Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Unreal Engine 3 now on Windows 8 and Windows RT]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/29/unreal-engine-3-now-on-windows-8-and-windows-rt/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/29/unreal-engine-3-now-on-windows-8-and-windows-rt/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/29/unreal-engine-3-now-on-windows-8-and-windows-rt/#comments Unreal Engine 3 now on Windows 8 and Windows RTIf you still have the capacity to be surprised by learning that Unreal Engine 3 now runs on a new thing, prepare to be surprised. Unreal Engine 3 now runs on both Windows 8 and Windows RT, Epic has announced. It's not exactly shocking that Epic's workhorse engine is on Windows 8, though the news is certainly good for anyone looking at the upcoming line of Windows RT tablets.

Epic showcased the engine running on just such a tablet, the Asus Vivo Tab RT, which you can see in the video above. The demo in question is "Epic Citadel," which was first used to showcase UE3 on the iPhone back in 2010. Epic VP Mark Rein noted that this is the full Unreal Engine 3, using the "full DirectX 9 pipeline, with shaders and materials," and not a "modified mobile version"

Continue reading Unreal Engine 3 now on Windows 8 and Windows RT

JoystiqUnreal Engine 3 now on Windows 8 and Windows RT originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>asus-vivo-tab-rtepicepic-citadelmobilepcue3unreal-engineunreal-engine-3windows-8windows-8-rtWed, 29 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Square working on original, Unreal-powered action RPG]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/29/square-working-on-original-unreal-powered-action-rpg/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/29/square-working-on-original-unreal-powered-action-rpg/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/29/square-working-on-original-unreal-powered-action-rpg/#comments It's still going to be a little while before "real" news shakes out, but some details were recently revealed in Famitsu (via Andriasang) about one of Square Enix's upcoming Unreal Engine games. The project will be an original (meaning not Final Fantasy nor Dragon Quest) action RPG under the direction of Ryutaro Ichimura (Dragon Quest 8 and 9).

Ichimura told Famitsu that the game's staff traveled for two years and conducted user surveys to research art and gameplay direction. With the basic concept complete, the team is now looking to grow beyond the staff of 35 and begin production.

(Pictured: Square's UE3-powered The Last Remnant)

JoystiqSquare working on original, Unreal-powered action RPG originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftpcplaystationps3Square-EnixUE3Unreal-Engine-3xboxTue, 29 Nov 2011 18:33:00 EST<![CDATA[Unreal Engine 3 comes to Mac OS X, courtesy of September UDK release]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/19/unreal-engine-3-comes-to-mac-os-x-courtesy-of-september-udk-rel/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/19/unreal-engine-3-comes-to-mac-os-x-courtesy-of-september-udk-rel/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/19/unreal-engine-3-comes-to-mac-os-x-courtesy-of-september-udk-rel/#comments 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.

JoystiqUnreal 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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Epic-GamesGears-Of-WarmacMac-OS-XUDKUE3Unreal-EngineUnreal-Engine-3Mon, 19 Sep 2011 23:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Epic's Unreal Engine makes grass look epic for real, come see]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/01/epics-unreal-engine-makes-grass-look-epic-for-real-come-see/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/01/epics-unreal-engine-makes-grass-look-epic-for-real-come-see/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/01/epics-unreal-engine-makes-grass-look-epic-for-real-come-see/#comments Epic Games is showing off its gardening skills with a new in-game landscape screenshot, and the plants in it look so real it's like, unreal, guys. Because the name of the engine is also ... forget it.

Epic's Unreal Engine 3 produced the picture, which was tweeted by PR manager Dana Cowley. Cowley said the screen is real-time in-game footage, but it looks more like a highly-detailed Bob Ross paint-along. The blades of grass are just so happy. If Unreal 3 can make foliage look this fabulous when it's in motion too, we think players will all be just as pleased as Mr. Ross' little trees.

JoystiqEpic's Unreal Engine makes grass look epic for real, come see originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Dana-Cowleyepicepic-gamesmicrosoftpcplaystationps3ue3unreal-engine-3xboxFri, 01 Jul 2011 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Mark Rein: If 3DS could 'deliver' Unreal Engine 3, we'd be on it]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/mark-rein-if-3ds-could-deliver-unreal-engine-3-wed-be-on-it/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/mark-rein-if-3ds-could-deliver-unreal-engine-3-wed-be-on-it/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/mark-rein-if-3ds-could-deliver-unreal-engine-3-wed-be-on-it/#comments Unreal Engine on Nintendo 3DS Mark Rein is getting a little tired of "the 3DS question" but, alas, my journalistic instincts demanded I ask him once again. With the launch of Nintendo's handheld right around the corner, it seemed like a prudent inquiry.

