Hello, this is Jina from the channel Jinna, where we make games. The topic I brought today is why large game companies do not use Unreal Engine. We will discuss the pros and cons, as well as the characteristics of widely known game engines like Unity and proprietary engines developed by game companies for internal use. 

Before we dive into this discussion, I would like to talk about what a game engine is. Some of you may not be familiar with the concept of a game engine. Essentially, a game engine is like a canvas that gathers various components of a game in one place. To use a car as an example, the frame of the car is like the game engine, and then you add exterior materials and interior designs. In a game engine, various functions are typically provided, including graphic rendering, physics simulation, and audio.

Network animation supports various functions. When we create a game, we don't show characters separately and quests separately; we gather all of this in one place, which is the function of the game engine. Game engines can be broadly divided into two categories: well-known commercial game engines like Unity and Unreal, and proprietary engines developed and used internally by game companies. Within each category, there are many different types of engines. So, I did a brief investigation into what engines are used in well-known games. For instance, games like RO, Battlegrounds, and Fortnite use the Unreal Engine, while Pokémon Go and Monument Valley use the Unity Engine. Games like Battlefield, Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed, and Cyberpunk are developed using their own proprietary engines.

자체 엔진을 썼더라고요. 이 중에서 포트나이트는 개발사도 에픽 게임즈고, 언리얼 엔진 자체도 에픽 게임즈가 만든 거니까 포트나이트를 제외하면 웬만한 이름이 알려진 게임들은 다 자체 제작한 엔진으로 개발을 했고요. 실제로 좀 찾아보시면 대부분의 대형 게임사들은 자체 엔진을 써서 개발을 합니다. 왜 그럴까요? 여기에는 다양한 이유가 있는데요, 보안 문제라든가 커스터마이징이 쉽다는 그런 이유도 있지만, 저는 제일 큰 이유는 돈이라고 말하고 싶어요. 유니티나 언리얼 같은 엔진이 결코 공짜가 아니죠. 언리얼의 경우에는 100만 달러 이상의 판매에 대해서 5% 사용료를 부과하고, 유니티는 최근에 정책이 변경되면서 좀 복잡해졌는데, 기본적으로는 게임 다운로드 수가 많아질수록 비용이 추가되는 방향으로 변경이 됐어요. 

But last time I...

I explained earlier, but not all of the revenue from game sales goes entirely to the company. There are deductions here and there, and after paying game engine usage fees, the money left for the company can be quite limited, even though they worked hard to develop and sell the game. When I was at Crystal Dynamics, both companies developed using their own engines, and I briefly used Unreal and Niagra. From my experience with both, I will explain the pros and cons.

First, the advantage of a commercial engine is that the companies that create these engines have a massive workforce dedicated to development, so they release a fully developed product to the market that can be used immediately. Additionally, the interface and UI are designed to be user-friendly, making them very easy to understand and use. If you encounter a problem while developing and have questions about how to use a certain feature,

If you search the internet a little, you can easily find answers to similar questions in communities, and even if you ask on the company's website, they provide good support and have well-prepared manuals. These are significant advantages. However, as I mentioned earlier, the downside is the cost. All these features do not come for free; you have to pay for them. Particularly for small companies, using a commercial engine can be a better choice. This is because developing an engine requires hiring many programmers, which involves time and money for maintenance. Small companies often find it challenging to manage these resources. Therefore, smaller companies tend to choose commercial engines more frequently. Now, let's look at the advantages of proprietary engines. The biggest advantage is the royalty.

The advantage is that there are no royalties to pay since we are using an engine developed internally by the company to create the game, unlike when using commercial engines. Additionally, if we need specific features or updates during development, we can request the internal engine team to make custom updates in the desired direction. Since we are developing it ourselves, the longer development period allows us to accumulate technical know-how, which in turn increases our competitiveness.

Now, let's look at the disadvantages. First of all, developing an engine is not an easy task, so a significant initial investment is required. We need to bring in skilled personnel, and it takes a lot of time to develop the engine. Moreover, in the early stages, it is likely to be incomplete, which means it can take time to reach commercialization. Also, compared to commercial engines, the convenience may be somewhat lacking. For example,

When there are parts that get stuck while developing, for example, with the Unity engine, you can usually find solutions online. However, for internal engines, it's not possible to find that information easily. So when you look through the internal menu and can't find what you need, you have to ask the engine manager. But sometimes, the person who developed that feature may have already left the company. These situations can be challenging. Additionally, since fewer people typically develop internal engines compared to commercial engines, it becomes difficult to respond quickly to changes in external systems or platforms. As a result, due to issues like initial investment costs and maintenance, larger companies tend to develop and use their own engines. Unity, for example, is widely used in the indie game industry. The game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is now very famous, but it was initially developed by a relatively small team.

시작을 했기 때문에 원니 엔진을 쓴 것은 당연한 결정이었다고 생각합니다. 반면, 대형 게임사인 EA를 보시면 EA는 자체적으로 프로스트바이트 엔진을 갖고 있습니다. 이 엔진을 산하에 있는 여러 스튜디오에서 개발한 다양한 게임에 사용했는데, 각 엔진마다 확실한 장단점이 있다고 보시면 되겠습니다. 혹시 게임 개발을 하실 분들은 제가 설명한 이러한 장단점을 참고하여 어떤 엔진을 사용할지 결정하셨으면 좋겠습니다. 오늘은 상용 엔진과 자체 엔진의 차이에 대해 알아보는 시간이었습니다. 도움이 되셨다면 구독, 좋아요, 알림 설정 부탁드립니다. 안녕.

EA, 유비소프트가 언리얼 안 쓰는 이유 | 언리얼엔진, 유니티 VS 대기업 자체엔진 장단점

EA, 유비소프트가 언리얼 안 쓰는 이유 | 언리얼엔진, 유니티 VS 대기업 자체엔진 장단점

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