Why does everyone all of a sudden care about game engines?

I don't really understand what the deal is. It's been happening for a few years now.

"This game is going to run on this engine, as is this game"

It does not matter which game engine the game comes out on it depends on the developer. Why is not the developer advertised more? Shouldn't the developer be advertised more then a game engine? I could take a dump and put it in a dvd case and slap the Unreal Engine logo on it but it does not make it a good game.

Why does everyone all of a sudden care about game engines?

 It's been happening for a few years now. 

Both the engine and the ability of the developer to use said engine makes a lot of difference to how a game will play.

"I don't really understand what the deal is. It's been happening for a few years now.

"This game is going to run on this engine, as is this game"

It does not matter which game engine the game comes out on it depends on the developer. Why is not the developer advertised more? Shouldn't the developer be advertised more then a game engine? I could take a dump and put it in a dvd case and slap the Unreal Engine logo on it but it does not make it a good game."

Ok ok, games have been around since the early 70's with Pong. So 40 years total since the earliest game. So 2-3 years compared to 40 is relatively recent.

Well I guess with some amazing games that run on a specific engine it plays better for the developer to say it runs on such and such engine. It promotes more of what that engine can do and it makes people say "hey if that first game we loved so much ran on it, this new game should be good" despite the fact that some engines like the unreal engine, can be used for almost anything and once i saw a video of a display they put out of some golf game they made. To show off how much it can do. So if the best shooter ever runs on it that means the best golf game that uses it means its going to be amazing golf? I understand why they do it, but I feel they need to only talk about them in the right places.

"Ok ok, games have been around since the early 70's with Pong. So 40 years total since the earliest game. So 2-3 years compared to 40 is relatively recent."

Bcuz game enginz make teh graffix and HD, DUH!

You know, I really don't know.

The more sophisticated the engine, the more 1337 graffix t3h game has.

People care, because what engine the game runs on, can influence many aspects of the game's features. In the case of Physics engines, influence the mechanics etc.

With games now becoming so expensive to make, It's rarely practical for developers to make engines for their own games let alone push the limits of technology with them.

"With games now becoming so expensive to make, It's rarely practical for developers to make engines for their own games let alone push the limits of technology with them."

Also before engines didn't amtter as games were pretty simple compared to right now wiht dynamic physics/lighting and stuff actually makes engines pretty damn important nowadays!

I think there's a direct correlation to the number of titles licensing middleware instead of creating their own engine. It has a huge upfront cost (I think a UE3 license is like $350,000) but it saves them thousands of man-hours of effort that they can instead focus on making the game.

Engines are very varied these day. No other engine looks like UE3, no doubt.

"

Engines are very varied these day. No other engine looks like UE3, no doubt.

"

the engine can influence how the game looks because of colors and lighting and whatnot. it even affects how the game plays. imagine cod 4 and halo 3 if they swapped engines...

"tmontana1004 said:

"

Engines are very varied these day. No other engine looks like UE3, no doubt.

"

No other engine features so much retarded Pop-in for textures."

you contradict your thread title in your post. 

Unreal 3 is overrated. People don't give enough credit to Ubisoft's Scimitar engine (Assassin's Creed) and Bethesda's Gamebryo (Oblivion/Fallout 3,) both of which are better looking than the Unreal 3 engine in my opinion.

"Unreal 3 is overrated. People don't give enough credit to Ubisoft's Scimitar engine (Assassin's Creed) and Bethesda's Gamebryo (Oblivion/Fallout 3,) both of which are better looking than the Unreal 3 engine in my opinion."

"BiggerBomb said:

"Unreal 3 is overrated. People don't give enough credit to Ubisoft's Scimitar engine (Assassin's Creed) and Bethesda's Gamebryo (Oblivion/Fallout 3,) both of which are better looking than the Unreal 3 engine in my opinion."

All I can say is Epic knows how to sell its engine."

"NoPantz said:

"I don't really understand what the deal is. It's been happening for a few years now.

"This game is going to run on this engine, as is this game"

It does not matter which game engine the game comes out on it depends on the developer. Why is not the developer advertised more? Shouldn't the developer be advertised more then a game engine? I could take a dump and put it in a dvd case and slap the Unreal Engine logo on it but it does not make it a good game."

It's an understandable point that you present.  However, it's hard to say that people don't care about graphics when you can look at any Wii message board and hear people talk about how the games look like shit and that they would prefer Gears of War.  =  /"

It's basically another way of saying, "This game will look, feel and play similarly to these other games that used this same engine," without explicitly stating the other games.

I'm not really sure what to say to this, but the OP blew my mind.

"I'm not really sure what to say to this, but the OP blew my mind."

I agree. Scimitar and CryEngine 2 impress me much more than Unreal 3.

The word 'engines' as pretty much been on every serious gamers lips since Half-Life 2.

"

The word 'engines' as pretty much been on every serious gamers lips since Half-Life 2.

"