Dark Sector maker casts shadow over Unreal..
From Gamespot article:
Ordinarily when Unreal Engine 3 makes headlines, it’s because the tool’s creator, Epic Games, has announced yet another licensee. The list for the development suite is currently extensive, and includes Capcom, Square Enix, Electronic Arts, THQ, BioWare, Ubisoft, LucasArts, and Sony Computer Entertainment. But last month, one of those licensees–Ontario, Canada-based Silicon Knights–sued Epic Games over the engine, saying the maker of Unreal Tournament 3 and Gears of War wasn’t holding up its end of the bargain. Epic Games filed a countersuit against Silicon Knights earlier this month, saying the original suit was part of an attempt to essentially steal the technology without paying for it.
Apparently, Silicon Knights isn’t alone in its assessment of Epic. In a Dark Sector preview on Aussie gaming site Gameplayer, Digital Extremes game director Steve Sinclair explains why his team passed on using Unreal Engine 3 for its next-generation debut, choosing instead to build a new engine from the ground up. “A lot of promises were made about the Unreal III engine, particularly on PS3,” Sinclair said. “But as we see now, the time frames haven’t been met, and now a lot of games using it are being held up.”
The comment is perhaps a bit more stinging considering the lengthy history the Ontario-based studio Digital Extremes has with Epic Games. The studio has worked with Epic’s technology for years, creating or co-developing a number of Unreal Engine-based titles, from Pariah to Unreal Championship, and even the original Unreal.