UTIII Box [GAME via CVG]

We're still trying. We're working with Microsoft to try to figure out how to support it, but regardless of what happens, mods will play a part somewhere along the line. We'll make sure we get a fair share of mods working. We'll figure that out.

As Microsoft explained before, there's nothing illegal about creating or downloading such mods. But that doesn't mean Epic will pay you $1,000,000 for one. Their Make Something Unreal Contest bans the use of "third party intellectual property, including, but not limited to software, images, characters, logos, names and trademarks." Still, some pranks are so good, they're worth the free work.

Character - Samus Aran [UT3Mod via PS3Fanboy]

Of course, Epic still has Gears of War and the oft-licensed Unreal Engine. So they're not going hungry or anything.

UT3 and Stranglehold hit 1m sales [MCV]

We love making shooters, and I'm certain there are still countless ways we can improve in that genre. We look at Gears of War and we see the pimples, we look at UT3 and think 'we should also do this, we should also try that, if only we had more time and more people, we could have done...' so I think we're continually looking at our own games and thinking there are lots of unfinished puzzles left to solve before we move on to something else... There's still a lot of low hanging fruit in this genre — we need to pick some more of that.

It is amazing how people can look at two weeks of sales (in our case) in one single territory in the busiest Xmas sales season the industry has ever seen and come to the conclusion these titles are doing "badly". I don't think either title is doing so badly.

Crysis probably has 3-4x the marketing budget of UT3 and more mindshare because it is a PC-only, high-end, single-player oriented game. This isn't the fastest selling UT title ever but it's doing pretty well and we're going to support it with some pretty cool things to help it keep selling over time.

Mark Rein answers your questions! [via cvg][image: gettyimages]

First User Created Content for UT3 PS3 is released! [Epic Games]

FileFront has the download and installation instructions, which, curiously, point out that removable storage of some sort is required for import. Whether it be compact flash, Memory Stick or simply a USB thumb drive, it seems one can't simply download to the PS3's built-in mass storage via the internet browser. What's up with that?

FileFront Exclusive: First Ever PS3 Unreal Tournament 3 Map [FileFront]

"MacSoft couldn't be happier to bring Unreal Tournament 3's insane fast-paced action and brutal weaponry to the Mac," said Peter Tamte, president of MacSoft parent company Destineer. "We have a long history of bringing the Unreal series to Mac gamers, and with its expanded campaign mode and killer vehicles, Unreal Tournament 3 is the biggest, best and bloodiest game in the series yet."

The Deadliest Tournament in the Universe Comes to the Mac.

Announcing "Unreal Tournament 3" For Macintosh

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - December 18, 2007 - MacSoft, a leading publisher of Macintosh games, is proud to announce the Macintosh version of Unreal Tournament 3. Licensed by Midway Home Entertainment and developed by Epic Games, one of the world's most acclaimed video game developers, Unreal Tournament 3 delivers the most frantic gameplay and stunning visuals yet in the award-winning Unreal series, as well as new vehicles, new weapons and the deepest single-player campaign in the series to date, all developed on the industry's leading engine, the Unreal Engine 3. Best of all, it is scheduled to be available in early 2008.

"MacSoft couldn't be happier to bring Unreal Tournament 3's insane fast-paced action and brutal weaponry to the Mac," said Peter Tamte, president of MacSoft parent company Destineer. "We have a long history of bringing the Unreal series to Mac gamers, and with its expanded campaign mode and killer vehicles, Unreal Tournament 3 is the biggest, best and bloodiest game in the series yet."

Created with the groundbreaking Unreal Engine 3, Unreal Tournament 3 brings unparalleled visual fidelity to the Macintosh, and new gameplay additions including an enhanced single-player mode with a branching mission structure and wickedly intelligent enemy AI make this the deepest, richest entry in the franchise. Also featuring new gameplay modes like Unreal Warfare, two distinct vehicle rosters including devastating machines like the Necris DarkWalker and all new gadgets like the hoverboard and grappling beam, Unreal Tournament 3 is poised to take the Mac gaming community by storm!

While the real meat of this game on the PS3 is going to be all of the user-created content, I'm totally down with some of these weapons.

Of course, Rein says they'll have a mechanism in place to blacklist certain mods that users report as objectionable, but the user created content on the PS3 version is the real deal. It's not just "rearranging chairs on the deck" a la LittleBigPlanet, it's scripting, graphics, models, level design.

