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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%
Unreal Engine 3 adds extra dimension with NVIDIA 3D Vision
Epic Games has announced that its wildly popular Unreal Engine 3 has now added NVIDIA's 3D Vision to its list of supported technologies. We've already come across Batman: Arkham Asylum being played with NVIDIA's signature shutter glasses so this isn't a huge surprise per se, but it does put a stamp of compatibility on the vast catalog of games -- both current and future -- built upon Epic's graphics engine. Those include Borderlands, Mass Effect 1 and 2, Bioshock 1 and 2, and that all-time classic 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. The Unreal Development Kit -- a freeware version of the Engine for non-commercial uses -- is also being upgraded to make the addition of stereoscopic 3D effects "easier than ever," while other small improvements (covered by Gamespot) show that the Epic crew isn't standing still on its core product. Good news for all you mobile mavens wanting a taste of Unreality on your iPhones or Pres.
Unreal Engine 3 up and running on webOS, and we've got video!
Palm just showed us the Unreal Engine 3 running on webOS, which apparently took a couple weeks to port over to the platform using that fancy new PDK. It runs at a pretty smooth clip, with just a tiny bit of artifacting in our enemy's death animation. As an added bit of wow factor, Palm has it currently setup to demonstrate the game at 1 fps when in card view. Like most touchscreen shooters, this doesn't really solve the problem of simulating dual analog sticks, but it's still a fun and good looking engine for a mobile device. We're still unaware of any games that have been built for the mobile engine, which has now been shown for iPhone, Tegra 2, and will be headed to the iPad as well, but we have to assume we'll be seeing some before too long. Check out the webOS video after the break.
Epic shows off Unreal Engine 3 running on iPhone / iPod touch
There's certainly plenty of good looking iPhone games available these days, but things could be about to get quite a bit more interesting, as Epic has now demonstrated its Unreal Engine 3 (the same one used for games like Gears of War 2) running on the iPhone 3GS and 3rd gen iPod touch to our friend Anand Shimpi of AnandTech. Unfortunately, it hasn't also announced any games or licensees that will be using the engine, but it seems like it has at least managed to get it running remarkably well on the hardware -- albeit in a somewhat limited demo, as you can see in the video after the break. What's more, Epic also reportedly said that it would be showing off the engine running on "another mobile platform entirely" at CES next month, but didn't drop any further hints besides that. Video after the break, and hit the read link for the full scoop.
Ignition selects Unreal Engine 3 for 'groundbreaking' FPS
Yet another company has climbed on board the Unreal Engine 3 bandwagon, as UK-headquartered Ignition Entertainment dropped word that it has licensed Epic's popular tech to help fuel what the company calls a "groundbreaking" new FPS.In development at Ignition's Florida studio, nothing is yet known of the project beyond that it will be based on an original, as-yet-undisclosed IP. Well, that's not entirely true, as the company does note that the game will be both "exciting" and "fresh," giving us hope that at long last someone will bring together two of our most fond loves, letting us shoot bad guys and raid the salad bar from the comfort of our living room.
More than 5 new EA titles to have Unreal Engine 3 under the hood
Electronic Arts likes what it has seen from Unreal Engine 3, so much so that the company has extended its relationship with Epic, giving EA the rights to incorporate the popular middleware solution into more than five upcoming titles. As to what games this impacts EA won't say, only noting that each of the games are currently in development. The company first inked an agreement with Epic in 2006 to use the technology, which has since made its way into such recent titles as Medal of Honor Airborne and last month's fist-pounding Army of Two, proving once and for all that even great technology doesn't make the game.
GameplayHD's videogame animated series "Sacred Road" launches this fall
Voom's GameplayHD channel has a new 3D animated action series on the way, Sacred Road. As if we weren't already getting enough HD gaming in (CoD4 anyone?), the new series is being created entirely within a videogame engine, taking Red vs. Blue's concept to a whole new level. With graphical assets courtesy of Gearbox Software's Brothers in Arms game, Sacred Road is about a group of WWII soldiers caught up fighting Nazi's with an army of undead World War I fighters at their command. Check it out this fall, either on GameplayHD or via the website.[Via GameIndustry.com]
Unreal Tournament 3 multiplayer powered by GameSpy
IGN and Epic sent word this morning that Unreal Tournament 3 will use GameSpy's online technology for multiplayer match ups. The announcement makes sense, given that GameSpy joined Epic's Integrated Partners Program in August, marrying the company's technology with Unreal Engine 3 and permitting cross-platform play across both the PC and PS3. According to a statement, both versions of UT3 will leverage off of GameSpy's tools for multiplayer matchmaking, in-game and out-of-game messaging, tracking players stats, VoIP messaging, and online ranking and leaderboards. However, while interoperability between the two versions of UT3 is expected, this still has not yet been confirmed. The game is currently earmarked on our calenders for release for the PC on November 19, while the PS3 version remains something of a mystery.[Via press release]
Destineer taps Unreal Engine 3 for new project [update]
These days, it's often more difficult to find a company who is not using Epic's Unreal Engine for something rather than one that is. Be that as it may, Minneapolis-based Destineer, the distributor behind the Unreal Engine-based Red Orchestra, have continued to look to the popular middleware solution, announcing that the studio has licensed Unreal Engine 3 for an upcoming project.Nothing yet has been announced about the game, though Destineer's pedigree suggests that we should at least save a spot for the title on our ever-crowded radar. The company was founded in 2001 by former Bungie exec Peter Tamte, and has been involved with realistic combat games, such as First To Fight , which is so realistic that it's used by the U.S. Marine Corps for training purposes. That's all well and good, but we're hoping that Destineer uses the new license for something more creative, like letting us be farmers.[Update: Corrected Destineer's role in Red Orchestra.]