"Why do people keep asking about the platforms we don't love?" he asked me in an interview room at the back of Epic's booth on the GDC show floor. "Nothing's changed," he added, "There's only so much time in the day; our engine requires a certain level of hardware capabilities to make our pipeline, our tools work -- and we work on the ones that do. The second Nintendo releases a piece of hardware that can run our engine well, we'll be on it like water on fish."

For Rein, it's not a beef with Nintendo -- he's actually fond of The House Mario Built and has multiple handhelds and Wiis in his home. "There's nothing against Nintendo. I hate that people somehow think that's the case," he said. "If we felt it could run [Unreal Engine] and deliver the kind of experience people license our technology to build, we'd be on [the 3DS]." Well then, guess we won't ask Santa for that 3D version of Infinity Blade we've been dreaming of.

JoystiqMark Rein: If 3DS could 'deliver' Unreal Engine 3, we'd be on it originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsdsEpic-Gamesmark-reinnintendoUE3unreal-engine-3Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:05:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC: This is what Unreal Engine 3 on iPhone looks like]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/10/this-is-what-unreal-engine-3-on-iphone-looks-like/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/10/this-is-what-unreal-engine-3-on-iphone-looks-like/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/10/this-is-what-unreal-engine-3-on-iphone-looks-like/#comments
Unreal Engine 3 on the iPhone ... it looked better in person!
While we've yet to see Unreal Engine 3 ported to Nintendo's Wii or Sony's PSP, Epic did undertake the considerable task of squeezing its seemingly ubiquitous middleware platform onto Apple's similarly ubiquitous iPhone. According to Epic's Josh Adams - Epic Games' senior console programmer - that could be due to fundamental hardware limitations in the other platforms. You see, the iPhone 3GS has a PowerVR SGX graphics processor which supports programmable shaders. According to Adams, "Programmable shaders are something UE3 is pretty much dependent on."

Though you're probably most familiar with Unreal Engine on Windows, Xbox 360, and PS3, Adams says the engine also runs on Nvidia's Tegra 2 platform, on Linux, and on Mac, though (Adams notes) "we haven't shipped any games on those platforms yet." Adams says the iPhone port was "a fun 'Can we get UE3 onto the iPhone?' kind of project." Though Adams' presentation was exceptionally technical - this is the Game Developers Conference, after all! - it's fascinating to hear about the technical underpinnings and workflows that result in this type of outcome.

Continue reading GDC: This is what Unreal Engine 3 on iPhone looks like

JoystiqGDC: This is what Unreal Engine 3 on iPhone looks like originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AppleEpicEpic-GamesGDC-2010iPodJosh-AdamsUE3Unreal-EngineUnreal-Engine-3Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Epic's Mark Rein 'very excited' about the iPad's possibilities]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/29/epics-mark-rein-very-excited-about-the-ipads-possibilities/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/29/epics-mark-rein-very-excited-about-the-ipads-possibilities/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/29/epics-mark-rein-very-excited-about-the-ipads-possibilities/#comments Sure, it might resemble a large iPod Touch to some of us, but to the folks who get paid the big bucks to make games -- such as Epic Games VP Mark Rein -- the iPad looks like opportunity. Speaking to Gamasutra at this week's big unveiling event, Rein said "I really like the device and I think it's going to be great for gaming." And considering his company's Unreal Engine 3 is popping textures in and out of view on the iPhone already, it's no surprise that he said it's a "pretty safe assumption" to bet that the engine will make its way to the iPad.

Like the iPhone game developers we spoke with yesterday (and our own wishes for what we'd like to see on the device), Rein hopes that devs will "take advantage of the differentiated form factor of the device." And hey, with all that extra screen space, we have to imagine that at least a quarter of Marcus Fenix's enormous husk is now able to fit into view! It's called innovation, folks, ya dig?

JoystiqEpic's Mark Rein 'very excited' about the iPad's possibilities originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Appledevelopmentepic-gamesipadiPodmarcus-fenixmark-reinue3unreal-engine-3Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[On eve of Too Human launch, Epic dispute resurfaces]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/on-eve-of-too-human-launch-epic-dispute-resurfaces/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/on-eve-of-too-human-launch-epic-dispute-resurfaces/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/on-eve-of-too-human-launch-epic-dispute-resurfaces/#commentsFiled under: ,

It's been quite awhile since we've heard anything about the Silicon Knights and Epic Games lawsuit -- we last reported on it in January 2008 and were all prepared to make jokes about the lawsuit being on the cusp of vaporware like Duke Nukem Forever is and Too Human was. Thankfully, our curiosity has been rewarded; on the eve of the latter game's launch, Silicon Knights President Denis Dyack managed to put the legal proceedings back into the limelight.