Rein also chimes in, albeit briefly, about Square-Enix's plans with the Unreal Engine. Every sensitive about slights against his company's platform, he hints "there's a game that doesn't look anything like our games" coming from the Final Fantasy/Dragon Quest factory. Details are scarce, but Rein does let us know it's "neat." Consider it pre-ordered!

The Unreal Man: Mark Rein Speaks [Gamasutra]

Those driven to the brink of insanity by warnings of the UTIII's delay to 2008, which were later semi-scuttled by Rein himself can finally join the rest of us with full mental faculties intact. Welcome back. And yay!

Unreal Tournament 3 for PS3 has gone gold for North America! [Epic]

The PS3 is an open system, and they embrace user-created content. But there isn't really a way to do that on the 360... So our job, when we finish the PS3 version, and we've taken a little break, is to sit down with Microsoft and to figure out how we can do mods on their system.

Well, the PLAYSTATION 3 has a lot of unique features and we try to take control of them - like with SIXAXIS. SIXAXIS can be used to steer the hoverboard or The Redeemer, but that's it. We wanted to be very careful not to hammer this functionality in just because we could. As for PlayStation Network, we just don't have a plan to use that right now to my knowledge but I suppose it's possible.

Thanks Chris!

I was playing the PS3 build for a few hours tonight and it is really, really fantastic...　amazingly smooth and solid. I think you PS3 users are in for a huge treat with UT3.

Wait, there's a single player mode in Unreal Tournament III? Consider it (good) news to me. Apparently, the single player campaign sees you, as a big dude with a big neck carrying a big gun, taking down the Necris High Inquisitor Akasha by less than diplomatic means. I expect sexy results. With club sauce.

O'Flaherty was the art director on Gears of War, Unreal Tournament III and several Command and Conquer games, to name a few. He says that making the jump from video game to CG-movie won't be that difficult.

"It feels like a natural thing for me to step into," he said. "Games have come so far now. The last four years of my life have been about bringing the energy of filmmaking into the videogame experience."

O'Flaherty will be working with Paul Sopocy on the script which involves a sort of origin story for the 80s cartoon.

O'Flaherty to direct 'Thundercats' [Variety]

Beyond Unreal is reporting some new Unreal Tournament III demo details on their site. Though they don't list a source, those guys seem pretty plugged in, so I trust them.

The demo will likely feature three maps, none of which will be a Warfare map:

DM-HeatRay is planned to be in the demo. It is the destroyed urban environment that features a lone DarkWalker which is dropped in at specified times during the match. The level strongly conveys a UT-like city setting (complete with the occasional train running on an overhead track) is pretty stunning.

VCTF-Suspense is the second demo map. Set on an immense suspension bridge, this level is set up with Axon vs Axon vehicles and the action takes place in three planes: on platforms high above the bridge, as well as on and under the bridge. It has a nice mix of open sniping areas and tight corridors. There's a little water there too if you care to take a dip.

The final demo map may be DM-ShangriLa. This one has been seen in some of the videos before. It features buildings with Asian-themed architecture and the action takes place around a courtyard.

Hit up the site to read why Warfare maps don't make sense for the demo... and what a Warfare map is.

More UT3 Details [Beyond Unreal]

Citing technical issues that have "taken more time to finalize than expected", David Zucker says that the delays for each will materially affect Midway's 2007 revenue. On the plus side, Zucker says those technical issues are now "complete at a core level in our engine" and that "now that we have the systems working, looking ahead to 2008 we expect the PS3 versions of our titles to ship day and date with other versions."

In other PS3 delay updates, the European version of Midway's BlackSite: Area 51 will see the Xbox 360 version hitting first, with the PS3 version arriving in early 2008. The official bad news for PS3 owners, right after this.

UPDATE: Mark Rein writes on the official Epic Games forums that the delay is not set in stone and that Midway was simply warning investors about the possibility of a delay, adding that "our goal is still to get the PS3 version of UT3 in stores before the end of 2007." He later writes "there is a chance it will come out in December." The silver lining is that the PS3 version will now feature all of the maps present in the PC version. Thanks, Shane!

