Choosing a mobile game engine
Hi,
I have been searching Google for mobile game engines, but I'm still stuck with the same question;
How do I know wich one is good for me?
I don't want to start a game engine war with this thread, I would just like to know on what criterias to base my decision upon.
Personally, I know UDK quite well, but I am not limited to using it. I've dwelved a bit in Unity and it seems really nice, but I know there is also SIO2 and shiva 3D (If I could get any kind of information on these last two it would be really appreciated)
If you post, please leave out details like the cost of an engine versus an other one, as far as cost goes, I'm fairly well informed and I can always go on the engine's web site to get that info.
P.S. In case you wonder, our team has 5 members for the time being; An environnent modeler; A concept artist; A programmer; A character modeler; A level designer
And only the level designer, wich is me, and the programmer need the game engine. But we coule manage having only one license and working turns on the pc, as this project is just a side project.
Thanks for reading
-Phil-
I have been searching Google for mobile game engines, but I'm still stuck with the same question;
How do I know wich one is good for me?
I don't want to start a game engine war with this thread, I would just like to know on what criterias to base my decision upon.
Personally, I know UDK quite well, but I am not limited to using it. I've dwelved a bit in Unity and it seems really nice, but I know there is also SIO2 and shiva 3D (If I could get any kind of information on these last two it would be really appreciated)
If you post, please leave out details like the cost of an engine versus an other one, as far as cost goes, I'm fairly well informed and I can always go on the engine's web site to get that info.
P.S. In case you wonder, our team has 5 members for the time being; An environnent modeler; A concept artist; A programmer; A character modeler; A level designer
And only the level designer, wich is me, and the programmer need the game engine. But we coule manage having only one license and working turns on the pc, as this project is just a side project.
Thanks for reading
-Phil-
Replies
In my experience the UDK advantage is most definitely price, as well as being fairly easy to use, however, the downside is you're limited to iOS.
However with Unity, there is a bit more upfront cost obviously, but your potential scope of release is much larger, considering that Android is also available.
So... I guess between those 2 it's money vs audience?
-Phil-
There's a few things to consider when choosing an engine beyond it's inherent capabilities. Making a game, and actually releasing a game are quite a divergent adventure.
While it may be possible to make a game with SIO2, launching it and supporting it will cause you some issues. Some engines like unity/UDK have processes in place to help with launching a product in addition to creating a product.
This is really a critical factor to consider if you want to do this as more than a hobby.
Also, keep in mind that certain engines like UDK, have an inherent cache that many players recognize. In essence, the top criteria I recommend you consider are the following:
* Engine ease of programming
* Engine extensibility
* Engine quality/features
* Ease of product launch
* Ease of codebase management
* Engine content toolset
* Marketing potential .. "Built in unreal tech".. "made with untiy"
Engines that allow you to develop without an up-front fee are a wonderful thing. If you ever get to point wher you have to pay them serious money as aresult og your profits, you've already had a hit, and paying them won't be an issue. If not, you're not out anything from the get go. Don't fall into the common newbie trap of "I can't give them x % of my awesome game, it's going to sell XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX million copies".
Also make sure you get a decent versioning setup going.
Good Luck.
Personally, I'd give your programmer the biggest say in the choice of engine, artists and designers should be able to adapt to the tools and workflows, but it's the programmer who has to make the whole thing work. Discuss with your coder the needs of the game (physics, animation) and see which engine best fits the requirements of the game.
In the end, choose the one you're most familiar with, if you're not familiar with any of them, unity is by far the fastest to learn.
It's not about having a hit, it's about the company sooner or later hitting that revenue, since it's not per game, it's for the complete revenue of the company in all titles using udk, or any revenue surrounding the game.
Most companies won't have big hits, they'll have a steady stream of revenue from several titles.
-Phil-
-Phil-
UDK will cost you the least out-of-pocket, but it will cost the most if you really do hit it big. Definitely still an option. I've done the math on their licencing, and I think its quite fair all things considered. Especially when you take into account all of the features they let you have.
Unity will run you a pretty penny for the iOS-enabled version. But their licencing is a one-time only thing, so it won't eat into whatever eventual profits you are able to make. Unity is also REALLY good for releasing your game on a wide variety of platforms. UDK has been getting better about this, but Unity is still the champ for cross-platform development.
Maratis is a free solution, but its one of the least proven. It's also more geared toward working with open-source software like Blender. If you are used to working with 3DS Max or Maya, it might not be a good fit for your pipeline.
Is the main dilema... Unity is probably too expensive because we don't have a lot of money, and we now need two versions because the programmer and me are going to be too remote to do the work on the same pc... But at the same time would be better for multi platforming... Oh well, I guess it's down to the programmer to chose.
You don't both need to have the mobile version of Unity. The free version of unity can do most of the stuff the pro does, so you could make it 90% of the way with only one license.
And if you want to keep it really cheap, you could try and build the game in unity free first, then see if it has potential, and if it does, start thinking of buying a license and adding the mobile-specific implementation then. This wouldn't work ofcourse if your game is purely focused on the motion sensor and/or gyroscope stuff, you need an actual device to test that kind of stuff on.
Anyhow, good luck:)
As for using a mobile and a free, isn't this against the eula of Unity? or is it only between free and pro that's forbidden?
Anyway, I'll have to talk to the programmer, but still, I don't think we have the money to get a unity license, we all just got out of a one year program and still don't have jobs, so... I'm pretty sure we'll use UDK in the end, but who knows.
But still, thanks for the advices!
-Phil-
I suspect the vast number of engines out there will give some more food for thought. One doesn't have to go with one of the big 2-5 engines.
Both engines have strengths but Unity is extendable in nearly any way and it's got good support- I also find that UDK isn't great for things that arent first person type games.
You'll also end up losing more money later with UDK if you do get big, I think that's already been mentioned though.
I've been playing around in unity for a while now, and it really does seem like it is more easily customizable than udk, not to mention easier to make multiplatform games!
Anyway, thanks for the informations!
As for money, it was an issue, but I wanted to know the pros and cons of each engine without talking about money. Because if you think about it, I'm sure with the proper motivation a group of people could gather enough money to pay for a tool like unity.
I have only had the free license of unity for about a month. But we were looking for options a year ago, so, unless I could time-travel(wich could be nice), having a license now can't solve this past issue
Still, I stay motivated and hope that one day, I'll find people equally motivated and I'll finally get to participate in something great!:)
Can't give up now, can we!