Final Fantasy maker - and soon to be Tomb Raider publisher - Square Enix has signed a licensing deal with Emergent Game Technologies for its Gamebryo engine. So? Well, the deal is very specific to a single "yet-to-be-announced project". Says Square, "This project is part of Square Enix’s efforts to grow its business further in all major global markets."
Says Emergent, "Are you building a world-class RPG or a First-Person Shooter? A small casual game or an MMO? A visual simulation or a training application? And are you targeting the PC, PlayStation 3, Wii or Xbox 360– or a combination of platforms? In any and all cases, Emergent can help"...
What major global market has it not managed to extract much cash from thus far? Well, Xbox 360 is building for the company with Infinite Undiscovery, Tales of Vesperia and, of course, Final Fantasy on the 360.
Sure, the Gamebryo engine has been used to develop Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning as well as Civilization Revolution, and it was also used on Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. But you'd have to ask yourself why Square would need additional help with MMOs, RPGs or RTSs?
What of the Wii and DS? Well, we already have Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time with its Wii/DS "cross-platform multiplayer" action using the Pollux Engine. There's also Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy Fables for Wii.
The fact that the deal relates to an un-announced project would appear to discount any relationship to the "carelessness" in debugging of FFXIII that has delayed the game.
So, what of the PlayStation 3?
According to the information to hand, "Gamebryo will allow Square Enix’s creators to dedicate their time to innovative design, and immersive gameplay, rather than on technical issues. Designed to provide developers with the framework they need to quickly bring high-quality games to the market, Gamebryo’s flexible architecture will make it possible for Square Enix to easily add their internally-developed technology to the engine’s pipeline."
Still nothing outstanding as to platform or game-type there.
John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix is equally guarded, saying, "Gamebryo offers a flexible framework, allowing us to develop effectively and efficiently for any target platforms."
Source: Spong