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Crytek Giving Away CryEngine To UK Universities

Posted by Soulskill on from the nibbles-doesn't-cut-it-anymore dept.

GamesIndustry reports that German game developer Crytek will be making CryEngine, the game engine behind Far Cry and Aion, available to universities in the UK for free. They're doing so because they want new college grads to get hands-on experience with the technology that runs real games. Crytek's Karl Hilton said, "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. It's very easy for students to come out of the academic world and not have a grasp on the realities of making a videogame. The more we can get involved with them and give them feedback and access to the tools involved, the more accurate the course will become in training people up."

16 of 67 comments (clear)

  1. Makes business sense too by Kentaree · · Score: 4, Insightful

    As they're used to the engine they'll be more likely to use it commercial if they have the choice. It's the same thing Microsoft, Adobe and a multitude of other companies do when providing educational licenses

    1. Re:Makes business sense too by am+2k · · Score: 2, Informative

      Note that Emergent has been doing the same for their engine Gamebryo for a few years now: Emergent Academic Partners.

    2. Re:Makes business sense too by Canazza · · Score: 4, Informative

      Except this is the CryEngine 1, not CryEngine 2 which is their main engine. While programming is undoubtably similar for both engines, going back to Far Cry it's already begining to look dated, and game made with it would probably make a decent Indie release, but wouldn't do as a commercial release graphics wise.

      It would however, as you suggested, float the better programmers on these courses to the surface.

      --
      It pays to be obvious, especially if you have a reputation for being subtle.
  2. Nice move by Crytek... by anomnomnomymous · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Nice move by them, but I can see how it's in their own advantage to do so, as it would be more feasible for the students to use it later on.

    I'd rather have universities focus on using a -real- open engine though, such as id's Tech3 (Quake 3) GPL'ed engine: More documentation, bigger community, and an, imo, better engine overall.

    Nonetheless, nice move by Crytek.

    --
    When you shoot a mime, do you use a silencer?
    1. Re:Nice move by Crytek... by drsmithy · · Score: 5, Funny

      Sure, many of the basic principles don't change, but even so... how do you get your head around writing multi-threaded code for a modern game, when the last thing you learned was Hello World in Fortran?

      Completing the last 3 years of your degree would probably be a good place to start.

    2. Re:Nice move by Crytek... by xaxa · · Score: 3, Insightful

      What Computer Science courses are these?

      Languages used in mine were Java, Haskell, C, C++, and Prolog. All are up-to-date modern languages, and it was similar for all the students I've met from other universities.

      (Having said that, we weren't really taught languages after first year. We were taught principles, told what languages used them, then told to go implement something in one of them.)

    3. Re:Nice move by Crytek... by PhilHibbs · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I'd rather that universities had access to multiple engines so they can study the different approaches to different problems. Tech3 is an enclosed-spaces engine, you don't get that many Quake levels that are open, rolling hills. If you do, it's a hack and you are actually in a cave with a sky-texture flag on the ceiling. CryEngine and Halo are ground-folding engines, so they can do the big open spaces thing but have to use hacks to have cliffs and caves and overhangs.

    4. Re:Nice move by Crytek... by geminidomino · · Score: 2, Insightful

      how do you get your head around writing multi-threaded code for a modern game, when the last thing you learned was Hello World in Fortran?

      Studying programming instead of Computer Science would probably be a better start
       

  3. Re:Not Open Source by Cheesetrap · · Score: 2, Funny

    Okay, maybe you have a point, but can you really complain?

    I mean after all, if it wasn't for the CryEngine how would you power your WAAHmbulance?

  4. Repeat after me... by PeterBrett · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "Universities are not intended to provide vocational training."

    Why do so many people seem to have forgotten this?

    --
    Pirate Party UK
    1. Re:Repeat after me... by lordandmaker · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Universities provide academic training that is in line with your prospective vocation.

      Universities do not teach you how to be an Engineer or an archaeologist, they teach you engineering or archeology.

      They teach you the academic side of the above, and then release you into the real world to make it your vocation.

    2. Re:Repeat after me... by Caue · · Score: 2, Insightful
      semantics. any university that doesn't offer the link between academic knowledge and practical use is a poor choice.

      release you into the real world to make it your vocation.

      I would feel like a fucking dove if I understood universities like you do.

    3. Re:Repeat after me... by clickety6 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      In the UK, Polytechnics used to give a more practical, hands-on training vocational training but after the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 they all became called Universities, although in many respects they are the same institutes offering the same courses...

      --
      ----------------------------------- My Other Sig Is Hilarious -----------------------------------
  5. Re:Not Open Source by lordandmaker · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Presumably it would have been fine, though, if they'd not done this.

    This is how you're encouraging business to not open source. While it's 'normally' licensed, no-one complains. If you only open it a little bit, you become a bad guy. If I was in the business of producing commercial software, it's sentiment like yours that'd put me off.

  6. wait...wait... by nimbius · · Score: 2, Insightful

    s/the technology that runs real games./the technology that runs our games./

    fixed that for ya.

    --
    Good people go to bed earlier.
  7. Unreal Engine by deusmetallum · · Score: 4, Informative

    I think it's important to remember that the Unreal Engine has been free for educational use for a very long time. No doubt that there will be a similar number of restrictions on the CryEngine, mostly along the lines of not being able to reuse any code or assets for any future release. I imagine, however, that the unreal engine is probably a lot more useful to students as it is used in a much larger number of games or varying genres.