Engine
Company
Documents about Engine
Epic Games responds to controversy over its new Fab marketplace: “Preserving someone’s work is paramount to us”
Epic Games has launched Fab, a unified digital marketplace designed to consolidate the company’s existing storefronts, including the Unreal Engine Marketplace, the Sketchfab Store, and Quixel.
- Epic Games has launched Fab, a unified marketplace consolidating the Unreal Engine Marketplace, Sketchfab, and Quixel, with ArtStation integration scheduled for 2025.
- Fab supports assets for Unreal Engine, UEFN, and rival engines like Unity, with future plans to include compatibility for Godot, Roblox, and Minecraft.
- Publishers on Fab will receive 100% of revenue on sales of Fab Standard-licensed products through the end of 2024.
Major Changes at Shanghai-Based VSPO Afoot
The Shanghai-based esports tournament organizer VSPO has initiated a significant corporate restructuring, rebranding itself as Hero Esports to facilitate international expansion.
- Shanghai-based esports tournament organizer VSPO has rebranded to Hero Esports as part of an international brand alignment strategy.
- Co-founder and current CFO Danny Tang has been appointed as the new CEO to lead the company's international expansion.
- Founder and former CEO Dino Ying is transitioning to the role of executive chairman, where he will focus on product development and major initiatives like the Esports Asian Champions League, the Esports World Cup, and the Olympic Esports Games.
Adam Apicella Joins ESL FACEIT Group as SVP of Esports: North America
Adam Apicella has been appointed as the Senior Vice President of Esports for North America at the ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), effective October 2024.
- Adam Apicella has been appointed as the Senior Vice President of Esports for North America at ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), effective October 3, 2024.
- Apicella previously served as the co-founder and president of Esports Engine, a company he departed following its acquisition by EFG in March 2023.
- The appointment reunites Apicella with EFG leadership, including Craig Levine, Niccolo Maisto, and Sebastian Weishaar, after more than 20 years of professional association.
Unity Cancels Its Engine Runtime Fee
Unity has officially rescinded its controversial Runtime Fee, a policy originally introduced in September 2023 that sought to charge game developers based on installation thresholds.
- Unity officially canceled its controversial Runtime Fee for game customers, effective immediately as of September 16, 2024.
- The decision to scrap the fee follows extensive consultation with Unity's community, partners, and customers.
- The canceled Runtime Fee was originally announced by Unity in September 2023.
The Success of Black Myth: Wukong and What It Means for Media
The success of the video game Black Myth: Wukong serves as a primary case study for the shifting landscape of global media consumption, highlighting a transition toward domestically produced, culturally resonant content in major international markets.
- Black Myth: Wukong, a single-player game based on Chinese folklore, sold over 20 million copies since its August 20th release, grossing nearly $1 billion and setting a new Steam record for concurrent players, despite a 'generally favorable' Metacritic rating of 81.
- At least 75% of Black Myth: Wukong's sales are from within China, demonstrating a strong domestic preference for culturally relevant content, contrasting with Western single-player titles that typically achieve single-digit sales in China.
- China's film industry has seen a significant shift towards local content, with Hollywood films dropping from an average of 5.3 of the Top 10 releases between 2011-2013 to just 1.3 between 2021-2023.
How Video Game Tech Is Powering a Revolution in Hollywood
The integration of video game technology into Hollywood production processes is fundamentally transforming visual effects and filmmaking workflows.
- Real-time game engines like Unreal Engine and Unity are revolutionizing Hollywood production by enabling live, in-camera visual effects adjustments that replace slow, traditional rendering processes.
- LED volume technology, used in productions like 'The Mandalorian' and 'Fallout,' allows directors to see and manipulate virtual environments in real-time, significantly reducing the need for green screens and post-production guesswork.
- The integration of game engine technology allows for synchronized lighting, where physical set lights and virtual environment lighting in Unreal Engine can be adjusted simultaneously from a single control interface.
Starbreeze H1 2024 Financial Results
Starbreeze’s financial results for the first half of 2024 reveal a period of significant revenue growth coupled with a substantial increase in net losses.