In an interview with Develop, Dyack said that the trial is proceeding and that he was confident in his claims. "We're hopeful that justice will be done. We all feel really strongly that [Epic Games has] defrauded us, and a major portion of the industry," he said.

To recap: In late July 2007, Silicon Knights filed a lawsuit against Epic Games over what it felt was inadequate support for its Unreal Engine 3, thus harming development of Too Human. Epic responded and filed a countersuit. In November, Epic's motion for dismissal was denied. In January 2008, multiple subpoenas were issued to other UE3 licensees. As for Too Human's involvement, we'll be keeping a mental tally of how many reviews mention the lawsuit.

JoystiqOn eve of Too Human launch, Epic dispute resurfaces originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>denis-dyackEpic-Gamessilicon-knightstoo-humanue3unreal-engineunreal-engine-3Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Bourne Conspiracy devs lament PS3's Unreal Engine problems]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/14/bourne-conspiracy-devs-lament-ps3s-unreal-engine-problems/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/14/bourne-conspiracy-devs-lament-ps3s-unreal-engine-problems/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/14/bourne-conspiracy-devs-lament-ps3s-unreal-engine-problems/#commentsFiled under:

High Moon, the developers behind the upcoming book-gone-movie-gone-game title, The Bourne Conspiracy, is on the ever-growing list of teams struggling with the Unreal Engine and PS3. Their VP, Paul O'Connor, spoke to Gamasutra about PS3 and how the Unreal Engine was working out for them on the platform. He admitted: "We needed a lot of support on Unreal to make it run on the PlayStation 3. We got caught in the same crunch as everybody else when [Epic] finalized Gears Of War, so that definitely slowed down the PS3 support at the time."

It's not all bad news, as he goes on to praise what the team has managed to do with the PS3 and says the game is about ready to go through the pipeline. High Moon had to use a lot of their own toolset, though, saying while the Unreal Engine 3 is a great toolset, for the PS3, they needed to bring out their own stuff as well. This problem has been plaguing many Unreal developers, and is at the root of a lawsuit brought on by Too Human developer, Silicon Knights.

JoystiqBourne Conspiracy devs lament PS3's Unreal Engine problems originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 14 Mar 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bourne-conspiracyhigh-moonthe-bourne-conspiracyue3unrealunreal-engine-3Fri, 14 Mar 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC08: Mova's Steve Perlman talks Contour facial capture]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/21/gdc08-movas-steve-perlman-talks-contour-facial-capture/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/21/gdc08-movas-steve-perlman-talks-contour-facial-capture/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/21/gdc08-movas-steve-perlman-talks-contour-facial-capture/#commentsFiled under:


Remember that video of the Contour facial capture technology we posted the other day? We sent out the Mahalo Daily crew - and their host, the lovely Veronica Belmont - to speak with Steve Perlman, founder and president of Mova, the creators of Contour. Catch up on Contour at Mahalo, and check out their GDC presentation after the break.

Continue reading GDC08: Mova's Steve Perlman talks Contour facial capture

JoystiqGDC08: Mova's Steve Perlman talks Contour facial capture originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ContourGDCGDC08MovaSteve-PerlmanUE3Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:00:00 EST<![CDATA[2K invests heavily in Unreal Engine 3]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/12/2k-invests-heavy-into-unreal-engine-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/12/2k-invests-heavy-into-unreal-engine-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/12/2k-invests-heavy-into-unreal-engine-3/#commentsFiled under:


Despite the issues some developers may be having, Epic keeps finding customers more than happy to stuff the engine maker's mattresses with hundreds of thousands (millions?) of dollars for an Unreal Engine 3 license. Epic's cash deluge continues today with 2K Games' announcement that it's entering into a licensing deal to use UE3 for various unannounced games.

2K Games' president stated the company has been happy with UE3 because it "enables games to perform exceptionally well on both console and the PC" and that, with Epic's support, they plan to continue producing "world-class" titles. While there's no word on what these unannounced games may be, 2K is currently on a development bender with Mafia II, Prizefighter, some sort of BioShock follow-up, the mysterious project at 2K Marin, and a few others in production

Joystiq2K invests heavily in Unreal Engine 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2k-games2kgamesue3unreal-engine-3unrealengine3Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PS3 responsible for Turok delay]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/10/ps3-responsible-for-turok-delay/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/10/ps3-responsible-for-turok-delay/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/10/ps3-responsible-for-turok-delay/#commentsFiled under:

How are you enjoying playing Turok? (Don't answer that truthfully, peoples' feelings could be hurt!) Were you aware that you were supposed to be playing it around November of last year? That's when it was originally scheduled to be released, at least. Unfortunately Propaganda Games had some trouble getting the quality of the PS3 version up to scratch, so the game was delayed to earlier this month. Similar delays occurred with other UE3 powered games last year, though none were pushed back as far as 2008.

