Epic Games, Inc., developer of the blockbuster “Gears of War” franchise, Battle Royale phenomenon “Fortnite” and the groundbreaking “Infinity Blade” series, welcomes RealD (NYSE: RLD), a leading global licensor of 3D technologies, into its Integrated Partners Program (IPP). Epic’s partner program brings industry-leading middleware technologies to the company’s award-winning Unreal Engine 3 (UE3), which powers many bestselling console, PC and mobile games, Fortnite even has it’s own trading platform of Legendary Fortnite Skins.
RealD’s offering incorporates best-of-breed stereoscopic 3D gaming technology into the Unreal Engine, providing commercial UE3 licensees with access to the RealD Game Developer Toolkit source code .
Benefits also extend to users of the Unreal Development Kit (UDK), the free edition of Epic’s UE3 toolset, which has been installed on more than 1.4 million unique machines. As of today’s May 2012 UDK Beta release, UDK developers can enable RealD’s 3D technology for free, regardless of the commercial nature of their products.
The RealD Game Developer Toolkit allows for PC and console games to be rendered in stereo 3D and improves the 3D experience by managing camera separation and 3D depth effects in real time. There is no need for manual adjustments as objects entering the player’s view are automatically displayed with clarity across an entire scene, not just the foreground. This creates a more immersive, natural experience that is both exhilarating and comfortable for many hours of gameplay. I guess it’s time to brush up on your gaming skills with something like an Aim trainer, especially if games like Doom or Call Of Duty are some of your favourites.
Incorporating the RealD Game Developer Toolkit into UE3 brings to developers features such as Depth Budget Allocation (DBA), which stretches the perceived depth of any given scene to its maximum potential and corrects distortion typically found in stereo 3D games. DBA is especially useful, for example, in rendering horizons, which often appear flat and unnatural in S3D.
The RealD Game Developer Toolkit also provides AutoCAM, a dynamic camera system that automatically optimizes the cameras for every frame. AutoCAM seamlessly adjusts settings for objects that are near or far away relative to the player and allows for maximum depth in every scene.
The first UE3 game to utilize the RealD technology integration is Seamless Entertainment’s “SOL: Exodus,” a 3D space combat simulation for PC. The game’s stereo 3D features will be made available through a Steam update today, and a new demo showcasing the implementation is available now at www.unrealengine.com/insiderblog.
“We first demonstrated ‘SOL: Exodus’ in S3D at SXSW ScreenBurn, and people were blown away,” said Dan Magaha, studio director of Seamless Entertainment. “We had lots of repeat visitors and are excited to make the RealD-enhanced version of ‘SOL’ available to everyone.”
“Joining Epic’s partner program puts our technology at the fingertips of any studio interested in creating a premium 3D experience for discerning PC and console gamers,” said John Matthews, Product Manager of RealD. “This integration also benefits developers of non-gaming UE3 applications, such as training simulations, architectural visualizations, and our Hollywood studio partners looking to enhance their pre-production pipeline.”
“Bringing RealD to the Unreal Engine makes it even easier to give players the most cutting-edge stereo 3D games possible,” said Epic Games President Dr. Michael Capps. “We are thrilled to make their tools available to Unreal Engine developers everywhere.”
About RealD Inc.
RealD is a leading global licensor of 3D technologies. RealD’s extensive intellectual property portfolio is used in applications that enable a premium 3D viewing experience in the theater, the home and elsewhere. RealD licenses its RealD Cinema Systems to motion picture exhibitors that show 3D motion pictures and alternative 3D content. RealD also provides its RealD Display, active and passive eyewear, and RealD Format technologies to consumer electronics manufacturers and content producers and distributors to enable the delivery and viewing of 3D content. RealD’s cutting-edge 3D technologies have been used for applications such as piloting the Mars Rover. RealD was founded in 2003 and has offices in Beverly Hills, California; Boulder, Colorado; London, United Kingdom; Shanghai, China; Hong Kong; and Tokyo, Japan. For more information, please visit our website at www.reald.com.
About Unreal Engine 3
Developed by Epic Games, the award-winning Unreal Engine is known for its cutting-edge graphics, best-of-breed tools and scalability across multiple platforms. Unreal Engine 3’s highly mature toolset and content pipeline consistently evolve along with its advanced mobile features, multi-core processor support, optimizations for numerous platforms and massive world support. Unreal Engine 3 is designed to accelerate developers’ productivity for computer and video games, mobile games and applications, training simulations, 3D visualizations, digital films and animated entertainment. Integrated with two dozen leading middleware technologies, Unreal Engine 3 holds more than 20 technology awards, including eight Game Developer Front Line Awards and four Develop Industry Excellence Awards. Additional information on Unreal Engine 3 can be obtained at www.unrealengine.com.
About Epic Games
Epic Games, Inc., based in Cary, NC and established in 1991, develops cutting-edge games and cross-platform game engine technology. The company has created multiple million-selling, award-winning titles in its “Unreal” series, including “Unreal Tournament 3” for PC, PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360®. The first two games in Epic’s “Gears of War” franchise have sold more than 13 million copies and won more than 50 game of the year awards. The third installment, “Gears of War 3,” sold more than 3 million copies within its first week of release, catapulting the franchise beyond $1 billion in lifetime sales. Epic’s Unreal Engine 3 holds more than 20 industry technology awards and powers many bestselling games. Additional information about Epic can be obtained at www.epicgames.com.
Epic, Epic Games, Gears of War, Gears of War 3, Unreal, Unreal Development Kit, UDK, Unreal Engine, UE3, and Unreal Tournament are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. RealD undertakes no obligation to update publicly the information contained in this press release, or any forward-looking statements, to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date they were made, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. © 2012 RealD Inc. All Rights Reserved
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