cryengine-3
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Over 250 universities sign up for CryEngine 3 educational license
Back in November of 2009, Crytek detailed plans to offer free licenses to universities wishing to work with CryEngine 3. Apparently quite a few showed interest -- more than 250 different institutions over the last year, to be exact. A missive on Crytek's site reads: "Academic institutions in a wide variety of fields including physics, computer science, architecture, film-making, art and design use Crytek's all-in-one game development solution for their projects." This should ensure that not only will future video games feature gun-wielding super soldiers in billion-dollar nanosuits, but also movies, paintings, science projects, book reports, fashion magazines and all of the skyscrapers downtown. [Thanks, Andreas]
Crysis 2 editor coming this summer, CryEngine 3 SDK in August
Cevat Yerli, CEO of Crytek, has posted an extensive open letter to Crysis 2 modders on Crymod.com laying out an impressive future for the CryEngine mod scene. First and foremost, Yerli confirms that a Crysis 2 editor is coming this summer, but that news is overshadowed by the announcement of a free CryEngine 3 development kit, which Crytek is making available in August. Essentially, anyone who wants to will be able to download "the latest, greatest version of CryEngine 3," and go to town with everything from the engine code to actual game sample code (from Crysis 2), scripts and all of the tools Crytek used to make Crysis 2. This is big news for modders, as it presents a viable, no-cost alternative to Unreal Engine 3 (which has a similar plan available) and access to all of the shiny features for anyone interested -- though developers who wish to release a game commercially will still have to license the engine. [Thanks, Jackal]
Multiplatform Crysis 2 brings 'a better game to everyone,' Crytek says
When Crytek announced that the third iteration of its ambitious CryEngine technology would appear on both PC and consoles, a portion of its hardcore fans became skeptical -- would the engine's progression be hampered by a dumbed-down ball-and-chain? The company's R&D principal graphics engineer, Tiago Sousa, responds to that mindset in a new interview with Digital Foundry, saying that a multiplatform approach in developing Crysis 2 was beneficial to the company's central goal -- which is to make big-budget games, not just budget-hostile benchmarks. "The PC market just does not support that cost of development, but going multi-platform does," Sousa said. "If making a game that is bigger, better, more stable, performs better across a wider range of hardware, provides a continued visual benchmark for PC gaming, and more fun with a huge single-player and multiplayer offering is considered selling out, that seems like a really odd application of the phrase. The decision to go multi-platform has allowed us to bring a better game to everyone, which has been our goal all along." That isn't to say Crytek opted for the easy route. The interview highlights Crytek's struggles with limited memory on consoles (just 512MB on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3), adjusting its workflow to eliminate the reliance on a single lead platform, and a lighting feature that didn't quite make the cut for every system. Oh, and you won't believe how much triangle culling there is. Just ... relentless slaughter of triangles, left and right.
ArcheAge upgrading to CryEngine 3
Development on XL Games' ArcheAge continues apace, and several fan sites are reporting that the fantasy sandbox MMORPG will be adding a spiffy new graphics engine to its lengthy list of features. Prior to this year's GDC, ArcheAge was being marketed as a CryEngine 2 title -- and was already somewhat renowned for its lush visuals and hyper-detailed environments. Apparently XL and lead developer Jake Song saw room for improvement, though, since ArcheAge will be transitioning to CryEngine 3 according to a reputable South Korean gaming news website. There is also some fan speculation regarding when the new engine will see the light of day. ArcheAge will be kicking off its third Korean closed beta phase in April (still using CryEngine 2), with deployment on the newer technology coming later this year (and possibly coinciding with open beta). Head past the cut for a CryEngine 3 demo video from this year's GDC (the ArcheAge footage begins at the two-minute mark).
CryEngine 3 GDC tech demo is all kinds of futuristic
Not only does the CryEngine 3 GDC tech demo posted below give us hope for the future of video game visuals -- it also fills us with anticipation for the future of dune buggy technology. Sure, pretty video games are great, but they can't hold a candle to a sleek recreational motor vehicle.