- Starbreeze reported a net loss of $8.95 million for H1 2024, a significant increase from the $18.9k net loss recorded in the same period of 2023.
- Total revenue for H1 2024 reached $9.46 million, representing a 38.5% year-over-year increase, while EBITDA grew by 211% to $5.5 million.
- Payday 3 generated $4.4 million in revenue during the first six months of 2024 and maintained approximately 300,000 monthly active users as of June 30.
Infinite Reality Partners With Global Esports Federation
Infinite Reality, the parent company of Rogue and the Carolina Royal Ravens, has entered into a five-year strategic partnership with the Global Esports Federation (GEF).
- Infinite Reality has entered a five-year strategic partnership with the Global Esports Federation (GEF) to develop multilingual, interactive digital twins of GEF’s worldwide events.
- The partnership will provide fans with remote access to GEF events via iOS, Android, and web platforms, allowing for real-time interaction.
- Infinite Reality will support the GEF’s Global Social Impact Initiative, which utilizes gaming to promote the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The Founding of Epic Games and the Quest to Build the Metaverse
The evolution of Epic Games from a small 2D developer to a central architect of the metaverse is rooted in a consistent philosophy of empowering user-generated content and accessible game-creation tools.
- Epic Games, founded by Tim Sweeney in 1991, initially focused on 2D games like ZZT before shifting to 3D with the 1998 hit "Unreal," which sold 1.5 million units by its fourth anniversary.
- The "Unreal Engine," which powered the game "Unreal," was Epic's primary investment, costing about $3 million ($6 million in 2024 dollars) to produce, rather than the game itself.
- Epic Games successfully built a business around licensing the Unreal Engine starting in 1996, generating $250,000–$350,000 in upfront payments and 5%–7% royalties from licensees.
June 2024 Steam Launches, Deconstructed
June 2024 Steam launch data reveals a market dominated by high-performing free-to-play (F2P) titles and viral indie hits, while mid-to-large budget traditional releases face increasing pressure to recoup costs.
- Nexon’s free-to-play shooter The First Descendant dominated June 2024 with an estimated $35 million in gross revenue, driven by aggressive monetization and a global player base.
- Viral indie titles outperformed expectations, with Chained Together selling 2 million units and Bodycam reaching 400,000 units by leveraging Unreal Engine 5 aesthetics.
- NetEase’s Once Human achieved strong engagement with concurrent user peaks exceeding 160,000, fueled by high interest from both the U.S. and Chinese markets.
Did Vindex’s Sale to EFG Leave Esports Engine Employees Empty-Handed?
The acquisition of Vindex by ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) in March 2023 has drawn scrutiny regarding the treatment of employees at Esports Engine, a Vindex subsidiary.
- When Vindex was sold to ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) in March 2023, most Esports Engine employees with equity received no financial benefit from the sale, mirroring a similar outcome for staff during the 2015 sale of Major League Gaming to Activision Blizzard for $46 million.
- The acquisition deal was structured to prioritize debt repayment and retention pools, effectively keeping the final sale price below the threshold required to trigger equity payouts for employees.
- Esports Engine management and staff were largely excluded from the acquisition negotiations, with many learning of the finalized deal only after it had closed.
People Can Fly: Q1 2024 Financial Results
People Can Fly’s financial results for the first quarter of 2024 demonstrate a significant improvement in profitability, characterized by a 63% year-over-year revenue increase to PLN 56.8 million (€13.1 million).
- People Can Fly achieved a 63% year-over-year revenue increase to PLN 56.8 million in Q1 2024, narrowing its net loss to PLN 864k and reaching an operating profit of PLN 3.9 million.
- The studio is managing a five-project pipeline, including Project Gemini (Square Enix), Project Maverick (Microsoft), two Krafton-partnered titles (Bifrost and Victoria), and Project Red, which is currently seeking a publisher.
- The launch of Bulletstorm VR was deemed unsatisfactory, resulting in the termination of the agreement with Incuvo and People Can Fly taking full control of the title's future.