Midway Provides Financial Update

CHICAGO, Illinois, October 2, 2007 - Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY) today announced revised estimates for the Company's third quarter ended September 30, 2007, and fiscal year ending December 31, 2007. The changes are primarily to reflect Midway's decision to release Stranglehold for the PLAYSTATION® 3 computer entertainment system in the fourth quarter rather than the third quarter, the expected movement of Unreal Tournament 3 for the PLAYSTATION 3 system into the first quarter of fiscal 2008, and lower expected sales of BlackSite: Area 51 primarily due to the adverse impact of the split shipment between the Xbox 360 and the PLAYSTATION 3 system, with the European version of BlackSite: Area 51 for the PLAYSTATION 3 system shifting into the first quarter of 2008.

The Company now expects third quarter revenue of approximately $39 million, as compared to the Company's previous estimate of approximately $50 million, and a net loss of $0.33 per basic and diluted share, compared to the Company's previous estimate of a net loss of approximately $0.23 per basic and diluted share. On a non-GAAP basis, the Company now expects a loss of approximately $0.27 per basic and diluted share, compared to the Company's prior estimate of $0.17 per basic and diluted share. A reconciliation of non-GAAP to GAAP guidance is provided in a table at the end of this press release.

For the year ending December 31, 2007, the Company now expects full year revenue of approximately $170 million, as compared to the Company's previous estimate of approximately $225 million, and a net loss of $0.85 per basic and diluted share, compared to the Company's previous estimate of a net loss of approximately $0.44 per basic and diluted share. On a non-GAAP basis, the Company now expects a loss of approximately $0.66 per basic and diluted share, compared to the Company's prior estimate of $0.27 per basic and diluted share. A reconciliation of non-GAAP to GAAP guidance is provided in a table at the end of this press release.

David F. Zucker, president and chief executive officer, commented, "While we regret that these delays will cause us to lose some valuable holiday sales in the near term as well as shift revenue for some of these titles out of 2007 and into 2008, we remain confident that our technology strategy and product plan position us to grow both revenue and market share as we move into the heart of this console cycle. Looking ahead to 2008, with our core technology platform now in place, we expect to release a number of titles, including already announced console versions of Unreal Tournament 3, a next generation installment of our NBA Ballers franchise, Wheelman, and TNA iMPACT! the video game. We also expect to release several as-yet unannounced titles such as next generation versions of our hit franchises Blitz and Mortal Kombat, and two exciting new ambitious open world games. We intend to give more details on our 2008 release schedule in the near future."

That's not even the issue. There's more to it than meets the eye. You have to read between the lines. I mean, nobody was talking about Too Human before this. The whole lawsuit is going to go on for years, and it's going to turn into a He Said, She Said. Are you still going to be writing about this in eight years?

What we told Microsoft last year — they wanted a demo for Gears of War and we said 'you've got a choice — you can have the demo this year or the game this year'... We're not a big huge company with the resources to do that, and all the time we're testing that demo we're not testing our full game, which we need to be doing constantly... We'll have a PC demo for UT, [but] I don't think we'll have a PS3 demo before the game ships.

Today, Rein underscored that claim with a clarification on Epic's engine building policy.

Mark Rein's answer to a moderator seeking examples of each panel members engine to meet developer's needs was that "We specifically don't do that. We feel that the best way to make an engine, and the fastest most productive way to get to a finished point— not that an engine is ever really finished, we're constantly improving on them—we feel that the way to do that is to make our game, to make the most optimized, best performing, best cross platform game you can possibly make using our technology and then licensees know exactly what they're going to get when we're done."

He added, "It's very important for us to stay focused, make the best game that we can, as soon as we can and make sure that every feature we do ship is of professional quality."

In case that wasn't clear enough, should you have a beef with the Unreal Engine's capabilities, Rein spoke directly to you, telling the crowd "We will not put your features in our engine. We're happy to advise you how to get those features in. Our door is always open, you can talk to us at any time. but we make a very clear distinction about, you know, we're making this engine for our game. Ultimately, that's what's best for us and best for our customers."

Unfortunately, it seems it might also be best served helping each party's legal team put a down payment on their new boats.

Could the Gamercard be a facet of the just announced agreement with GameSpy to license its tech? Such a thing sounds not too dissimilar from the Gamespy "Sake" system. Or is it the "Atlas" feature? Regardless of the implementation, I'm sure we'll be hearing more about the mysterious Gamercard soon.

'Gamercard' spotted in UT3 demo - is this PS3's answer to the 360's Gamertag? [Games Digest]

Word of warning, though, PC snobs, the PS3 version supports keyboard and mouse controls, too.