Stuart Black now at City Interactive, working on a 'story-driven WWII shooter'
We're noticing a trend here. Stuart Black comes to a studio, helps to get a shooter off the ground, then silently vanishes into the night as he heads off to help the next studio in need -- at least, that's what we'd like to imagine happens, as the prominent designer of Criterion's Black now has a new gig at City Interactive working on yet another shooter. Evidence points to a game running CryEngine 3, as the company recently licensed the engine for two first-person shooters it's currently developing. According to Gamasutra, Black will head up a studio in London and work on what he calls an "exciting new story-driven WWII shooter" that will "emphasize high adventure in a genre that's become bogged down in reverence and historical accuracy." Hey, you're totally preaching to the choir, bud! Why, if we had a nickel for how many times the facts got in the way, we'd be millionaires right now and not -- uh, well, Dollar Menunaires.
Crytek puts on its Warface, launching free-to-play FPS in Asian markets
Free-to-play in-your-face FPS news now, with Crytek's announcement of a new military shooter "especially dedicated" to Korean and other Asian markets. Powered by CryEngine 3, Warface will serve as the developer's entry into the freemium arena, and a chilling reminder of that poor kid you teased in high school about his terrible, uncontrollable acne. That was me, by the way, and I know where you live now. Warface is co-produced by Crytek Seoul, and will debut on PC in South Korea with class-based, player-versus-player modes, as well as "dramatic" multiplayer co-op missions. Just try to hold the tears back -- it ruins the camo face paint. %Gallery-108299%
CryEngine 3 licensed for XBLA, PSN version of arena FPS Nexuiz
Going from a free, community-driven environment to the closed storefronts on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network calls for some added incentive. Developer IllFonic claims its console version of Nexuiz, which began as an open-source shooter for Windows, Linux and OSX, will be the first downloadable title developed with CryEngine 3. That's quite an upgrade over the Quake 1 engine that once powered the arena-based first-person shooter. Looking to reap the benefits from Crytek's support and technology -- not to mention Quake Arena Arcade's continued absence -- Illfonic plans to launch Nexuiz simultaneously on PSN and XBLA this winter. According to lead designer Kedhrin Gonzalez, maintaining the collaborative, malleable nature of the original will "definitely" be a goal. "Nexuiz was built by a community and we're bringing that vision to consoles," he said. "But we had to change some things in order to make it more accessible to console players." Initially, that audience will find some standard multiplayer offerings like Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag, wrapped in a fast-paced fragfest not unlike Unreal Tournament III (which supported basic modding on PlayStation 3). We should be able to see how community-created content takes shape when the game is showcased at this year's Penny Arcade Expo, which will take place in Seattle from September 3 until September 5. %Gallery-97412%
Ignition licenses CryEngine 3 for new action game
With games like Deadly Premonition, Muramasa and Nostalgia, Ignition has made a cottage industry out of bringing oddball titles to market in Europe and North America. You can imagine our surprise to read that the company has licensed Crytek's CryEngine 3 for the first game from its London studio, "a uniquely crafted combat action-adventure" for 360 and PS3. So, wait a minute, the house that brought us Boing! Docomodake DS is cooking up a CryEngine action game on PS3 and 360? Dare we ask? Could this be ... the remix to Ignition?
Crysis 2 writer Richard Morgan hopes to avoid 'the Big Mac aesthetic'
In an interview with VG247, science fiction author Richard Morgan had some interesting things to say about his writing role on Crysis 2, the upcoming shooter set in a crumbling New York City. It's an industry role with a "soft" template, he explained, and it's not one without some familiar challenges. We're still dealing with a sequel and a superguy shooting aliens, after all. "I hate the Big Mac aesthetic of pop culture," Morgan said, "which is, you know, sequelitis: 'We're going to give people exactly what we gave them last time, because they liked it, so let's do exactly the same.'" Avoiding that aesthetic and eating healthy, as it were, requires some fresh ingredients. "If we can beat that Big Mac mentality and keep delivering fresh stuff, and something fresh gives the consumer something really fresh to do, then I'm happy, because when I'm doing fresh stuff that's when I'm most awake. With the Crytek experience so far, I'm very awake." We like the Big Mac explanation, but it's still big talk before Crysis 2 launches this holiday. Admittedly, seeing a game's writer cast in the spotlight at this stage is still uncommon -- and possibly a display of publisher EA's confidence.
