Unreal Development Kit brings Unreal Engine development to the masses
by Christopher Grant 
{ Nov 5th 2009 at 11:10AM } 
No, Whizzle and The Ball aren't Cincinatti's crazy drive-time zoo crew, rocking WKRP with six hours of fart jokes, crank calls, and toilet-flushing sound effects – instead, they're two new indie games built entirely using the hey-isn't-that-expensive Unreal Engine 3. Or, if you want to get specific, built using the just-announced (though expected) Unreal Development Kit, or UDK for the acronymical out there. Sure, Unreal Engine 3 is super enough to bring you games like Gears of War 2 and Batman: Arkham Asylum, but as long as you're using it for non-commercial or educational purposes, UDK is available totally free of charge.
You can download the Unreal Development Kit for yourself from Big Download, and while you're over there read their blowout coverage, including interviews with Epic Games, Whizzle's Psyonix Studios, and The Ball's Toltec Studios. We've got images and descriptions of both games, along with a video from Psyonix, after the break.
Whizzle was built by the familiar faces at Psyonix Studios (you may remember them from Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars) in "less than two months using a two-man team of one artist and one programmer." Unlike the space marine-infused fare you may expect from Unreal Engine, Whizzle is an underwater vertical scroller, in which you play as an "adorable sea creature that collects items and frees allies from captivity." So, like Ecco the Dolphin only with way better lighting effects.
Download Whizzle from Big Download (112 MB)
The Ball began life as an award-winning Unreal Tournament 3 mod by Toltec Studios and has now been ported over to UDK as a standalone download. Epic says, "Anyone authoring mods for Epic's PC games can port their original content over to UDK."
Download The Ball from Big Download (359 MB)
You can download the Unreal Development Kit for yourself from Big Download, and while you're over there read their blowout coverage, including interviews with Epic Games, Whizzle's Psyonix Studios, and The Ball's Toltec Studios. We've got images and descriptions of both games, along with a video from Psyonix, after the break.
Gallery: Unreal Development Kit (UDK)
Whizzle was built by the familiar faces at Psyonix Studios (you may remember them from Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars) in "less than two months using a two-man team of one artist and one programmer." Unlike the space marine-infused fare you may expect from Unreal Engine, Whizzle is an underwater vertical scroller, in which you play as an "adorable sea creature that collects items and frees allies from captivity." So, like Ecco the Dolphin only with way better lighting effects.
Download Whizzle from Big Download (112 MB)
Gallery: Whizzle (UDK)
The Ball began life as an award-winning Unreal Tournament 3 mod by Toltec Studios and has now been ported over to UDK as a standalone download. Epic says, "Anyone authoring mods for Epic's PC games can port their original content over to UDK."
Download The Ball from Big Download (359 MB)
Gallery: UDK - The Ball
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Social @ Nov 5th 2009 11:14AM
Yeah I read about it an hour ago, tried to install Whizzle bit got an error when installing. It still all looks like a great way to start game development
BlackDove @ Nov 5th 2009 11:19AM
Hahaha.
Like I would know anything about how to make a game.
:(
Maverick Saturn (Igor) @ Nov 5th 2009 11:20AM
As great as this looks and sounds, I wouldn't know where to begin :(
liquid @ Nov 5th 2009 11:46AM
Try C++ or some Photoshop/3D :D
johnwebertr45 @ Nov 5th 2009 12:26PM
Is it like programing in c++ cuz that would would somewhat be surprising for me. I hope it is though cuz now im gonna make some dope ass shit!
Ashkental @ Nov 5th 2009 11:25AM
I died.
ZayCube @ Nov 5th 2009 4:14PM
R.I.P
Ashkental @ Nov 5th 2009 6:57PM
OF JOY!
Rhamsey @ Nov 5th 2009 11:27AM
Fucking awesome, downloading now.
Martin @ Nov 5th 2009 11:37AM
To the masses? Yes. For the masses? Hardly. Even still, I'll send it over to my niece who just graduated with an animation degree. Maybe she'll get some use out of it.
And here's hoping we keep getting non-space-marine results from new developers using the kit.
Jesus (PSN: Luttdawg) @ Nov 5th 2009 11:59AM
The Unreal Engine, is there anything it doesn't do?
The Swedish Chief @ Nov 6th 2009 4:00PM
Anything unreal is made real by Unreal!
...Fo' real!
Shaun @ Nov 6th 2009 9:27AM
It'd be good if you could use this in conjunction with the Indie Games on Xbox Live.
LaughingTarget @ Nov 5th 2009 12:03PM
Now you, too, can shoehorn an action RPG into the engine and the sue Epic when you churn out an overhyped turd.
WiredKnight: Keeper of Threads @ Nov 5th 2009 1:49PM
I hope you're not referring to Borderlands.
boing.inc @ Nov 5th 2009 3:30PM
Probably means Too Human ;)
WiredKnight: Keeper of Threads @ Nov 5th 2009 6:43PM
I was thinking either that or The Last Remnant, but I guess that wasn't hyped as much.
Wiseman_2 @ Nov 5th 2009 12:12PM
Damn, if only my humble laptop wouldn't spontaneously combust if I tried running it!
Keits @ Nov 5th 2009 4:28PM
Good job misspelling Cincinnati. :)
WiredKnight: Keeper of Threads @ Nov 5th 2009 1:49PM
YES! Just in time for the Unearthly Challenge!
ThornedVenom (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ Nov 5th 2009 2:09PM
As a game art student currently working on several mods including in the Unreal engine, I've just jizzed, peed and shat bricks in my pants at the same time.
Raffi @ Nov 5th 2009 2:38PM
They should make it available for XNA games somehow.
sRc @ Nov 5th 2009 3:37PM
that would require a complete rewrite into C# though
Extinction @ Nov 5th 2009 4:51PM
And an hour to compile each time you want to play...
RKN @ Nov 5th 2009 4:58PM
Maybe someone can port Gears 2 to the PC? ; )
NintendoJunkie @ Nov 8th 2009 12:55PM
I'll be very exciting eh? I guess I am a pretty awesome guy...so thanks for the compliment!
Jay "the Blogger" Clark @ Nov 9th 2009 11:00AM
This to me, was the indie game developers' news of the year. Very excited to hear that Epic has released UE3 to the community. So excited, I wrote up a blog post on it here:
http://jaytheblogger.com/2009/11/06/epics-udk-announcement/
Seriously, I think this is game changing!
Thanks EPIC!!
Jay "the Blogger"