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Blog: Software Square Enix Plans to License Unreal Engine 3
Nirav Sanghani (Blog) - January 26, 2007 12:53 AM
Print 17 comment(s) - last by VooDooAddict.. on Jan 30 at 10:50 AM

"I don't think I could look better than this."
Square Enix to use Unreal Engine 3 to keep up with next-gen platforms

Square Enix Co., Ltd. announced today that the company will sign a licensing agreement with Epic Games for its Unreal Engine 3 middleware.  The use of the engine will make it easier for Square Enix to develop next-generation games.

Square Enix is widely known for utilizing graphics acceleration and pushing the limits of game platforms in its line of RPGs such as the Final Fantasy series and Kingdom Hearts.  According to a press release from the company, in order to ensure game quality and development efficiency the company is now building a technology platform that will utilize proprietary technologies and introducing third-party solutions like the Unreal Engine 3.

Taka Murata, General Manager of the Research and Development Division at Square Enix Co., Ltd., stated that he was very excited about this agreement and that technology platform for game development is more important with the advancement in gaming consoles.

"The complexity of next-generation game systems featuring HD graphics and multi-core parallel processing poses a number of challenges to our game development. However, we can expedite out game development process significantly while allowing extra time and resources to be spent on game design and mechanics by establishing an effective technology platform," adds Murata.

The Unreal Engine is an award winning middleware that has been known to be the best for displaying cutting edge graphics and the best toolsets.  The Unreal Engine 3 also adds massive world support, multi-processor support, and one a mature tool pipeline. 

Other games using the Unreal Engine 3 include Gears of War, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas, Mass Effect and Unreal Tournament 2007.

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Bringin' back the good...
By Aikouka on 1/26/2007 9:07:03 AM , Rating: 3
quote:
The complexity of next-generation game systems featuring HD graphics and multi-core parallel processing poses a number of challenges to our game development. However, we can expedite out game development process significantly while allowing extra time and resources to be spent on game design and mechanics by establishing an effective technology platform


Does that mean their games will actually be good again? =\ Been let down ever since FFVIII with how Square seems to be "testing the waters" with all these different combat and character development systems. Then the MMO-esque FFXII battle system was simply the last straw. Maybe they'll soon realize that FFXI was a failure just like TSW.




RE: Bringin' back the good...
By 3kliksphilip on 1/26/2007 12:08:56 PM , Rating: 2
In my opinion Final Fantasy 9 was the best one they ever made. This was probably due to me arriving late on the scene and playing FF9 through first, though I found FF7 depressing (But incredibly atmospheric) and 8 too 'realistic' for my liking (Though the music was excellent, especially 'Fight your way' and 'Find your way'). Having an extra person made FF9 feel more alive in my opinion.

I'm all for the Unreal 3 engine being used. It seems to do well when creating massive, detailed sci-fi worlds. Graphics isn't everything, though this will certainly help the games to look good, which is always one less problem for a game developer. I'm anticipating the screenshots...


RE: Bringin' back the good...
By TheDoc9 on 1/26/2007 1:18:23 PM , Rating: 2
YES! a true FF fan. Even though you didn't play the others first FF9 was the best. FF2 was second, FF7 and FF3 were tied imo. They droped the ball when the games moved to ps2. They might just pick it back up with FF13.


RE: Bringin' back the good...
By 3kliksphilip on 1/26/2007 2:52:19 PM , Rating: 2
I need your msn so badly so that I can share all my happy memories of FF9 I've had! I didn't play the earlier ones though my friend did. I think he liked FF4 nut I'm not sure. FF9 is so atmospheric... the bit between the end of the ice cave and Lindblum is brilliant. Unlike any other game I've ever seen. I didn't realise about the skill system until disc 2, though I reckon it added to the mystique of the game. I also liked the second continent for some reason. Oh, and that music where you enter Terra. I remember playing it through the night in a caravan on my own in a field in the middle of summer. Happy memories...

I want this experience again in FF13! Let me go into a medieval town and eat pickles! Let me summon wizards with pointy beards! Most of the modern FF's have been too modern for me. Oh, I want to explore the world on a chocobo and fight the YAN again...

I love the game so much. The only game which rivals this for me is Deus Ex where you enter Hong Kong.


RE: Bringin' back the good...
By bdewong on 1/26/2007 1:27:30 PM , Rating: 2
To each his own I guess. I haven't bought a FF title since FF7. After "playing" FF9 couldn't bring myself to look at them the same way. Sure FF9 had a good story line but i'd rather watch a real movie than watch the movie that was FF9. I've heard good things about FF12 but I just don't feel the same about the series. My favorites are 7 and 3 because they had wonderful gameplay and storylines, and you didn't just watch it happen, you played it.


