Epic Games

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

Epic Games, Inc. is an American video game and software developer and publisher based in Cary, North Carolina. The company was founded by Tim Sweeney as Potomac Computer Systems in 1991, originally located in his parents' house in Potomac, Maryland. Following his first commercial video game release, ZZT, the company became Epic MegaGames, Inc. in early 1992 and brought on Mark Rein, who is the company's vice president to date. Moving their headquarters to Cary in 1999, the studio's name was simplified to Epic Games.


Epic Megagames

1st Logo (July 1-October 1995)

Visuals: On a cloudy sky background, there is a big grey square behind a wide line. Below the line is a triangle. "EPIC" is seen on the square, and "M E G A G A M E S" is seen on the line. All of the logo is in a tint of blue. A lens flare, presumably emitted from the Sun, is also seen.

Variant: On shareware versions of their games, blue text is seen below reading "NOT LICENSED FOR COMMERCIAL DISTRIBUTION".

Technique: A still computer-generated graphic.

Audio: None, or the opening theme of the game.

Availability: Seen on certain EMG games, including Radix: Beyond The Void and Extreme Pinball.

2nd Logo (June 24, 1996-1999)


Visuals: On a black background, parts and pieces of the last logo fly into the center of the screen, freezing when it forms the logo. The end result has a few differences from the last logo; screws are added in the square and "M E G A G A M E S" is no longer in bold.

Variants:

  • Most games, such as Unreal, merely have the logo either in-credit or superimposed.
  • On Fire Fight, the logo is on a blue background. An announcer saying the company name is also heard.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A series of droning synth notes, ending with a "bong" noise.

Availability: The animated logo described above is only known to appear on Jazz Jackrabbit 2. The logo can be seen in-credit / superimposed on other games, however.

Epic Games

1st Logo (November 22, 1999-March 16, 2004)


Visuals: Several lines fly around on a black background, making several shapes. These shapes resemble the EMG logo. When an outlined version of the entire logo is made, the word "EPIC" is seen, emitting a light (a la the 1992 WNET logo). When the light disappears, the logo fades into the complete EMG logo with "MEGA" being omitted, forming the new name "EPIC GAMES".

Variants:

  • Unreal Tournament, the first game to be published under the EG name, has the logo superimposed in the intro, and is seen in between the Digital Extremes and GT (or Infogrames' in the Game of The Year edition) logos. The logo may be sandwiching the Digital Extremes logo in some cases.
    • In some copies, the EG logo sandwiches the Digital Extremes logo, meaning two EG logos are present.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Whooshing sounds when the lines draw the shapes, another one for "EPIC" appearing, a drum-hit when the logo's colors fade in, and droning synth notes for the last parts of the logo.

Availability: Seen on games released shortly after the rename. The first to include this logo is Unreal Tournament.

2nd Logo (November 7, 2006-March 1, 2017)

Note: The 4th video, which features the Gears of War 2 version, starts at 0:12.

Visuals: On a red cloudy background, the new EG logo flies in from the left; the lines are now gone and the text is now part of the square. The triangle is seen in a red/orange glowing color below "GAMES". The logo then flies to the top-right, causing the red clouds to disappear.

Variants: There are custom versions for a few games.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A whooshing sound, followed by a series of ominous whooshes.

Availability: Also seen on Robo Recall.

3rd Logo (March 15, 2018-)

Visuals: The last logo is seen on a grey background. The logo has been simplified, and now has a different font.

Technique: A still digital graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on mobile ports of Fortnite.

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