Epic Games
Encyclopedia
Epic Games, Inc., also known as Epic and formerly Epic MegaGames, is an American
video game development company based in Cary, North Carolina
. Its most recent success has been the Gears of War series
of games, although it is also known for its Unreal Engine
technology. It is the parent company of game developers Chair Entertainment
, People Can Fly
and Titan Studios
. It has also set up studios in Shanghai, Seoul and Tokyo. Key developers at Epic Games include chairman, CEO and technical director Tim Sweeney
, design director Cliff Bleszinski
, and lead programmer Steve Polge. Jerry O'Flaherty
was the studio art director from 2003-2007. Chris Perna has been the art director since O'Flaherty's departure from the company.
in Rockville, Maryland
, releasing its flagship product, ZZT
, the same year. During the latter portion of ZZT life span, the company became known as Epic MegaGames and subsequently released numerous popular shareware
games, including Epic Pinball
, Brix, Jill of the Jungle
, Kiloblaster
, Solar Winds
, Jazz Jackrabbit, and One Must Fall: 2097
. During this time, Epic also published and sold games developed by other developers such as those by Safari Software
and also XLand's Robbo, Heartlight
, and Electro Man
; and Renaissance
's Zone 66
.
In 1996 Epic MegaGames produced a shareware isometric shooter called Fire Fight, developed by Polish Chaos Works. It was later released commercially by Electronic Arts
.
In 1997 Safari Software was acquired in whole by Epic MegaGames and some of their titles as well as other pre-1998 games are sold under the Epic Classics brand. Epic also released a hit platformer game in 1993 titled Xargon
, created by Allen Pilgrim.
In 1998, Epic MegaGames released Unreal
, a 3D
first-person shooter
, which expanded into a series of Unreal games. The company also began to license the core technology, the Unreal Engine, to other game developers.
and PC
bestseller Gears of War
and completed work on Unreal Tournament 3 for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
In summer 2009, Epic released the Chair developed Shadow Complex
on Xbox Live Arcade
. On November 7, 2008, Epic Games released Gears of War 2
, the sequel to their bestselling game Gears of War
, which continues the story of humanity's struggle against the Locust Horde.
Epic worked on an iOS game Infinity Blade
which was released on December 9, 2010. They also released Gears of War 3
, the third game in the Gears of War series
on September 20, 2011.
s in the video game industry. Each Unreal Engine has a complete feature set of graphical rendering, sound processing, and physics that can be widely adapted to fit the specific needs of a game developer that does not want to code its own engine from scratch. The three engines Epic has created are the Unreal Engine, Unreal Engine 2 (including its 2.5 and 2.X releases), and Unreal Engine 3, Epic's latest release. Unreal Engine 3 has become by far the most commercially used engine of the three. In addition to Epic's own games Bulletstorm
, Gears of War
, Gears of War 2
, Gears of War 3
, Unreal Tournament 3 and Shadow Complex
, UE3 has been used in games such as Batman: Arkham Asylum
, Mirror's Edge
, Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy
, Huxley
, BioShock
, Mass Effect
, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas
, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
, Tom Clancy's EndWar
, Lost Odyssey
, Turok, Medal of Honor: Airborne
, Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
, Army of Two
, The Last Remnant
, Borderlands
, Singularity
, All Points Bulletin, Stranded and RoboBlitz
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
video game development company based in Cary, North Carolina
Cary, North Carolina
Cary is a large town and suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it is the second largest municipality in that county and the third largest municipality in The Triangle after Raleigh and Durham...
. Its most recent success has been the Gears of War series
Gears of War (series)
Gears of War is a science fiction video game franchise created and owned by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Studios. The three games that currently make up the series take place on the fictional planet Sera and focus on a war between humans and creatures known as Locust...
of games, although it is also known for its Unreal Engine
Unreal Engine
The Unreal Engine is a game engine developed by Epic Games, first illustrated in the 1998 first-person shooter game Unreal. Although primarily developed for first-person shooters, it has been successfully used in a variety of other genres, including stealth, MMORPGs and RPGs...
technology. It is the parent company of game developers Chair Entertainment
Chair Entertainment
Chair Entertainment Group is an American video game developer based in Salt Lake City, Utah.-History:Chair Entertainment Group was formed in 2005 by Advent Rising creators, Donald and Geremy Mustard, CEO Ryan Holmes, and key members from the core design team behind Advent Rising. Soon after, Chair...
