Epic Games

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.

1st Logo (July 1-October 1995)
Nicknames: "Epic Shield", "Shield in the Sky"

Logo: On a cloudy sky background, we see a big square behind a wide line. Below the line is a triangle. "impact" is seen on the square, and "impact" is seen on the line. All of the logo is in a tint of. 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".

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: 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)
Nickname: "Epic Shield II"

Logo: 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 "impact" 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 background. An announcer saying the company name is also heard.

FX/SFX: The EMG logo flying in. Typical CGI seen in most DOS games from the period. None in most games.

Music/Sounds: A series of droning synth notes, ending with a "bong" noise.

Availability: Uncommon. 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.

1st Logo (November 22, 1999-March 16, 2004)
Nickname: "Epic Shield III"

Logo: 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 "impact" is seen, emitting a light (a la the 1992 WNET logo). When the light disappears, the logo fades into the complete EMG logo with "impact" being omitted, forming the new name "impact".

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 prints, the EG logo sandwiches the Digital Extremes logo, making 2 EG logos to be present.

FX/SFX: The lines, "impact" appearing and the logo fading in.

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

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

2nd Logo (2006?-September 18, 2013)
Note: The 4th video starts at 0:12.

Nickname: "Epic Shield IV"

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

Variants: TBA.

FX/SFX: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: A whooshing sound, followed by a series of ominous whooshes.

Availability: Common.

3rd Logo (2017?- )
Logo: The last logo is seen on a background. The logo has been simplified, and now has a different font.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on mobile ports of Fortnite.