This news from Epic Games is probably more unexpected than Gears of War 2. What will we see Unreal Engine 3 powering in 2009? Not the next Gears of War or Unreal Tournament. Something different from the darker, war-torn environments the gaming engine is a veteran of. It’s being applied to the next social network by Nurien. Nurien is using the Unreal Engine 3 to power the 3D graphics of its glitzy, avatar based social network.
“What makes Nurien’s platform so exciting is the fact that it pulls Unreal Engine 3 into an entirely new arena,” said Jay Wilbur, vice president of Epic Games. “Nurien has created a gorgeous social dance game, along with other online social network applications, that look nothing like anything that has ever been created with our technology before. ‘MStar,’ ‘Runway’ and ‘QuizStar’ will deliver completely new gameplay experiences, and we are thrilled to give everyone a sneak peak at these games at this year’s Game Developers Conference.”
MStar is a “rhythm dance game that blends user-created content, customizable characters and virtual dancing in a fun, open environment.” The game is targeted for gamers in Korea and China, where online rhythm/dance games and social virtual worlds are the rage.
The announcement states how MStar uses Unreal Engine 3:
“Superior shading technologies allow users to choose from over 3,000 materials and textures to invent an incredible range of clothing and accessories for 3D avatars. Virtual designers can incorporate materials such as leather, jeans and velvet onto a single item, and even apply decals to create truly unique wearable pieces of art.
Thanks to Unreal Engine 3, characters in the avatar system move realistically due to the assignment of unique physics values to body parts, hair and accessories like earrings, necklaces, bracelets, ties, gloves and skirts. Each component moves independently within the avatar environment, enabling characters to simulate realistic physical movements and take on lifelike personas.”
Watch a video from MStar below, demonstrating the unique application of Unreal Engine 3. Nurien’s 3D Social Network will launch in Korea in mid-2008, following next in China during Q4 2008 and in North America in 2009. See more from Nurien here.
From Epic Games
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