From Gears of War to Unreal Tournament, Epic Games is known for great games and bleeding-edge technology.   And now you can add another bonus to the list - free software. 

The company just released the Unreal Development Kit for free online.  Download the software, and you can use the acclaimed engine to make your own titles.   Yes, there's a caveat - only for educational and non-commercial use.  But Epic - along with Valve Software in Bellevue, WA and id Software in Mesquite, TX - remains committed to nurturing the homebrew gaming scene.  It's worth noting that all three of these companies rose from the PC gaming underground, and have never forgotten their roots.