PCG Article Looks like the next Mass Effect will be made in Unreal

[ZedClampet]

(Mass Effect is both a shooter and an RPG, but we always refer to it as an RPG here, so that's where I posted it)

Looks like the next Mass Effect will be made in Unreal

Job listings suggest BioWare is shifting away from Frostbite for this one.

www.pcgamer.com

There was an article on PCG not long ago about how Microsoft finally learned its lesson about how to manage the studios that it purchased, and how they now let the studios just continue doing what they do best without interfering. I don't know that EA is ever going to learn that lesson, but at least it looks like they are trying to let Bioware be a little more independent these days after their recent failures.

 

[Brian Boru]

There's a new Unreal out if I recall correctly, so it must be looking good. I heard Fortnite will be on it, if it isn't already. If more studios adopt, that'll be nice cash for Epic.

 

[ZedClampet]

There's a new Unreal out if I recall correctly, so it must be looking good. I heard Fortnite will be on it, if it isn't already. If more studios adopt, that'll be nice cash for Epic.

Yeah, I think 5 officially releases in March. I've already been using it, though, and Satisfactory has already converted to it. It's sort of early access right now, I guess.

 

[Withywarlock]

From what I understand Electronic Arts coercing BioWare into using Frostbite was either old news, a total myth, or I falsely remember reading such. Still, good on the Mass Effect team for using an engine that's suited for, err, more than one franchise. That's one positive thing I've heard about BioWare since the abusive working conditions.

 

[mainer]

I think it's positive news, if only for the fact that EA (Electronic Arts) seems to be listening to Bioware and allowing them to develop ME4 in the way that they want. I only hope that they don't have to start from scratch by switching to the Unreal 4 or 5.

I know nothing about the differences in various game engines, but I have read numerous posts and articles that the Frostbite was difficult to work with. I've also read (somewhere), that one of the problems with the development of Mass Effect Andromeda was because Bioware was forced to use Frostbite. I have no idea if that's true or not.

 

[Zloth]

Well, Unreal means likely-Epic-exclusive, which is sad. It won't matter to me, though. There will clearly be a bunch of DLC after the game is released. I've missed enough good BioWare DLC to know I need to wait at least a year before even thinking about buying a game from them.

 

[ZedClampet]

Well, Unreal means likely-Epic-exclusive, which is sad.

There's approximately a zero chance that this game will be an Epic exclusive. For one thing, there are a lot of Steam users who subscribe to that EA game pass thing directly on Steam, so the game has to be available there. Also, it's built into the PC Game Pass in the Windows store. For another thing, EA said they weren't doing exclusives and wanted to be on all store fronts. And lastly, there are tons of games built in Unreal each year, including big name games, that do not become Epic exclusives (Gears of War, Stalker 2, Sea of Thieves, Ark 2, etc). There's basically no correlation between using Unreal and becoming an Epic exclusive except that using Unreal makes Epic notice you and maybe give you an offer.

 

[mainer]

There's approximately a zero chance that this game will be an Epic exclusive. For one thing, there are a lot of Steam users who subscribe to that EA game pass thing directly on Steam, so the game has to be available there. Also, it's built into the PC Game Pass in the Windows store. For another thing, EA said they weren't doing exclusives and wanted to be on all store fronts. And lastly, there are tons of games built in Unreal each year, including big name games, that do not become Epic exclusives (Gears of War, Stalker 2, Sea of Thieves, Ark 2, etc). There's basically no correlation between using Unreal and becoming an Epic exclusive except that using Unreal makes Epic notice you and maybe give you an offer.

I absolutely agree on all of this; there is no way ME4 would ever be an Epic exclusive. EA certainly doesn't need the monetary incentive, and now that EA games are available on Steam, and selling well, I doubt that they would ever give that up.

 

[Zloth]

Oh, great! Here, just let me bookmark these two posts real quick....

 

[ZedClampet]

Oh, great! Here, just let me bookmark these two posts real quick....

You do that. I'm willing to place my money where my mouth is. If ME4 is an Epic exclusive, I'll buy it for you.

 

[Sarafan]

EA and Unreal Engine... Wow, that seems quite surreal these days, given the supposed policy to push things on Frostbite. Basically both engines can look good when used properly, but I also think that it's a good idea to switch to UE. I wonder whether it's really an internal decision of BioWare or some shift in the EA policy.

 

[ZedClampet]

EA and Unreal Engine... Wow, that seems quite surreal these days, given the supposed policy to push things on Frostbite. Basically both engines can look good when used properly, but I also think that it's a good idea to switch to UE. I wonder whether it's really an internal decision of BioWare or some shift in the EA policy.

I'm a novice at using Unreal, and I've never used Frostbite, but I also wonder whether there isn't just a huge difference between a polished Unreal that was meant to be used by everyone, and something EA put together internally. Unreal almost has to be easier to use and is probably a lot more flexible, but that's just a guess on my part.

 

[mainer]

Oh, great! Here, just let me bookmark these two posts real quick....

You do that. I'm willing to place my money where my mouth is. If ME4 is an Epic exclusive, I'll buy it for you.

I'll go one step further. If ME4 releases as an Epic exclusive and released nowhere else at the same time, I'll gift you @Zloth the game of your choice on Steam. Of course, we'll probably have to wait a few years to know for sure, so bookmark the posts.

 

[Sarafan]

Unreal almost has to be easier to use and probably a lot more flexible, but that's just a guess on my part.

I'd be surprised if that's not the case. Unreal is an engine for masses. And I mean that in a positive thing. Something that's released for a broad audience has to be more polished and easier to work on. The only downside I can think of is that in EA there are more people who expertise in Frostbite than in Unreal. It can be meaningful when it comes to properly implementing the engine. But again, it's compensated by the fact that Unreal is easier and more polished.

 

[ZedClampet]

I'd be surprised if that's not the case. Unreal is an engine for masses. And I mean that in a positive thing. Something that's released for a broad audience has to be more polished and easier to work on. The only downside I can think of is that in EA there are more people who expertise in Frostbite than in Unreal. It can be meaningful when it comes to properly implementing the engine. But again, it's compensated by the fact that Unreal is easier and more polished.

I'm pretty sure (not 100%) that before EA pushed Bioware to Frostbite that they had been using Unreal. I think the first 3 Mass Effect games were made in Unreal 3. Not sure how to check that without launching the games, though.

 

[Sarafan]

I'm pretty sure (not 100%) that before EA pushed Bioware to Frostbite that they had been using Unreal. I think the first 3 Mass Effect games were made in Unreal 3. Not sure how to check that without launching the games, though.

Of course you're right. The first three Mass Effect games run on Unreal. But the problem is that we don't know how many people from the former BioWare are still there.

 

[ZedClampet]

Not sure how to check that without launching the games, though.

This was a joke, btw. It was in the article I posted to start this thread. XD