It's not just AAA studios who get to do stuff like this anymore.

A beautiful little bit of news fluttered into my inbox just now. Epic’s UDK (Unreal Development Kit), the AAA-engine turned indie/freeware toolset has just added iOS support. What does this mean? Well, independent developers now have access to the same tools used by Chair and Epic to create the spectacular technical showcases that are Epic Citadel and Infinity Blade, which are currently wowing mobile audiences worldwide.

As far as I can see, the same terms and conditions apply as with normal UDK usage. If you’re producing freeware, it’s entirely free. If you’re going commercial, it’s free up to a point, but after that you have to pay a chunk of your profits as royalties to Epic. After all, they did just provide you with a top-tier game engine.

The future is looking bright indeed.