Unreal Engine 3 to be used to create off-road driving game

MOSCOW, RUSSIA – May 6, 2008 – Avalon Style Entertainment, one of Russia’s leading developers of interactive entertainment, today announced that it has licensed Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 3 to develop the latest installment in its popular “4×4 Off Road” off-road driving simulation series for PC, Xbox 360™ and PLAYSTATION®3. “4х4 Off Road III” (international title, “Off Road Drive”), will be published by 1C Company, a top Eastern and Central European publisher.

Avalon Style Entertainment is one of the first Russian game studios to license Unreal Engine 3 for cross-platform computer and video game development. While previous releases in its “4×4 Off Road” racing franchise utilized the company’s proprietary racing technology, the development team was convinced to license Unreal Engine 3 after first-hand experience with its comprehensive infrastructure and tools.

“Epic’s Unreal Engine 3 is at the forefront of multiplatform game development,” said Vyacheslav Gordeyev, CEO of Avalon Style. “The technology has been successfully used in many critically acclaimed titles, and we feel fully armed to make the first off-road driving simulator on Unreal Engine 3 thanks to its built-in vehicle support, powerful PhysX system, and many other leading edge features.”

“We’re excited to see Avalon Style combine their background in making realistic off-road driving experiences with our Unreal Engine 3 technology,” said Mark Rein, vice president of Epic Games. “More and more of our licensees are proving that Unreal Engine 3 is not only a great cross-platform engine but also that it can be deployed across multiple genres. This is yet another example of that, and we’re eager to see this game’s release.”

Avalon Style approaches the development of off-road driving games from the perspective of the real-life sport. In “4х4 Off Road III,” there will be realistic off-road tuning with the ability to modify parts. Driving will often require the use of gear such as winches, car jacks, air compressors, differential locks, and more. What will set it apart from other contemporary four-wheel driving games will be the presence of trial-based races in which players will use problem-solving skills to traverse gaping mud puddles and scale massive heaps of rocks. Avalon Style developed and extensively tested this innovative gameplay mechanic in previous installments of the series, and expects the technologies within Unreal Engine 3 to help achieve an immersive racing experience.