Epic adds 3D Vision, Steamworks to Unreal Engine 3

With the Game Developers Conference in full swing, Epic Games today announced a pair of agreements adding functionality to its Unreal Engine 3. Through a deal with Nvidia, Epic's engine will now incorporate "out of the box" support for the chipmaker's 3D Vision technology. Additionally, Epic announced a deal with Valve Software to provide the Steamworks software development kit to its licensees. Both 3D Vision support and Steamworks will be made available to Unreal Engine 3 licensees at no additional cost.

Steamworks allows developers to incorporate features of the Steam service, such as copy protection, matchmaking, anti-cheat technology, and automatic updates. While those features use Valve's online storefront, they don't require games to have been downloaded through Steam and can be incorporated into both digitally distributed and retail copies of games.

As the name suggests, Nvidia 3D Vision adds stereoscopic 3D effects to a variety of media, from photos and TV shows to Web sites and games. The 3D Vision technology requires an Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX or higher GPU, special glasses, and a compatible 120Hz display. While Nvidia lists varying degrees of compatibility with hundreds of titles, Resident Evil 5 and the Unreal Engine 3-built Batman: Arkham Asylum are the only PC games deemed "3D Vision-ready" by the chipmaker.

Unreal Engine 3 has powered a wealth of current-generation titles, from blockbusters like Mass Effect 2 to critical casualties like Punisher: No Mercy. It also has been the subject of a lawsuit from Unreal licensee Silicon Knights, which used the engine for Too Human.