GAMESPY AND EPIC GAMES TO INTEGRATE GAMESPY MULTIPLAYER TECHNOLOGY INTO EPIC’S UNREAL TOURNAMENT 3 ON PC AND PLAYSTATION 3
Agreement Expands on Existing IPP Partnership and Licensing Deal between GameSpy and Epic Games
BRISBANE, Calif. – November 12, 2007 – IGN Entertainment’s GameSpy, a leader in multiplayer and online gaming technology, and Epic Games today announced a licensing deal to incorporate GameSpy’s multiplayer technology into Epic’s Unreal Tournament 3, the immensely popular first-person shooter franchise. This partnership comes on the heels of a recent announcement between GameSpy and Epic Games that included a licensing deal to incorporate GameSpy’s online technology into Epic’s Unreal Engine 3 and GameSpy joining Epic’s Integrated Partners Program.
Under the terms of the agreement, GameSpy’s multiplayer technology -- including multiplayer matchmaking, in-game and out-of-game messaging, deep player statistics, Voice over IP (VoIP) communication and a robust leaderboard and ranking system -- will be incorporated into both the PLAYSTATION®3 and PC versions of Unreal Tournament 3. The new agreement expands on GameSpy’s current relationship with Epic Games, which created a one-stop solution for game developers by incorporating GameSpy’s online technology into Unreal Engine 3, one of the world’s most popular game engines.
“GameSpy is excited to expand our existing relationship with Epic Games and align ourselves with Unreal Tournament 3,” said Jamie Berger, senior vice president of consumer products and technology for IGN Entertainment. “As our technology continues to expand and evolve with next-generation consoles, we will continue to work with developers to provide an ease and expertise when it comes to online gaming technology.”
“Partnering with GameSpy for the second time and expanding on our IPP relationship furthers our commitment to including the highest level of online technology into our video games,” said Mark Rein, vice president of Epic Games, Inc. “ Unreal Tournament 3 is a leader in online gaming, and we will continue to push boundaries and technology to develop a game that satisfies the high expectations of our franchise fans.”
Unreal Tournament 3 marks the return of the industry's premiere first-person shooter franchise. In the latest installment of the award-winning Unreal franchise, players assume the role of a futuristic warrior engaged in contests of intense warfare against dedicated and skilled opponents, controlled either by human contestants online or by A.I. These brutal contests are fought with the most powerful military weapons and vehicles known to man. In Unreal Tournament 3, players can go face-to-face with devastating close quarters weapons like the flak cannon and rocket launcher, or pick off their enemies from a distance with a high-caliber sniper rifle. Players will also be able to fully access the universe's most capable and advanced set of vehicles in their quest to dominate and overwhelm opponents. Unreal Tournament 3 will also be the first game to feature robust user-generated content on PLAYSTATION®3 including multiplayer maps, custom game modes and much more. Unreal Tournament 3 is scheduled for release November 19 on the PC and is coming soon for the PLAYSTATION®3.
About GameSpy
GameSpy, a division of IGN Entertainment, is the leader in multiplayer gaming technology. Utilized by each of world's top ten publishers, GameSpy's technology is accessible on eight different platforms and featured in more than 500 current titles. With more than 19 million registered users, GameSpy has the tools, expertise and ingenuity to help connect gamers, induce competition, foster community and create new commerce opportunities. IGN Entertainment is a unit of Fox Interactive Media.
About IGN Entertainment
IGN Entertainment, a unit of Fox Interactive Media, Inc., is a leading Internet media and services provider focused on the videogame and entertainment enthusiast markets. Collectively, IGN's properties reached more than 30 million unique users worldwide in the month of August 2007, according to Internet audience measurement firm comScore Media Metrix. IGN's network of videogame-related properties (IGN.com, GameSpy, FilePlanet, TeamXbox, Direct2Drive and others), is the Web's number one videogame information destination and attracts one of the largest concentrated audiences of young males on the Internet. IGN also owns and operates the popular movie-related website, Rotten Tomatoes and one of the leading male lifestyle Websites, AskMen.com. In addition, IGN provides technology for online game play in videogames. IGN is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices throughout the U.S. and in Montreal.
About Unreal Engine 3
The award-winning Unreal Engine is known for cutting-edge graphics and a best-of-breed toolset. Unreal Engine 3 is expected to maintain those features while adding massive world support, multi-processor support, next-generation console optimizations, and one of the most mature tool pipelines in the industry. Unreal Engine 3's new toolset is designed specifically to accelerate developers' productivity for ultra-complex, next-generation content. Additional information on Unreal Engine can be obtained at www.unrealtechnology.com.
About Epic Games
Epic Games, Inc., based in Cary, NC and established in 1991, develops cutting-edge games and game engine technology for PC and console. The company has created multiple million-selling, award-winning titles in their Unreal series and their latest game, Gears of War, broke sales records on Xbox 360 selling more than 3 million copies worldwide in the first ten weeks and awarded overall Game of the Year for 2006 by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, Game Developers Choice Awards, GameSpot, GamePro and many others. Epic is also responsible for the Unreal Engine, which is the underlying technology for a wide range of games including Console Game of the Year winner "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell" by Ubisoft; PC Gamer's Game of the Year "Deus Ex" from Ion Storm/Eidos; "America's Army: Special Forces," by the United States Army; and "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (PC) by Electronic Arts. Epic's Unreal Engine 3 is the current holder, and three-time consecutive winner, of Game Developer magazine's Front Line award for Best Game Engine. Epic Games was also awarded Studio of the Year at the 2006 Spike TV Video Game Awards and Developer of the Year by Official Xbox Magazine. Additional information about Epic can be obtained through Epic's Web site at www.epicgames.com.
Epic, Epic Games, Unreal, Unreal Tournament and Gears of War are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere. “PLAYSTATION” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.