Crytek interested in offering free development platform
When Epic offered the Unreal SDK free to all users, it got Crytek to thinking -- specifically, thinking about doing the same thing. Speaking to Develop, Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli said that his company is looking to offer a free platform for budding game developers "that will be up to speed" with CryEngine 3. It's nothing new to Crytek, which offered free versions of its previous platforms to the modding community, but this new venture is something different -- a "standalone free platform that people can run independent of CryEngine that will also be up to speed with the latest engine," Yerli hopes. While he's quick to point out it's not the same thing as what Epic and Unity are doing -- another popular game development tool that offers a bit of variety in free and premium toolsets -- we're hard-pressed to find much of a difference between the two. Crytek curently has no timetable for release of the new platform, nor has it commented on potential tech and licensing agreements stemming from the new venture.
GDC10: The expo in pictures
We have a saying around the Massively offices -- "When we go to a show, our readers go to the show." We hope you guys have really enjoyed our crazy coverage of GDC10 as much as we enjoyed running around the show like crazy people grabbing all of that information. But, while we were running around, we got some great photos from the show for you! Now you too can live the experience of running from booth to booth, passing legions upon legions of companies explaining their newest technologies and how they can improve your gaming experience. So come along with us for a whirlwind trip through GDC! Trust us, it's exciting. %Gallery-88462%
CryEngine 3 visiting GDC in stereoscopic 3D
Stereoscopic 3D visuals can really bring a tear to the eye, especially if your hand-eye coordination is off and you end up jabbing a plastic temple arm into a squishy place. Don't do that. Instead, CryEngine developer Crytek wants you to marvel at the latest addition to its engine, which will power upcoming urban shooter Crysis 2. This year's Game Developers Conference (running in San Francisco from March 9 to March 13) will mark the debut of stereoscopic 3D support in CryEngine 3, the company announced. According to Carl Jones, Crytek's director of global business development, the technology will enable engine licensees to create 3D content on all supported platforms. It will enhance CryEngine 3's "LiveCreate" feature, which allows a single editor to create content that's playable on all three high-end platforms: PC; PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. "There are basically no longer any limits to a designer's creativity," Jones said. We can't wait to see what kind of sci-fi cyborg shooters all the developers have in store for us at GDC. In 3D!
Crytek hooks up universities with free CryENGINE 3
If you're somebody attending one of the fine institutions that offer game development courses, you could very well find yourself using CryENGINE 3 soon. Crytek recently announced that it would grant free licenses for its purty new development platform to houses of higher education. It's not the first time the company has offered its goods on the arm for universities, as students also got access CryENGINE 2 back in the day. Just like the cigarette companies, Crytek's goal is to hook 'em while they're young, as R&D manager Ury Zhilinsky hopes that providing the engine free to schools will help students and teachers "become part of our larger CryENGINE community, so they can create their own innovations and train to become the developers of the future." You know, a future with plenty of CryENGINE 3 in it -- at least up until 2012, anyway. [Thanks, Casey]
CryEngine 3 released; box of tissues not included
If Crytek's, like, next next-gen-ready CryEngine 3 performs even half as well as advertised, then the tears are gonna flow -- tears of joy. Imagine an engine through which a developer, using a single editor and dev PC, can create and test a game for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 ... at the same time. (You don't even have to imagine it, actually; there's a video after the break!) That's the picture Crytek's painting as it today releases its third iteration of the CryEngine for license to third-party developers.As promised in the press release: CryEngine 3 features real-time conversion and optimization of assets and cross-platform changes that "significantly" reduce the risk (and headache) of multiplatform development. So, in layman's terms, it renders really good graphix -- even if you have no idea how to develop on PS3."With its scalable graphics and computation it is next-gen-ready and with new features like CryEngine 3 Live Create the best choice for game developers and companies developing serious games applications alike," trumpets Crytek boss Cevat Yerli. "It is the only game engine solution that enables real-time development and can ensure teams are able to maximize their own creativity, save budget and create greater gaming experiences."Okay. So what's it cost?%Gallery-75586%
Crytek's CryEngine in UK classrooms
Students of video game design in the United Kingdom should be doing back flips after hearing that Crytek is donating their CryEngine free of charge to all universities in the country. CryEngine is most famously known as the graphics engine behind visually stunning titles such as Crysis and Aion.This is really big news because only the priciest universities tend to license high quality software for their students to learn on. They're the only ones that can afford it. It's also great for students to dream up pie in the sky concepts for games, but knowing what's practical in the real world is essential. "Universities are looking to foster creativity and send people out into the industry who have lots of ideas, but it's also about that practical hands-on training so that they know what the limitations are," says Managing Director of Crytek UK Karl Hilton. "It's very easy for students to come out of the academic world and not have a grasp on the realities of making a video game."We hope more MMOs are released with CryEngine due to its stellar performance and scalability and it would be great if other graphics engine companies followed suit to increase the options in our genre.
