Epic Games is again preferred to spend their annual event within the video game developers conference – GDC 2017. Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic, started with a very flattering to Unreal statistics. Total revenues of developers using this engine on all platforms, exceeded $ 10 billion in 2016-meters – is a 2 and a half times more than the nearest competitor.
The Steam Top 100 more games on the Unreal Engine, than any other engine. During the last year, 10 projects on the graphics engine from Epic came out on 1st place for the Steam sales. In the mobile market the premium segment – 2 game.
After boasting frank (but well-deserved and backed by figures) Mr Sweeney went on to more interesting things. He told that the Unreal Engine – this has long been not just a game. The Epic list of business partners includes Chevrolet, BMW, MacLaren, ILM, and many others.
Next on the stage Dzhon Knoll and Nate Hoffman, just from ILM (Industrial Light & Magic – makes computer graphics for Disney), and talked about how they adapted the Unreal Engine 4 and make it compatible with its own set rendering tools. In particular, the robot K2-SO from Star Wars: Rogue One part is made on a modified engine Unreal. Subcontractors Disney praised the product from Epic for open source: you can always find a balance between speed and render the image quality.
Then the actor Andy Serkis talked about how, in collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company to create fully digital actors for the classic British productions – also on the engine, Unreal.
After the Epic theater switched to cars. A company with great fanfare announced a new partnership with Chevrolet and post-production studio The Mill. The purpose of cooperation – photorealistic preview of car models in the real world.
For these purposes will be used test car Blackbird, looking as increased machine-kart, which has all the key points of the body marked QR-markers. For each of these points, you can bind the pre-pre-rendered graphics, and ultimately get the desired aaavtomobil, says Leonid Yakubovich. Applications of this technology are many, but the most obvious – shooting machines promos that just came out of the concept stage and has not yet gone into production.
Three companies have removed korometrazhku The Human Race, in which the real driver in the Camaro ZL-January 2017, the year will compete with artificial intelligence. Of course, as a Camaro – Blackbird, which hung texture Camaro. Directly during roller global director of marketing for Chevrolet with one touch on the plate to change the color and paint the different parts of the body. All these changes are immediately displayed on the big screen.
“Just Unreal Engine provides a photorealistic final pixels in real time” – said the spectacle pleased with himself, Tim Sweeney.
After the movie, and automotive Epic boss moved to, where once started: the games. The issue of the new Unreal Tournament spared – apparently have to wait and wait. At this rate, the iconic team shooter will turn to the next Half-Life. This year Epic promises only cartoon strategy Fortnite and two AAA games … for mobile platforms.
Mr. Sweeney also voiced his delight about the PS4 Pro and Xbox Scorpio: a significant upgrade of graphics consoles capacities will turn Unreal Engine 4 full silushku. But Switch Epic boss promised to actively support. In particular, the Nintendo has already announced that, at its console will come out of the game on the engine, Unreal.
Lineage II Revolution of Netmarble presented as evidence that mobile platforms may be the game Class AAA – of course, thanks to the Unreal Engine. CEO of the company-developer, Simon Sim said that Unreal is not only good graphics. Due to the high overall performance could provide simultaneous online in 200 people – with console quality of 3D-graphics, and at the same time on the phones.
Sweeney is not particularly fan of the mobile industry. He believes that “she rushed to the very bottom with his overly aggressive advertising and intrusive monetization that does not allow to enjoy the gameplay.” But such projects as Lineage II Revolution can be a panacea for all ills.
In spite of all the consoles and mobile telephones, the birthplace of the boyars Tim Sweeney is also not forgotten. Epic boss believes that now is a PC-gaming is experiencing a real renaissance thanks to the Windows 10 and the new graphics cards – like Nvidia’s, and Radeon. At this point, the hall went snicker, because even 5 months ago, Mr. Sweeney, armed with a tin foil hat, warned that Microsoft wants to use the Universal Windows Platform to make the PC a closed ecosystem and to be the death with Steam light. In general, before thanking the “dozens” were far away.
But now the CEO of Epic talks about cross-platform graphics industry standards, as well as virtual and augmented reality – it Vulkan and OpenXR. Unity and Epic, Oculus and Valve, Nvidia and AMD – all the best companies are working on these important issues together, forgetting for a moment the market competition, stressed Tim Sweeney.
Perhaps the most resounding “game” Unreal conference presentation was Borderlands 3. Randy Pitchford has warned that what it shows is not necessarily a new part of Borderlands, but at the same time hinted that it was she. But who cheat when it comes to classic comics chart? Only it was added lighting serious considering density surfaces, eg fabric partially transmits light.
Pitchford also said that Unreal Engine 4 allows you to simulate a completely different physics and types of light sources, and if the action of Borderlands 3 unfolding on several planets, this property is the engine would be indispensable Gearbox. What immediately infer: Borderlands 3 will indeed be on several planets! It’s time to leave the old woman Pandora and its moon. Next, Mr. Pitchford said something that he can only reply, “Thank you, Cap!”: All the subsequent games Gearbox (not just Borderlands 3) will go to the Unreal Engine 4.
Next, the conversation switched to VR. Epic has signed a cooperation agreement with Pixar: Unreal Engine 4 is now supported universal algorithms describing the virtual scene designed Hollywood studio. As for the game, Tim Sweeney reminded that VR Robo Recall shooter from Epic Oculus available to all users free of charge. And open source: they are free to do, and fashion, and even their own games.
One of the key problems of today VR – too expensive. As if to confirm that the work is carried out in this direction, as the curtain fell on the stage stood a co-founder of Oculus Brendan Irayb, and said, Thy head-mounted display his company’s stand at $ 200 cheaper.
