Game Blender
Encyclopedia
The Blender Game Engine is a component of Blender
, a free and open-source
comprehensive 3D production suite, used for making real-time interactive content. The game engine was written from scratch in C++
as a mostly independent component, and includes support for features such as Python
scripting and OpenAL 3D sound.
has been released, and Firefox
and COLLADA
support is under consideration). Another plugin has surfaced named Burster
, which enables embedded gameplay on websites for Blender Game Engine games.
Key code in the physics library did not become open-source when the rest of Blender did, which prevented the game engine from functioning until version 2.37a. Version 2.42 showed several significant new features, including integration of the Bullet
Rigid Body Dynamics library.
bindings. Version 2.41 of Blender showcased a version that was almost entirely devoted to the game engine. Audio is supported in this version. A new system for integration of GLSL shaders and soft body physics was added in the 2.48 release to help bring the game engine back in line with modern game engines. Like Blender, it uses OpenGL
, a cross-platform graphics layer, to communicate with graphics hardware.
Blender (software)
Blender is a free and open-source 3D computer graphics software product used for creating animated films, visual effects, interactive 3D applications or video games. The current release version is 2.60, and was released on October 19, 2011...
, a free and open-source
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
comprehensive 3D production suite, used for making real-time interactive content. The game engine was written from scratch in C++
C++
C++ is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, compiled, general-purpose programming language. It is regarded as an intermediate-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-level and low-level language features. It was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in 1979 at Bell...
as a mostly independent component, and includes support for features such as Python
Python (programming language)
Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language whose design philosophy emphasizes code readability. Python claims to "[combine] remarkable power with very clear syntax", and its standard library is large and comprehensive...
scripting and OpenAL 3D sound.
History
Erwin Coumans and Gino van den Bergen developed the Blender Game Engine in 2000. The goal was to create a marketable commercial product to easily create games and other interactive content, in an artist-friendly way. These games could run either as stand-alone applications, or embedded in a web page using a special plugin. This plugin has since been discontinued for security reasons, though there has been some effort to revive it (an updated alpha version for Internet ExplorerInternet Explorer
Windows Internet Explorer is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, starting in 1995. It was first released as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95 that year...
has been released, and Firefox
Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla Firefox is a free and open source web browser descended from the Mozilla Application Suite and managed by Mozilla Corporation. , Firefox is the second most widely used browser, with approximately 25% of worldwide usage share of web browsers...
and COLLADA
COLLADA
COLLADA is a COLLAborative Design Activity for establishing an interchange file format for interactive 3D applications. COLLADA is managed by the nonprofit technology consortium, the Khronos Group....
support is under consideration). Another plugin has surfaced named Burster
Burster
The term burster can refer to:* a machine used to separate continuous-form paper* an X-ray burster, one type of X-ray binary star* a manufacturer of electronic equipment* an open source plugin for displaying Blender files in a web browser...
, which enables embedded gameplay on websites for Blender Game Engine games.
Key code in the physics library did not become open-source when the rest of Blender did, which prevented the game engine from functioning until version 2.37a. Version 2.42 showed several significant new features, including integration of the Bullet
Bullet (software)
Bullet is an open source physics engine featuring 3D collision detection, soft body dynamics, and rigid body dynamics. It is used in games, and in visual effects in movies. The Bullet physics library is published under the zlib license. Erwin Coumans, its main author, worked for Sony Computer...
Rigid Body Dynamics library.
Blender game engine
The Blender game engine uses a system of graphical "logic bricks" (a combination of "sensors", "controllers" and "actuators") to control the movement and display of objects in the engine. The game engine can also be extended via a set of PythonPython (programming language)
Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language whose design philosophy emphasizes code readability. Python claims to "[combine] remarkable power with very clear syntax", and its standard library is large and comprehensive...
bindings. Version 2.41 of Blender showcased a version that was almost entirely devoted to the game engine. Audio is supported in this version. A new system for integration of GLSL shaders and soft body physics was added in the 2.48 release to help bring the game engine back in line with modern game engines. Like Blender, it uses OpenGL
OpenGL
OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL...
, a cross-platform graphics layer, to communicate with graphics hardware.
Notable games
- Yo Frankie!Yo Frankie!Yo Frankie! is an open video game made by the Blender Institute, part of the Blender Foundation, originally scheduled for release in August 2008. It is based on the universe and characters of the free film produced earlier in 2008 by the Blender Institute, Big Buck Bunny...
- Boro-Toro - a side-scrolling platform puzzle game developed by DarkMatter Designs. It won the 2009 BAFTA "Ones to Watch" award.
- Dead Cyborg - A free to play, donation-based sci-fi adventure game.
See also
- Bullet (software)Bullet (software)Bullet is an open source physics engine featuring 3D collision detection, soft body dynamics, and rigid body dynamics. It is used in games, and in visual effects in movies. The Bullet physics library is published under the zlib license. Erwin Coumans, its main author, worked for Sony Computer...
Game Blender's Physics engine - Crystal SpaceCrystal SpaceCrystal Space is a framework for developing 3D applications written in C++ by Jorrit Tyberghein and others. The first public release was on August 26, 1997. It is typically used as a game engine but the framework is more general and can be used for any kind of 3D visualization. It is very...
- Blender (software)Blender (software)Blender is a free and open-source 3D computer graphics software product used for creating animated films, visual effects, interactive 3D applications or video games. The current release version is 2.60, and was released on October 19, 2011...