NVIDIA and Epic Games Showcase DX11 Partnership at Game Developers Conference

New Demo of Unreal Engine 3 Shows How DX11 Can Be Done Right; Updated Game Engine Incorporates Support for NVIDIA PhysX, APEX and 3D Vision Technologies


SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - March 1, 2011) - GDC 2011 -- NVIDIA and Epic Games are teaming up at this week's Game Developers Conference to showcase the latest advances in the world's most popular game engine, Unreal Engine 3, which now offers even greater levels of interactivity and immersion.

Unreal Engine 3 -- which supports multiple platforms, including consoles, mobile devices, desktops and notebook PCs -- now features DX11 capabilities, including tessellation, plus support for NVIDIA® PhysX®, APEX, and NVIDIA 3D Vision™ technologies. As the winner of five Game Developer magazine Front Line Awards, it remains the most popular game engine in the world for those designing the most compelling and interactive 3D games.

The new Unreal Engine 3 real-time demo, being shown during GDC exclusively in Epic's booth (Business Suite #400, South Hall), was developed using NVIDIA's GeForce® GTX 500 Series GPUs. It represents Epic's proposal for what the next generation of gaming will look like and sets a new bar for what can be accomplished with Epic's Unreal Engine 3 technology. It also showcases the myriad benefits that DX11 brings to gaming, including complex environments and detailed character models with lifelike movement and animations. The demo is further enhanced by the Epic's collaboration with NVIDIA and use of NVIDIA's PhysX and APEX technologies, including destruction and clothing modules, which enable realistic character interactions with the environment.

"Thanks to NVIDIA's excellent cross-platform physics technologies and DX11 expertise, we have enhanced Unreal Engine 3 to bring unprecedented new levels of realism and demonstrate what the next generation of gaming will be," said Mark Rein, vice president of Epic Games.

"Unreal Engine 3 continues to amaze us and represents a generational leap in gaming," said Drew Henry, general manager of GPU business at NVIDIA. "With the addition of our PhysX, APEX and 3D Vision technologies, it will deliver unprecedented, high-end visual experiences for gamers. We can't wait to play the games that Unreal Engine 3 will power in the future."

Epic's popular Unreal Development Kit (UDK), the free version of Unreal Engine 3, will also benefit from these latest additions, providing users with a theater-quality 3D gaming development platform.

Like all NVIDIA "DX11 Done Right" GPUs, GeForce GTX 500 series GPUs deliver the world's fastest performance for DX11 games in its class. With full support for NVIDIA 3D Vision™ and NVIDIA Surround™ technologies, GeForce GTX 500 Series GPU also provide the graphics horsepower and video bandwidth needed to experience more than 500 games and high-definition Blu-ray movies in eye-popping stereoscopic 3D on a single display or spanning across three screens for an immersive gaming environment. And with NVIDIA SLI® technology, the industry's most scalable multi-GPU platform, gamers will be delighted by the sheer increase in gaming performance by adding a second GeForce GTX GPU to their PC.

Facts about NVIDIA and Unreal Engine 3:

  • Epic Games and NVIDIA have worked together to integrate PhysX and APEX technologies into Unreal Engine 3.
  • Unreal Engine 3 powers some of the most exciting games in the market across multiple platforms including: Batman: Arkham Asylum, Borderlands, Bulletstorm, Dungeon Defenders, Infinity Blade, Gears of War 2, Mass Effect 2, DC Universe Online, Medal of Honor, and the upcoming Batman: Arkham City, BioShock Infinite, Gears of War 3, Mass Effect 3 and Mortal Kombat.
  • The latest updates to Unreal Engine 3 are available now to all licensees. Unreal Engine 3 enables developers to ship games with "out of the box" support for DX11, APEX, PhysX, and 3D Vision.
  • 3D Vision is the world's leading consumer 3D solution and supports PC gaming, 3D photos and videos, Blu-ray 3D movies, 3D Web browsing, and the new online 3D community, www.3DVisionLive.com.
  • 3D Vision consists of wireless, active-shutter glasses and can work with compatible 120Hz desktop LCDs, 3D-capable notebooks, 3D HDTVs or projectors. A NVIDIA GeForce® 8800 GTX or higher GPU is also required.

NVIDIA GeForce GPUs, 3D Vision, and other NVIDIA technologies will be on display at GDC in the NVIDIA booth (#1802, South Hall) throughout the show.

For more information on NVIDIA PhysX and APEX technologies, please visit www.nvidia.com/physx.

About NVIDIA
NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) awakened the world to the power of computer graphics when it invented the GPU in 1999. Since then, it has consistently set new standards in visual computing with breathtaking, interactive graphics available on devices ranging from tablets and portable media players to notebooks and workstations. NVIDIA's expertise in programmable GPUs has led to breakthroughs in parallel processing which make supercomputing inexpensive and widely accessible. The Company holds more than 1,700 patents worldwide, including ones covering designs and insights that are essential to modern computing. For more information, see www.nvidia.com.

Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to statements as to: the benefits that DX11 brings to gaming; the benefits, features and impact of GeForce GTX 500 Series GPUs, NVIDIA SLI technology, NVIDIA 3D Vision, the NVIDIA PhysX engine and APEX technologies; and the effects of the company's patents on modern computing are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include: global economic conditions; our reliance on third parties to manufacture, assemble, package and test our products; the impact of technological development and competition; development of faster or more efficient technology; design, manufacturing or software defects; changes in consumer preferences or demands; changes in industry standards and interfaces; unexpected loss of performance of our products or technologies when integrated into systems; as well as other factors detailed from time to time in the reports NVIDIA files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, including its Form 10-Q for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2010. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on the company's website and are available from NVIDIA without charge. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and speak only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, NVIDIA disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.

© 2011 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved. NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, 3D Vision, Fermi, GeForce, NVIDIA Surround, SLI, and CUDA are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Epic, Epic Games, Gears of War, Unreal, Unreal Development Kit, UDK, Unreal Engine and UE3 are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the U.S. and elsewhere. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. Features, pricing, availability, and specifications are subject to change without notice.

Contact Information:

For further information, contact:
Bryan Del Rizzo
NVIDIA Corporation
(408) 486-2772
bdelrizzo@nvidia.com