14 DAY TRIAL // Epic Games, the developer of the Unreal engine, has announced that the fourth edition of its engine has been released and will support native Linux games very soon.
One of the main advantages the Windows platform has over Linux is the entire gaming architecture that has been locked in place by the use of Direct 3D and other proprietary technologies. This problem is starting to dissipate now as a few major software developers, including Epic Games, are starting to make their tools ready for cross-platform use.
Epic Games is mostly known for a few major products that it develops. On the software side it makes the Unreal engine, which has been used in hundreds of other games already, and makes a living from licensing this product. It also produces games, and the Gears of War saga has been a complete success, turning the company into a respected developer.
Epic Games also realized that the future of the gaming industry doesn't rely on proprietary technology anymore and it did something truly amazing, making the new Unreal 4 engine available at a ridiculous monthly price.
“Epic’s goal is to put the engine within reach of everyone interested in building games and 3D content, from indies to large triple-A development teams, and Minecraft creators as well. For $19/month [€13.75] you can have access to everything, including the Unreal Editor in ready-to-run form, and the engine’s complete C++ source code hosted on GitHub for collaborative development,” reads the announcement.
Besides this small payment that developers will have to make towards Epic Games every month, the companies will also have to give 5% of the gross revenue that results from selling the games. It's unclear what will happen if the developer decides to pay the monthly fee but offer the game for free.
The most important information from the Unreal 4 announcement from Epic Games is the fact that the company is starting to add Linux support into C++ code, which means that other developers who license the engine will be able to release their games on the Linux platform.
Many other developers have expressed their interest in providing Linux support for their engines, like Valve with Source, Epic Games with Unreal 4, Crytech with CryENGINE, and AMD/Dice with Mantle.
The end of the Microsoft gaming era is nearing and it seems that Linux will be leading the charge.