E3 News: NVIDIA & Epic Games Show Off Unreal Engine 3

files/pictures/picture-35.jpgNVIDIA Corp. [1] and Epic Games announced the first public showing of the new game engine Unreal Engine 3 at this week's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Unreal Engine 3 is the first game engine to take full advantage of Shader Model 3.0 -- a key feature of Microsoft DirectX 9.0 -- enabled only by the NVIDIA GeForce 6 Series of graphics processing units (GPUs). Created by Epic Games, Unreal Engine 3 advances lighting and shadowing capabilities, shader effects and editing tools. The Unreal Engine 3 demonstration will be shown in a showcase theater located in the NVIDIA booth (South Hall, # 324). The demos will run every 15 minutes, starting when the show opens each day.

"Together, the NVIDIA GeForce 6 series and the Unreal Engine 3 are the perfect solution for developers to meet the challenge of the constantly expanding game worlds and complexities of next-generation PCs and consoles," said Mike Capps, ceo of Epic Games. "The combination of these products will give E3 attendees a glimpse at the future of gaming."

"Unreal Engine 3 sets the bar for what games will look like over the coming years," said Bill Rehbock, director of developer relations at NVIDIA. "Working with the Unreal Engine is a compelling proposition for any game developer looking to push their games forward with innovative visuals, physics, and gameplay."

In addition to the Unreal Engine 3 showcase at the NVIDIA booth, NVIDIA and Epic will also display a sample of the first- and second-round winning game mods from the "$1,000,000 NVIDIA Make Something Unreal" contest. The year-long contest -- which is just about to open its third-round phase for entries -- recognizes individuals from around the world who can create the ultimate game and entertainment mods based on the hit Unreal Engine. For more information about the contest, go to www.makesomethingunreal.com [2].

Epic Games Inc, based in Raleigh, North Carolina and established in 1991, is a developer of computer and videogames and 3D engine technology. Additional information can be obtained at www.epicgames.com [3].

NVIDIA Corp. is a market leader in visual computing technology. NVIDIA is headquartered in Santa Clara, California and employs more than 1,800 people worldwide. For more information, visit www.nvidia.com [4].