Frostbite Will Never Be Unreal Engine Because EA Won't Let Others Use It, Says Exec

Pocket-lint: ''Need for Speed: Rivals, a next and current-generation driving game from Electronic Arts, is unique in that it uses a modified version of the much-acclaimed Frostbite 3 engine. The game development technology is best known for powering the Battlefield series of first person shooters, but its latest iteration has been customised to be the engine behind the new racer from start-up development studio Ghost Games.''

[Donnieboi]

That's a pity, because they could make a whole lotta money if they allowed other's to lease it.

Why keep it all to yourself, when the engine gets obsolete anyway every few years when DICE upgrades it. At least let smaller companies lease the older versions. Even the older Frostbite engine from bad Company 2 is still an impressive engine today.

[3-4-5]

Because they are using it for Star Wars Battlefront 3.

Also probably other Star Wars games as well.

[Donnieboi]

Your response has nothing to do with what I said. Of course they are using their own engine. What's that got to do with the older iterations of that engine and the money that could be made from leasing it to smaller companies (like my original comment states)?

No offense, but please stay on topic, as it's a waste of my time to respond back to off-topic replies.

[3-4-5]

Why would they sell the engine that is going to power their games ?

It will make their games look unique.

You want a bunch of the same looking game from other dev's ?

You guys are just mad at what they are doing.

So yea, it's not off topic, open your mind to what is really happening.

[thehitman]

Why? because they funded it and made it and it makes them stay competitive in the market. Why would they want to give out their top notch engine to allow competition? They are not EPIC they focus more on game development than they do where EPIC makes their money off of licensing mostly and a few games here and there.

[Donnieboi]

That's why I said the OLD obsolete engines. they already made editing tools for it, yet stopped using it. So let others lease it. It's obsolete, old, and won't be able to contend with the newest Frostbite. But at least indie devs can use it, and EA could collect royalties off of the sale of each game's purchases.

Read the whole comment before posting. Even if u disagree, that's cool, but don't act like I didn't already cover my bases in my OP, because I already covered that. Another reply that wasted my time. Let's use our heads before we post, m'kay?

[thehitman]

Still kind of dumb why would developers settle for last gen technology? Also that would still reveal their engine techniques etc so its still not that smart. UE is not hard to get your hands on EPIC is pretty good with that. Should probably use your head and understand how business and progressive engines work before you post m'kay?

[Donnieboi]

Once again you amaze me by not reading the post. Your the 2nd person to do this. READ it again. I said INDIE companies could benefit from it. If they are indie, then it is an amazing engine, even if old.

Man are you feeling okay?

Here's a song for you. Ask yourself the same question that the chorus is asking:

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[thehitman]

You obviously are kinda slow so let me break it down for you for you. Independent Studios a.k.a Indies can be a small company or a large one, ranging from maybe one individual to a hundred. To give companies who are not owned by publishers rights to use your tools EVEN OLD you have to open up your engine to make it flexible and then support it with tech support(which costs time and money). When you open your engine to random companies to make it flexible you are open to allowing them to use your tools expand upon them and potentially taking those tools to support larger companies such as big publishers down the road. Being an independent studio does not help the reason that it should be ok to give out your tools just because you think they are indie and you think they are desperate for whatever they can get their hands on. EA would put high restrictions on the freedom they are allowed to use whatever tools they decide to give out and it would NOT be cheap.

A lot of indie devs are very capable of finding great cheap/free tools or making their own. Whatever royalties EA would collect off them would NOT be worth it for them and would not be a good investment for Indie's who would be paying a lot for old technology that is probably available free/cheap somewhere else. EA does not care about Indie developers they are all competition to them just like the big publishers no matter how big or how small. That is business 101. Unless they will directly work for EA and give up all rights to what they make EA wouldnt give 2 shits about them nor would any other big publisher which is why they are Independent Studios.

Now before your next post do what I told you to do the first time and think about what you are saying. Thinking requires actually using your brain and doing some research on how things work and not just waking up w/ a random thought thinking it would be great KK?.

