Sony and Lego both announced investments of $1 billion dollars into the gaming technology giant Epic Games. The metaverse has become a central topic for NFTs and Enterprises. Unreal Engine is the main technology set created by Epic Games to allow individuals and companies to create virtual worlds. Earlier this month the company released their latest version of the Unreal Engine 5 (UE5). The Key new features include:
- Next-Gen Real-time rendering (enabled by new lighting engine Lumen)
- New Open World toolset
- Built-in Character and animation tools
- in-editor modeling, UV editing, and baking
- Enhanced editor and workflows
- Fully procedural audio
- stunning final-pixel imagery
With this release, we aim to empower both large and small teams to really push the boundaries of what’s possible, visually and interactively. UE5 will enable you to realize next-generation real-time 3D content and experiences with greater freedom, fidelity, and flexibility than ever before.
“As a creative entertainment company, we are thrilled to invest in Epic to deepen our relationship in the metaverse field, a space where creators and users share their time,” Sony Group Corporation chairman, president, and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said. “We are also confident that Epic’s expertise, including their powerful game engine, combined with Sony’s technologies, will accelerate our various efforts such as the development of new digital fan experiences in sports and our virtual production initiatives.”
“A proportion of our investments is focused on trends we believe will impact the future world that we and our children will live in,” Kirkbi CEO Søren Thorup Sørensen said. “This investment will accelerate our engagement in the world of digital play, and we are pleased to be investing in Epic Games to support their continued growth journey, with a long-term focus toward the future metaverse.”
“This investment will accelerate our work to build the metaverse and create spaces where players can have fun with friends, brands can build creative and immersive experiences and creators can build a community and thrive,” Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said.