Joystiq impressions: Unreal Tournament III
We got to see Unreal Tournament III running side by side on PC and PS3. Both versions obviously looked fantsatic, and it was great to see how nearly identical they look. However, the incredible resolution of the PC version made it the clearly superior offering. A representative from Epic told us that the PS3 version is still being tweaked, and that details about the resolution and framerate it will run at won't be revealed yet as they're still trying to optimize the performance for the console.UTIII will feature the return of many fan-favorite weapons, but we saw a couple of a new additions. Of particular note had to be a weapon that generated a time-warping field. A cube can be created, and within that cube, all time gets slowed down significantly. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the field, we saw the Flak Cannon shoot into the field. As the spray entered the field, it came to a crawl, and the player was able to run past the flak and see it exit the other side, at full momentum. We don't know if this will make a significant change to battles, but it certainly was a cool effect, nonetheless.In addition, UTIII will feature a greater variety of vehicles. The coolest addition has to be the hoverboard, which is readily accessible at all times. This allows players to move much more quickly, and can be used while holding a CTF flag. A new single player mode was briefly demonstrated, and it shows a lot of potential. The offline single player from previous Unreal Tournament titles were slim on story and options. In the newly updated single player campaign, players will be able to watch a story unfold, and choose a non-linear path through various missions.%Gallery-4830%
Hands-on Unreal Tournament III
We got to see Unreal Tournament III running side by side on PC and PS3. Both versions obviously looked fantsatic, and it was great to see how nearly identical they look. However, the incredible resolution of the PC version made it the clearly superior offering. A representative from Epic told us that the PS3 version is still being tweaked, and that details about the resolution and framerate it will run at won't be revealed yet as they're still trying to optimize the performance for the console.UTIII will feature the return of many fan-favorite weapons, but we saw a couple of a new additions. Of particular note had to be a weapon that generated a time-warping field. A cube can be created, and within that cube, all time gets slowed down significantly. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the field, we saw the Flak Cannon shoot into the field. As the spray entered the field, it came to a crawl, and the player was able to run past the flak and see it exit the other side, at full momentum. We don't know if this will make a significant change to battles, but it certainly was a cool effect, nonetheless.In addition, UTIII will feature a greater variety of vehicles. The coolest addition has to be the hoverboard, which is readily accessible at all times. This allows players to move much more quickly, and can be used while holding a CTF flag. A new single player mode was briefly demonstrated, and it shows a lot of potential. The offline single player from previous Unreal Tournament titles were slim on story and options. In the newly updated single player campaign, players will be able to watch a story unfold, and choose a non-linear path through various missions.%Gallery-4836%
Square Enix's Last Remnant trailer debuts
Square Enix has unveiled its "debut" trailer for The Last Remnant. The trailer is certainly pretty, powered by the Unreal Engine 3, and the gameplay (for better and worse) is eerily reminiscent of Koei's Dynasty Warriors series. The text serving as bookends to the one minute, 22 second trailer make a point to highlight that this is an RPG "for the world" that will see simultaneous release in North America and Japan (what about Europe?) on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The actual date of that simultaneous release is unknown. Video embedded after the break.
Crytek and Epic Games rev their engines
Epic Games has found a wide audience, from Silicon Knights to Square Enix, with its Unreal Engine 3; meanwhile Crytek is looking to find success by licensing out CryEngine 2. Both companies also release games highlighting the engines (Unreal Tournament and Crysis, respectively).Next Generation has an article where both Epic Games' Mark Rein and Crytek's Harald Seeley talk about the competitive field of game engines. According to the opening remarks, the article sees Crytek as one of the more promising competitors to the Gears of War developer. It's an interesting read, but we shouldn't forget one engine that just recently made its first unveiling: id Tech 5. Creator John Carmack promised more information at Min-E3, and we think there's a good chance the House of Doom will add some major heat to all game engines.