We're expecting Sony to receive a nice "Thankyou!" hamper from Turok's developers any time now. All joking aside though, with the amount of games that were released during the last quarter of 2007, especially shooters, Turok would've been swallowed up and ignored. No doubt the game is receiving far better sales now than it could have in November, considering it has the entire month of February to itself with regards to the first person shooter market. Epic have gone on record to say that the engine is now fully optimised for the PS3 (and has been since UTIII was released, so this should be the last delay of this type that we see. Hopefully.

[Via Joystiq]

JoystiqPS3 responsible for Turok delay originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 10 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>delaypropaganda-gamesturokUE3Unreal-engine-3Sun, 10 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[American McGee announces next 'twisted tale' project after Grimm]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/04/american-mcgee-announces-next-twisted-tale-project-after-grimm/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/04/american-mcgee-announces-next-twisted-tale-project-after-grimm/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/04/american-mcgee-announces-next-twisted-tale-project-after-grimm/#commentsFiled under: ,


We're not sure what it is about American McGee that makes him so fascinated about putting dark spins on Western tales. The former id Software developer and Electronic Arts' consultant found his niche in 2000 with Alice, though since that release he's done little to make us believe that his name slapped on the front of a game's box carries any more weight than the UPC code on the back.

His latest project is a morose 24-episode take on the Brothers Grimm in development at McGee's Shanghai studio Spicy Horse, a project that according to a blog post by McGee is halfway completed. Excited, the developer has let the proverbial cat out of the equally proverbial bag by confirming work on another project. While details are light, McGee writes that the game will be built on Epic's UE3 engine, and is a "big publisher, multi-platform, twisted tale project." This of course makes us think that McGee will once again be paying a visit to the children's section of the local library in search of inspiration. Might we suggest Winnie the Pooh, as nothing is quite as frighting as a vicious bear that's rumbly in his tumbly.

[via Gamasutra]

JoystiqAmerican McGee announces next 'twisted tale' project after Grimm originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aliceamerican mcgeeAmericanMcgeegrimmPCue3unreal engine 3UnrealEngine3Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:25:00 EST<![CDATA[UE3 devs subpoenaed in SK / Epic suit]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/24/ue3-devs-subpoenaed-in-sk-epic-suit/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/24/ue3-devs-subpoenaed-in-sk-epic-suit/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/24/ue3-devs-subpoenaed-in-sk-epic-suit/#commentsFiled under: ,


Shacknews reports that subpoenas have been served to several Unreal Engine 3 liscensess in a lawsuit against Epic games, filed by Silicon Knights last year. The subpoenas have been served in order to acquire the liscensees' engine contracts as evidence in the upcoming trial. Specific liscensees are not named, though known liscensees include Square Enix, Ubisoft, 2K Boston/Australia, EA, and the US Army.

Mark Rein, Epic VP, stated, "I'm leaving the litigation to the lawyers but, if this is the case, I'd like to apologize to any of our licensees who Silicon Knights have inconvenienced." And inconvenienced they may be. If submitted as unsealed evidence, the contents of the contracts could become public record, allowing anyone access to the trade secrets therein. Epic's lawyers can move to seal the documents if this turns out to be the case.

The lawsuit was filed last July, with Silicon Knights claiming that Epic did not deliver final code for the Unreal Engine 3 on time, thus hampering the development of Too Human. The company further asserted that Epic purposefully sabotaged UE3 liscensees while promoting its own products such as Gears of War. Epic later filed a counterclaim and a motion to have the case dismissed. The motion was denied in November last year and both suits will come to trial.

[Via Joystiq]

JoystiqUE3 devs subpoenaed in SK / Epic suit originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>epicepic-gamessilicon-knightstoo-humanue3unreal-engine-3Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Silicon Knights makes motion to dismiss Epic counterclaim]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/14/silicon-knights-makes-motion-to-dismiss-epic-counterclaim/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/14/silicon-knights-makes-motion-to-dismiss-epic-counterclaim/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/14/silicon-knights-makes-motion-to-dismiss-epic-counterclaim/#commentsFiled under: ,


Can't we all just get along? The lawsuit between Silicon Knights and Epic heats up again as the Too Human developer has filed a motion to dismiss Epic's counter-suit. In the paperwork obtained by Next-Gen, Silicon Knights' attorneys take apart piece by piece Epic's counterclaim that Silicon Knights stole Epic's technology from the Unreal Engine 3 to create (well, technically we should say develop 'cause it isn't done) Too Human.