, People Can Fly
People Can Fly
People Can Fly, Sp. z o.o. is a video game developer established in February 2002 by Adrian Chmielarz and based in Warsaw, Poland. Their first video game was Painkiller, but many of their members had already worked on various titles before this. Some members helped create 10 different titles since...
and Titan Studios
Titan Studios
Titan Studios was an American video game developer founded in June 2008 by the core team previously working as DarkStar Industries. It includes former members with experience at Epic Games, Ubisoft, Blizzard Entertainment and Lionhead Studios...
. It has also set up studios in Shanghai, Seoul and Tokyo. Key developers at Epic Games include chairman, CEO and technical director Tim Sweeney
Tim Sweeney (game developer)
Tim Sweeney, born in 1970, is a computer game programmer and the founder of Epic Games, being best known for his work on ZZT and the Unreal Engine....
, design director Cliff Bleszinski
Cliff Bleszinski
Clifford Michael "Cliff" Bleszinski is the design director for the game development company Epic Games in Cary, North Carolina. He is most famous for his continuing hand in the development of the Unreal franchise, especially 1999's Unreal Tournament, and the Gears of War franchise...
, and lead programmer Steve Polge. Jerry O'Flaherty
Jerry O'Flaherty
Jerry O'Flaherty , is an American video game art director and filmmaker best known as Art Director on Gears of War from Epic Games and as the Director on the Warner Bros. feature film "Thundercats". He co-authored the book Destroyed Beauty: An Inside Look at Gears of War. O'Flaherty began in the...
was the studio art director from 2003-2007. Chris Perna has been the art director since O'Flaherty's departure from the company.
Epic MegaGames
Epic Games was initially founded under the name of 'Potomac Computer Systems' in 1991 by Tim SweeneyTim Sweeney (game developer)
Tim Sweeney, born in 1970, is a computer game programmer and the founder of Epic Games, being best known for his work on ZZT and the Unreal Engine....
in Rockville, Maryland
Rockville, Maryland
Rockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S...
, releasing its flagship product, ZZT
ZZT
ZZT is an ANSI character-based computer game, created in 1991 by Tim Sweeney of Epic Games , who later designed Unreal. It remains a popular DOS game creation system. ZZT itself is not an acronym for anything; its title was simply chosen so it would always appear at the very bottom of newsgroup...
, the same year. During the latter portion of ZZT life span, the company became known as Epic MegaGames and subsequently released numerous popular shareware
Shareware
The term shareware is a proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a...
games, including Epic Pinball
Epic Pinball
Epic Pinball is a 1993 pinball video game developed by James Schmalz and published by Epic MegaGames . The initial release pre-dated Schmalz' Digital Extremes name. The game is played seen from a 2D top-down view within a scrollable window with plain raster graphics in 320x240. The music is created...
, Brix, Jill of the Jungle
Jill of the Jungle
Jill of the Jungle is a trilogy of platform computer games released in 1992 by Epic MegaGames. It was intended to rival computer games from other shareware companies such as id Software and Apogee Software, Ltd....
, Kiloblaster
Kiloblaster
Kiloblaster is a Space Shooter Video Game Trilogy written by Allen Pilgrim and published by Epic MegaGames in the early 1990s. It is based on the classic Galaxian game, with a few differences such as allowing greater player movement , much faster enemy movement, power-ups, enemies that take more...
, Solar Winds
Solar Winds
Solar Winds I & II were top down, space-based action games released in the early-1990s.In Solar Winds, you are Jake Stone, a bounty hunter who, through several missions, uncovers a secret coalition between the government of your home solar system and a race of unidentified aliens...
