Game Engines

A game engine is the core software component of a computer or video game or other interactive application with real-time graphics. Or so says me research.
This is actually the first question I have been left completely stuck for what to say.
What are the key engine technologies? I really wish I knew but I dont even know what to look for, maybe I just dont understand the question. I think I will try and rite what I know about game engines and work from their.
The new engines such as the Fear engine or the newest engine the Unreal engine. But the engine we use for the Game art course is the Unreal engine because in order to learn what is required to be in the industry, we have to have the latest hardware and components. This will allow us to leave the course at the same standard as is expected of someone in the industry.
The dissadvantage into buying proprietary technologies is that what you buy may not actually be very good and may be bought at a loss because the technologies may not become a success.
The main problem in my oppinion on next-gen engines is that they are forever expected to render more and more graphics per second. If they keep making them more powerful I expect they will become more obsessed with graphics and forget about story and other components. As in past posts I have mentioned how they will have to eventually find other ways of making games better.
Well if now you read it and it made no sense to you what so ever then join the club becuase I have this weks task the hardest yet. If anyone has any comment on how hard they found this weeks task then please do feel free to leave one.
till next time cya.