Avalon Style vient d'annoncer avoir acquis une licence pour utiliser l'Unreal Engine 3 dans son prochain jeu, 4x4 Off Road III. Epic Games est bien évidemment aux anges en prouvant que son moteur ne sert pas qu'à faire des FPS et des TPS, mais peut-être utilisé dans plusieurs genres de jeux différents, en plus d'être multi plateformes.

Le communiqué complet en anglais se trouve dans la suite de la nouvelle.

Avalon Style Licenses Unreal Engine 3

Unreal Engine 3 to be used to create off-road driving game

MOSCOW, RUSSIA – May 6, 2008 – Avalon Style Entertainment, one of Russia’s leading developers of interactive entertainment, today announced that it has licensed Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 3 to develop the latest installment in its popular “4x4 Off Road” off-road driving simulation series for PC, Xbox 360™ and PLAYSTATION®3. “4x4 Off Road III” (international title, “Off Road Drive”), will be published by 1C Company, a top Eastern and Central European publisher.

Avalon Style Entertainment is one of the first Russian game studios to license Unreal Engine 3 for cross-platform computer and video game development. While previous releases in its “4x4 Off Road” racing franchise utilized the company’s proprietary racing technology, the development team was convinced to license Unreal Engine 3 after first-hand experience with its comprehensive infrastructure and tools.

“Epic’s Unreal Engine 3 is at the forefront of multiplatform game development,” said Vyacheslav Gordeyev, CEO of Avalon Style. “The technology has been successfully used in many critically acclaimed titles, and we feel fully armed to make the first off-road driving simulator on Unreal Engine 3 thanks to its built-in vehicle support, powerful PhysX system, and many other leading edge features.”

“We’re excited to see Avalon Style combine their background in making realistic off-road driving experiences with our Unreal Engine 3 technology,” said Mark Rein, vice president of Epic Games. “More and more of our licensees are proving that Unreal Engine 3 is not only a great cross-platform engine but also that it can be deployed across multiple genres. This is yet another example of that, and we’re eager to see this game’s release.”

Avalon Style approaches the development of off-road driving games from the perspective of the real-life sport. In “4х4 Off Road III,” there will be realistic off-road tuning with the ability to modify parts. Driving will often require the use of gear such as winches, car jacks, air compressors, differential locks, and more. What will set it apart from other contemporary four-wheel driving games will be the presence of trial-based races in which players will use problem-solving skills to traverse gaping mud puddles and scale massive heaps of rocks. Avalon Style developed and extensively tested this innovative gameplay mechanic in previous installments of the series, and expects the technologies within Unreal Engine 3 to help achieve an immersive racing experience.

About Avalon Style
Avalon Style Entertainment is based in Moscow, Russia and was established in 1998. In 10 years, the Avalon Style team has developed 11 computer game projects that were published in CIS, Europe and Asia. Among the latest projects is the original IP series, “4x4 Off Road,” an off-road driving simulator. Three original games and one add-on in the franchise have been published in the last three years. The series was critically acclaimed in CIS: “4x4 Off Road: UAZ 4x4” was awarded Best Simulator by Gameland Award 2007; “4x4 Off Road: UAZ 4x4 Uralskyi Prizyv” won Best Simulator Game on KRI 2007; and “4x4 Off Road 2: Hummer” was named Best Simulator by Gameland Award 2008. Current projects in development include a first-person shooter based on Jupiter EX technology and the third installment of “4x4 Off Road” (international title, “Off Road Drive”) based on Unreal Engine 3.

About Unreal Engine 3
The award-winning Unreal Engine is known for cutting-edge graphics and its best-of-breed toolset. Unreal Engine 3 maintains 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 advanced toolset is designed specifically to accelerate developers' productivity for ultra-complex, next-generation content. Additional information on Unreal Engine can be obtained through the Unreal Technology Web site at www.unrealtechnology.com.

About Epic Games
Epic Games, Inc., based in Cary, NC and established in 1991, develops cutting-edge games and cross-platform game engine technology. The company has created multiple million-selling, award-winning titles in its Unreal series, recently shipping Unreal Tournament 3 for PC and PlayStation 3. Epic’s breakthrough game, Gears of War, sold over 4.7 million copies and was 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 the Game Critics Awards’ Best Console Game and Spike TV’s 2007 RPG of the Year Mass Effect by BioWare and the 2007 BAFTA Best Game and Spike TV Game of the Year BioShock by 2K Games. Epic's Unreal Engine 3 is the current holder, and three-time consecutive winner, of Game Developer magazine's Front Line award for Best Engine. Epic was also recognized as 2006 Studio of the Year by Spike TV, 2006 Developer of the Year by Official Xbox Magazine and 2007 Large Company of the Year by the North Carolina Technology Association. Additional information about Epic can be obtained through the Epic Games Web site at www.epicgames.com.

About 1C Company
1C Company specializes in distribution, publishing and development of mass market software. Founded in 1991, 1C has become the leading publisher and distributor of computer games in Eastern and Central Europe. 1C Company is widely acknowledged as a game developer and has several internal studios. Internal developments of 1C include IL-2 Sturmovik, IL-2 Sturmovik: Forgotten Battles, Aces Expansion Pack, Pacific Fighters and Theatre of War. 1C Company works as a publisher and producer with over 30 independent development studios and has produced over 100 projects for PC and consoles. For additional information about 1C Company, please visit www.1cpublishing.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. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.