Play to win: gaming industry tech will help crack the connected, autonomous future

Video game enthusiasts may be familiar with the ‘Unreal’ franchise. First appearing in 1998, the first-person shooter from developer Epic Games was an instant hit, praised among other things for its rich, atmospheric graphics and sophisticated level design. Both of these were enabled by the ‘Unreal Engine’, a development toolkit released alongside the game. Its impact is difficult to understate: the platform has brought thousands of titles to life, licensed out by numerous external developers to create experiences which even casual gamers will know. Epic itself still powers titles with the engine, such as the free-to-play ‘Fortnite’, a cultural phenomenon now boasting more than 350 million registered players.

In other words, Unreal Engine is an enterprise unto itself, with Epic now readying the release of its fifth iteration. In 2015, the company made an important change to the engine’s business model: costly licence fees were abolished in favour of a free-to-use model, with commercial use of creations permitted through royalty deals.

Continue reading here

Subscribe

* indicates required

XpoNorth will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing. Please let us know all the ways you would like to hear from us:

You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at info@xponorth.co.uk. We will treat your information with respect. For more information about our privacy practices please visit our website. By clicking below, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.

We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.