Sony Online Entertainment Licenses Unreal Engine 3

Sony Online Entertainment issued a press release earlier today announcing that they have licensed Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3 for several games, including their upcoming DC Comics MMORPG.
SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT LICENSES UNREAL ENGINE 3

Epic's Next-Gen 3D Engine to Power Several of SOE's Next-Gen Online Games

SAN DIEGO, CA July 20, 2006 Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE), a global leader in the online games industry, today announced a licensing agreement with Epic Games to use their Unreal® Engine 3 technology for the development of content for some next-generation console and PC-based games. SOE will utilize this technology for a number of future projects, including the DC Comics-based game currently under development at SOE-Austin.

(Our development teams are very excited about harnessing the power of Unreal Engine 3,) said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. (The combination of a top-notch graphics engine and a robust set of design tools will enable our teams to deliver incredible and innovative game content for next-generation consoles and the PC.)

This agreement allows Epic Games to include another impressive name to an already extraordinary list of licensing partners.

(Sony Online Entertainment has a reputation for delivering detailed, truly engaging, interactive online worlds,) said Mark Rein, Vice President, Epic Games, Inc. (It is a great privilege for us that they're using Unreal Engine 3 to help create their next generation projects.)

About Sony Online Entertainment

Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers around the globe. SOE creates, develops and provides compelling entertainment for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. Known for its blockbuster franchises and hit titles including EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Champions of Norrath®, Untold Legends™, and PlanetSide®, as well as for developing Star Wars Galaxies™: An Empire Divided™, SOE continues to redefine the business of online gaming and the creation of active player communities while introducing new genres on various entertainment platforms. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, with additional development studios in Austin, TX, Seattle, WA, and Taiwan, SOE has an array of cutting-edge games in development. SOE is owned by Sony Pictures Digital and Sony Computer Entertainment America.

SOE, the SOE logo, EverQuest and PlanetSide are registered trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment LLC. Untold Legends is a trademark of Sony Online Entertainment LLC. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

About Unreal Engine 3

The award-winning Unreal Engine is known for cutting-edge graphics and a best-of-breed toolset. Unreal Engine 3 is expected to maintain those features while adding massive world support, multi-processor support, next-generation console optimizations, and one of the most mature tool pipelines in the industry. Unreal Engine 3's new toolset is designed specifically to accelerate developers' productivity for ultra-complex, next-generation content. Additional information on Unreal Engine can be obtained at www.unrealtechnology.com.

About Epic Games

Epic Games Inc., based in Raleigh, NC and established in 1991, is a developer of cutting-edge computer and video games. The company is best known as the creator of hit PC 3D action games Unreal and Unreal Tournament, both award-winning blockbuster hits having each sold more than one million copies. Epic is also responsible for the Unreal Engine, which is the underlying technology for a wide range of games including, 2002 Console Game of the Year winner, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell â„¢ from Ubi Soft; PC Gamer's 2000 Game of the Year, Deus Ex from Ion Storm/Eidos; America's Army: Special Forces , from the United States Army, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (PC) from Electronic Arts. Additional information can be obtained through Epic's Web site at www.epicgames.com .