RE: Bringin' back the good...
By edge929 on 1/26/2007 4:55:52 PM , Rating: 2
Having played damn near every FF ever released (Japan inlcuded), number 9 was my least favorite. The main character had a tail..... A TAIL!!!!

Number 6 FTW.


List
By Chillin1248 on 1/26/2007 1:32:06 PM , Rating: 3
Here is a list of games confirmed on the UE3:

quote:
America's Army 3.0 - (2007) US Army
Bioshock - (2007) Irrational Games
Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway — (2007) Gearbox Software[26]
Elveon (2007) 10tacle studios
Gears of War — (2006) Epic Games
Halo Wars - (2007) Ensemble Studios
Huxley - (2007) Webzen
Lineage 3 — (2007) NCsoft
Lost Odyssey - (2007) Mistwalker
Mass Effect - (2007) Bioware
Medal of Honor: Airborne (2007) Electronic Arts
Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia - (2007) Artificial Studios
Roboblitz — (2006) Naked Sky Entertainment
Stargate Worlds - (2007) Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment
Stranglehold - (2007) Midway Games - Chicago Studio
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas — (2006) Ubisoft
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction — (2007) Ubisoft
Too Human - (2007) Silicon Knights
Unreal Tournament 2007 — (2007) Epic Games
APB (computer game) — (2007) Webzen
Turok (2007 video game) - (2007) Propaganda games



-------
Chillin




RE: List
By jtesoro on 1/27/2007 6:18:53 AM , Rating: 2
It looks like the Unreal Engine has made great strides in the licensing market. Wasn't it just recently that some variant of the Quake engine powered the biggest games? John Carmack, what's going on?


RE: List
By omyg0t on 1/27/2007 11:24:10 AM , Rating: 2
Quake Wars is going to have an improved Doom3 engine, i'm eager to see it and will wait to see what square is gonna do with the ue3.


RE: List
By misbfa1 on 1/30/2007 2:07:45 AM , Rating: 2
Off topic but I see that there is a Turok game in development. The first Turok had the best weapons/worst gameplay ever.

You could shoot a weapon that made it look like the universe was imploding in front of you, just to have the dinosaur woble and fall over.

Then wade your way through endless fog to find the next one.

Ah memories.


By mikecel79 on 1/26/2007 8:52:11 AM , Rating: 2
I hope they won't be planning to move their RPGs over to this engine. The Final Fantasy series has always done well because of it's innovative gameplay as well as enveloping storylines. It would be hard to continue that trend while using the Unreal engine.




By vdig on 1/26/2007 9:01:02 AM , Rating: 2
I doubt they would be using FPS controls in an FF title in the near future. Just because they use the next gen Unreal engine does not mean that FF13, VS13, and FF14 would necessarily look, sound, or play like other titles using that engine. It just means that we can base the graphical minimum to expect on what the new Unreal engine has already shown us.

That being said, having SE use this engine would make it easy for skin ports of FF characters appear on proper Unreal titles and other titles using the same engine. The protagonists of 13 and 14 might as well be ported to Unreal Tournament proper and deliver head shots with rail guns. I won't doubt that possibility at all.

"Unstoppable!"


How about the Crysis engine?
By nurbsenvi on 1/28/2007 8:09:26 AM , Rating: 2
Although I like the idea of unified graphic engine, it not good to have a monopoly I hope Crytec's Crysis engine could compete with UT3 engine.




RE: How about the Crysis engine?
By GDstew4 on 1/28/2007 11:19:39 AM , Rating: 2
Graphically speaking the Crysis engine definately seems like it will be able to hold its own against UE3. I think the big selling point for UE3 though is the developer interface (if that's the correct term) I've read a lot of places that dev's like UE3 because of its ease of use. Plus it has a very well established knowledge base having built upon the previous iterations.


Makes the most sense
By shaw on 1/28/2007 2:01:33 PM , Rating: 2
I've made maps with the Doom 3 engine, Unreal Tournament 2004 engine, Source Engine, and FarCry's engine and UT2004's method of level creation to make makes the most sense and I found it to be the easiest to work with. It's all about taking away from space and strategic placed static meshes. I'm glad Unreal Engine 3 is getting a wide appeal because I can only imagine that if it's easy for me to make something fancy with their engine then a team of professionals can crank out things quickly.

Though from what I read in an interview maybe a year ago, Epic makes more money off their games then licensing off their engine.




RE: Makes the most sense
By VooDooAddict on 1/30/2007 10:50:33 AM , Rating: 2
Hmm, I'll have to give UT2004 map builder a shot then. Looking back I realize all my map making was done in "id" engined games and Neverwinter Nights.


rainbow 6 las vegas
By poohbear on 1/28/2007 1:20:56 AM , Rating: 2
well, rainbow six las vegas was a bit ofa disappointment in the graphics department, i thought it'd be much better considering it used the unreal 3 engine everyone was talking about. Maybe they just utilized it poorly?




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