Square Enix to use Unreal Engine 3

[Odaisé Gaelach]

Final Fantasy Meets Gears of War
Square Enix to use Unreal Engine 3 for future titles.

January 25, 2007 - In the videogame equivalent of Angelina Jolie hooking up with Brad Pitt, Final Fantasy developer Square Enix will use Epic's Unreal Engine 3 for future next-gen and PC titles. Final Fantasy XIII, exclusive to PS3, is to be the last game to utilize Square's White Engine exclusively.

In an effort to ensure top-quality in its next-gen games, Square Enix is building a "combined technology platform." In a press release issued this morning, Square noted the new platform would be used "throughout the company, utilizing proprietary technologies as well as third-party solutions such as Unreal Engine 3."

http://pc.ign.com/articles/758/758364p1.html

[Erdrick Holmes]

Hey Square, EA called, they want their buisness practices back.

[Mirage]

What's wrong with using one of the best 3D engines out there? It saves them a lot of work, which means they can focus more on other parts of the games.

[Renmiri]

Awww... Does that mean we've seen the last of ATB ?

[Odaisé Gaelach]

Awww... Does that mean we've seen the last of ATB ?

...No...

[Mirage]

Uh. Unreal Engine 3 is a graphics engine. This means it only affects graphics. Logical, no? The Unreal engines are known to be very good, so I don't see how this is a bad thing at all.

[Odaisé Gaelach]

Uh. Unreal Engine 3 is a graphics engine. This means it only affects graphics. Logical, no? The Unreal engines are known to be very good, so I don't see how this is a bad thing at all.

Perhaps it'll be used for physics as well. Does the Unreal Engine 3 handle physics too?

[RiseToFall]

I thought they were using the 'white engine' for all their next gen games, why the change?

[Mirage]

They probably found out they should leave graphics for those who specialize in them ;p.

[JKTrix]

From Joystiq, apparently quoted from one of the S-E staff.

The complexity of next-generation game systems featuring HD graphics and multi-core parallel processing poses a number of technological challenges to our game development. However, we can expedite our game development process significantly while allowing extra time and resources to be spent on game design and mechanics by establishing an effective technology platform.

[Slicksword45]

I think they are still using the White engine for FFXIII

[Shoeberto]

Judging by this thread's responses, people will probably be flipping out at this announcement. Not because it really means anything bad for the series, but because they don't actually know what's being talked about.

"What, Final Fantasy is going to become and FPS?! You suck, SE!"

[Old Manus]

I think FPS Fantasy could take the series in a new, better direction.

[Ashley Schovitz]

I think FPS Fantasy could take the series in a new, better direction.

You're crazy after what happened with the TPS Dirge of Cerberus!

[LunarWeaver]

If it gets me games faster, then all the more power to it.