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Japanese developer Silicon Studio have released a new game engine called Xenko.
The Tokyo-based game developer and middleware creator wanted to "create a tool that lets [developers] explore their creativity withouth running into some of the limitations they may find with other game engines," according to CEO Terada Takehiko.
The engine is available on PC and will allow developers to build games for Windows, iOS, Android and Xbox One, with more support planned in future. "By offering advantages like C# and photorealistic rendering," continues Takehiko, "we’re positioning Xenko as the top choice for creators woring in 3D, VR and everything in between."
The engine was previously in beta under a different name. Upon this full release, Sillicon has added VR support, MSAA, light probes (for global illumination), along with support for the Vulkan and DirectX 12 graphics APIs. Silicon Studio had previously released an engine called Orochi which was mostly used mostly in Japan, but the desire for Xenko is that it will be used internationally.
Other features of the engine include a built-in script editor, and Silicon are looking to include more visual elements at a later date, such as storyboarding and visual scripting. Silicon Studio also believe that this engine is the only commericial game engine that is open source and built using C#.
The engine is currently available for free for personal use, along with other tiers for larger studios and professional use. Access to the "Pro" plan is also free until July 31st 2017 and no registration is required. An educational version is also free for students and Universities for non-commercial use.
