MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Company: Gamebase USA
Platforms: Android, iOS, PC, PS3, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360
Used in: Catherine, El Shaddai, Epic Mickey, Rocksmith, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
www.gamebryo.com
Gamebryo aims to give developers the means to develop for as many platforms as possible using a single codebase. The engine was redesigned over the last two years to make it more efficient.
It now supports more platforms, including the Wii U, and its creator, Gamebase, says its improvements have made the engine simpler and smarter to use in production pipelines.
Some of those tweaks include a simplified distribution method, where new installers can be generated and published within hours, a more supple code structure that no longer requires system environment variables or an SDK directory and an automated build and test system, which offers a basic level of quality assurance.
Beyond jumping into development and ‘buying expertise’, technical director Gabriel Liberty believes developers are looking for external engines to solve many of the problems that plague games development.
“This includes the bottleneck of content. How an engine deals with getting art from Max and Maya and putting it into a game is crucial,” he explains.
Gamebase says its restructuring has future-proofed its engine. But the challenge engine makers face, says Liberty, is competing with internal technology. That’s why Gamebase has put swift and responsive tech support at the forefront to keep its users happy.
“Every game engine has problems. Every piece of software has problems. The difference between many is how fast you can resolve them. Internal tech can solve the problem very quickly, as quickly as an artist walking down the hallway to the programmer and it being fixed in the next version; typically the following day. Using Gamebryo, the artist sends an email to our tech support and it is fixed in the next version, typically the following day.”
You can view all of the top 14 game engine profiles as they are published here.
