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MMORPG.COM News: Kaneva: MMO Engine For Everyone
Dana
Member Posts: 2,415
Hidden away in Atlanta is Kaneva. This company hopes to make the dreams of amateur game developers a reality with their gameless game engine available in a beta state through Kaneva.com. Recently, we toured their offices and today we present our impressions:
;) How many million times, on how many million message boards has the thread I want to make my own MMORPG, want to help? appeared? Usually these threads meet with scorn and speeches about how the fans will need millions of dollars and a dedicated staff to consider such a project. Last week while in Atlanta I came across a company who has set out to change that: Kaneva. This company has produced a gameless MMORPG engine that they intend to distribute freely to amateur and professional game developers alike. At first glance, it sounds too good to be true, but what they showed definitely has the potential to level the playing field and open up MMORPG creation to practically anyone.
A free game engine? It sounds too good to be true. How do they make money? Kaneva plans to give their game engine to anyone who wants it. Kaneva retains the (non-exclusive) rights to host any content on their website, where they will take care of billing, servers, and the business end of the deal. Developers are free to set their own prices, and then split them down the middle, fifty/fifty with Kaneva. Once again, their business model looks like it might cut away another layer of red tape. It enables the would-be developer to simply worry about their game and actually make some money off their hobby. |
You can read the full article here.
Dana Massey
Formerly of MMORPG.com
Currently Lead Designer for Bit Trap Studios
Comments
That looks really cool. I bet alot more niche MMO's start coming out in the next few years using that system.
First thing that came to my mind...finally someone will try to remake UO into true 3D (of course with out liscence infringements). Hopefully someone will try, I know the free UO servers are the best to play on.
Interesting to read that Rapid Realty is using this engine, explains thier tactics a bit more.
This is exactly what I needed
....
This is great...This is beyond great...This is awsome!!!...
I agree with this idea whole heartedly, all those people with wht they thought were great ideas (I'm not going to be judgemental or anything, but lets face it we don't know if any of them would have really worked out in the end anyway), will have a chance to implement them, and there will hopefully be more MMORPG's out there to try, and now I get to sift through the source code to find out how this kind of stuff REALLY works, not just how I thought it would, muahahahaha,
I've been playing with this program for a few hours now, and I have to say it's really nice, and fairly simple so far. Lots of features too, even for a beta program. I encourage would be developers to check it out. Also, there's already a few assets like 3D models and other stuff avalible for download and purchase.
EDIT
nevermind
This is great, and it would encourage variety in MMORPG's, but wouldn't it also create hundreds of new EQ-clones that are all basically the same?
I am sure that you will see some similaritys in games using this engine but to say that there is going to be alot of EQ clones that are all the same is totally wrong. Not only is this an mmorpg engine but is also capable of FPS RTS and stand alone RPG's among others.
Its not like they have every thing here for you ready to go there is still work involved here lol. I think we will see alot of new ideas come from this , some good ..... alot bad.
i seem to be having a problem downloading the program. the download claims ot be finished at around 10MB and starts unpacking all the files. i know the program isnt this small, and for some reason its just missing half of the package. ive tried 3 times now.
can someone please help?
Quite interesting.
Sure it will bring many duplicates of other games. But I am sure there will be at least a FEW unique games out there that are worth trying.
I downloaded the engine and giving it a try but i got stuck in the first 30min -_-" because I couldnt download some files needed of the website of them... it's about: Kaneva Basics Series Lesson Files
If anyone has them can you please e-mail it to: [email protected]
then you will see a nice game after some months
I downloaded the program, got it running. It missing a decent help system. The tutorial also seems lacking. Right now I am trying to create a landscape and I there is no option for picking a plane like it says.
Dana Massey
Formerly of MMORPG.com
Currently Lead Designer for Bit Trap Studios
This is definitely something I will be taking a good look at.
Having created alot of content for NWN in the early days.. it was always something I wish I more ability to modify the core, not just create textures and models for.
I also think there is a definite opening for a couple of innovative themes.
This is true. But the turtorial they currently have should be able to be completed. As far as I can tell it can't.
Welcome to beta
Send them a note - tis the point afterall.
Dana Massey
Formerly of MMORPG.com
Currently Lead Designer for Bit Trap Studios
Did that, waiting for an answer. Also it seems to require 3ds max. The company that makes 3dsmax has a free product specifically for creating game content. Not sure if its a decent replacement but here is the link:
http://www4.discreet.com/gmax/
It seems that you are indeed required to have 3dsmax to use the product. I posted a request in th forums to add the ability to use gmax also. Hopefully they will implement it.
Free 3D modeling, animating, and more software that exports/imports the .3ds (3D Studio Max Format)
Blender(See scripts section of website) - www.blender3d.org
Blender is a full featured and powerful program. Big learning curve but worth it if your truly serious about learning 3D graphics.
Anim8or - www.anim8or.com
Great program, not as powerful or full featured as Blender but great if your new to 3D graphics.
Not Free but cheap 3D Software I recommend using. Imports and exports .3ds format also.
AC3D - www.ac3d.org
$60 for the personal version, tons of features and lots of support between other 3D programs. Group licencing is avalible. Great community also.
3dsmax sells for around $3500. Sorry if this dashes anyone else's hopes. I had thought about making a Kanema-based game in a casual/hobby sense. But this would seem to be for pretty serious commercial developers only.
If I already had some good computer art/animation skills I'd invest in 3dsmax just so I could sell art to aspiring game developers using Kanema. This whole concept has great potential.
See my post, just above yours!
People, please read all the posts, or atleast skim threw them.
See my post, just above yours!
People, please read all the posts, or atleast skim threw them.
Yours wasnt there when I began my post so chill out.
In any case the person I was replying to suggested that 3dsmax was required, not just something in 3ds format. But if this isn't the case then perhaps the other software you listed might be all that people need. That would be very nice.
3dsmax is required because of the plugin exporter for Kaneva is built for it, if it'll work for gmax or not I'm not sure as I've not used gmax and I don't know if the plugin archetecture is the same. I myself being a Softimage|XSI user felt the blow immediately
Anyway "no upfront cost" is a more apt description because after reading the licensing agreement it most certainly is not free if you plan to release the game under any agreement over the Pilot License. Then again I guess that's leveraged with you spending less up front for development, it's still a big step in a good direction regardless. I just hope they release the source code to the plugin so we can get some exporters for other 3d content creation apps.