them in the end. "I don't think the PS3 was any more of a challenge than any other new piece of hardware that we've used. Remember, we've been making PC games for years and the PC isn't one platform, it's hundreds of platforms. There's no two PCs that are completely identical in many cases." The game also seems to go at just the right speed for a console, he said, lending itself well to controller ... controls. Though you can still use a keyboard/mouse if you'd like. Which will you guys use?
UTIII in America this year? There's a "very solid shot"; Europe? Not so much.
We were wondering what had happened to Mark Rein - it's been quite a while since we've last heard word from him around the internets. However, an Unreal Tournament III event without him would just be plain wrong, so it's no surprise to hear another load of quotes from him surfacing from a event held in Birmingham yesterday. Eurogamer were there to ask him a few questions but, more specifically, they wanted to know the likelihood of the game being released this year. In early October Midway revised their annual estimates with the expectation that Unreal Tournament III would ship in 2008, instead of late 2007. Mark Rein then went on record to say that Epic was still intending to get the game out before the end of the year and it seems like that will be the reality - for America. Rein told Eurogamer yesterday that Epic are "very close to a release candidate" and they "should have it finished by the end of this week." After that, it heads off to manufacture and distribution. As for Europe, he suspects the release may slip into 2008. But it's not Epic's fault! It's all those pesky languages us Europeans speak. "Europe's a problem because the certification process in Europe takes longer." Rein says, "They're testing all these different languages in all these different countries, so I doubt it'll be released this year in Europe. But I don't know. We'll have to cross our fingers and wait and see." So there's a chance - but we won't hold our breath.
Silicon Knights' suit continues, Epic motion denied
Epic Games' motion for dismissal against the Silicon Knights' lawsuit has been denied. Both parties in the lawsuit told GameDaily told that the lawsuit will move forward."Often these requests are denied," said Epic VP Mark Rein. "It is important to note that this was not a decision on the merits of Silicon Knights' claims. We are confident that the evidence will show Silicon Knights breached its license with Epic Games and violated our copyrights and trade secrets."Epic had filed the motion to dismissal alongside a countersuit against Silicon Knights over what it sees as an attempt by the Too Human developer to "take Epic's Licensed Technology, pay nothing for it, and use it any way it pleases." The fate of the counterclaim is unknown.No court date has been set. The lawsuit filed by Silicon Knights claims Epic providing an inadequate Unreal Engine 3 and for providing insufficient support, causing SK's Too Human considerable delay. Given the proliferation of Unreal Engine 3 licensees in the industry right now, we're eagerly waiting to see the list of witnesses called to testify.
Epic still not supporting Wii
Not everyone is planning on riding Nintendo's money-printing coattails. In an interview with GameTrailers (embedded above), Epic Games Vice President Mark Rein stated that, as he has on multiple occasions before, that the Unreal and Gears of War developer has no intention on providing middleware support for the Wii.Rein cited resource concerns, saying that the company is more focused on pushing the limits of PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Interestingly, Rein also commented how making Wii graphics engines is not that profitable. "I think unless you're going to sell your engine to Nintendo, you're going for scraps on that platform," he said. That point has been brought up before, how developers are not interested, and possibly lazy, in developing for the Wii platform and that their budgets for that platform are pretty low. However, from the perspective of a game developer, perhaps Epic could find a way to convert Unreal Tournament 2004 onto Nintendo's platform. The software alone would be profitable, we imagine, and then they'd have Unreal Engine 2 to license out. Update: As it has been pointed out in the comments below, some Wii titles such as Red Steel do utilize Unreal Engine 2 -- optimized for the GameCube (keep the jokes to yourself, for now). However, we'd be interested to see Epic take the engine an optimize for the Wii's hardware upgrade.Also, some people seem to be confused by Rein's profit comment. The profits for Epic wouldn't come from game sales but from licensing out the engine. Since most developers don't focus on the graphical prowess of their Wii titles, Epic would not be able to charge much for their engine -- hence why Rein doesn't feel the Wii would be a profitable venture for them.[Via NWF]
Unreal Tournament 3 delayed ... or not?
A big hubbub has been made due to the announcement that Unreal Tournament 3 has gotten delayed into 2008, coinciding with the PC and 360 releases. But has it, really? First up, Mark Rein tried to comment on the delay announcement at the Epic Forums, but apparently Midway had the thread deleted. He's created another thread repeating what he said, which is basically "Midway felt an obligation to its shareholders to let them know about the possibility of a delay. Our goal is still to get the PS3 version of UT3 in stores before the end of 2007. However, we will only ship it once it's ready and is the best game we can deliver." The good news, he says, is with the extra time the PS3 version will have all the maps the PC version will offer -- so complaining is neither here nor there. You can check out the quote on ThreeSpeech in case Mark's second post gets knocked off the forums again, due to unnecessary flaming on other members' behalf. In any case, the game has not officially been delayed, but it's a warning to expect a delay. For extra dev time, though, we don't really mind. We've got a lot to play this holiday season already.
Midway expects Unreal Tournament PS3 to slip into '08
If you were picturing Darth Vader's infamously prolonged "No!" in response to this news, we'll improve your mental image by replacing the overacting villain with another shiny black object -- the PlayStation 3. In a financial update released today, Unreal Tournament III publisher Midway stated that its annual estimates have been revised due to "the expected movement of Unreal Tournament 3 for the PLAYSTATION 3 system into the first quarter of fiscal 2008." Conveniently and refreshingly, Midway's 2008 fiscal year begins in 2008. Also, unfortunately.With fans already assaulting the forums of developer Epic Games, company VP Mark Rein has once again posted one of his noncommittal assurances. "As a public company, Midway felt an obligation to its shareholders to let them know about the possibility of a delay," said Rein. "But our goal is still to get the PS3 version of UT3 in stores before the end of 2007. However, we will only ship it once it's ready and is the best game we can deliver." See if you can extract any optimism from that, at least enough to cover what could become a fairly unsightly hole in the PS3's holiday lineup.PC owners will be glad to learn that their version(s) of the frenetic first-person shooter is still due for a November release.
