Joystiq

Oculus Rift dev kit includes access to free Oculus version of Unreal Development Kit

JC Fletcher — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:30:00 EST

To help Oculus Rift developer kit owners develop things, Oculus will give a custom version of the Unreal Development Kit to everyone who has purchased the VR goggles. It will be released through the Oculus Developer Center in April. The UDK will include a VR-enhanced version of the Epic Citadel demo.

Even if you don't have an Oculus, you'll be able to develop games for its stereoscopic display, as all full source licensees of Unreal Engine 3 will be provided with code to integrate Oculus support into UE3. Oculus is now part of Epic's "UE3 Integrated Partners Program." Of course, if you're developing for Oculus without an Oculus, we don't know how you'll test the 3D. Perhaps scoot two monitors right up into your face?

Continue reading Oculus Rift dev kit includes access to free Oculus version of Unreal Development Kit

Oculus Rift dev kit includes access to free Oculus version of Unreal Development Kit originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RealD tech heightens 3D programming on Unreal Engine 3

Jessica Conditt — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:15:00 EST

Epic is broadening Unreal Engine 3's stereoscopic 3D capabilities, with RealD technology now available to any users in Epic's paid licensing program and to users of the Unreal Development Kit, the free version of the Unreal Engine 3 toolkit. The RealD update is included in today's May 2012 UDK Beta download.

RealD allows developers to render PC and console games in stereoscopic 3D, with camera separation and 3D depth effects rendered in real-time, among other features. The first Unreal Engine 3 title to use RealD is Seamless Entertainment's SOL: Exodus, which received an update on Steam today to include 3D effects.

Unreal Engine 3 first received stereoscopic 3D capabilities in 2010 with TriOviz. TriOviz was used in Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition, Arkham City, Thor: God of Thunder and Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.

RealD is used in many other high-profile 3D endeavors, including films such as The Avengers, and the forthcoming titles Prometheus and The Amazing Spider-Man.

RealD tech heightens 3D programming on Unreal Engine 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 May 2012 21:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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C&C: Renegade remake Renegade X: Black Dawn deploys tomorrow

David Hinkle — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:00:00 EST

Here at Joystiq, we pride ourselves on being inside your mind, knowing what it wants, knowing what it thinks. We're like a somewhat creepier, less linguistic Babel Fish. The one thing your brain has been demanding is an updated version of 2002's Command & Conquer: Renegade.

We'd like to bring to your attention Renengade X: Black Dawn, a "spiritual successor" created by fans at Totem Arts. Tomorrow, the group will release the full single-player "mini-campaign," which was built in the Unreal Development Kit, and later Totem Arts plans to release a new multiplayer installment using the UDK.

In its current form, Renegade X is an updated version of the original game's multiplayer, made in Unreal Tournament 3, and has been playable for some time. If you want to partake, you'll need to own a copy of Unreal Tournament 3 with the latest updates.

Or, you know, just wait a day.

[Thanks, ssjChris!]

C&C: Renegade remake Renegade X: Black Dawn deploys tomorrow originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unreal Engine 3 comes to Mac OS X, courtesy of September UDK release

Christopher Grant — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 23:50:00 EST

A scant four years after announcing Gears of War and Unreal Tournament 3 were coming to Mac OS X, Epic has finally renewed its enthusiasm for the Mac with the announcement of native Unreal Engine 3 support, courtesy of the free-to-use Unreal Development Kit. "Every UDK game's potential user base has increased dramatically yet again," the announcement reads, promising a previews of the engine's Mac OS support in the September 2011 UDK release.

Considering Epic's high-profile support of Apple's Mac OS X-derived mobile operating system iOS, not to mention consistent Mac support from developers like Valve and Blizzard, Epic's entry in the space is hardly unexpected. But Mac support from Unreal Engine should extend far beyond Epic's own games; as one of the most popular development environments in existence, today's announcement (coupled with viable markets like Steam and the Mac OS App Store) should help UE-based developers reach an entirely new audience.

Unreal Engine 3 comes to Mac OS X, courtesy of September UDK release originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Sep 2011 23:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mark Rein: Unreal Development Kit 'eventually' coming to Android

David Hinkle — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 02:30:00 EST

Budding Android developers looking to utilize Epic's free Unreal Development Kit know it's still in the works for the platform. Of course, that's not to say the Unreal Engine itself isn't being used on Android -- Dungeon Defenders is perhaps the most visible Unreal Engine 3-powered game on the mobile OS, though a recent deal between Epic and Gameloft ensures that won't be the case for long. Companies can currently license UE3 code to develop Android games, though Epic VP Mark Rein told Gamasutra that "UDK is a totally different story."

