Epic Licenses Out Unreal Engine 3 for FBI, Gov't Training

By Marcus Yam
published

To help build the space marines of the future.

While Epic Games' Unreal Engine technology are usually enjoyed by gamers in titles such as Gears of War and Mass Effect, there's more to it than just fun and games.

Epic Games announced a long-term, multi-platform Unreal Engine 3 (UE3) reseller and support agreement with Virtual Heroes, a division of Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA), which will then work with departments, agencies and units of the U.S. and allied governments and to support government developers through the establishment of the Unreal Government Network (UGN).

Virtual Heroes will support UE3 technology on multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, Flash, PC, Mac, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita. The press materials also specifically mention support for the unreleased Nintendo Wii U. Going even further, Virtual Heroes will also support browser-based Unreal Engine content across secure government and corporate enterprise networks.

Examples of UGN projects underway include the following:

  • The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) awarded ARA-Virtual Heroes a >$10M, multi-year contract under the Sirius program. The goal of the Sirius program is to develop serious games that result in better decision-making by teaching participants to recognize and mitigate the effects of their own biases when analyzing information used to make decisions.
  • Virtual Heroes, in collaboration with the Duke University Human Simulation and Patient Safety Center, is creating an anesthesiology training application for Army physicians.
  • Virtual Heroes is developing the UE3-powered HumanSim platform for medical education and training.
  • The FBI Academy is using UE3 to develop a multiplayer crime scene training simulation to meet the needs of the FBI.
  • A top five defense contractor and a national laboratory have licensed UE3 and UGN to address their needs for custom model integrations and visualization.

“We recognize the growing market needs of our government customers and are excited to have Virtual Heroes provide a full spectrum of focused services and support using our game engine technology,” said Dr. Michael Capps, president, Epic Games.

Previous UE3-powered projects developed by Virtual Heroes can be viewed here.

Read more from @MarcusYam on Twitter.

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
17 Comments Comment from the forums
  • nukemaster
    MEGAKILL!!!!
    Reply
  • alikum
    Brandon SIf the police and soldiers of our government learn how to fight from video games they will start using rpg's on single soldiers, and sniper rifles from 10ft away.Not to mention picking up a grenade whenever they see 1 and hurl it back at enemies
    Reply
  • Murissokah
    I knew it! The Skaarj are coming.
    Reply
  • drexeus
    Brandon SIf the police and soldiers of our government learn how to fight from video games they will start using rpg's on single soldiers, and sniper rifles from 10ft away.
    completely right. it would be kinda cool to see that though.
    Reply
  • Lord Captivus
    Dont be surprise if you a police officer "jumping around" (hopping) after this training.
    Im dodging bullets!!
    Reply
  • theconsolegamer
    A veteran soldier will become famous after he writes a book called "The Art Of Teabag" and The Art Of Camping"

    He will write about how efficient is to "shoot n' melee" too, using words like n00b, h4x0r, OWNED, PWND.
    Reply
  • freggo
    Nobody here seems to believe that Gov't agencies will create more realistic 'games' with this ?

    It's like comparing MS Flight Simulator with an FFS Level D commercial Flight Simulator.
    Having virtually unlimited funds goes a long way in creating rather realistic 'games' :-)


    Reply
  • COLGeek
    The US Govt (including DoD), has been using game tech for years for simulations/training developments. It makes sense on many levels, especially in regard to costs and effectiveness.
    Reply
  • ojas
    Ah. America's Army 4. I see it.
    Reply
  • __-_-_-__
    let's just hope real life criminals don't find bugs and exploit them.
    Reply