SK's lawyers say that Epic's interpretation of an "operable" engine under the license they signed is that Epic could deliver nothing in return for SK's payments, which is what they alleged happened. They also say that Epic's claim that it's in their best interest to support UE3 licensees is a fallacy because "the profits Epic assured for itself by having Gears of War as the marquee title for the Xbox 360 dwarf any gain Epic would receive from Silicon Knights purchasing a subsequent licenses for the Engine." No word yet when a judge will rule on the motion to dismiss.

It's all looking too bad for SK really. The success of BioShock and Ken Levine's own words on the matter of the UE3 show that working with a cutting-edge engine is tough, but that's the path you walk with (at the time starting development) an unproven engine. Epic may have screwed SK, but as more games come out using the UE3, it just seems to highlight SK's ineptitude to manipulate the technology like everyone else seems to have had to do.

JoystiqSilicon Knights makes motion to dismiss Epic counterclaim originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 14 Sep 2007 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>epiclawsuitreintoohumanue3Xbox-360Fri, 14 Sep 2007 18:10:00 EST<![CDATA[BioShock's helping hand to Unreal Engine 3's image]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/29/bioshocks-helping-hand-to-unreal-engine-3s-image/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/29/bioshocks-helping-hand-to-unreal-engine-3s-image/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/29/bioshocks-helping-hand-to-unreal-engine-3s-image/#comments
If any company is going to benefit from the success of BioShock, beyond 2K Boston and Take-Two, it's Epic with their embattled Unreal Engine 3. BioShock has brought very public redemption and good press to the UE3 due to 2K Boston's phenomenal use of the tech. This hasn't gone unnoticed by Epic's Mark Rein who says, "We like to think we set a high bar with our own games, but more importantly we give our licensees the opportunity to take what we've done and do something even better with it ... There are a lot more great titles coming from our licensees as well and we're very proud of what is being accomplished and the helping role we get to play in their success."

2K Boston's Ken Levine didn't wimp out on talking about their issues with the UE3 during our interview with him. Levine said, "Of course, it's an engine, engine's are always a bear. Developing games is really hard, I think the mistake that a company like Epic might make is to say, 'Oh yeah, it's simple, we give you the engine and you go do it fellas, it'll be a breeze.' Development is hard, it gives you a leg up, but if you don't have a great technology team you're going to run into trouble. Even if you have a great technology team you can run into trouble." Although the exact contractual issues regarding Silicon Knights' license with Epic are something for the court to decide, SK's inability to get Too Human working with the UE3 looks pretty awkward in the court of public opinion in the wake of BioShock.

JoystiqBioShock's helping hand to Unreal Engine 3's image originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Aug 2007 12:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bioshockpcps3reintoohumanue3unrealtournament3xbox360Wed, 29 Aug 2007 12:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Unreal Tournament 3 gets no demo on PS3, PC in the clear]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/28/unreal-tournament-3-gets-no-demo-on-ps3-pc-in-the-clear/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/28/unreal-tournament-3-gets-no-demo-on-ps3-pc-in-the-clear/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/28/unreal-tournament-3-gets-no-demo-on-ps3-pc-in-the-clear/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


There will be a PC demo for Epic's Unreal Tournament 3 before the game's release in November, but the PS3 version is just out of luck. Epic VP Mark Rein told Eurogamer that it's like what they told Microsoft when they wanted a Gears of War demo, "You've got a choice - you can have the demo this year or the game this year."

Rein emphasized once again that Epic is not a huge company, a reason given by Sony for sending in their ninja engineers to help get UT3 out the door on time. Rein say the PC demo will end up being a beta, giving programmers feedback to fix the game before launch. The Xbox 360 version is expected early next year -- it'll definitely be interesting to see how the whole multiplayer situation looks between PSN and Xbox Live. We're definitely expecting some phenomenal complaining about which handles multiplayer better regarding ease of use. Unless the Xbox FPS fanboys are still focused on playing Halo 3 multiplayer at that point.

