CryEngine 3 for free?

Hamish Bode

It's likely you've already heard the rumours about Crytek intending to release the CryEngine 3 SDK for public use. If you haven't, get excited - the engine is an artists dream. At this stage, people will be able to use the engine for their own non-commercial projects which still puts it in a different box to the obvious competitors, Unity and the UDK.

“This will be a complete version of our engine, including C++ code access, our content exporters (including our LiveCreate real-time pipeline), shader code, game sample code from Crysis 2, script samples, new improved Flowgraph and a whole host of great asset examples, which will allow teams to build complete games from scratch for PC.”

The Crymod page is currently a placeholder that contains a letter to the modding community written by Cevas Yerli, CEO & President of Crytek. The licensing information is still left ambiguous and it doesn't look like they're committing to any kind of model just yet.

"If you want to use it to make a game to launch commercially, we'd like to help you with that. If you want to take your product down a traditional commercial route, we will offer an innovative low cost licensing model if you want to release your game digitally."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJEL9Kipuw4

It'll be interesting to see just how much support Crytek gives to the Indie game development community - something which Unreal currently does brilliant and is probably one of the main motivators behind Crytek's decision to join the party.

I know there are a heap of UDK users here at Polycount. Do you think CryEngine will be a new toy to play with? A great way to present your characters or environments? Or will you be sticking with the UDK?

“This will be a complete version of our engine, including C++ code access, our content exporters (including our LiveCreate real-time pipeline), shader code, game sample code from Crysis 2, script samples, new improved Flowgraph and a whole host of great asset examples, which will allow teams to build complete games from scratch for PC.”

Oniram

AWESOME!

Piesandbombs

Sounds amazing, I'm glad they've taken a step towards supporting Independent development. With the draw of C++ utilization, they may actually have caught my eye on this one.

Hamish Bode

@Piesandbombs - I'm excited about the indie support too but I can't help but feel it's a kind of 'faux-support'. Although, I should be good and reserve judgement on that until they either release a pricing/royalty plan or I hear about some indie devs that have a good experience with them!

Rurouni Strife

I personally will try it out. I've always wanted to use Cry 2 but never got around to it and have stuck with UDK so far. It'll be fun to see what kind of results I can get in the two different engines.

Cordell Felix

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

c0ldhands

Hopefully, less buggy and more optimized then its predecessor

DeathFlail

I'll be sticking with UDK.. It's awesome they are doing this, but if they don't have a commercial license then it's not really an option. I'd really like to be able to make my own game and sell it.

DeathFlail

Oh oops.. they do have a commercial option.. Thats what I get for skimming
Woo crytek! o/

Nilix

And then there were options. Looks like the trinity has been closed. I just hope that UDK/Crytek/Unity doesn't become the sector of fanboyism like Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo or Mac/PC/Linux. I really want to be able to use them without some newfound designer stereotype.

But I definitely welcome this with open arms. More tools are always good.

SnakeDoctor

Im happy they are releasing it in August because I want to master UDK and I think trying to learn two engines at once would be overwhelming.

Piesandbombs

@Hamish - As long as they don't have royalty payments out the ass and ridiculously pricey engine licensing I can't really see a problem.

adam

@Piesandbombs - If they want to be competitive with Epic, they won't.

robin_64_bit

Well that's good and all, but it really doesn't mean a whole lot unless you can publish something. So when that happens, it'll be good

konstruct

Were currently using this for our small XBLA/PSN project:

http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=84277

Cryengine 3 is SWEEEET to say the least.

AlanSMitchell

WTF? I learn UDK all these years now Cry is free.

BrendtheCow

That demo video's lighting is so pretty ;.; I can't wait! XD