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Unreal Engine: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Common questions
Who created Unreal Engine and when was the first code written?
Tim Sweeney wrote the first lines of code for Unreal Engine in 1995. This solitary act of creation occurred in a small office in Maryland before the software was named Unreal Engine.
When was Unreal Engine 1 released and what game did it power?
Unreal Engine 1 shipped with the game Unreal in 1998. The engine was initially designed to render this first-person shooter and supported Windows, Linux, Mac, and Unix from its inception.
What programming language replaced UnrealScript in 2012?
Epic announced the removal of UnrealScript in 2012 in favor of C++. This transition was accompanied by the introduction of Blueprints, a visual scripting system that replaced the earlier Kismet system.
When did Epic open the Unreal Engine Marketplace and what fee reduction occurred in 2018?
Epic opened the Unreal Engine Marketplace in September 2014. The company retroactively reduced its sales share fee to 12% in July 2018 following the success of Fortnite.
Which television series used StageCraft technology developed by Unreal Engine?
The live-action television series The Mandalorian used StageCraft technology developed in collaboration with Jon Favreau and Lucasfilm's Industrial Light & Magic division. This technology utilizes LED screens to display virtual environments and has been adopted by productions such as Westworld and Fallout.
When was Verse first implemented and when is it planned to be available to all users?
Unreal Engine
In 1995, a single programmer named Tim Sweeney wrote the first lines of code that would eventually power the visual world of billions of people. This was not a team effort born from a boardroom strategy, but a solitary act of creation in a small office in Maryland. The resulting software, initially named Unreal Engine, was designed to render the first-person shooter game Unreal, which would be released three years later. Sweeney, who had previously created the game ZZT, approached the problem of 3D graphics with a pragmatic eye, building an engine that could run on software rendering or leverage early hardware accelerators like the 3DFX Voodoo Graphics. The engine was not just a tool for one game; it was a promise of portability, supporting Windows, Linux, Mac, and Unix from its inception. This early decision to prioritize cross-platform compatibility set a precedent that would define the engine's future, allowing it to survive the rapid obsolescence of hardware that plagued its competitors. By the time Unreal Engine 1 shipped with the game Unreal in 1998, it had already established a reputation for flexibility, a trait that would allow it to outlive the specific genre of first-person shooters it was built to serve.
The Evolution Of Visual Power
The transition from software rendering to hardware rendering marked the first major generational leap, moving the engine from the early days of the internet to the golden age of console gaming. Unreal Engine 2, released in 2002, brought support for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube, effectively bridging the gap between PC and console development. This era saw the engine mature into a robust tool capable of handling complex physics and lighting, culminating in its final update in 2005. The subsequent release of Unreal Engine 3 in 2006 introduced multithreading support, a critical innovation that allowed developers to utilize multiple processor cores simultaneously, significantly boosting performance on modern hardware. By 2014, Unreal Engine 4 arrived with a paradigm shift in how games were built, introducing physically based materials and the revolutionary Blueprints visual scripting system. This system allowed designers to create complex game logic without writing a single line of C++ code, democratizing game development for artists and designers. The engine also became free to download, charging only a 5% royalty on revenues exceeding one million dollars, a model that would eventually become the industry standard for high-end development. This shift in business strategy, combined with technical advancements, allowed Unreal to capture a massive share of the market, growing from 17% in 2012 to 28% by 2024, surpassing its primary competitor in units sold.
Verse was first implemented in Fortnite and officially presented at the Haskell eXchange in December 2022. Plans exist for the language to be available to all users by 2025.
Behind the visual spectacle of Unreal Engine lies a complex ecosystem of programming languages that have evolved to meet the demands of modern development. The original native language, UnrealScript, was designed by Tim Sweeney to be simple and high-level, allowing for rapid iteration on gameplay events. However, as the engine grew in complexity, the limitations of UnrealScript became apparent, particularly its low execution speed and lack of multiple inheritance. In 2012, Epic announced the removal of UnrealScript in favor of C++, the industry standard for high-performance computing. This transition was accompanied by the introduction of Blueprints, a visual scripting system that replaced the earlier Kismet system, allowing for a more intuitive workflow. The latest evolution in this lineage is Verse, a functional-logic language conceived by Sweeney and developed with the help of Simon Peyton Jones, a renowned figure in the Haskell programming community. Verse was first implemented in Fortnite and officially presented at the Haskell eXchange in December 2022. It aims to unify the development streams for Fortnite and the broader engine, with plans to be available to all users by 2025. This new language represents a fundamental shift in how the engine handles logic, moving towards a more robust and scalable architecture capable of supporting the metaverse and complex virtual environments.