JoystiqUnreal Tournament 3 gets no demo on PS3, PC in the clear originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 28 Aug 2007 12:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>demopcps3reinue3unrealtournament3ut2Xbox-360xbox360Tue, 28 Aug 2007 12:43:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq interviews BioShock's Ken Levine about success and harvesting Little Sisters]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/24/joystiq-interviews-bioshocks-ken-levine-about-success-and-harve/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/24/joystiq-interviews-bioshocks-ken-levine-about-success-and-harve/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/24/joystiq-interviews-bioshocks-ken-levine-about-success-and-harve/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Earlier we posted some choice moments from our interview with BioShock's Lead Designer Ken Levine. Below is the full interview. There's more depth on the tech issues Irrational experienced, Levine's ability (or lack of) to harvest Little Sisters, their experience with the Unreal Engine 3 and an awkward moment about BioShock 2.

OK, so what did you want to talk about today in regards to these PC issues on BioShock?

Given the internets and what they are -- with their tubes and all -- I want to sort of talk about the concerns people have. We take the concerns people have very seriously. There's been some concern like, "What happens if it's three years from now, or ten years from now, when I want to play this game. And, you know, Irrational Games has been hit by a meteor?" We will unset the online activation at some point in the future -- we're not talking about when. If people have concern about that they shouldn't be worried about that. This activation is for the early period of the game when it's really hot and there are people really trying to find ways to play the game without buying it. Of course, there are a lot of people who are legitimately trying to play it. We're not trying to be Draconian, we're trying to find a balance.

Now, let's see if we can put this in the simplest terms, this screen thing has taken on a whole life of its own. The game was designed for widescreen. Instead of doing the normal thing and just chopping off the sides for full screen, you actually added more to the top and bottom so full screen people wouldn't lose anything from the sides -- a very nice thing to do actually. Thus, infuriating the PC owners and almost anyone else with widescreen because how dare you not give them more to see like they're used to. So, now this patch will add in the stuff to the side of the full screen. So, in essence, to use a visual term, this patch just zooms the camera out a little bit to appease PC widescreen owners to give the option of increased field of vision?

We started the game widescreen. We primarily designed it for widescreen. Then we had to ask, "How do we make it full screen." Your options are to put black bars at the top and bottom, keep same width perspective. Or you allow to ... add pixels to the top and the bottom if you can afford the frame rate -- we could. So the call was made to show those few more pixels. Now this is one of those things when you're making a game -- like I was making a game -- honestly, if somebody came from the future and told me this was an issue I would have laughed at them. I would have said, "Are you kidding me?" But that's what's interesting about gamers, they're an interesting and diverse group. Now that I know that there's this huge contingent out there that actually really cares about this, I wouldn't have laughed at them because they're stupid, I would have laughed because I couldn't have imagined that people are passionate about this. And now that we know they're passionate, we have a responsibility to respond to those people and give them what they want. It's their game, they paid money for it, they should be able to play in the way they want to play. We may disagree with them aesthetically, but sure, we'll make a patch and make if work for them.

Continue reading Joystiq interviews BioShock's Ken Levine about success and harvesting Little Sisters

JoystiqJoystiq interviews BioShock's Ken Levine about success and harvesting Little Sisters originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Aug 2007 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bioshockbioshock2harvestinginterviewkenlevinelevinelittlesisterPCue3Xbox-360Fri, 24 Aug 2007 18:15:00 EST<![CDATA[2K responds to BioShock PC copy protection issue, ignores PS3 code mention]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/22/2k-responds-to-bioshock-pc-copy-protection-issue-and-ignores-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/22/2k-responds-to-bioshock-pc-copy-protection-issue-and-ignores-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/22/2k-responds-to-bioshock-pc-copy-protection-issue-and-ignores-ps3/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


After watching developers trying to get BioShock up and running (pictured) at the launch party, and listening to a fair share of Vista complaining -- this BioShock copy protection issue is just another straw on the camel's back of fear in meddling with anything that requires a beyond up-to-date PC rig in the Vista era. 2K has calmed the copy protection issue saying simply "the only people who will be concerned about any of these security measures are those who are rapidly putting BioShock on many PCs."

Another little tidbit found is that the PC version of BioShock mentions the PS3 in the PC demo code. Currently the game is only confirmed for the PC and Xbox 360, which we're sure sits very well for Microsoft given the buzz and acclaim. We also know that Microsoft isn't afraid to buy exclusive content, specifically with Take-Two. So even if this is leftover code for a PS3 version, that project may have been unceremoniously squashed many fathoms ago -- but there is no way to know at this point if this code is leftover by 2K Boston or Epic in their Unreal Engine 3. Take-Two will not even comment on this issue, and it's a special kind of no comment too. They won't comment to the point where there's not even an official "no comment" to the question of what this coding means.

