Which Unreal Engine version is appropriate for my project?
Two generations of the Unreal Engine are currently available and fully supported:

• If you're developing a title for current-generation PC, Xbox, or PlayStation 2, then Unreal Engine 2 is the way to go. It has shipped in many leading-edge games including UT2004 and Splinter Cell. Unreal Engine 2 is very stable, and several code bases are available including the code powering UT2004; the code powering Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict; and a PlayStation 2-optimized version.
• If you're starting on a forward-looking title aimed at next-gen consoles such as Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, as well as DirectX 10-based PCs, then Unreal Engine 3 is for you. Its core subsystems have been architected from the ground up, designed to take maximum advantage of shader programs, per-pixel lighting and shadowing, multithreading, and next-generation content creation tools.

Can Unreal Engine 3 be used for products other than games such as television or theatrical animation or simulation?
Absolutely! We have many licensees successfully executing in these marketplaces, and you’ll find examples of this in the Success Stories section. Teams producing linear animated content or simulation products will find Unreal Engine 3 a refreshingly robust and, more importantly, fast solution.

Can you tell me more about licensing the Unreal Engine
We license the Unreal Engine to experienced professional game developers. Licensees receive full source code for our engine, tools and most recent games. Support is provided directly from the Unreal Engine development team, which has shipped multiple million-unit selling titles and won many Game of the Year awards; you can't get better support and real-world, success-backed, game development advice than that! Licensees receive access to upgrades and support for up to one year from the first public release of their game.
If you're an experienced professional game developer and you're interested in finding out more about licensing the Unreal Engine, please contact us at info@epicgameschina.com for more information. If you're looking for a way to evaluate what the Unreal Engine can do, you can start by picking up a copy of Gears of War or Unreal Tournament 3 (Unreal Engine 3); Unreal Tournament 2003 or 2004 (Unreal Engine 2.5); or Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict (Unreal Engine 2.X) at your local software retailer.
For content creators, the full Unreal Editor that we use to build our game environments is included with Unreal Tournament 2004. Other tools include a version of the Maya Personal Learning Edition with a plug-in that allows seamless export to the Unreal Engine; a character painting tool; and much more. For programmers, UT2004 includes UnrealScript source code for in-game objects, the UnrealScript compiler, the UnrealScript IDE and the UnrealScript Debugger.
I'm confused – which engine is which?
The Unreal Engine encompasses three generations of technology, each focused on a major generation of console platforms and PC hardware.

Unreal Engine 1 powered Epic's original Unreal and Unreal Tournament games.

Unreal Engine 2 powered Unreal 2 and UT2003; Unreal Engine 2.5 – an enhanced version of Unreal Engine 2 – powered UT2004; and Unreal Engine 2.X – an Xbox-exclusive enhanced version of Unreal Engine 2 – powered Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict.

Unreal Engine 3 is the current technology, aimed at next-gen consoles such as Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, as well as DirectX 10-based PCs. UE3 powered Epic’s Gears of War, as well as Unreal Tournament 3.

What is the Unreal Developer Network?
The Unreal Developer Network (UDN) is a repository of knowledge, documentation and tutorials for the recent builds of the Unreal Engine, providing sections for public news, licensee news, and tutorials and guides for content creation and programming. UDN also includes a search engine covering the complete archives of our content and programming mailing lists which have thousands of entries on thousands of topics. The full slate of UDN content and functionality is only available to Unreal Engine licensees. However, a subset of the documentation and tutorials relevant to mod makers has been made available to the general public. You can visit UDN and see the public documentation by clicking here.

What is the Integrated Partners Program?
Epic Games has established the Integrated Partners Program (IPP) for the purposes of having a formal business relationship with selected companies making cross-platform technologies which integrate with, and are complementary to, Unreal® Engine 3. Under the IPP program Epic provides continuous Unreal Engine 3 source code access and full technical support to IPP members. Companies who join the IPP agree to provide a high level of technical support for UE3 licensees through Epic’s established support channels, keep their implementations up-to-date with the latest UE3 versions, and work with Epic on potential promotional and co-marketing efforts. The IPP program will make it easier for Unreal Engine 3 licensees to incorporate 3rd party middleware solutions from IPP vendors into their games.
Please contact us at info@epicgameschina.com.com for more information.

What do you offer to academic institutions?
Many schools have found success in building their projects by creating game modifications on an existing game technology platform such as Unreal Tournament or Gears of War for the PC. Others may consider the Unreal Engine Runtime Demo Version.
Institutions planning on setting up Unreal-based courses may contact info@epicgameschina.com for help or suggestions.