Torque Game Engine Prepares to Ride Into the Sunset
After many (too many?) years in service to indie game developers, it sounds like GarageGames is preparing to retire the Torque Game Engine from active duty, to be replaced by the "Torque Game Engine Advanced" as their flagship 3D product. Here's the scoop:

Torque's 2D and 3D Future, Volume 2

This probably won't mean the end of games made with TGE, or the end of its availability, simply the end of it being actively maintained by GarageGames. According to Brett Seylor, "you're not likely to see an update to TGE soon, or perhaps every again..." So while not put out to pasture yet, it sounds like it hasn't been an active concern for a while. He continues later, saying, "At some point, TGE will likely either go away, or be licensed in a different way... To be honest, we haven't decided and we won't be doing anything about it right away."

I sorta expected this sooner, truth be told. The problem has been the lack of maturity with the advanced engine. Until the tools could get up to snuff with TGE - and especially before they had OpenGL or Mac support - there was just no way TGEA could shoulder the burden of replacing TGE. But it looks like times are changing, and TGEA has advanced enough that pulling the plug on their 7-year-old product (built on top of an even older product) is only a matter of time.

What does that mean to prospective game developers? Well, it could mean that TGE might become cheaper in about a year... :) But if so, with the reduced cost will come limited (if any) support. It also means that TGEA is getting the level of tender loving care that it needs. But as Seylor makes clear, it's still up in the air, and there's no urgency in making any kind of decision. They may just leave TGE as a second-string, less-promoted, less-supported option on life support for years to come.

As for me, I'm not planning on switching engines until my current projects are completed, so I'm still in my TGE "Franken-engine" for the time being, no matter what GarageGames decides or when it pulls the trigger.

Labels: programming

- posted by The Rampant Coyote @ 5:32 AM (Permalink)