HeroEngine is a 3D game engine and server technology platform originally developed by Simutronics Corporation specifically for building MMO-style games. At first developed for the company's own game Hero's Journey, the engine won multiple awards at tradeshows, and has since been licensed by other companies such as BioWare Austin (which used it for Star Wars: The Old Republic[1]).
| Developer(s) | Simutronics / Idea Fabrik / Laniatus LLC |
|---|---|
| Stable release | 2.074 / 19 Jan 2024 |
| Written in | C++, C#, HeroScript Language (HSL) |
| Platform | Windows, Mac |
| Type | Game engine, cloud game engine |
| License | In-house proprietary |
| Website | https://heroengine.com |
On 12 June 2010, Idea Fabrik announced that it had purchased the HeroEngine, as well as hired staff that was associated with its development and support.[2]
Features
The engine has online creation. For example, one developer can be creating a house and the entities inside, while another works on the landscaping and terrain around it. Each sees the other's work in real time.[3]
The simulation and rendering processes of the engine are currently run on a single-thread. However, it is planned for there to be a multi-threaded release, but the publish date has not yet been determined.[4]
Development times vary between games. Faxion Online took 18 months to complete,[5] and Star Wars: The Old Republic took over five years.[citation needed]
Integration with other technologies
HeroBlade contains integrated features such as custom scripting and collaborative project management, which allow developers to make notes directly onto the in-game levels for others to see.[6] These notes can be attached to tasks to signal other developers that something specific needs to be worked on.[7] HeroEngine also works with technology from third-party vendors,[8] such as FMOD, PhysX, SpeedTree, Wwise, Scaleform, and Vivox, as well as having plugins for 3D Studio Max and Maya.
HeroCloud
HeroCloud was a version of HeroEngine that was available for $99 per year, under the license that they received 30% the money sales of any game made with it. It included everything that a license to the HeroEngine had, except for access to the source code.[9]
Awards
- Finalist for "Best Engine" from Game Developer magazine in 2006.[10]
Funding Issues
The company chairman of Idea Fabrik announced on 6 November 2015 that they were having funding issues related to an unnamed 3rd party, which could cause downtime on their HeroEngine and HeroCloud services. He stated that they were attempting to resolve and were "currently in negotiations to secure [their] funding for the present and the future."[11]
Games developed using HeroEngine
- Star Wars: The Old Republic (2011) - BioWare[12]
- The Elder Scrolls Online (used for development)[13]
- Magic To Master (used for closed beta) [14]
References
- "Online gaming's Netscape moment?". The Economist. 7 June 2007.
- "Leading Technologies Now Available to MMO Developers". Forbes. 18 February 2008.
- "Simutronics Selects DiamondWare for HeroEngine Virtual Worlds Game Platform". Virtual Worlds News. 8 March 2007. Archived from the original on 18 November 2008. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
- Cole, Emmet (30 November 2007). "Online Games Use Fraud Software to Combat Cheats". Wired News. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
- "Virgin Appoints CEO For 3D Digital Distribution". Gamasutra. 30 March 2007. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
- Aihoshi, Richard (31 August 2006). "HeroEngine Interview". Vault Network. Archived from the original on 21 January 2008. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
- "HeroEngine Licensee ZeniMax announces Elder Scrolls Online". 14 May 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2019.