AnandTech’s Anand Lal Shimpi (who the hell names a site after himself…oh wait…never mind) was visited by Epic Games vice president Mark Rein and received a demo of Unreal Engine running for iPhone. Lal Shimpi wrote:
I got together with Mark Rein last week and he showed me an Unreal Engine 3 tech demo running on a 3rd generation iPod Touch. The same Unreal Engine 3 that powers Gears of War 2, running on an iPod Touch. The engine also works on the iPhone 3GS, and Mark tells me that we’ll see it on another mobile platform at CES (hmm…).
Obviously this is huge for the iPhone and iPod Touch platforms. Unreal Engine is the most popular in the business and Epic’s relationships — both with developers and publishers — are far reaching. Ultimately, I expect better looking games coming from numerous Unreal Engine licensees — companies that most enthusiast gamers are familiar with, as opposed to newcomers like ngmoco. Core gamers that are also iPhone and iPod Touch users (like many of you guys) are more likely to buy a game from a developer or publisher they know rather than a new company. Better looking games from the traditional players? I’m down! And I’m sure many of you will be too.
But wait, there’s more! Lal Shimpi also pointed out:
This isn’t a platform specific thing, it’s about bringing Unreal Engine 3 to the entire portable market.
Of course it is. Mobile processors like the Nvidia Tegra and Qualcomm Snapdragon are taking portable power to new heights. With great power comes great responsibility fantastic potential for mobile gaming. The next generation of mobile gaming devices will continue to push the envelope. Sony’s PlayStation Portable took portable graphics to a new level, but I don’t think it will be alone in the next generation. With Nintendo’s next handheld rumored to be Tegra powered, expect better looking mobile games on several platform.
Whether you’re talking about the next generation Nintendo handhelds and Sony PlayStation Portables or multifunction devices like the iPhone or Zune, mobile gaming is poised for a giant step. Naturally, to make great games you need great tools. This is where Unreal Engine comes in. For hundreds of developers, Unreal Engine is familiar and powerful. Having it work on mobile platforms like the iPhone is tremendous.
Then there’s Mark Rein’s involvement. The dude knows how to build relationships and sell his company’s engine. He’s so convincing that he once sold me time in a tanning salon. Okay, that’s not true, but I’m pretty sure he could do it.