The agreement will bring "seamless" PS3 and PC online functionality to games that license UE3, including matchmaking, leaderboards, instant messaging and secure player profiles and stats. Could Epic's own Unreal Tournament III be the first UE3 game to support the GameSpy tech? With UTIII snubbing Games For Windows Live, it's starting to sound like a possibility.

Massive press release after the jump.

GAMESPY AND EPIC GAMES ANNOUNCE AGREEMENT TO INTEGRATE GAMESPY MULTIPLAYER AND COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY INTO EPIC'S UNREAL® ENGINE 3

GameSpy to Join Epic's Integrated Partners Program

BRISBANE, Calif. - August 15, 2007 - IGN Entertainment's GameSpy, a leader in multiplayer and online gaming technology, and Epic Games today announced a licensing deal to incorporate GameSpy's suite of online technology into Epic's Unreal® Engine 3, one of the industry's most popular game engines. Under the terms of the agreement, GameSpy will join Epic's prestigious Integrated Partners Program, and its technology will be immediately available to any publishers or developers that license Unreal® Engine 3.

By incorporating GameSpy's online technology into Unreal Engine 3, the two companies have created an integrated one-stop solution for game developers looking to leverage the world's most advanced multi-player technology and game engine in one package. The partnership will span both the PC and PLAYSTATION®3 platforms within Unreal Engine 3, enabling seamless PLAYSTATION®3 and PC online functionality. Functionality available to Unreal Engine 3 licensees via Gamespy will include cross-platform gameplay, communication tools and competition applications.

"Epic and the Unreal Engine 3 are on the leading edge of next-generation and multi-platform gaming, and we are very pleased to join the Integrated Partners Program. GameSpy is committed to working together with Epic to address a broad range of needs for the connected gamer, including multiplayer matchmaking, in-game and out-of-game messaging, persistent player communities, and competition systems," said Jamie Berger, senior vice president of consumer products and technology for IGN Entertainment. "Over the past months we have fully integrated a broad suite of GameSpy online technology in Unreal Engine 3 and have built a fantastic working relationship with Epic. We look forward to extending that relationship with a number of new technologies customized for Unreal Engine 3 to be introduced over the next 12 months."

By making available many leading community tools and technologies, GameSpy will provide game developers with the opportunity to have PLAYSTATION®3 and PC users play, communicate and compete together as a single community. GameSpy technologies available to license immediately include:

* GameSpy "Matchmaking" is a robust and flexible matchmaking system that makes it easy for gamers to find suitable opponents effortlessly
* GameSpy's "Comrade" in-game middleware and desktop technology that enables seamless in-game to out-of-game community features, such as instant messaging, in-game voice communication, and friend rosters
* GameSpy's "Sake" will allow developers to store data securely online, enabling gamers to build extensive player profiles and maintain game statistics
* GameSpy's "ATLAS" advanced statistical system for dynamic leaderboards and tournaments within the game and on the web
* Future feature sets developed by GameSpy will all be incorporated into the Epic Partnership.

"We're very excited to welcome GameSpy into the Integrated Partners Program," said Mark Rein, Vice President of Epic Games, Inc. "GameSpy is the leader in multiplayer gaming technology and has a vast amount of experience in developing rich and sophisticated multiplayer systems with community and commerce features that Epic and its Unreal Engine 3 licensees can directly benefit from. Having GameSpy integrate their technology into our engine and provide direct support for our licensees is a huge value-add for Unreal Engine 3."

In additional to providing multiplayer online features, GameSpy will also join Epic Games' Integrated Partners Program (IPP). The IPP program establishes a formal business relationship with selected companies making cross-platform technologies which integrate with, and are complementary to, Unreal Engine 3. Under the IPP program Epic provides continuous Unreal Engine 3 source code access and full technical support to IPP members. Companies who join the IPP agree to provide a high level of technical support for UE3 licensees through Epic's established support channels, keep their implementations up-to-date with the latest UE3 versions, and work with Epic on potential promotional and co-marketing efforts.

GameSpy technology integration is immediately available and several developers have already licensed the integrated GameSpy technology, including Codemasters' Turning Point: Fall of Liberty and Ubisoft's Brothers in Arms: Hells Highway.

About GameSpy

GameSpy, a division of IGN Entertainment, is the leader in multiplayer gaming technology. Utilized by each of world's top ten publishers, GameSpy's technology is accessible on eight different platforms and featured in more than 500 current titles. With more than 19 million registered users, GameSpy has the tools, expertise and ingenuity to help connect gamers, induce competition, foster community and create new commerce opportunities. IGN Entertainment is a unit of Fox Interactive Media.

