That is of course if SEGA decides to use it for the Sonic series. And what would they use Epic's Unreal Engine 3 for, other than Sonic, NIGHTS? Sure that one too, but it's not enough reason for adopting such powerful technology and NIGHTS is for the Wii remember? The console lacking horsepower.

The company has told NextGeneration in an emailed interview that Sega is prepping to use UE3 in "several upcoming projects," just like other famous developers out there, such as Electronic Arts, Sony Online Entertainment (SOE), Capcom, Square Enix, THQ, Atari, Gearbox, 10Tacle Studios, SCEA and Ncsoft, the site reports.

However, SEGA of America VP of product development Dave Cobb told interviewers that proprietary technology will still play a role in game development at the firm:

"We plan to apply the [UE3] technology in a small number of specific games where it will allow us to achieve our vision more quickly and efficiently." He continued: "We have our own proprietary technology that is very good, and we don't intend to replace that tech, but we want to take advantage of middleware when it's appropriate to make our games even better."

So basically, SEGA is just trying to fill the company's needs, choosing UE3 for additional support in game development: "Epic and the Unreal Engine 3 have a strong reputation in the industry and a proven track record," added Cobb. For SEGA to adopt UE3 and make a big announcement like this one, I'd say that a new console would be in order from the company. They surely learned from their mistakes with the Mega Drive system and DreamCast, so it shoudn't be a problem for them.

As you can see, it's just a matter of time before any developer with enough resources turns their attention towards Epic's Unreal Engine 3. So, should we be expecting a next-gen-Sonic announcement shortly huh?