Why not release a web broswer version of Unreal Tournament 1 free?

[Nexozable]

You know, like how ID did with Quake Live.

Pretty sure this has been thrown around and discussed a few times already but I don't understand why Epic shouldn't consider this.

[Henrik]

If anything came out that was web playable I doubt it would be UT1, especially since they already have Unreal Tournament 3 playable in Flash internally at Epic. The question is if they have any desire to take that further into some kind of ad supported release. I'd dig it, but would prefer a new UT with some work from the ground up (based mostly on the UT3 code but optimized and altered). Maybe a UT1 remake of sorts or a unified edition.

[Fartuess]

free UT in web player? I'd like to play it

[Sly.]

Who wouldn't want to?

But I think I know why Epic doesn't do it (right now).
They would have to spend money on the servers, probably spend money on advertisement and considering that the series has a down at the moment, it just wouldn't pay off, arena shooters are unpopular at the moment - and other than that, I predict it might turn out like with Quake Live: You pay for maps - is that the UT spirit? Make a premium account to be able to, let's say, play CTF at all or play Deck16? And if they would not reuse a UT game (if they would reuse one, there wouldn't really be a point for me to play the browser version as I have the real things here), they would make a new one - and how do you want to please the modding community? They would start to rage about not being able to make maps, mutators & co for this new browser-only UT.

That is, unless they release a non-browser version of it at the same time - and I would much rather prefer to pay 60+€ right away for a real UT release (please, no DRM! It was already a pain to play UT3 through LAN because of certain factors *coughgamespycough* ) with mod support, most likely even preorder it then as I know how hyped I would be after the announcement of a new UT or Unreal game. But I would only be able to do that, if I get a chance to and for that we first need a comeback of the arena shooter trend and I believe that Epic will have to wait for quite a while until these fantasy-less, uncreative modern warfare shooters stop being produced and released in masses like bread in a bakery.

Dear Epic, my money is rotting here, maybe you have to push the arena shooter genre into the spotlight again with a fleshed out UT release? You are starting to get competition, Shootmania is on its way and the hype is big.




(PS: I think you owe us Unreal fans a new original Unreal release too, whether a remake of the classic or a Unreal 3, we're still waiting (im)patiently for almost a decade now... hehe)

[Private Tux]

Hehehe, great service of response, mate. Good thoughts though when the UT will able to be existed on the web player, clearer in short time for online...soon enough. I dunno when they do to make the thing worked out a bit.

[Dy1ngs0ul]

Technically, Unreal has been made as a flash game (Unreal Flash, Unreal Flash II and Unreal Flash 3) but a web browser game of Unreal Tournament, I don't know of any 3d open world based web browser game, they are normally platform based.
It would be cool though.

[TourianTourist]

Epic makes most of their money with selling the Unreal Engine 3, which is why there probably won't be any releases using one of the older Unreal Engines. So, unless they use Unreal Tournament 3's flash version, which I imagine to be quite hardware intense, I doubt to see anything like Quake Live made by Epic.

Also, Quake Live is a failure, I like to play it every once in a while, but I'm not paying 30/60€ every year to play a game, I already own, with limited options and customization. And I'm not the only one who thinks that way, according to QL forums premium servers tend to be quite empty. Not as empty as UT3 servers, but still...

Right now I'm waiting for Unreal Tournament 4 using the next Unreal Engine, while still playing UT3 every once in a while.

[Henrik]

The future of the Unreal Tournament franchise, barring an explosive growth in interest in the futuristic gladiator genre, depends on whether they are willing to make moves like this and do it right (ie not require ridiculous fees). That or make the next game just that fantastic and also market it right and not include flubs like Gamespy. But for us to get a truly active sequel which will last it would be a great idea to have a game that is 100% PC so no dumbing down of controls, but the option to either play it free (in a browser and ad supported) or pay the full retail price to get editing capabilities and less download times. This way they essentially make one game, one set of controls, and the browser version is merely limited to "join and play" only.

That's if they choose not to do the next UT on UE4 I suppose. We have yet to see what their "flagship title" of choice will be. To date every Unreal Engine has shipped with a UT at least announced on the horizon.

[Fartuess]

Epic makes most of their money with selling the Unreal Engine 3, which is why there probably won't be any releases using one of the older Unreal Engines. So, unless they use Unreal Tournament 3's flash version, which I imagine to be quite hardware intense, I doubt to see anything like Quake Live made by Epic.

Well... Imo it could be UT'99 mechanics and maps transfered into UE3 with rather low hardware requirments due to optimisations made to assets and maps (good old lightmaps, not putting bilions of meshes everywhere and wise usage of simple shaders and other moves known from UE3 apps for iOS )