New details on Unreal Tournament 3
A feature story in the latest Official Xbox Magazine has revealed some new details about Epic Games' upcoming Unreal Tournament 3 as well as some hype-tacular words by lead designer Steven Polge. Additions to the game include: Four-player co-op and two-player split-screen in the single-player campaign 18 vehicles and five types of turrets Hoverboards Polge also made a few claims sure to be cited in any brouhaha concerning the shooter. Referencing the Great Keyboard & Mouse vs. Controller Debate, the designer claimed that UT3's controls are so good that half of the staff prefer the Xbox 360 version. Also noted were the improvements in Unreal Engine 3, as exemplified by contrasting the game to previous Epic title Gears of War. Polge said that UT3 is "Gears on crack. Cover is for wimps!" You hear that, gamers who bought his company's previous Xbox 360 title? You're a bunch of wimps! (Until Gears of War 2 is announced, of course.)
Capcom licenses Unreal Engine for US developed title
Not wanting to be the last to the party, Capcom has become the latest developer to license the Unreal Engine 3 for use in their titles. This comes only days after another leading publisher, Activision, made a similar announcement. Capcom will be utilizing the Unreal Engine for an unannounced title to be developed in North America. Earlier this month, Lost Planet producer Keiji Inafune commented that "western developers are leading the industry, with Japanese developers falling behind." As Japanese development houses have historically been opposed to middleware, this deal, along with Capcom's recent success here in the west with titles such as Dead Rising and Lost Planet, could be a sign of faith in their western counterpart.
Capcom dragon punches Unreal Engine 3
We're starting to think that Epic's Unreal Engine 3 is the core component of Skynet. As more and more developers sign on to use Unreal Engine 3, its network -- and its intelligence -- grows. Soon, when enough developers latch onto the Gears of War creating powerhouse, our world will be overrun with diabolical machines that wish for nothing but out destruction. The latest victim is Capcom, which has licensed the engine for an unannounced North American project. We'd love to imagine the possibilities of a fully rendered Ken Masters in Unreal glory, but we're pretty sure that Capcom wouldn't hand over any Street Fighter development to the US. Could the project be a sequel to one of Capcom's hot 360 properties like Dead Rising or Lost Planet? Only time will tell. Let's hope they get the game finished before the machines attain sentience.[Via Xbox Addict]See also:Activision uses Unreal Engine 3 in new game
Activision licenses Unreal Engine 3
Activision today announced it has licensed Epic's Unreal Engine 3 for an upcoming "action" title. The deal would seem to end -- or at least put on hold -- Activision's frequent use of id Software's game engines; though a partnership will continue to exist, as Activision remains the publisher of Quake Wars. No further details were disclosed, but the possibilities have our spider-sense tingling...
Square Enix licenses Unreal Engine 3
With more money and time being spent on creating detailed art assets for modern games, it's no longer surprising to see even Japanese developers licensing engines and toolsets from the likes of Epic Games. Square Enix have announced that they have entered into an agreement with the Unreal Engine 3 and Gears of War developer, gaining a complete middleware platform for use in their upcoming games. General manager of R&D at Square Enix, Taku Murata, explains that the deal will speed up the creation process and allow developers to spend less time working on the nitty-gritty of technology. "The complexity of next-generation game systems featuring HD graphics and multi-core parallel processing poses a number of technological challenges to our game development. However, we can expedite our game development process significantly while allowing extra time and resources to be spent on game design and mechanics by establishing an effective technology platform."Hopefully, Square Enix's Unreal 3 projects will fare better than Namco's aborted Xbox 360 attempt, Frame City Killer.
Virtual reality student project aims to cure acrophobia
The Last Boss's Tom Fronczak (a semester away from a degree in game design) profiles a VR studio at the University of Pittsburgh's Medical Virtual Reality Center, which he and a small team of classmates will use to develop an acrophobia (fear of heights) sim to be used during habitual therapy sessions. Tom's group will be using Unreal Engine (1) to design a level, ideally representing an unfinished skyscraper. Players Patients will slowly ascend the floors of the building, eventually emerging into the open air, where they'll have to navigate up scaffolding to reach the top, grab the flag, and sprint back to base. Development time has be limited to ten weeks.Tom will continue to update The Last Boss readers on the status of his project during the coming weeks, and notes he's eager for feedback. Our advice: Don't look down!
Unreal Engine 3 gets Digimasked
The creative genius' behind Gears of War have a little program they call Unreal Engine 3, have you heard? Well it looks like Digimask and their face mapping software is officially a part of the Unreal Engine. Digimask is the same company that incorporated face mapping technology using the Xbox Live Vision camera into World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions and Rainbow Six Vegas. You just can't help but to speculate whether or not our beloved Gears of War (which utilizes the Unreal Engine) will incorporate the new face mapping technology through a future auto update. Though the more I think about it, I highly doubt we'll see this happen because that would totally mess up the feng shui Cliffy B has painstakingly worked to achieve in Gears. We can always hope that we'll see some Digimask face mapping in the uber-hyped, Xbox 360 exclusive, Unreal Engine based game: Jazz the Jackrabbit 4.