About IGN Entertainment

IGN Entertainment, a unit of Fox Interactive Media, Inc., is a leading Internet media and services provider focused on the videogame and entertainment enthusiast markets. Collectively, IGN's properties reached more than 30 million unique users worldwide in the month of May 2007, according to Internet audience measurement firm comScore Media Metrix. IGN's network of videogame-related properties (IGN.com, GameSpy, FilePlanet, TeamXbox, Direct2Drive and others), is the Web's number one videogame information destination and attracts one of the largest concentrated audiences of young males on the Internet. IGN also owns and operates the popular movie-related website, Rotten Tomatoes and one of the leading male lifestyle Websites, AskMen.com. In addition, IGN provides technology for online game play in videogames. IGN is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices throughout the U.S. and in Montreal.

About Unreal Engine 3

The award-winning Unreal Engine is known for cutting-edge graphics and a best-of-breed toolset. Unreal Engine 3 is expected to maintain those features while adding massive world support, multi-processor support, next-generation console optimizations, and one of the most mature tool pipelines in the industry. Unreal Engine 3's new toolset is designed specifically to accelerate developers' productivity for ultra-complex, next-generation content. Additional information on Unreal Engine can be obtained at www.unrealtechnology.com.

About Epic Games

Epic Games, Inc., based in Cary, NC and established in 1991, develops cutting-edge games and game engine technology for PC and console. The company has created multiple million-selling, award-winning titles in their Unreal® series and their latest game, Gears of War®, broke sales records on Xbox 360 selling more than 3 million copies worldwide in the first ten weeks and awarded overall Game of the Year for 2006 by multiple media outlets including Gamespot and Gamepro. Epic is also responsible for the Unreal Engine, which is the underlying technology for a wide range of games including, Console Game of the Year winner, "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell TM" by Ubi Soft; PC Gamer's Game of the Year, "Deus Ex" from Ion Storm/Eidos; "America's Army: Special Forces," by the United States Army, and "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (PC) by Electronic Arts. Epic's Unreal Engine 3 is the current holder, and three-time consecutive winner, of Game Developer magazine's Front Line award for Best Game Engine. Epic Games was also awarded Studio of the Year at the 2006 Spike TV Video Game Awards and Developer of the Year by Official Xbox Magazine. Additional information about Epic can be obtained through Epic's Web site at http://www.epicgames.com.

Unreal and Gears of War are registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners

"PLAYSTATION" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Folks,

I checked with Steve Polge and he said that YES we are supporting keyboard and mouse in Unreal Tournament 3 on PS3. He is confident we are doing it in a way that will be balanced without feeling "gimped" for either side. We'll also allow people to choose whether or not they want to allow mixed controller vs. keyboard/mouse games or not.
I think you guys are going to love UT3!

More details to come later.

Debate time! Controller vs. keyboard/mouse: Which will you be using to play UT3 on the PS3 and why?

Unreal Tournament III to use mouse/keyboard [UT Forums]

We would not be the only publisher to tell you that we're a little concerned about the take-up of the PS3... Anytime you get a hundred dollar price on hardware it will improve sales. The question is, is it enough? Will there be more?

Hourly Unreal Tournament 3 deathmatches will make an appearance at this week's Comic Con. The game will be playable every hour during the show's Gaming University put on by Maximum PC and PC Gamer.

A 20-min booth presentation by sponsors or editors once every hour. Unreal Tournament 3 deathmatch every hour . Prize competition for Intel processors, Westinghouse monitors, Ideazon keyboards and more. Game seminars in separate convention center conference rooms (Room 30AB). Learn about Role Playing Games (RPG) and Real Time Strategy (RST) games featuring demo's from K2 Network ("Sword of the New World"); SouthPeak Interactive ("Two Worlds"); and CDV ("The History Channel® Great Battles of Rome" and "Attack on Pearl Harbor"). Games demoed in the booth will be K2 Network's "Sword of the New World," and CDV's "Tarr Chronicles," "Sherlock Homes: The Awakened," and "Attack on Pearl Harbor."

The university will also include pro-tips about playing UT3, role-playing games and real-time strategy titles.

PRESS RELEASE: Maximum PC And PC Gamer To Open "Gaming University" At Comic Con 2007 [Games Industry]