Epic acquires cutting-edge software firm in latest bid to make more life-like effects

CARY – Epic Games is continuing its efforts to make computer generated images vrtually life-like, today announcing the acquisition of Capturing Reality, a developer of cutting-edge 3D scan creating software.

The software, RealityCaputure, will be incorporated into Epic’s Unreal brand gaming and technology infrastructure.

Terms of the deal for the company, which is based in Slovakia and first released its software in 2016, were not disclosed.

As a bonus for users, Epic said price cuts for use of the software would “take effect today.”

Despite being embroiled in a global anti-trust fight with Apple over app store restrictions and fees, privately held Epic continues to invest heavily in growing the firm, including a new headquarters at the former Cary Towne Center.

Epic, the developer of globally popular Fortnite, recently offered a “sneek peek” of “high-fidelity digital humans” through a tool called MetaHuman Creator.

That advance comes after Epic acquired real-time facial animation technology startup Hyprsense last November. Hyprsense says its technology will give “Unreal Engine creators the ability to deploy and drive the most advanced character assets, on any platform.”

In December, Epic also acquired RAD Game Tools and its technology to speeds up load times, quality and performance through “impressive” compression technology. One of its many global customers was Epic and its megahit Fortnite.

Now comes more reality.

“Capturing Reality’s software is able to reconstruct objects and scenes of any size from images or laser scans, yielding 3D scans with unparalleled accuracy and mesh quality at speeds many times faster than competing software,” Epic explained, calling RealityCapture “state-of-the-art photogrammetric software.”

“The Capturing Reality team is made up of some of the most impressive experts in the field of photogrammetry,” said Marc Petit, general manager of Unreal Engine. “The team has built a powerful solution with RealityCapture, and we’re fortunate to have them as part of the Epic Games family.”

Epic has now made five acquisitions in recent months, including just last week the UK group behing the popular “Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout.”