, Jazz Jackrabbit, and One Must Fall: 2097
One Must Fall: 2097
One Must Fall: 2097 is a combat-oriented computer game for all IBM-compatible computers, programmed by Diversions Entertainment. It has a sequel, One Must Fall: Battlegrounds.-Background:...
. During this time, Epic also published and sold games developed by other developers such as those by Safari Software
Safari Software
Safari Software was a software developer and published founded circa 1989 in Houston, Texas. Patrick Aalto, prior to founding Safari, released a freeware game titled Line Wars in 1989 inspired by the original Elite video game engine. The first game released by Safari was Jason Storm in Space Chase...
and also XLand's Robbo, Heartlight
Heartlight (game)
Heartlight is a puzzle game originally developed by Janusz Pelc for 8-bit Atari. In 1994, an MS-DOS port was published by Epic Megagames along with two other games by Janusz Pelc in the Epic Puzzle Pack. The shareware version contained 20, the full version 70 levels...
, and Electro Man
Electro Man
Electro Man is a VGA sidescrolling DOS computer game developed by xLand Games and published by Epic Megagames in . It was initially released in Poland without the involvement of Epic as "Electro Body" complete with some changed graphics and CGA, EGA and composite monitor display modes...
; and Renaissance
Renaissance (demogroup)
Renaissance was an American PC demo group started in 1991-1992 by founding members Mosaic, C.C. Catch, Daredevil, and Tran.- History and contributions :...
's Zone 66
Zone 66
Zone 66 is a top down shooting video game released in 1993 for the PC, that initially was released as shareware. The game involved controlling a number of aircraft over various landscapes destroying various targets....
.
In 1996 Epic MegaGames produced a shareware isometric shooter called Fire Fight, developed by Polish Chaos Works. It was later released commercially by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
.
In 1997 Safari Software was acquired in whole by Epic MegaGames and some of their titles as well as other pre-1998 games are sold under the Epic Classics brand. Epic also released a hit platformer game in 1993 titled Xargon
Xargon
Xargon is a 1993 video game trilogy produced by Epic MegaGames for PCs running MS-DOS. It was programmed by Allen Pilgrim. The graphics were created by Joe Hitchens, who also contributed to Epic Pinball and Jill of the Jungle. The game is a side-scrolling platform game very similar to Jill of the...
, created by Allen Pilgrim.
In 1998, Epic MegaGames released Unreal
Unreal
Unreal is a first-person shooter video game developed by Epic MegaGames and Digital Extremes and published by GT Interactive in May 1998...
, a 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
, which expanded into a series of Unreal games. The company also began to license the core technology, the Unreal Engine, to other game developers.
Epic Games
In 1999, the company changed its name to Epic Games and moved its offices, including its Rockville headquarters, to Cary, North Carolina. In 2006, Epic released the Xbox 360Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
bestseller Gears of War
Gears of War
Gears of War is a military science fiction third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios...
and completed work on Unreal Tournament 3 for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
In summer 2009, Epic released the Chair developed Shadow Complex
Shadow Complex
Shadow Complex is a platform-adventure video game developed by Chair Entertainment in association with Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox Live Arcade, and is powered by Unreal Engine 3...
on Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
. On November 7, 2008, Epic Games released Gears of War 2
Gears of War 2
Gears of War 2 is a third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games with lead design by Cliff Bleszinski, and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360. It is the second installment of the Gears of War series. The game was officially released in North America, Europe and...
, the sequel to their bestselling game Gears of War
Gears of War
Gears of War is a military science fiction third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios...
, which continues the story of humanity's struggle against the Locust Horde.
Epic worked on an iOS game Infinity Blade
Infinity Blade
Infinity Blade is an action role-playing iOS video game developed by Chair Entertainment and Epic Games released through the Apple App Store on December 9, 2010. It is the first iOS game to run on the Unreal Engine 3. Upon release it became the fastest-grossing app in the history of iOS, selling...
which was released on December 9, 2010. They also released Gears of War 3
Gears of War 3
Gears of War 3 is a third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Studios exclusively for the Xbox 360. Originally due for release in April 2011, the game was delayed and eventually released on September 20, 2011....