"It'd be difficult for anybody right now to make a game with UDK and ship it on Android, because Unreal is for making high-end, high-quality-content games," Rein said, adding, "most of them are pretty large, because you can make a large game with it." Thus, Google's current 50mb limit for apps is kind of a problem, though it's one Epic and Google are looking to resolve.

"UDK will come eventually to Android, and Google is going to solve that problem," Rein assured. "We know they're working on it, but we don't know the release date and we don't know when it will get into the hands of all the different vendors with all the different phones."

Mark Rein: Unreal Development Kit 'eventually' coming to Android originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Epic to show new Unreal Engine 3 updates at GDC, raises UDK royalty-free threshold to $50K

David Hinkle — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:30:00 EST

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.

Epic to show new Unreal Engine 3 updates at GDC, raises UDK royalty-free threshold to $50K originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UDK out for iOS, Epic demonstrates with Jazz Jackrabbit [update: video!]

JC Fletcher — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 11:45:00 EST

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: Jazz Jackrabbit (iOS UDK)

Continue reading UDK out for iOS, Epic demonstrates with Jazz Jackrabbit [update: video!]

UDK out for iOS, Epic demonstrates with Jazz Jackrabbit [update: video!] originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unreal Development Kit getting iOS support this week

David Hinkle — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 20:00:00 EST

Don't just sit there and marvel at Infinity Blade's Unreal-powered splendor on your phone -- imitate it! In just a few days, budding iOS developers will be able to conjure up some of that visual voodoo of their own using the Unreal Development Kit.

Currently free for non-commercial use, UDK will be updated this Thursday, December 16, to add iOS support to the tools suite, reports The Wall Street Journal. Epic's VP and co-founder, Mark Rein, also confirmed the date via Twitter.

Of course, those professionals looking to use the UDK for commercial purposes must factor in the $99 licensing fee paid to Epic, as well as 25 percent of royalties (after the first $5,000 in sales) from sales of any Unreal-developed titles. Add in Apple's 30-percent cut and, uh-huh, your "get rich quick" scheme is starting to get a little expensive ...

Unreal Development Kit getting iOS support this week originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unreal Engine 3 overview video touts new visual effects

David Hinkle — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:30:00 EST

Directional light shafts, color grading and cascaded shadow maps may seem like gobbledygook to most of us, but to developers, they're important. At least Epic thinks these terms for Unreal Engine 3 features are important enough to use as selling points. Just past the break, you can check out a new video demonstration of the tech.

Additionally, Epic has released a new beta version of its free Unreal Engine 3 UDK today, now featuring an additional map and "many improvements to the Unreal Editor." If you'd like to grab it, head on over to the official site.

Continue reading Unreal Engine 3 overview video touts new visual effects

Unreal Engine 3 overview video touts new visual effects originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fan-made Duke Nukem 3D remake green-lighted by Gearbox

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:20:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Project lead Frederik "Fresch" Schreiber has received a non-commercial license to proceed with Duke Nukem: Next-Gen, his Unreal Engine 3-powered Duke Nukem 3D remake. Fresch secured the license in just under three weeks after his first announcement -- a credit to rights holder Gearbox's openness to share the franchise with the community -- and has aleady assembled a team of nine other contributors (though he is still "hiring" for a number of positions).

Fresch, who abandoned similar "next-gen" remakes of Daikatana (too unpopular) and SIN (shut down by MumboJumbo), has plans to release a public multiplayer demo of Duke Nukem: Next-Gen "sooner than you think." Of course, the full version will be released "when it's done" -- and he notes that "Duke Nukem: Next-Gen" is, wisely, just a codename.

Check out the freeware project's first test video after the break.

Continue reading Fan-made Duke Nukem 3D remake green-lighted by Gearbox

Fan-made Duke Nukem 3D remake green-lighted by Gearbox originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unreal dev kit adding iOS support, Epic Citadel downloaded 1 million times

Christopher Grant — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Well, that didn't take long. Less than a week after Apple announced that it would "relax" some of its iOS restrictions, allowing the use of third-party app creation tools, among other things, comes the following announcement from Epic Games, straight out of the Korea Games Conference: "We announced UDK will be able to generate iOS applications!"

To translate for you quickly: Independent iPhone developers will soon be able to use the freely available Unreal Development Kit - which Epic also announced has 350,000 installations to its name - to create graphically lush mobile apps. If you're looking for an example of that graphical potential, check out the Epic Citadel tech demo, first revealed at this month's Apple press conference. With over one million downloads (another figure shared today!), we wouldn't be surprised if you already have.

