Some argue the growing number of titles developed using the Unreal Engine is starting to provide 'core' gamers with visually stunning 3D worlds they crave.
Others allege the quest for games with such graphical grunt could trigger the end of the indie development scene as we know it.
Over at Just Add U Studios, Tanner Ewing and his team are hard at work bringing the firm's first-person zombie survival game Undead Arcade to iOS before the end of 2011. We caught up with Ewing to ask why he thinks comparisons with Infinity Blade, valid or not, can only be a good thing.
Pocket Gamer: Why did you decide to use Unreal Engine for Undead Arcade?
Tanner Ewing: When we first started to work on the game we looked at many different engine options.
We really liked the reputation of the Unreal Engine however that wasn't what sold us. My team sat down and we went through all of our options.
We tried as many of the other engines that we could get a hold of and decided that we liked Unreal. My team felt that we could build the best quality game with UE3.
Will you be taking advantage of the A5 chip in any specific way?
We are using some interesting techniques that take advantage of both features of the Unreal Engine and Apple's new A5 chip.
The coolest feature is the collective use of the Engine's intelligent fog rendering techniques and the shear power of the A5 to render our large open world.
This makes 3D objects that are far from the player disappear as a 'fog' effect replaces them. This not only adds a cool effect to the game, but also preserves processing power and allows us to have very large game maps.
What's your view on business model in terms of price, freemium, IAP?
Undead Arcade is a premium mobile game. Our business model is to develop the greatest app we can and provide it at a price that makes sense.
I want our users to purchase the game and when they play it feel like they got a really good deal. That being said, we have discussed price in great detail and don't have one set in stone. We are probably going to be around the $4.99 to $7.99 tier.
We are also working on some additional content such as new maps or better weapons that would be available for in app purchase. If we do use the IAP approach we will make certain that a user can play our game without buying any additional upgrades.
Such IAP items will only enhance the experience. Gamers who choose not to buy them won't miss out experience wise in any way.
How did you get into games development?
I've been in the software business for a long time. However, when it comes to game development, I'm a noob.
I've written one other iPhone game Seals, which was extremely simple - and worked on a few projects focused on graphics and animation. My real experience comes from writing software for various other applications and platforms.
My team is an experienced group of individuals. We are small and we all wear many hats, but we work hard and share an enthusiasm for great video games.
What's the game about and why do you think it will stand out from other shooters?
Without giving out too much of the story, the game's opening cut scene depicts a WWII pilot being shot down by enemy fighters. The plane crashes in uncharted territory.
You find yourself only a few clicks from an enemy research lab where they are experimenting with the dead. They are trying to create zombie soldiers to reuse the bodies of dead civilians.
You have to fight through the relentless undead warriors that are free roaming in the open field surrounding the lab. Your choice is limited - either fight through the hordes, or give in, be killed, and join them.
Are you worried about comparisons or competition with Infinity Blade on the Unreal front?
Infinity Blade definitely set the bar very high. However, I personally don't see them as a competitor to Undead Arcade.
Undead Arcade is an open world first person shooter. It's a console-like game and shares few similarities with Infinity Blade.
The gameplay is very different and the stories are worlds apart. Our game consists of an open world that gives players freedom to explore the atmosphere around them.
If anything, I think that being compared to Infinity Blade will help us. Gamers will recognise the 'powered by Unreal Technology' tag and we'll likely stand out as being something comparable in quality.
That being said, we don't have the budget the Epic had, but our team is very do-it-yourself oriented and has and we'll continue to figure out how to make a blow-away game on peanuts.
Thanks to Tanner for his time.
You can find out more about Just Add U Studios over on the studio's website.