, the third game in the Gears of War series
Gears of War (series)
Gears of War is a science fiction video game franchise created and owned by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Studios. The three games that currently make up the series take place on the fictional planet Sera and focus on a war between humans and creatures known as Locust...
on September 20, 2011.
Awards
Due to the success of Gears of War, the studio was awarded:- IGNIGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
s "Best Developer for Xbox 360" - Official Xbox MagazineOfficial Xbox MagazineOfficial Xbox Magazine is a monthly video game magazine which started in November 2001 around the launch of the original Xbox. A preview issue was released for E3 2001, with another preview issue for November 2001. The magazine is bundled with a disc that includes game demos, preview videos and...
s "Best Developer of the Year" - Spike TVSpike TV Video Game AwardsSpike Video Game Awards is an award show hosted by Spike TV that recognizes the best computer and video games of the year. The VGAs feature live music performances and appearances by popular performers in music, movies, and television. Additionally, preview trailers for upcoming games are...
- "Best Studio of the Year"
- "Best Shooter"
- "Best Graphic"
- "Best Multiplayer Game"
Technology
Epic is the proprietor of three successful game engineGame engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
s in the video game industry. Each Unreal Engine has a complete feature set of graphical rendering, sound processing, and physics that can be widely adapted to fit the specific needs of a game developer that does not want to code its own engine from scratch. The three engines Epic has created are the Unreal Engine, Unreal Engine 2 (including its 2.5 and 2.X releases), and Unreal Engine 3, Epic's latest release. Unreal Engine 3 has become by far the most commercially used engine of the three. In addition to Epic's own games Bulletstorm
Bulletstorm
Bulletstorm is a first-person shooter video game developed by People Can Fly and Epic Games, and is published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows...
, Gears of War
Gears of War
Gears of War is a military science fiction third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios...
, Gears of War 2
Gears of War 2
Gears of War 2 is a third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games with lead design by Cliff Bleszinski, and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360. It is the second installment of the Gears of War series. The game was officially released in North America, Europe and...
, Gears of War 3
Gears of War 3
Gears of War 3 is a third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Studios exclusively for the Xbox 360. Originally due for release in April 2011, the game was delayed and eventually released on September 20, 2011....
, Unreal Tournament 3 and Shadow Complex
Shadow Complex
Shadow Complex is a platform-adventure video game developed by Chair Entertainment in association with Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox Live Arcade, and is powered by Unreal Engine 3...
, UE3 has been used in games such as Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a 2009 action-adventure stealth video game based on DC Comics' Batman developed for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. It was developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment...
, Mirror's Edge
Mirror's Edge
Mirror's Edge is a single-player first person action-adventure video game developed by EA Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts. The game was announced on July 10, 2007, and was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in November 2008. A Microsoft Windows version was released...
, Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy
Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy
Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy is a third-person espionage video game developed by High Moon Studios and published by Sierra Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game expands upon Robert Ludlum's character Jason Bourne, and immerses the player in a cat and mouse style...
, Huxley
Huxley (video game)
Huxley is a multiplayer first-person shooter computer game with persistent player characters published by Webzen Games Inc.. It is being developed for Microsoft Windows. A Xbox 360 port was planned, but it has been put on an indeterminate hold...
, BioShock
Bioshock
BioShock is a first-person shooter video game developed by 2K Boston and designed by Ken Levine. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on August 21, 2007 in North America, and three days later in Europe and Australia. It became available on Steam on August 21, 2007...
, Mass Effect
Mass Effect
Mass Effect is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows by Demiurge Studios. The Xbox 360 version was released worldwide in November 2007 published by Microsoft Game Studios...
, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas is the fifth game in the Rainbow Six series of video games. It was released for the Xbox 360 on November 21, 2006 and Windows on December 12, 2006. The PlayStation Portable version was released on June 12, 2007, while the PlayStation 3 version was released on June...
, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 is the sixth installment in the Rainbow Six series. It is a first person shooter video game and the sequel to Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas. It was announced by Ubisoft on November 20, 2007...
, Tom Clancy's EndWar
Tom Clancy's EndWar
Tom Clancy's EndWar is a real-time tactics game designed by Ubisoft Shanghai for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows platforms. The Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable versions feature turn-based tactics instead of the real-time tactics of their console counterparts...
, Lost Odyssey
Lost Odyssey
is a console role-playing game developed by Mistwalker and feelplus and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360. The player takes control of Kaim, a man who has lived for a thousand years and who has no memory of his past...
, Turok, Medal of Honor: Airborne
Medal of Honor: Airborne
Medal of Honor: Airborne is a World War II first-person shooter computer game and the 11th installment of the Medal of Honor series. It was developed by EA Los Angeles and was released worldwide on the PC and Xbox 360 in September 2007. A PS2 and Wii version was set to be released but was cancelled...
, Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway
On September 15, 2008, Ubisoft and Gearbox Software announced that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game had gone gold. The Windows version went gold two days later. Playable demos on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Marketplace are available now....
, Army of Two
Army of Two
Army of Two is a third person shooter video game developed and published by Electronic Arts. It was released on March 4, 2008 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles. The game is centered upon two mercenaries fighting through war, political turmoil, and a conspiracy from 1993 to 2009...
, The Last Remnant
The Last Remnant
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix. The game is directed at both Japanese and Western audiences and had a simultaneous release in Japan, North America and Europe, on November 20, 2008 for the Xbox 360. The game was released worldwide for Microsoft Windows at the end...
, Borderlands
Borderlands (video game)
Borderlands is a science fiction based first-person shooter with RPG elements that was developed by Gearbox Software for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It was first revealed in the September 2007 issue of Game Informer magazine...
, Singularity
Singularity (video game)
Singularity received generally favorable reviews. On review aggregator website Metacritic, Singularity received a rating of 76 for the PC and Xbox 360 versions, and 77 for the PlayStation 3 version...
, All Points Bulletin, Stranded and RoboBlitz
RoboBlitz
Since its release, RoboBlitz has garnered much critical acclaim and has been recognized with several awards and honors. The game was nominated for the 2007 Independent Games Festival for both the Seumas McNally Grand Prize and Excellence in Visual Art awards...
.
Subsidiaries
- In 2007, Epic Games acquired a majority shareholding in Polish developer People Can FlyPeople Can FlyPeople Can Fly, Sp. z o.o. is a video game developer established in February 2002 by Adrian Chmielarz and based in Warsaw, Poland. Their first video game was Painkiller, but many of their members had already worked on various titles before this. Some members helped create 10 different titles since...
. - On May 20, 2008, Epic Games acquired Chair EntertainmentChair EntertainmentChair Entertainment Group is an American video game developer based in Salt Lake City, Utah.-History:Chair Entertainment Group was formed in 2005 by Advent Rising creators, Donald and Geremy Mustard, CEO Ryan Holmes, and key members from the core design team behind Advent Rising. Soon after, Chair...
. - In 2008, A Chinese division, Epic Games China, was opened in Shanghai. It is through this division that Epic owns Titan StudiosTitan StudiosTitan Studios was an American video game developer founded in June 2008 by the core team previously working as DarkStar Industries. It includes former members with experience at Epic Games, Ubisoft, Blizzard Entertainment and Lionhead Studios...
. Titan Studios was dissolved in July 2011 and Epic Games China has since been renamed Yingpei Games. - Another studio, Epic Games Korea, operates in Seoul, South Korea.
- Epic Games Japan, which is based in Tokyo, is used for game engine licensing and support.
External links
- Epic Games official site
- Epic Games Unreal Engine site
- Epic Games Unreal Development Kit site
- Epic Games Unreal Developer Network site
- Epic Games Inc. on MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...