[Soldierone]

To make their own games "special." If they open it up, then devs like IW can use it to make COD. Or a bunch of other developers can make 100 FPS titles that look and feel just like BF3. Take the option away, and Battlefield seems special because no one else is doing it.

I mean looking at Unreal Engine, or CODS engine, there are tons of games that are almost identical to each other. Why? Because others have access to those engines. Look at what people did with fighting games after Batman Arkham Asylum released. Suddenly Unreal Engine was the go to engine for fighting games, and they all have the same system in place.

[MizTv]

I think it's good because I don't want all games to look the same!

[Sevir]

The PS3/Xbox360 generation is over saturated with UE3 games... And quite frankly I'm glad that every major publisher has there own engine to make games thisbgen instead of giving money to epic to make games that all look the same

Square, Capcom, konami, Sony, Epic, Cryte, EA, and UniSoft all have some incredible engines that's unique to their studio's and its great to see they invest in these engines at the end of last to to have them ready and scalable for Next gen and current gen development instead of stuff we see permeating the industry now with UE3... I've seen less games announced on UE4.

[PlayStation_4]

the majority of UE4 games I have seen get announced have been indie titles which is very strange... it does look like it is better to just make your own engine if you got the money

[Kanzes]

They're like the Lannisters of video games!

[ElitaStorm]

EA wants the iron throne so bad that is why

[pixelsword]

It reminded me more of Medieval Japan's trade policy towards the Europeans, but that'll work too.

[titletownrelo]

Always imagined what Assassins Creed would look like with the Frostbite Engine, Ubisoft could really use it because the graphics on Black Flag do NOT look "next gen", sadly.

[CrossingEden]

you have to take into account how big the world of AC4 is, plus, they are going for that revelations beauty, and we all know shots of revelations still looks great, not everything will look like the witcher 3 right out of the gate

[titletownrelo]

True, true; completely agree with you man. Just saying...what if more franchises had access to Frostbite 3 and the Cryengine.

But when it comes down to it...
polycount and graphics =/= the level of FUN

Just look at Minecraft :)

[Kennytaur]

Wow, I just realised what your avatar is, Castle Crashers! I thought it was an artsy silhouette of Batman first.

[titletownrelo]

lol, took me a while to see it, but I got it XD

[JonahNL]

I'd rather have companies work on their own engines. The result of the Unreal Engine being handed out to other companies led to a gazillion games looking extremely similar.

Now, don't get me wrong, the Unreal Engine 3 looks very good, but after seeing the umpteenth title with that engine things start to get... stale.

[cyguration]

The Unreal Engine and the UDK being handed out to other companies also led to a gazillion new and innovative games being made by smaller indie devs, off the top of my head is Q.U.B.E., The Ball, Killing Floor and Dungeon Defenders.

Think about the entire generational absence of games and the lack of historical titles we will NEVER get to play because smaller devs weren't able to get their hands on the Frostbite engine?

[Gamesgbkiller]

We will see more engines which is a good thing.

[hoju69]

It all comes down to the fact that its cheaper in the long run. EA invested, say 10 million dollars (that's a total guess) for DICE to create a proprietary engine for all of EA's studios to use. It's much cheaper than paying Epic a couple million dollars per title to license Unreal. For an independent developer (as in not owned by a publisher, not an indie) on the other hand, typically don't have the time and money to invest in such projects, so something like Unreal or CryEngine is a much more viable option for them.

EA paid ridiculous amounts of money for DICE to build Frostbite 1,2 and 3 for them and it was only ever intended to be used in EA games.

[quenomamen]

What the hell for ? So hack Devs Like IW & Treyarch can milk the crap out of it ?

[windblowsagain]

I think alot of engines are heading the same way.

Materials shaders, lighting.

Art style makes the difference.

[pandehz]

Fair enough.

Competition

[Victorvondoom8]

They dont want someone create another battlefield on there technology......God forbid a better call of duty LoL.