The Marketplace Economy
The success of Unreal Engine is not solely defined by its code, but by the ecosystem it has cultivated around itself. In September 2014, Epic opened the Unreal Engine Marketplace, a digital storefront that allows content creators to sell art assets, models, sounds, and code snippets to developers. This marketplace has become a vital resource for the industry, providing a streamlined way to acquire high-quality assets without the need to build everything from scratch. Initially, Epic took a 30% share of sales, but the success of Fortnite and the broader Unreal ecosystem led to a retroactive reduction of this fee to 12% in July 2018. This decision has fostered a thriving community of independent developers and artists, creating a self-sustaining economy that benefits both Epic and its users. The marketplace also includes free content, such as tutorials and previously offered assets, further lowering the barrier to entry for new developers. This strategy has been instrumental in the engine's adoption, as it allows small studios to compete with AAA developers by leveraging the same high-quality assets. The marketplace has also become a platform for innovation, with creators developing new tools and techniques that are shared with the wider community, driving the engine's capabilities forward.
The Virtual Production Revolution
Beyond the realm of video games, Unreal Engine has revolutionized the film and television industry through the adoption of virtual production techniques. The engine's ability to render high-quality graphics in real time has enabled the creation of virtual sets that can track with a camera's motion around actors and objects. This technology, known as StageCraft, was developed in collaboration with Jon Favreau and Lucasfilm's Industrial Light & Magic division for the live-action television series The Mandalorian. The use of LED screens to display virtual environments has replaced traditional chromakey effects, allowing for more natural lighting and immediate editing of scenes. This approach has been adopted by numerous productions, including Westworld, Fallout, and the animated series Zafari. The technology has also been used to create virtual environments for training purposes, such as the Enhanced Dynamic Geo-Social Environment (EDGE) platform developed by the U.S. Army. The engine's ability to handle complex simulations and real-time rendering has made it an indispensable tool for modern filmmaking, allowing directors to shoot multiple scenes within a short period by simply changing the virtual world behind the actors. This shift has not only improved the visual quality of productions but has also reduced costs and increased efficiency, making it a preferred choice for both independent and major studio productions.
The Legal Battlefield
The dominance of Unreal Engine has not gone unnoticed, leading to significant legal challenges that have shaped the future of the industry. In 2020, Epic Games initiated a legal action against Apple Inc., claiming anticompetitive behavior in Apple's iOS App Store. The dispute arose when Epic uploaded a version of Fortnite that violated Apple's App Store guidelines, leading to the removal of the Fortnite app and threats to terminate Epic's developer accounts. This action would have prevented Epic from updating the Unreal Engine for iOS and macOS, potentially crippling the engine's presence on Apple devices. The court granted Epic a permanent injunction against Apple, recognizing the impact this would have on numerous third-party developers who rely on the Unreal Engine. This legal battle highlighted the critical role that Unreal Engine plays in the broader ecosystem, as its availability is essential for the development of countless applications and games. The outcome of the case has set a precedent for the relationship between platform holders and developers, emphasizing the importance of fair competition and the need for open access to development tools. The legal challenges have also spurred Epic to diversify its revenue streams and expand its presence in other markets, ensuring that the engine remains a viable option for developers regardless of the platform.
The Engine Of Innovation
Unreal Engine has transcended its origins as a video game engine to become a tool for innovation across a wide range of industries. Its capabilities have been utilized in the development of virtual reality tools to explore pharmaceutical drug molecules, virtual environments to design new buildings and automobiles, and real-time graphics for cable news networks. Car companies, most prominently including Rivian, use Unreal Engine in their infotainment systems, demonstrating the engine's versatility beyond entertainment. The engine has also been adopted by government agencies for training purposes, such as the anaesthesiology training software for U.S. Army physicians and the multiplayer crime scene simulation developed by the FBI Academy. These applications highlight the engine's ability to handle complex simulations and real-time rendering, making it a valuable asset for fields that require high-fidelity visualizations. The engine's impact extends to the academic and research sectors, where it is used to develop platforms for training first responders and analyzing cognitive biases. This widespread adoption has been facilitated by the engine's open-source nature and the availability of resources through the Unreal Engine Marketplace. The engine's ability to support a wide range of platforms, from desktop to mobile to virtual reality, has made it a versatile tool for developers across the globe. As the engine continues to evolve, its influence is likely to expand further, driving innovation in fields that were previously beyond the reach of real-time graphics technology.