But you probably haven't seen Dungeon Defenders, a title whose developer has taken the jump from UDK novice to Unreal Engine 3 licensee, and all the commercial benefits that entails. You can see a video of the game running on both the iPhone and Android platforms after the break, but it's also in development for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network.

We're pretty excited to see the strength of Unreal Engine married to the diversity and quantity of the new breed of mobile gaming marketplaces, iOS and Android included.

Gallery: Epic Citadel ('Project Sword' tech demo)

Continue reading Unreal dev kit adding iOS support, Epic Citadel downloaded 1 million times

Unreal dev kit adding iOS support, Epic Citadel downloaded 1 million times originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Epic's free Unreal Development Kit adds Steamworks

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 26 May 2010 05:00:00 EST

Epic has released an update to its Unreal Development Kit (UDK), the free version of Unreal Engine 3. The update includes a host of new features, but one of the most significant additions is support for Steamworks. According to the changelog, Steam has become the default online system for UDK and will handle online functions like friends, matchmaking and server browsing.

The update also adds Scaleform GFx, which allows game creators to build attractive user interfaces. You can check out a video of Scaleform GFx in action after the break. Head over to Shacknews for the full list of new UDK tweaks.

Continue reading Epic's free Unreal Development Kit adds Steamworks

Epic's free Unreal Development Kit adds Steamworks originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 May 2010 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Half-Life 2 mod Age of Chivalry becomes commercial Unreal game

David Hinkle — Fri, 21 May 2010 00:00:00 EST

Those of you entrenched in the Source mod community may recall Age of Chivalry, a Half-Life 2 mod set in medieval times. It gained a following, and now developer Team Chivalry has announced a new project: Chivalry: Battle for Agatha. This time around, however, Team Chivalry is ditching Source and going with Epic's Unreal Development Kit to build the latest version of its fantasy world.

Right now, there's no word on when the game will be released, but Team Chivalry is looking for alpha testers. If you're interested, check out this post on the forums.

Gallery: Chivalry: Battle for Agatha

[Via Shacknews]

Half-Life 2 mod Age of Chivalry becomes commercial Unreal game originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 May 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Make Something Unreal winners announced

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:15:00 EST

Epic has announced the winners of its Make Something Unreal contest, in which several teams competed to create the best mod of Unreal Tournament 3 using the recently released -- and free -- Unreal Development Kit. The winner of the contest of the contest is the team led by Michael 'Hegi' Hegemann for its title The Haunted. A third-person survival horror action game, The Haunted looks something like a Wild West version of Left 4 Dead. As the winner of the contest, the team will receive $50,000 and a commercial license for the Unreal Engine, meaning the team can actually release an Unreal Engine title as a commercial product.

Assuming the team chooses to make The Haunted a retail product -- complete with what can only be described as a portable zombie blender -- consider us pumped. See the full list of Make Something Unreal winners, courtesy of Big Download, after the break. Also be sure to visit the Make Something Unreal website, where you can download all of the winning entries.

Update: As some commenters have pointed out, the team responsible for The Haunted is not ModDB -- which hosts the mod -- but rather an unnamed team headed by Michael 'Hegi' Hegemann. The information has been corrected in the above post. The team's work can be seen at hells-reach.com. Joystiq apologizes for the error.

Gallery: The Haunted (UT3 mod)

Continue reading Make Something Unreal winners announced

Make Something Unreal winners announced originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free Unreal Dev Kit already has over 50K users

Xav de Matos — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

Epic Games announced that the free version of its Unreal Engine 3 development kit (UDK) has surpassed 50,000 downloads since it was released to the public last week. The UDK -- which affords developers the opportunity to create non-commercial games, or titles for sale with a royalty sharing option with the company -- has been downloaded in over 130 countries and 4,500 cities across the world, according to information Epic provided to news site Develop.

Epic vice president Mark Rein was "thrilled" the studio was able to provide the tools to schools and students, allowing them to use the same tool used by "many of the top game developers and publishers around the world." We're excited to see what the community can do with the tools, considering the issues certain teams have had with the engine in the past. Currently the tools only allow budding developers to create software for the PC.

Free Unreal Dev Kit already has over 50K users originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unreal Development Kit brings Unreal Engine development to the masses

Christopher Grant — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:10:00 EST

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.

Gallery: Unreal Development Kit (UDK)

Continue reading Unreal Development Kit brings Unreal Engine development to the masses

Unreal Development Kit brings Unreal Engine development to the masses originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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