UT3 PS3 Mod Tools Released Epic has released the tools necessary to save UT3 mods in PlayStation 3 format, opening the floodgates for user-created content to appear on that platform. Click here for more info on creating mods for the PS3 version. More >
UT3 Patch 1.2 Released Weighing 240MB and featuring a changelist as long as your arm, the second official Unreal Tournament 3 patch has been released. Grab it now from FilePlanet at the link below! More >
Requiem Beta Come and play the MMO Club exclusive Requiem Bloodymare beta!
UT3 Review Check out our full review of UT3 - we take an in-depth look at Epic's latest shooter.
Planet Unreal Essential UT3 Maps Updated 16 February - Check out CTF-Kokki and DM-CG-Harbor, the latest two maps to make it onto Planet Unreal's Essential Maps list!
Eurogamer: What's the PC Gaming Alliance going to do, practically?
Mark Rein: I don't want to put words in their mouths, but some of our goals are to do what we can to push the graphics standards, minimum PC specs, to make sure developers are well-represented in this group, and that people understand the role that we play. And understand how we're entertainment software companies. We're not that much different to a movie company - we're content creators and we want to make sure that our voices are heard and it's not just a bunch of hardware guys talking about hardware.
Within the development community, how important is it for game creators to play what’s out there?
I think it’s good to a point, but you have to be careful because sometimes you can end up ripping on too many other established game design paradigms. That might not be a good thing because you could find yourself painted into a corner. I make it my duty to play all of the games that are popular but I don’t play every last obscure title. I’d rather spend that time reading a book, seeing a movie and going out and experiencing life in public, because I think a good work/life balance is (as) important as a creative.
The PS3 version of UT3 is every bit as good as it was on PC, and here the lack of strong competition makes it unmissable. If you like to fight online, this is as good as it gets on Sony's system.
The key to Unreal Tournament III's success is that it provides the perfect platform for you to do just that: the game is superbly balanced, providing a play area for you to jump in and have some virtual paintball fun - which I recommend you do.
I had spoken to Mark Rein, of Epic, earlier in the week and he told me he had never doubted that PlayStation 3 would be anything other than a success. Of course Epic did release Unreal Tournament 3 on PS3 this week so his comments have to be seen in that light. [...]
Mark Rein told me: "We've surpassed what Halo 3 offered."
Mark Rein on All Things Unreal[ Comment ] 7:03 PST | RaptoR | Print News | Category: UT3 - InterviewsMark Rein tells IGN @ GDC why Unreal Engine 3 is totally awesome, and why you should license it if you're making a shooter and even if you're not making a shooter because it's that awesome!
The map itself is based on a popular map from the first UT, and looks rather impressive for a first release. Download links and screenshots can be found here.
Sunday, 24 February, 2008 – Planet Unreal News
Mark Rein On PC Gaming, CliffyB[ Comment ] 19:59 PST | redef | Print News | Category: Interviews - Epic GamesTom’s Games has a bit of write-up on the recently announced PC Gaming Alliance, of which Epic is a member. Their article portrays PC gaming as being strong despite talk of doom and gloom in the past. As part of the festivities they have a quick interview with Mark Rein, who sarcastically pokes fun at CliffyB for suggesting that PC gaming is “in disarray”:
TG: But then you have Cliffy B come out and say that PC gaming is in disarray and...
MR: Oh he's an idiot [laughing]. No, he's a great guy. Cliff makes console games though, right? He's on a console team that makes what is primarily a console game.
Lego Mod For PS3 UT3[ 1 Comment ] 19:28 PST | jambo | Print News | Category: UT3 - ModificationsWith the release of the UT3 modding tools for the PS3 version of the game, it was only a matter of time before great mods were being churned out by the community.
One such mod is the Lego DM mod. The mod is basically like being shrunk down to the size of a lego man while running around a lego town. On top of that, almost all of the environment is destructible. Don't like that building? Flak it down. That car in the way? Shock combo it to pieces.
Here's some footage of the mod in action:
There are slight differences in the folder structure for the North American and European versions, so make sure you download the correct one:
So, if you’re not fed up to the back teeth with first-person shooting games, and fancy a bit of virtual slaughter, this is your four-star game of the week. For the rest of us, it’s a solid two.
The single player missions will feel a little too easy for experienced Unreal gamers, but once you've familiarised yourself with the maps, the joy really begins in what must be the most awesome multiplayer experience yet on Sony's big-boy console.
