HeroEngine
Encyclopedia
HeroEngine is a 3D game engine
and server technology platform originally developed by Simutronics Corporation
specifically for building MMO
-style games. At first developed for the company's own game Hero's Journey, the engine won multiple awards at tradeshows, and has since been licensed by other companies such as BioWare Austin
(which is using it for their Star Wars: The Old Republic
game) and Stray Bullet Games
(for an as yet unnamed project).
On June 12th, 2010, Idea Fabrik announced that it had purchased "the HeroEngine and HeroCloud game development technologies" as well as hired "the staff of Simutronics that was associated with the development and support of HeroEngine/HeroCloud".
. It has many of the same features and is capable of supporting multiple developers simultaneously working on it.
. For example, one developer can be creating a house and the entities inside, while another works on the landscaping and terrain around it. Each sees the other's work in real time.
Games made with HeroEngine are expected to take 18 months.
The engine is still single-threaded
. However, it is planned for there to be a multi-threaded release, but the publish date has not yet been determined.
, PhysX
, SpeedTree
, Wwise
, Scaleform
, and Vivox
, as well as having plugins for 3D Studio Max and Maya.
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
and server technology platform originally developed by Simutronics Corporation
Simutronics
Simutronics is an American online games company whose products include GemStone IV and DragonRealms. It was founded in 1987 by David Whatley, with husband and wife Tom & Susan Zelinski...
specifically for building MMO
Massively multiplayer online game
A massively multiplayer online game is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and usually feature at least one persistent world. They are, however, not necessarily games played on...
-style games. At first developed for the company's own game Hero's Journey, the engine won multiple awards at tradeshows, and has since been licensed by other companies such as BioWare Austin
BioWare
BioWare is a Canadian video game developer founded in February 1995 by newly graduated medical doctors Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk, and Augustine Yip. BioWare is currently owned by American company Electronic Arts...
(which is using it for their Star Wars: The Old Republic
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Star Wars: The Old Republic, abbreviated as TOR or SWTOR, is an upcoming massively multiplayer online role-playing game based in the Star Wars universe. Currently in development by BioWare Austin and a supplemental team at BioWare Edmonton, the game was first announced on October 21, 2008, at an...
game) and Stray Bullet Games
Stray Bullet Games
Stray Bullet Games, LLC is an American video game developer that was founded in June 2006 by Frank Lucero, Ala Diaz, Ivan Enriquez, and Mike Madden. The company currently operates out of Austin, Texas...
(for an as yet unnamed project).
On June 12th, 2010, Idea Fabrik announced that it had purchased "the HeroEngine and HeroCloud game development technologies" as well as hired "the staff of Simutronics that was associated with the development and support of HeroEngine/HeroCloud".
HeroCloud
HeroCloud is a scaled down version of HeroEngine that is available as freewareFreeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
. It has many of the same features and is capable of supporting multiple developers simultaneously working on it.
Aspects
The engine has online creationOnline creation
Online Creation, also referred to as OLC, Online Coding, Online Building, and online editing, is a software feature of MUDs that allows users to edit a virtual world from within the game itself...
. For example, one developer can be creating a house and the entities inside, while another works on the landscaping and terrain around it. Each sees the other's work in real time.
Games made with HeroEngine are expected to take 18 months.
The engine is still single-threaded
Single threading
In computer programming, single threading is the processing of one command at a time. The opposite of single threading is multithreading. While it has been suggested that the term single threading is misleading, the term has been widely accepted within the functional programming community....
. However, it is planned for there to be a multi-threaded release, but the publish date has not yet been determined.
Awards
- Finalist for "Best Engine" from Game Developer magazine.
Integration with other technologies
HeroBlade contains integrated features such as custom scripting and collaborative project management, which allow developers to make notes directly onto the in-game levels for others to see. These notes can be attached to tasks to signal other developers that something specific needs to be worked on. HeroEngine also works with technology from third-party vendors, such as FMODFMOD
FMOD is a proprietary audio library made by Firelight Technologies that plays music files of diverse formats on many different operating system platforms, used in games and software applications to provide audio functionality....
, PhysX
PhysX
PhysX is a proprietary realtime physics engine middleware SDK developed by Ageia with the purchase of ETH Zurich spin-off NovodeX in 2004...
, SpeedTree
SpeedTree
SpeedTree is a group of vegetation programming and modeling software products developed and sold by Interactive Data Visualization, Inc. that generates virtual foliage for animations and in real time for video games and simulations...
, Wwise
Audiokinetic Wwise
Wwise , a middleware product from Audiokinetic Inc., is a video game audio engine, intended to be compatible with other full games engines, including Epic's Unreal Engine...
, Scaleform
Scaleform
Scaleform Corporation is a developer providing middleware for use in the video game industry. Their most recent software, Scaleform GFx, is a vector graphics rendering engine used to display Adobe Flash-based user interfaces, HUDs, and animated textures for games for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X,...
, and Vivox
Vivox
Vivox, Inc. specifically provides managed communication services in the form of integrated voice chat, Instant Messaging and presence to online games, virtual worlds and other online communities...
, as well as having plugins for 3D Studio Max and Maya.
Games developed with HeroEngine
- Faxion OnlineFaxion OnlineFaxion Online is an upcoming PC MMORPG developed by UTV Ignition Entertainment, the developers of El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron. The areas within the game are themed after the seven deadly sins. It makes use of the engine HeroEngine. Faxion has been shut down.-External links:**...
- Star Wars: The Old RepublicStar Wars: The Old RepublicStar Wars: The Old Republic, abbreviated as TOR or SWTOR, is an upcoming massively multiplayer online role-playing game based in the Star Wars universe. Currently in development by BioWare Austin and a supplemental team at BioWare Edmonton, the game was first announced on October 21, 2008, at an...
from BioWareBioWareBioWare is a Canadian video game developer founded in February 1995 by newly graduated medical doctors Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk, and Augustine Yip. BioWare is currently owned by American company Electronic Arts...
Unreleased games being developed with HeroEngine
- Hero's Journey - Company's game the engine was developed for.
- Origins - Developed by Burning Dog
- Prime: Battle For Dominus by PitchBlack Games
- The Repopulation - Being developed by Above and Beyond Technologies
- Visions of Zosimos by Forever Interactive