Ever since its introduction in the mid-90s, Unreal Engine has been a popular technology that is used in hundreds of games that we play today. The engine inspired other technology over the years, but none has seen more success than Unreal Engine.
The popularity did not come overnight, as it took years of refinement before the engine was ready. But when it did, it became a massive success that spawned more iterations of the original.
Unreal Engine is what made Epic Games, creator of successful games such as Fortnite and Gears of War, become a titan in the gaming industry. Up next we tell you how Unreal Engine came to be and how it changed the world of design?
The Inception of Unreal Engine
The Unreal Engine came about with the help of a group of friends that started a fledgling company known as Potomac Computer Systems. These friends were self-taught computer wizards in their own right, which led to the creation of the engine.
It first started as a desire to make an editor that allowed the use of 3D assets. This would eventually lead to building 3D games.Â
Editors, artists, and designers were able to craft their graphics using the engine. Even with a few heads working on the engine, it became one of the most powerful and efficient game engines at the time.
The Evolution of Unreal Engine
The decision to make the Unreal Engine was for players to tinker around and mod the game to make it look more polished. The first version of the Unreal Engine heavily focused on creating solid geometry in building a game.
The next version brought it to newer heights when it helped usher in the age of 3D graphics into the mainstream. This led to even more people being able to get their hands on the game engine and expand the technology's capabilities.
Soon after, the company began licensing the engine. Gaming companies began using the engine to create more games, thus the widespread use of the Unreal Engine began.
A decade later, the company released a downloadable edition of Unreal Engine 3 which made game creation and design even more accessible to many people.
The gaming engine was recognized as the most successful game engine by Guinness World Records in 2014. Unreal Engine 4 saw a massive upgrade to the previous iteration.
And now, Unreal Engine 5 was recently revealed and is expected to be available in 2021.
Features of Unreal Engine
What truly makes Unreal Engine unique is that it is written in C++ which can be easily ported through different platforms. This makes it readily accessible to a lot of people and can be used in many different ways apart from designing games.
A feature that helped place Unreal Engine on the map was how it took full advantage of the shader hardware. This means that shadows and lighting gave more depth to the graphics of the game.
Unreal Engine 4 saw the height of the engine's capabilities when it now grants a visual scripting system. This removed the boundaries between designers, programmers, and artists.Â
Shading and physics became more realistic. The graphics and texture became a lot smoother as well.
Other Uses of Unreal Engine
Outside of gaming, Unreal Engine has also brought tremendous innovation. Currently, it is being used to build a driving simulator.
A mobile app is also currently in development to help with the reconstruction of bridges with the help of highway patterns.
The engine is also bound to increase proficiency in training new medical responders with the help of creating a human physiology engine.
Conclusion
The remarkable rise to the popularity of the Unreal Engine signaled the start of an era that changed the world of design. Over the past decade, Unreal Engine has provided a lot of defining moments, not only in the gaming industry.
It has expanded its reach to the world of animation, film, architecture, medicine, and so much more.
