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Sony reveals PhyreEngine

February 22, 2008 in News comments 5

At the GDC earlier this week Sony revealed a new, cross console, graphics/physics engine. This will not only be used on Sony's products, but The 360 and the PC as well.

Some images included in the quote because they were too small to be uploaded.

Quietly unveiled at yesterday's PSN session was PhyreEngine, a new "free to use graphics engine" from Sony Computer Entertainment. According to the presentation, the package includes full documentation, "70+ samples" and "full source code and artwork" of sample game templates. Working on both OpenGL and Direct3D, this engine will allow developers to more easily develop for the PS3 by using PC environments they're more familiar with. A "simple recompile" is supposedly all that's needed to make the game run on the PS3. Sony is promising "ongoing development and support" for the PhyreEngine.

The ramifications of this subdued announcement are actually quite significant. Three titles have been revealed to have used the PhyreEngine for development: flOw, GripShift and DiRT. Of those three, only one is exclusive to PlayStation. It appears that the PhyreEngine is truly cross platform -- Sony is indirectly contributing to the development of PC and Xbox 360 games.

But why make it easier to make games on a competing console? Well, it's undeniable that developers are increasingly focused on multiplatform development. It's been rather commonplace for developers to neglect PS3 with inferior and oftentimes delayed versions of multiplatform games. With PhyreEngine, Sony is making a much more attractive plea: make games on PS3 first, guaranteeing high quality games that will not only match their 360 counterparts, but in many cases can exceed them. Sony's message is clear: start games on the PS3, and they will be better for both PS3 and 360 owners. It appears to us that PhyreEngine is a crucial part of that plan.

More details of PhyreEngine will undoubtedly be unveiled later today at a GDC dedicated to what Sony has dubbed "the new hotness." Stay tuned.





Deathsythe via ps3fanboy.com »
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  • 0
    Red 9 Feb 22, 08
    Ummm...yay? Doesn't seem important if it's already been used in previous games, even less important that Sony's letting everyone use it. They could've done well to keep that engine to themselves.
    • 0
      Red 9 Feb 22, 08
      Oh, never mind, I see what they're doing here. PS3 multiplatform versions will be better. Oops, my apologies...
  • 0
    Sayyed Feb 22, 08
    Hmm, I would have liked to see the engine in action.
  • 0
    Existenz Feb 22, 08
    DiRT? Thats the engine in action lol... flOw? I mean this isn't an engine that was shown off doing things it will never do in-game *cough* Unreal Engine 3.0, this was an engine made by Sony for everyone else to use and its produced good games without people knowing.
  • 0
    Charuzu Feb 27, 08
    We will be able to play aganist ps3 players and 360 players on the same servers?

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