Middleware is defined as Software the serves as an intermediary between systems software and an application, and over the past generation has become a major part of the video game industries. Whether a graphics or physics solution, the games industry has grown accustom to these tools to allow development to focus on other elements such as gameplay or story development. With the widespread use of middleware, has the individuality and character of earlier 8 and 16 bit games been lost for the sake of shorter and more cost effective development time?

Sharing graphics technology between companies and their partners is not a new concept (It has been happening almost as long as video games have been in existence), but engines such Unreal have created such an identifiable look that it seems as if every game in the current generation is using it simply as a cost cutting solution. While the cost of licensing the Unreal 3 engine for development is rumored to be around 700,000 dollars, the research and development that go into creating a competitive engine is often beyond the means of many smaller companies.

With the evolution of games to a focus on 3D gaming and the challenges that accompany development was one of the contributing pushes to the adoption of middleware by so many companies. With a seemingly never-ending barrage of space marines with jacked armor and dark scenery, it is pretty easy to pick out a game that is developed using the Unreal 3 engine. Games like Mirror’s Edge have proven that the engine has the capacity to be quite flexible, but with modern tastes it seems as if no developer wants to bet it all on an untested artsyle.

So if the engine is flexible does the problem ultimately become one where developers are becoming unwilling to reach out of their comfort zone and take chances? Although this problem has always been a prevalent one in the video game industry, with the lion’s share of video games being minor variants of previous established titles, the use and constraints of having multiple titles use the same development tools is doing nothing to foster the creativity of the industry. Creative and interesting things can be created with Unreal Engine 3 but the lack of motivation and a focus on the bottom line has seemingly created a barrage of games that feel, look and play the same.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Gears of War and many other games developed using the Unreal Technology, but I wish that developers would take approaches that focus on using the tools to help in the creation of their vision instead of having the engine dictate the design for them. Although I am being unfair as almost every 2D game seemed to leapfrog off of improvements made by previously released titles by refining both gameplay and graphics, however in a time when games are so close to breaking truly into the mainstream it is disheartening to see uninspired games that seem to permeate the market at the current time.

-Eric Wall

Tags: Cost, developers, Gears of War, Middleware, Unreal Engine 3

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