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The birth of the modern 3D engine at the end of the last millennium
Let’s travel back in time to the mid-1990s. Back then, it was just becoming clear that open 3D worlds would be one of the most important media formats of the future. And not only in the computer game industry.
However, creating 3D environments was becoming an increasingly complex task. One of the main reasons for this was the breathtaking speed at which computer technology was evolving. In order to succeed, 3D software studios were forced to offer more detailed graphics, more realistic movement in 3D space, and more features with each new game.
In the mid-1990s, creating fluid 3D graphics required exceptional talent
In addition to these lofty expectations, 3D graphics were also expected to run smoothly, ideally on all current computer and operating systems. Meeting these high standards required exceptional programming talent.
A number of pioneers quickly emerged with exceptional 3D technology, such as Texas-based id Software, which made a name for itself in the mid-1990s with its lightning-fast 3D technology in 3D games such as “Doom” and “Quake”.
Industry Pioneers Started Licensing Their 3D Expertise to Third Parties
For a long time, other software studios could only dream of creating similar high-quality 3D worlds. Word spread quickly throughout the industry about id Software, led by programming genius John Carmack, and they were quick to respond. They began offering their 3D graphics technology, called “id Tech,” to third parties for a licensing fee.
As a result, the entire software industry changed. Until then, it was common for successful software developers to keep their know-how to themselves. With the advent of the 3D age, however, it became increasingly common for high-end development studios to license their development tools to other studios.
This usually included an editor that could be used to create 3D environments in a few simple steps. With the Doom engine, even hobbyists without programming skills could easily create 3D worlds – and still can today.
Quelle YouTube / UncutFullJoelStreams
The first version of Unreal engine – now a leader in the industry – dates back to 1998
It was during this formative period that the term “3D engine” was coined for tools used to view and create 3D landscapes. It’s a fitting name that makes perfect sense. After all, 3D engines are designed to power 3D worlds and all its components. They are absolutely necessary for the 3D experience to function.
A 3D engine has five tasks:
- It renders the 3D world and calculates it from every possible angle. It also coordinates all the events that take place in the world.
- It communicates with the hardware to ensure the best possible performance when rendering the 3D world.
- It allows the player to interact with the 3D world through input devices.
- It provides the developer with the tools needed to create 3D worlds and share them with other users.
- The 3D engine gives the developer the ability to add features to the 3D experience that were not included in its base version.
On May 22, 1998, GT Interactive and Epic Games (then Epic MegaGames) released “Unreal”, a 3D action game with unprecedented visual quality. In terms of image quality, detail and performance, there was nothing like it for home systems at the time.
The developers achieved this by supporting the latest technologies available at the time. This included graphics cards optimized for smooth 3D graphics. This concept was innovative at the time and has since become the standard.
Quelle YouTube / DerUnrealEngineer
Epic Games focused on licensing 3D technology from the get-go
Although “Unreal” sold well, it was only popular among die-hard gamers. The breakthrough for the Unreal Engine came three years later. In 2001, the development studio of the official game for “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” chose the Unreal Engine. This marked the arrival of the Unreal Engine into the mainstream gaming market.
Unreal Engine quickly hit game consoles, smartphones and VR headsets
Epic Games also decided to enter the booming game console market. Specialized versions of Unreal Engine appeared on the Sony Playstation 2, Sega Dreamcast, Microsoft XBox, and Nintendo Gamecube starting in 2001. Since then, each new generation of consoles has been shipped with versions of Unreal Engine. Japanese game publishers such as Nintendo and Square-Enix, who previously relied exclusively on in-house developed 3D technologies, now also use the Unreal Engine.
Since 2010, Unreal Engine also supports smartphones and tablets with iOS and Android operating systems. Since 2014, Unreal Engine also runs on virtual reality headsets. Today, it is used in blockbuster games such as Fortnite, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Life is Strange, Horgwarts Legacy and Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance.
Unreal Engine’s 3D graphics are now so lifelike that it is being used for 3D graphics and special effects in Hollywood productions. Examples include Jurassic World: Dominion”, “Avatar 2”, “Planet of the Apes: Survival”, “The Batman” and shows like “The Mandalorian” and “Stranger Things”. Other popular 3D engines include Unity (Unity Technologies), Frostbite (Digital Illusions CE), and Blender (Blender Foundation).
Browser-based 3D experiences are still a challenge for Unreal Engine
While modern game worlds for consoles and gaming PCs are becoming increasingly realistic, the graphical representation of web content has been stagnating for years. The reason: Internet browsers were never designed to run graphics-intensive applications. Accordingly, there is still no browser-optimized version of Unreal Engine.
However, smart developers knew how to work around this by using the WebGL programming interface. WebGL compresses the 3D graphics generated by Unreal Engine so that the scenes can be displayed in a browser without any loss of performance. This process allows 3D platforms like the MILC Metaverse to run smoothly on laptops and mid-range computers.
Will licensed 3D engines remain the industry standard?
Programming interactive, open 3D worlds from scratch has become a Herculean task due to the complexity of 3D graphics and the large number of different system configurations. Using a licensed 3D engine, however, allows even smaller development studios to minimize programming effort and focus on designing 3D worlds.
However, tinkerers and programming wizards can still put their skills to good use. Many popular 3D engines are customizable and extensible. It is quite possible that the Metaverse will run on one of the popular 3D engines such as Unreal Engine, Unity or Blender.
