"Fortnite" developer Epic Games has acquired vision and animation technology startup Cubic Motion.
Creating very realistic virtual humans is a challenge for most game developers, but that is what Epic Games and Cubic Motion has been working on. The deal was announced by Unreal Engine, the game engine developed by Epic Games, via Twitter.
"Epic Games welcomes @CubicMotion, developer of world-leading computer vision and facial animation technology, to the Unreal Engine team! #UE4," the tweet read.
For the most part, Cubic Motion's role is to capture facial animation and movement that would enhance the look and feel of digital characters. And its technology had already made its mark in some of the most recent megahit video games like Sony Interactive Entertainment's "God of War" and Insomniac Games' "Marvel's Spider-Man."
The team-up also brings in the character creation tech of 3Lateral, a company that Epic Games acquired last year.
"Together, we'll push the boundaries of digital human technology, bringing ever more realism and immersive content to all forms of visual entertainment," stated Cubic Motion on its website.
"Digital humans are not only the next frontier of content creation, but also the most complex endeavor in computer graphics. in With Cubic Motion bringing their computer vision and animation technology and expertise to our digital human efforts, Epic along with our team at 3Lateral are one step closer to democratizing these capabilities for creators everywhere," said Tim Sweeney, founder and CEO of Epic Games, in a statement.
With Epic Games' acquisition, middle-market private equity firm NorthEdge Capital made its exit after its initial investment date in the startup in 2017. Although the size of the acquisition was undisclosed, it's certain that Epic Games has plenty of cash at its disposal to pursue similar acquisitions aimed at improving its content.
The success of the studio's flagship "Fortnite" has swept the world and has even been named an official college sport back in January. Another startup in PlayVS made it happen by its platform that allows high school students to play esports. PlayVS' technology enables students to organize esports tournaments wherein they can manage teams, check schedules, and track stats in one platform.
In this file photo taken on June 12, 2018, people crowd the display area for the survival game Fortnite at the 24th Electronic Expo, or E3 2018, in Los Angeles Photo: AFP / Frederic J. BROWN
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