Crytek road map has next generation starting in 2012, next engine will be ready
A running theme through Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli's presentation at GDC Europe today was the number 2012. Sure, he mentioned 2013 also, but the next Year of the Tiger showed up nearly a dozen-plus times in the executive's presentation about "the future of gaming graphics." Yerli tells Joystiq that the reason for the number is that it's the company's internal "road map" of when the next generation will begin. "We will have our next engine ready by that, independently whether there will be hardware or not. We are assuming based on the cycle -- the Moore's Law -- and everything," Yerli told us. "If you predict the computational power and trend. You kinda know how much CPU and GPU will be there and trend. If you take those things into account you can sort of predict where things are going." Yerli explained that the more console-centric CryEngine 3 will have more updates in the meantime, but its next "major architectural version" of the CryEngine should be ready by 2012. He wasn't sure if they'll call it the CryEngine 4 (our money says: they will). [Image: Dennis Stachel]
PS3 struggles hurt Haze development
It's no secret that some developers have a tough time with the PS3. In fact, Gabe Newell hates the thing so much he once forced an elephant to eat a crushed up 20GB model, jammed a cardboard cutout of Jack Tretton into the resulting dung pile and burned the whole thing in effigy. Karl Hilton of Crytek UK (formerly Free Radical) brings a more restrained (though ultimately more hygienic) protest today, telling Develop that the developer's technical learning curve hurt the development of critically maligned PS3 exclusive, Haze. "We spent more time trying get the game running properly and less time to design the game properly," he said. "The PS3 is a powerful machine but a difficult one to get the best out of." And no, before you ask, Hilton doesn't expect to have similar PS3 problems with Crytek's CryEngine 3. Shockingly.
CryEngine 3 equal to CryEngine 2 'medium' settings, comparison video reveals
CryTek's newest, shiniest piece of tech is CryEngine 3, which will be put to use in the upcoming PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Crysis 2. While the first footage of the console versions looks remarkably similar to what you'd get from a PC, a closer examination reveals how top-end gaming PCs are still capable of rendering better graphics with CryEngine 2. According to tehdaza on YouTube, "CryEngine 3 running on console hardware is about the same as CryEngine 2 running on 'medium' settings." The look of the console versions can be recreated on the PC by using low textures, high shaders and object geometry and medium on all other settings.You can check out the video after the break. In it, you'll be able to compare the draw distance of the two engines and see the change in physics, texture work and more.[Via N4G]
Crytek says Cry Engine 3 ready for next-gen, working very closely with Microsoft and Sony
Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli had some major statements to make about the future of console development and his company's proprietary engine, CryENGINE 3. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Yerli said, "If I want to make a next-gen launch title I could do that by pushing the boundaries of the engine," referencing CryENGINE 3 as the bridge between generations. Expounding on the reasoning behind this, Yerli said, "If it's for PS3 you can develop on the PS3 and you're done with it ... the next hardware comes along you have to start again. Whatever happens, we don't want developers to be the victims of change and repositioning."Crytek has stated before that it expects the next-gen by 2011 -- a predicition it's not alone in making -- but never before has it made these type of assertions with such authority. Citing talks with Microsoft and Sony, Yerli says, "We wanted to make an engine that's ready for next-gen inherently. Writing the driver layers for the next PlayStation or next Xbox will be quite simple for us." So what you're saying is Crysis 2 will be coming packed-in with the X-Station 2160? Count us in![Thanks, Mocib]
