Hi everyone, I am an up-and-coming game developer who has been using UDK for a short time. Since I started using UDK, I have constantly been checking the forums for advice and examples. Some bit of advice that keeps popping up in the forums is to upgrade to Unreal Engine 4 if you’re using UDK. After reviewing Unreal Engine 4, it’s clear that it would be a much nicer option compared to UDK. However, since I just recently started making games and since I want to make Wii U games, I’m not sure if upgrading is the right choice. I’m not in a position to pay a monthly fee for a game engine but I have heard that you can pay for a single month, unsubscribe, and then still be able to use Unreal Engine 4.
I have a couple of questions concerning the upgrade to Unreal Engine 4, so I’ll just list them.
- If I upgrade to Unreal Engine 4, will I be able to make Wii U games that look good? I’ve heard that you can make Wii U games with UE4 but that the overall quality would decrease compared to using UE3. As much as UE4 looks great, I would really love to make nicer looking Wii U titles.
- If I’m using UE4(with cancelled subscription), do I have to pay the $100 that comes with publishing a game on UDK or do I have to follow the %5 royalties plan?
- Right now I’m using UDK to make the game, Blender for the models, and SFM to make videos. Does UE4 include tools similar to Blender and SFM? (I’m just using SFM to make ideal trailers)
Hi,
I’ll do my best to answer your questions here.
If I upgrade to Unreal Engine 4, will
I be able to make Wii U games that
look good? I’ve heard that you can
make Wii U games with UE4 but that the
overall quality would decrease
compared to using UE3. As much as UE4
looks great, I would really love to
make nicer looking Wii U titles.
Currently the WiiU is not supported by Unreal Engine 4. This could change in the future and if a developer was willing to take on the task of making it work. This post may help provide a little light at the end of the tunnel though as to possibilities: https://answers.unrealengine.com/questions/12394/will-unreal-engine-4-have-support-for-nintendo-3ds.html
If I’m using UE4(with cancelled
subscription), do I have to pay the
$100 that comes with publishing a game
on UDK or do I have to follow the %5
royalties plan?
This is all covered in our frequently asked questions for new users found at: Häufig gestellte Fragen - Unreal Engine
“with a 5% royalty on gross revenue after the first $3,000 per game per calendar quarter from commercial products.”
Essentially, if you make $3000.00 or more in 4 months anything over that you owe 5% in royalties. There is no fee that is owed to Epic to publish the game. There may be fees that other companies may charge for you release your game.
Right now I’m using UDK to make the
game, Blender for the models, and SFM
to make videos. Does UE4 include tools
similar to Blender and SFM? (I’m just
using SFM to make ideal trailers)
The Unreal Engine, like UDK, is not a replacement for your modeling software. Those tools are still heavily used for games development. A lot of the tools are very similar to what art available in UDK. This is a different engine, of course and is still heavily in development, so there may be tools that have not made it over yet or will not be brought over.
If you have any other questions feel free to ask and I’ll gladly help! 
Tim
Hi Tim,
Thanks for responding to my questions so quickly! I was so convinced that I got Unreal Engine 4 as soon as I could! I really, really want to make Wii U games and maybe even PS3 games in the future. I don’t expect you guys to support the PS3 with UE4 but I really hope you guys will work toward supporting Wii U.