Last night, 3D Realms Entertainment made what some have
termed a shocking announcement: Duke Nukem Forever will be switching from using the Quake
technology to the Unreal engine, effective immediately. Obviously the decision to change
the entire technological base for a game is not an easy one, especially considering the
fact that 3D Realms signed a deal with id Software over a year ago to license the Quake
technology for Duke Forever. However, suggesting that DNF has been in development for over
a year is somewhat misleading – With the release of Quake 2, developers were handed
that code in January and many found that the conversion from the original Quake engine to
the sequel engine was anything but easy to do. Therefore, when 3D Realms presented Duke
Forever at E3, they cautioned that it was only the product of "about four months of
work."
The demo presented at E3 was breathtaking, and in many ways
defied what most individuals thought was possible with the Quake engine. However, 3D
Realms admitted that working with the Quake technology was somewhat restrictive and as
such they had to spend valuable time re-writing parts of the game engine to fit their
needs.
After E3, 3D Realms’ President George Broussard realized
that the Unreal technology was probably going to be a better choice for the game. In many
ways, DNF was one of the few Quake licensed games that really had the potential to switch
engines before release. (Other triple-A games such as Half-Life and Sin were much too far
along in development to make a switch in technology feasible, providing they even wanted
to change). As Broussard explained to me, "We simply felt Unreal was a better fit for
us at the moment, and for what we wanted to do. Also, the ship date was a factor as we are
now going beyond 1998 with Duke Forever’s release. All these things factored into the
decision."
One thing to note is that 3D Realms’ decision is one
most developers couldn’t make, largely due to financial considerations. When 3D
Realms initially licensed the Quake technology from id, they put up what some sources have
suggested was a figure in excess of half a million dollars as a 'pay or play' payment for
the engine. Broussard refused to comment on the parameters of their deal with id.
It’s unclear whether their decision to use the Unreal technology will yield some sort
of "refund" from id or whether 3D Realms has to eat that large cost as simply
part of the budget for the game. Without question, the decision 3D Realms made was not an
easy one, nor an inexpensive one. Was it the best decision for the game?
Probably.
But why pick Unreal over Quake? "They are both solid
engines," comments Mark Rein, VP of Epic MegaGames. "However, I think this deal
shows the importance of a good toolset. Unreal allows developers to create their game very
efficiently because of features such as the Unreal Editor and UnrealScript. As Duke Nukem
would say, anyone who’s interested in the technology should ‘Come get
some!’"
Is the decision to move to the Unreal technology a surprise?
Not really to those who have closely followed the development of Duke Forever. Without
question, 3D Realms had run into some hitches developing with the Quake technology, and
when the finished version on Unreal technology presented itself alongside the tools to
create a game, the writing was on the wall. For 3D Realms, they can afford to eat
costs in the short run in order to create a more compelling experience for gamers in the
long term.
For gamers who are wondering why the developers would switch
after such an incredible demo at E3, you have to remember that what was shown last month
in Atlanta was only a fraction of the entire game experience. Broussard is quick to
mention that all the art and models for the game won’t be lost and will be converted
over to the Unreal technology within weeks. So, will all the amazing effects shown in the
E3 demo be in the Unreal version of the game? "Yes, absolutely!" promises
Broussard. "Our first goal is to get back to where we were at E3, and move forward
from there. People need not fear that all the cool stuff they saw in the E3 video is going
away, getting trashed or lost. It will all be there."
With a new target of a post-1998 release date, Duke Forever
may be taking a bit longer to develop than originally projected, but Unreal is a testament
to the fact that the best games don’t always make their initial release projections.
No doubt it will be an interesting year in 1999 when most of the Unreal licensed games
start to trickle out. By this time next year will developers be regretting using Unreal
and looking to Quake 3 technology or another engine as the next big thing? Only time will
tell. However, based on the sheer number of Unreal engine deals already signed --
from Microprose's hot new X-Com game to Legend's Wheel of Time -- it looks like the
technology is here to stay for at least a few years.
I'll be back tomorrow with another
editorial! If you have a suggestion for a future topic, please drop me a line!
