Silicon Knights Backed By Government For New Thriller
Plus: Digital Extremes also gets cash handout
Canadian developers Silicon Knights and Digital Extremes - both of which have been embroiled in trouble with Epic's Unreal Engine 3 - have been awarded funding for new games by the provincial Ontarian government.
The Ontarian government tells us, "The Silicon Knights game, which is a third-person action/psychological thriller, will be completed in 2010 and is targeted for all next-generation systems."
That might ring a bell to fans of the developer's 2002 GameCube release, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. Before we jump to conclusions about a sequel, however, it should be remembered that the first game was published by Nintendo, which holds the patent for the 'sanity system' that was integral to the title's gameplay mechanic. Back in 2004, Silicon Knights broke its exclusivity with Nintendo, although it didn't rule out the possibility of a future collaboration. If Nintendo retains the rights to the game, however, a sequel is unlikely baring in mind the game is "for all next-generation systems".
Digital Extremes - which is already working on darkSector, meanwhile, is working on "a third-person action game with an old school horror theme. Target platforms include Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 and PC."
The funding totals CAD$500,000 (£255,137) for each developer and is repayable. It is provided by the Ontario Media Development Corporation, which aims to promote, well... media development in the province.
"We believe that Ontario, and Niagara in particular, is an excellent place for a company to thrive, and, with the OMDC's funding through the Video Game Prototype Initiative, it clearly shows that the Ontario government is on the same page," said Denis Dyack, President and founder of Silicon Knights. "Ontario's best natural resource is our people, and with all the great universities and colleges in Ontario, there's an abundance of bright and creative talent. Most of Silicon Knights' team are graduates of Ontario colleges and universities, and our team members are the best and brightest in their fields. This grant will encourage this great talent to stay within Ontario."
Canada is well known for offering funding and tax breaks to the games industry, although such activity tends to be focussed around neighbouring province Quebec.
SPOnG's left to wonder whether the cash is the driving force behind Silicon Knights' plans for expansion...
Silicon Knights is currently going head to head with Epic in a lawsuit, claiming that the company breached its contract in licensing the Unreal Engine 3. In fact, Silicon Knights recently subpoenaed other licensees of the engine, and Digital Extremes may have been on the list. The latter's director of darkSector, Steve Sinclair, claimed last August that the engine was delaying games.
The Ontarian government tells us, "The Silicon Knights game, which is a third-person action/psychological thriller, will be completed in 2010 and is targeted for all next-generation systems."
That might ring a bell to fans of the developer's 2002 GameCube release, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. Before we jump to conclusions about a sequel, however, it should be remembered that the first game was published by Nintendo, which holds the patent for the 'sanity system' that was integral to the title's gameplay mechanic. Back in 2004, Silicon Knights broke its exclusivity with Nintendo, although it didn't rule out the possibility of a future collaboration. If Nintendo retains the rights to the game, however, a sequel is unlikely baring in mind the game is "for all next-generation systems".
Digital Extremes - which is already working on darkSector, meanwhile, is working on "a third-person action game with an old school horror theme. Target platforms include Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 and PC."
The funding totals CAD$500,000 (£255,137) for each developer and is repayable. It is provided by the Ontario Media Development Corporation, which aims to promote, well... media development in the province.
"We believe that Ontario, and Niagara in particular, is an excellent place for a company to thrive, and, with the OMDC's funding through the Video Game Prototype Initiative, it clearly shows that the Ontario government is on the same page," said Denis Dyack, President and founder of Silicon Knights. "Ontario's best natural resource is our people, and with all the great universities and colleges in Ontario, there's an abundance of bright and creative talent. Most of Silicon Knights' team are graduates of Ontario colleges and universities, and our team members are the best and brightest in their fields. This grant will encourage this great talent to stay within Ontario."
Canada is well known for offering funding and tax breaks to the games industry, although such activity tends to be focussed around neighbouring province Quebec.
SPOnG's left to wonder whether the cash is the driving force behind Silicon Knights' plans for expansion...
Silicon Knights is currently going head to head with Epic in a lawsuit, claiming that the company breached its contract in licensing the Unreal Engine 3. In fact, Silicon Knights recently subpoenaed other licensees of the engine, and Digital Extremes may have been on the list. The latter's director of darkSector, Steve Sinclair, claimed last August that the engine was delaying games.
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Comments
SuperSaiyan4 13 Feb 2008 14:22
1/2
I have to say from what I have seen so far of the Unreal 3 engine its a bit crap, texture streaming, texture pop ups, all U3 based games look the same and sound the same even. And some U3 based engine games look crap.
Its obvious that the only people to be able to make a game like Gears is going to be Epic when using their own engine and I think thats what Silicon Knights was going for but found the engine is well rubbish.
We need Valve to give us a new Half Life 3 engine.
Its obvious that the only people to be able to make a game like Gears is going to be Epic when using their own engine and I think thats what Silicon Knights was going for but found the engine is well rubbish.
We need Valve to give us a new Half Life 3 engine.
deleted 13 Feb 2008 14:29
2/2
SuperSaiyan4 wrote:
I have to say from what I have seen so far of the Unreal 3 engine its a bit crap, texture streaming, texture pop ups, all U3 based games look the same and sound the same even. And some U3 based engine games look crap.
Its obvious that the only people to be able to make a game like Gears is going to be Epic when using their own engine and I think thats what Silicon Knights was going for but found the engine is well rubbish.
We need Valve to give us a new Half Life 3 engine.
Its obvious that the only people to be able to make a game like Gears is going to be Epic when using their own engine and I think thats what Silicon Knights was going for but found the engine is well rubbish.
We need Valve to give us a new Half Life 3 engine.
FFS, the reason it looks like it does is beacuse its not been implemented correctly, and some devs have found difficult to use, but others havent, Rainbow 6 Vegas Doesnt really have problems and neither does Bioshock, but Mass Effect is Crowded with them, its all about using it correctly,. and the next gen of unreal 3 engine games will liekly look and run a lot better.