Read: 2K responds to copy protection issue
Read: BioShock PC config file hints strongly at a PS3 version

Joystiq2K responds to BioShock PC copy protection issue, ignores PS3 code mention originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Aug 2007 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2KBostonbioshockirrationalPCps3taketwoue3Xbox-360Wed, 22 Aug 2007 19:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Epic believes People Can Fly, acquires majority stake]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/20/epic-believes-people-can-fly-acquires-majority-stake/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/20/epic-believes-people-can-fly-acquires-majority-stake/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/20/epic-believes-people-can-fly-acquires-majority-stake/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Epic isn't letting their courtroom tiff with Silicon Knights slow them down as they continue to push forward, investing a majority stake in independent developer, People Can Fly. Best known for their work on the 2004 first-person shooter, Painkiller, PCF have been working on a multi-platform project utilizing the Unreal Engine 3 for the past year.

Mark Rein, Vice President of Epic Games, was particularly impressed with PCF's work saying, "[They] showed us their early prototypes within only a few weeks and we were totally blown away." On the other end of the deal, PCF co-owner Adrian Chmielarz sounds just as excited: "To be able to work with the best technology company in the business and collaborate on making amazing fantastic games is an offer you just can't refuse."

What could possibly be better than making amazing fantastic games? Tasty delicious cake would be our guess, but we'll settle for an amazing fantastic title.

JoystiqEpic believes People Can Fly, acquires majority stake originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>epicpainkillerPCpeoplecanflyue3Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Wideload working on XBLA games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/13/wideload-working-on-xbla-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/13/wideload-working-on-xbla-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/13/wideload-working-on-xbla-games/#commentsFiled under: , ,


With Hail to the Chimp coming along quite nicely, Alex Seropian admits they are working on Xbox Live Arcade "games." Speaking with Gamasutra, Seropian says they have two teams now at Wideload Games. One is working on HttC and the other is on games for "digital distribution." When pressed, he admitted they were for Live Arcade. Wideload Games seems be looking toward the future of digital distribution and learning the ins and outs of XBLA. Hail to the Chimp, despite being a retail product, plays like an arcade game. It's quite obvious how Xbox Marketplace could add to the coffers of Wideload if they sell extra battlegrounds and animals for the game. There's no word yet on what the actual XBLA games they are working on are.

Seropian also talks about Hail to the Chimp using the Unreal Engine 3 and his experience with the controversial engine. He says it's a "great toolset, it's a great engine, and you have to be a little careful about what you want to do with it." He says the engine was designed to make Gears of War, so it's been a challenge getting it to work, but that's it's been "really good" for them.

JoystiqWideload working on XBLA games originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 Aug 2007 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hailtothechimpseropianue3unrealengine3wideloadxblaXbox-360Mon, 13 Aug 2007 14:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Silicon Knights' lawyer responds to Epic countersuit]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/10/silicon-knights-lawyer-responds-to-epic-countersuit/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/10/silicon-knights-lawyer-responds-to-epic-countersuit/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/10/silicon-knights-lawyer-responds-to-epic-countersuit/#commentsFiled under:


GameDaily BIZ has been following the back and forth between Epic and Silicon Knights regarding their dueling lawsuits over the mess that is Too Human and the "inadequacies" of the Unreal Engine 3. Silicon Knights' lawyer has spoken out against Epic's claims that Silicon Nights stole their tech saying SK has now built a "better" engine. The nit-picky part becomes how much of that engine is based of the Unreal Engine 3 tech?

Silicon Knights' attorney, Christopher T. Holland, of a law firm with way too many names, says they'll stand their ground. He says the counterclaim has no merit. Epic is asking for $650,000 in their counterclaim while SK wants "millions of dollars more." Holland also points out that the suit will have no effect on Too Human and that the compensation they are seeking is "based on substantial delay and damages that Epic caused." He goes on to say that the game will come out in a "timely fashion." You know, ignoring the whole two year delay.

JoystiqSilicon Knights' lawyer responds to Epic countersuit originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 Aug 2007 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>epiclawsuitsiliconknightstoohumanue3unrealengine3Fri, 10 Aug 2007 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Mark Rein speaks on Silicon Knights v. Epic suit]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/09/mark-rein-speaks-on-silicon-knights-v-epic-suit/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/09/mark-rein-speaks-on-silicon-knights-v-epic-suit/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/09/mark-rein-speaks-on-silicon-knights-v-epic-suit/#commentsFiled under: ,


Epic's Mark Rein is standing strong in the face of the Silicon Knights suit over the "inadequacies" of the Unreal Engine 3. In a statement sent out today he says they have "done nothing wrong" and that they are committed to fight against Silicon Knights' "unfounded allegations." Epic has now gone and filed a counterclaim in U.S. District Court saying that Silicon Knights "decided to misappropriate Epic's licensed technology" and that SK's lawsuit has no merit.

