cryengine
Latest
Crytek confirms a new Crysis game is in development
Almost a decade after the release of Crysis 3, today Crytek announced Crysis 4 is currently in development.
'Crysis Remastered' can run in 8K, if your PC can handle it
It's coming to PS4, Xbox One and Epic Games Store on September 18th.
'Star Citizen' switches to Amazon's game engine
Star Citizen is still far from being ready, but it now has a more solid underpinning. Cloud Imperium has revealed that it has switched both Star Citizen and Squadron 42 from Crytek's CryEngine to Amazon's Lumberyard engine as of Star Citizen's just-launched Alpha 2.6 release. It was an "easy and smooth transition" due to Lumberyard's CryEngine roots, but both secures the "long term future" of the games and promises some distinct advantages. It taps directly into the cloud through Amazon Web Services, for instance, and makes Twitch streaming easy.
Crytek is closing studios and paying employees late again
Crytek, the developer behind the technically impressive CryEngine toolset, and most recently Robinson: The Journey, is laying off employees and closing studios. Workers' paychecks have reportedly been extremely slow to arrive as well. No, you aren't imagining things -- the company faced similar circumstances a few years ago. But the bloodletting appears much worse this time out: All of the company's studios will be shuttered but two.
Razer's new Hacker Development Kit natively supports CryEngine
Razer unveiled its latest revision to its Open Source Virtual Reality (OSVR) developer's bundle (aka Hacker Development Kit v1.4) during GDC on Tuesday. The latest HDK offers a number of improvements over its previous iteration.
Get some face time with a snarling dinosaur in virtual reality
Until the real version of Jurassic World opens the closest we'll get to going face-to-face with dinosaurs is in virtual reality. The folks at German game developer Crytek are helping that stopgap by releasing one of their Back to Dinosaur Island demos to the public via Steam for free. As VRFocus reports, this demo has been on the trade show circuit since this past March at the Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco. Here you're seeing the world from the eyes of an infant dino hanging out in a nest of unhatched eggs as gigantic dragonflies flit about a gorgeous looking and sounding primeval forest. Oh you wanted terror? Don't fret because one of history's most impressive apex predators pokes its nose in for a view as well.
Playdate: Walking blindly into 'Everybody's Gone to the Rapture'
Welcome back to Playdate, where Engadget runs through the latest games while broadcasting them live on Twitch. If you're feeling a bit of déjà vu that's entirely natural; you have been here before. Whereas JXE Streams was our awkwardly named show while we figured out what was going to happen with streaming moving forward, well, we've figured out what we're doing with streaming moving forward. Mostly. Hence us going back to the moniker we started with last year. Think of this as a vote of confidence from us that we're moving toward consistency and normalcy for our broadcasts. It's a good thing!
Jak 2 level remade in CryEngine is here to pump you up
Rockstar's Bully isn't the only PS2 game being remade by fans in a new engine; YouTube user Floordan has posted his work on a project dubbed "Jak 2 Renegade: Reborn," which uses the CryEngine to recreate Naughty Dog's Jak 2. The level you see in the video above is a pumping station, though depending on the view, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a scenic newlywed retreat. Those sunbeams are already making us feel warm. Naughty Dog themselves considered developing a new Jak & Daxter game years ago, but ultimately scrapped it and built The Last of Us instead. And we're not complaining about getting to roam the fungal countryside with Joel and Ellie, but did you see what a new Daxter would look like? [Image: Floordan]
Full CryEngine now available through Steam
Did you know that Crytek has launched a CryEngine subscription service on Steam? Yup, it's true. So if you're a budding game developer, a modder, or someone who is curious about game dev tools, you can now play around with the tech behind MMOs like Aion, ArcheAge, and Star Citizen as well as a boatload of popular single-player games. Steam customers get full use of the engine for a $9.90 monthly fee. The "announcement means we are adding the first complete game development engine to Steam, with access to enough source code to allow the creation of any kind of PC game," Crytek director of business development Carl Jones explained. "We're also giving indie developers state-of-the-art tools that live within the same eco-system that they can choose to publish their games."