Unreal Tournament III is sure to sell out fast, and it is bound to keep you up late at night alone on the sofa, sitting there with mates or challenging a host of new foes you find in cyberspace.
Morris attributed the game's lackluster user interface to last-minute changes and insufficient time to make needed refinements.
Epic's President Mike Capps described [the UI] simply as "fucked"
On release schedules, console versions and PR strategy:
[Jeff Morris] bemoaned staggered launches across multiple platforms and regions, and after insisting that publisher Midway Games' PR team performed marvelously, said that going public with the game a full two and a half years before it was finished was a mistake
Epic Games feels that one of the biggest issues with the recently released Unreal Tournament 3 is that due to the inclusion of console-friendly features (necessary for the title's PlayStation 3 version), the game lacks a lot of necessary polish.
[Capps] also revealed that a lot of the polish the company wanted to put into the title was simply not possible thanks to the constricting deadlines they had created for themselves by opting for a planned simultaneous PC and PS3 release.
On the SP campaign:
Producer Jeff Morris owns up to one of his shooter's shortcomings by pointing his web browser to Penny-Arcade.com. "Here's the straight dope: wack aliens be stepping to our crew. We 'bout ta get 2 hype, on the bomb tip" UT3's Malcolm character jives in the site's December 19, 2007 comic strip parody. He wrote the dialog for the game, Morris kids, sticking a finger at fellow panelist and Epic Games President Michael Capps. [...]
In addition to a "story that never clicked" with tough-talking characters that few players cared for, Morris pegged the game's single-player campaign as problematic and noted that "we ran out of time."
Check out the full articles on Wired and 1Up for more.
Update:GameSpot also has some coverage of the UT3 Postmortem event, which includes some details of the things that went right - the refined, fast-paced core gameplay, the cohesive visual style and strong mod support.
While speaking on what went right with the recently released Unreal Tournament 3, Epic Games President Mike Capps revealed a sentiment not at all unfamiliar to long-time UT gamers: "Unreal Tournament 2003 was a misstep."
Other than attributing the issue to the fact that the title was created mostly "by an external team," Capps diplomatically avoided specifics on what exactly went wrong.
That external team, of course, was Canadian developer Digital Extremes, which has struggled to recreate the success of Unreal in its more recent games. DE titles like Pariah and Warpath were met with lukewarm responses from critics.
MIDWAY AND EPIC GAMES SHIP THE AWARD-WINNING UNREAL TOURNAMENT 3 FOR PLAYSTATION®3 SYSTEM IN EUROPE
Unreal Tournament 3 Marks the Highly Anticipated Console Debut of the Multi-Million Unit Selling Franchise
LONDON - FEBUARY 22nd, 2008 – Midway Games Ltd. ,a subsidiary of Midway games Inc. (NYSE: MWY), a leading interactive entertainment publisher and developer, and world-renowned developer Epic Games, Inc. today announced that the highly anticipated and award-winning Unreal Tournament 3 game has shipped for PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system In Europe. Epic Games, creators of 4-million-plus selling 2006 Game of the Year Gears of War, has brought the world's premiere and multi-million unit selling first-person shooter only to one system, the PLAYSTATION 3. Unreal Tournament 3 for PS3 is available for a European suggested retail price of €69.99. Unreal Tournament 3 is currently available for the PC for a European suggested retail price of €59.99.
"Unreal Tournament 3 sets a new benchmark for graphical quality and what a first-person shooter gameplay experience on the PLAYSTATION 3 system should be," said Martin Spiess, European Managing Director, Midway Games Ltd. "The game is a must-have for a PLAYSTATION 3 system owner."
Mark, Tim, and Cliff Interviewed at GDC [ Comment ] 22:15 PST | redef | Print News | Category: Interviews - Commentary and Fun StuffIn their adventures at the Game Developers Conference Joystiq has interviewed Mark Rein, Tim Sweeney, and CliffyB. There are plenty of “no comments,” but also plenty of interesting bits. Xbox 360 folks who have been waiting for UT3 will likely be a little disappointed as Mark notes that it’s “not looking good for mods on Xbox 360” (although it’s unclear whether a lack of mod support would prevent UT3 from reaching the Xbox 360 altogether, or would simply be limited). Here’s the embed:
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