There have been some developers who spoke out regarding development issues with Epic's Unreal Engine 3. Sony even admitted their concerns by sending in their own engineers to get the UE3 working on their "timed exclusive" title Unreal Tournament 3 for PS3. Whatever the issue with the engine, the latest bit in this saga revolves around Silicon Knights allegedly co-opting the UE3 tech as their own. Epic says in their suit, "Indeed, the plain language of the Silicon Knights' Complaint makes clear that Silicon Knights wants to take Epic's Licensed Technology, pay nothing for it, and use it any way it pleases." Epic wants "compensatory and punitive damages, the destruction of infringing goods, including infringing computer code, and attorney's fees and costs." This is only going to get bigger before it gets better.

JoystiqMark Rein speaks on Silicon Knights v. Epic suit originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Aug 2007 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingnewsepiclawsuitsiliconknightsTooHumanUE3unrealengine3Xbox-360Thu, 09 Aug 2007 13:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Developers talk about Unreal Engine 3 lawsuit]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/23/developers-talk-about-unreal-engine-3-lawsuit/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/23/developers-talk-about-unreal-engine-3-lawsuit/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/23/developers-talk-about-unreal-engine-3-lawsuit/#commentsFiled under: ,

Following the news of Silicon Knights suing Epic games for "inadequacies" with the Unreal Engine 3, ShackNews went ahead and talked to some developers about the issue. Of course, most of the people who spoke against the engine and its licensor Epic (Gears of War, Unreal Tournament 3) did it anonymously -- except for the Postal developers, 'cause they just treat the world with one giant middle finger up in the air, although they did it so softly here with a simple: "It just wasn't the best relationship for us [with Epic]."

The statements pretty much cover the spread from good to bad. The most interesting anonymous source talks about several studios who had various levels of experience with the UE3. The key thing is that the source doesn't believe the problems were "intentionally malicious," but a product of Epic being stretched thin because of their own product development. Interestingly, this is given even more credence by Sony swooping in and lending support to Epic in getting the UE3 working properly with PS3. The question is slowly turning into what did Epic deliver to these developers through their license? How much extra work did these developers have to put into the engine to get it functional? Obviously, Sony felt the need to help out. The Unreal Engine 3 tree is going to continue shaking and we're sure to see more stories fall out very soon. Hopefully, with developers who know what they're talking about and are willing to go on the record.

JoystiqDevelopers talk about Unreal Engine 3 lawsuit originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Jul 2007 20:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dyackepiclawsuitreinsiliconknightsTooHumanUE3unreal engine 3UnrealEngine3Mon, 23 Jul 2007 20:38:00 EST<![CDATA[Silicon Knights sues Epic over Unreal Engine 3 'inadequacies' [Update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/19/silicon-knights-sues-epic-over-unreal-engine-3-inadequacies/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/19/silicon-knights-sues-epic-over-unreal-engine-3-inadequacies/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/19/silicon-knights-sues-epic-over-unreal-engine-3-inadequacies/#commentsFiled under: ,


The information is still coming in, but what we do know is that Silicon Knights, creator of the gratuitously delayed Too Human, is suing Epic Games, licensor of the Unreal Engine 3. Epic, who is best known for showing the power of the Unreal Engine 3 in their hit Gears of War, is being sued over "unspecified allegations" relating to the Unreal Engine 3. Mark Rein, VP of Epic says, "This morning we were served with a lawsuit by Silicon Knights. We believe the claims against us are unfounded and without merit and we intend to fully defend against them."

Currently the lawyers are ordering lockdown and Rein says he'll have no choice but to give a "no comment" for a while. Denis Dyack in a statement defends Silicon Knights' actions saying, "We stand behind everything in our complaint and believe it is highly unfortunate that Epic forced us into this situation ... Epic simply refuses to acknowledge the inadequacies of the Unreal Engine 3 code it provides to its licensees and refuses to accept the fact that its code has caused serious damage not only to Silicon Knights, but a number of other developers in the industry. We look forward to successful resolution of our claims in this court proceeding." This is going to get big and bad. At least this may shake out some of the issues other developers say they've been having with the UE3.

Update: More details from the lawsuit appended after the break.

Continue reading Silicon Knights sues Epic over Unreal Engine 3 'inadequacies' [Update]

JoystiqSilicon Knights sues Epic over Unreal Engine 3 'inadequacies' [Update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Jul 2007 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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