CryEngine license subscriptions now available on Steam
Developers and hobbyists alike can now purchase a license to use Crytek's CryEngine PC software via Steam to create their own video games. The software is available on a subscription basis, which Crytek revealed back in March as its "Engine as a service" plan, which doesn't affect the free, non-commercial software development kit it also offers. The engine added next-gen console support in August, and powers games like Crysis 3, Ryse: Son of Rome, and more recently, Crytek's upcoming free-to-play MOBA Arena of Fate. CryEngine comes in three tiers: one month at a rate of $9.90 per month, three months at nine percent off ($9.00) and six months at 16 percent off ($8.33). Crytek announced the plans one day after Epic revealed its own subscription model for Unreal Engine 4. Prospective developers can alternatively turn to software like GameMaker for casual and social games, which is also available on Steam. Sony announced partnerships in March to offer PS4 exporting tools for GameMaker: Studio in addition to MonoGame for free to licensed SCE developers. [Image: Crytek]
Crytek's 'Arena of Fate' pits Robin Hood against Joan of Arc
Crytek announced a new MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) game for PC and consoles today, Arena of Fate. The game gives players the chance to jump into 5-vs-5 battles using iconic characters from popular folklore and history like Robin Hood, Joan of Arc, Little Red Riding Hood, Frankenstein and Norse beast Fenrir. Arena of Fate is free to play and scheduled to enter its beta phase on PC this summer, with no word on which consoles the CryEngine-based game will eventually arrive on. Those interested in joining the game's beta can sign up on its official website. [Image: Crytek]
Crytek unveils $10 per month CryEngine developer subscription plan
Crytek may be known for its Crysis and Far Cry series, but the developer also makes a pretty penny by licensing out its proprietary tech for game development, CryEngine. Crytek will now offer a subscription-based model for the latest version of its engine, charging $9.90 USD/euros per month for each CryEngine licensee. The "Engine as a Service" plan starts in May and won't affect the free, non-commercial software development kit offered by Crytek. Epic Games announced its own subscription model for Unreal Engine 4 yesterday, a plan that amounts to $19 per month plus 5 percent of gross revenue from any commercial product developed with the engine. While Crytek will unveil more details about its subscription plan in the future, its announcement noted that the Engine as a Service version of CryEngine will be "royalty-free." The latest version of CryEngine features Linux support as well as "Physically Based Shading," a Geometry Cache feature to calculate cache-based animations for elements like cloth and fluid dynamics and an image-based lighting system. An alternative to these subscriptions for some independent developers are middleware development tools like GameMaker: Studio and MonoGame. Sony announced PS4 exporting solutions for those pieces of development software yesterday in addition to PS3, Vita and upcoming PS4 solutions for Unity users. [Image: Crytek]
CryEngine support coming to Linux, showcased at GDC
Crytek's unveiling full CryEngine support for Linux at next week's Game Developers' Conference in San Francisco, paving the way for a host of major games to come to the Steam Machine operating service. It's a move that's been in the works for a while, after Crytek called for new recruits to help it bring CryEngine 3 to Linux back in July 2013. Crytek of course uses CryEngine to power the games it develops, including Crysis 3, Ryse: Son of Rome, and Warface, but it also licenses it out to other studios. Sonic Boom and State of Decay run on CryEngine 3, while the latest iteration features in Evolve, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, and Star Citizen. [Image: Crytek]
Another major game engine gets Linux support ahead of Steam Machines launch
The engine that powers the Crysis series, CryEngine, is headed to Linux. That means games like Crysis 3 and Ryse: Son of Rome could see ports on Valve's forthcoming Linux-powered platform, SteamOS. At very least, it means that developers already working with CryEngine have a shortcut to porting their work to Steam Machines; Crytek will show it off in detail next week at the annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. Linux support was long-rumored for CryEngine, with job listings as far back as last July hinting that it was coming. It's unclear when the engine will get updated to support the new platform, but we expect it'll be long before Valve's Steam Machines initiative gets seriously underway.
