holy f&@&I#% s@&!
I mean, like if being directly integrated to their cloud service isn’t enough!
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Surprisingly, they already know their way around improving the engine.
Q. Is Lumberyard based on CryEngine?
Lumberyard is made up of proven technology from CryEngine, AWS, Twitch, and Double Helix. We’ve hired some of the best game technologists in the world, who have already made over 41 pages of additions, fixes, and improvements to Lumberyard. For example, we’ve integrated a brand new networking layer, GridMate, so your engineers can more easily build low-latency, high-player count, multiplayer games. We’ve also created a new launcher and project configurator so your team can get set up without engineering help. We’ve also created new workflows so your artists can iterate faster and create higher-quality content, including a new particle editor, 2D/UI tool, and cross-platform asset pipeline. Please see our full release notes of additions, fixes, and improvements to learn more, and tune in to our GameDev Blog for more news on what we are working on.
Had a quick look at this. All looks great initially until you consider:
a) Community + Asset Store?
b) Product maturity - let’s see what they do in the next 2-3 years
c) Complete tie-in to AWS which isn’t cheap and over which you have no future cost control
d) Potential learning curve for those migrating from C# to C++
e) Reliance on CryEngine to upgrade rendering tech - I have concerns about their financial position, and how long it’ll take to get bugs fixed given you have 2 companies involved
I’d still rather pay outright for fixed price licenses than be tied so heavily to a web service. That’s a huge commercial risk, especially in terms of financial exposure. What if Amazon hike prices? Monopoly concerns.
Also, unless I’m mistaken, why do they feature sculpting tools (zbrush?) so much in that launch video instead of showing the actual editor?
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a) I guess that will come after they hear enough crying about it.
b) Agree. But it won’t hurt to touch it just to look at it.
c) AWS integration is totally OPTIONAL. The engine is totally free no matter what you do. They only gain if you make use of their AWS services… which could be a good decision if you suck at networking like me and know also how hard it is to gain programmers competent at optimized networking.
d) Potential? I say obligatory 
e) It is independent from Crytek.
I am just happy to see CryEngine finally in good hands
…
Though now that I look at that image, outside of performance, Unity is not longer so far from it.
It is all assets.
Already heard of it. Nice stuff, at least they don’t force condescending splash screen.
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Yes it’s fine if you have your own web service implementation, but you can’t use any competing cloud service providers. This is totally understandable, but that does limit it to either baking your own web services or AWS. It’s a risk that needs to be considered.
Q. Can my game use an alternate web service instead of AWS?
No. If your game servers use a non-AWS alternate web service, we obviously don’t make any money, and it’s more difficult for us to support future development of Lumberyard. By “alternate web service” we mean any non-AWS web service that is similar to or can act as a replacement for Amazon EC2, Amazon Lambda, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon RDS, Amazon S3, Amazon EBS, Amazon EC2 Container Service, or Amazon GameLift. You can use hardware you own and operate for your game servers.
Good to read that it’s an independently maintained branch of CryEngine. But then so’s the Mono implementation in Unity and look how that’s gone 
New options in the engine space are always welcomed though.
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So singleplayer games on steam would be fine, right?
I currently see no reason for me to make a switch, but some competition usually is good for the market.
Oops, sorry.
I missed that single word.
Paying for AWS when XBOX One gives you free Azure is not appealing I agree. Might as well add a small fee if you want to use it for other web services.
Wow, it looks nice. I will surely check it out. But unity will be here for other issues already mentioned, in our team.
What kind of lightmapping tools does it have? Are they any good?
Will know one fine day when the download eventually completes. Must be hosted on amazon 
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Cryengine doesn’t use lightmaps, so does Lumberyard. Crytek has developed a new dynamic GI system called SVOGI/SVOTI, and it’s really good, although still experimental.
Doesn’t use lightmapping, it’s a voxel based realtime GI solution.
I’ve always said CryEngine is THE best realtime engine ever invented completely made void with a slurry of daft issues. Like using an old verson of scaleform which you need an old version of Adobe flash (you can only e-bay) to use.
Documentation issues, mixed import pipeline issues with heavy reliance on full blown Maya only, also documentation was near enough none existent. Plus there was no support pipeline and the licensing was odd at best.
I’m actually very happy Amazon are doing this, CryTek really squandered a massive oppotunity and anyone but CryTek are better suited to making it the engine it should be.
P.S I see you quoted my terrain piccie, that’s before all the new fancy post effects came in 5.4 as well :)…
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The only downside to amazon ec2 is no data cap stopping options and surprise charges when you go over them. Otherwise, pretty awesome. Not that a harder to develop with engine that focuses on graphics will entice me even a little bit, but good for the crowd who wants the best lights.
How can anyone want to use C++ for game scripting? 
Let’s hope that Unity also makes more source code available in order to compete with Lumberjack. The name ‘Amazon’ is probably the only thing that makes people curious. A really stable game engine with highest quality code and fewer bugs would sure be interesting.
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You can use LUA or C# with CryEngine, there are various options.
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Oh, that does make it more interesting then.
Thats pretty sweet, all these off the wall things happening in the game tech field.
This will keep me occupied until Gabe releases Source 2 at GDC!
Really though, it does look cool. C++ sources access is an immense bonus over Unity, and Lua scripting is an immense bonus over UE4, which is stuck on its obsessive focus on blueprints.
However, I’m kinda worried it’s gonna end up collecting dust like Stingray. And I still have to investigate if it lets you write your own shaders. This killed UE4 for me
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I think it’s a positive entry that places it in the top 3. For a start, it beats cryengine for … well, actually being developed and stingray because there’s source here.
Source kinda matters, especially to larger developers, who are also actually lazy these days. Gone are the days where it’s necessary to have to jump through hoops to get a peek. That’s just silly.
An outfit adopting a new engine often begins with the staff taking curious peeks at something. Then things get spoken about and tested instead of “what we’re doing works, so why break it”. Source seems to lower that barrier, particularly when it’s a few clicks away.
Interesting times eh.
Race to the bottom with engine f2p is here, ladies.
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