Harry Potter Online in limited production
With a hot IP, a devoted fan-base, and a fantastical world begging to be explored further, a Harry Potter MMO has been on many gamers' "most wanted" lists for years now. We just got word that Harry Potter Online is indeed in production, although this comes with a serious caveat. The production website for Harry Potter Online is up and running with forums, a gallery, and some basic information about the game. However, it looks as though developer Bio-Hazard Entertainment has yet to receive the full go-ahead from Warner Bros.: "Seeing that it could be a really great business plan, a license was given that would allow the company to begin production on the MMO up until beta. Once beta was hit it would then be decided [by Warner Bros.] if the production would be a good investment or not." The proposed Harry Potter Online would allow players to choose to attend one of three schools of magic, take on roles like Aurors and Lamorians, and become masters of various professions such as potions and herbalism. And yes, if you were wondering, there will be Quidditch. The developers said that a promotional video, trailer, and live interview will be coming soon. You can see some of the game's concept art and hear the devs talking about the game in a video after the break. [Thanks to Cherie for the tip!]
Meander through Wander's new GDC teaser trailer
Where most games only offer some percentage of activity options besides combat (from basically nonexistent on up), Wander eschews combat completely in favor of exploration and collaborative gameplay. Can't imagine how a game like that actually looks? Well you're in luck! The devs have released a teaser trailer that takes a short stroll through a lush part of the land. Of course, it's not quite the same experience as when players will be able to don Oculus Rift goggles, but it still offers a glimpse of the world that's built using CryEngine's FreeSDK. See the clip for yourself below, and be on the lookout for an extended version expected to release at GDC 2014 in a few weeks. [Thanks to Rachel for the tip!]
Star Citizen devs mind-melding with Kingdom Come's Warhorse team
Star Citizen creator Chris Roberts has penned a new dev blog announcing Cloud Imperium's cooperation with fellow indie outfit Warhorse. Warhorse is currently building a single-player RPG called Kingdom Come: Deliverance that's set in medieval Europe, and Roberts was so impressed with the project that he both backed it himself and sought to exchange ideas with its developers. Both Star Citizen and Kingdom Come are built on the CryEngine, and Roberts says both dev teams will be collaborating going forward. "Star Citizen doesn't need peasants and knights," he explained, "but it does need a robust character creation system for the persistent universe. And that technology is exactly what Warhorse is building for the CryEngine.
Wander now using CryEngine FreeSDK
Indie darling Wander has announced that it is now using CryEngine's FreeSDK. "The new version of Wander will use a lot less memory, run on less hardware and be a lot more beautiful," explains developer Loki Davison in a new blog post. "The most important thing is that the new engine gives us tools to get things done quickly, meaning we can add more content." Wander is "a collaborative, non-combat, non-competitive MMO game focused on exploration and joy." Players begin the game as giant trees.
CryEngine-powered open-world RPG Cradle rocks onto Kickstarter
Cradle from Mojo Game Studios is an open-world RPG that features wars between gods, forgotten ancient cities and a proprietary combat system, among other things. And, being powered by the CryEngine, said things are very pretty. Mojo isn't quite finished with the game though, and just as every wizard needs his wand, every rogue needs her dagger, every paladin his shield, they need your money to fund development; $350,000 of it by February 20 to be precise. The team behind Cradle are promising an epic experience that engages the player instead of relegating them to to-do lists and fetch quests. "In Cradle, you'll never have to collect 15 boar skins or kill 25 beetles," reads the Kickstarter page. "This is an adventure for you to discover and explore, not a list of chores." The team also claims to have developed a patent-pending combat system. The system, dubbed "Realfight," changes animations depending on where players aim, as well as what their last attack was. If a player wanted to slash at an enemy's torso on the right side with a follow-up slash to the left side, they would need to aim at the right side, click the right mouse button, aim at the left side, and click the left mouse button. Weapons are unique to each character class, and can be augmented throughout the game. The game is slated to explore the mystical realm of PC in summer of 2016 if all goes well. You can learn more about Cradle by visiting the game's Kickstarter page, or by watching the video embedded above. [Thanks, Kurtis!]
New CryEngine available, supports next-gen systems
A new version of the CryEngine (Crysis 3, Ryse) is now available to developers, Crytek announced. Simply called "CryEngine," the now-numberless technology supports both current-generation systems as well as Wii U, PS4 and Xbox One. In its announcement, Crytek also noted the merging of its CryeEgine research and development and licensing departments, "a move designed to double the level of one-to-one care game licensees can tap into." The free Cryengine SDK also received an update this week, giving it "a raft of the new features" and lifting restrictions that "prevented users from working offline." The free, non-commercial SDK has been downloaded over five million times since it launched two years ago, according to the company.
