PhyreEngine

Last updated
PhyreEngine
Developer(s) Sony Interactive Entertainment
Operating system PlayStation 5 PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation VR, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Android, iOS, Xbox One
Type Game engine
License Proprietary
Website develop.scee.net/research-technology/phyreengine/

PhyreEngine is a license-only free to use game engine from Sony Interactive Entertainment, compatible with PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation VR, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo Switch, [1] Microsoft Windows (for OpenGL and DirectX 11), Google Android and Apple iOS. [2] PhyreEngine has been adopted by several game studios and has been used in over 200 published titles. [2]

Contents

Features

PhyreEngine is exclusively distributed to Sony licensees as an installable package that includes both full source code and Microsoft Windows tools, provided under its own flexible use license that allows any PlayStation 3 game developer, publisher or tools and middleware company to create software based partly or fully on PhyreEngine on any platform. The engine uses sophisticated parallel processing techniques that are optimized for the Synergistic Processor Unit (SPU) of the Cell Broadband Engine of PS3, but can be easily ported to other multi-core architectures.

PhyreEngine supports OpenGL and Direct3D, [3] in addition to the low level PS3 LibGCM library. [4] It provides fully functional “game templates” as source code, including support for Havok Complete XS, NVIDIA PhysX and Bullet for physics.

History

The development of PhyreEngine was started in 2003 to create a graphics engine for PlayStation 3. [5] The first public demonstration occurred in 2006. [5]

PhyreEngine was launched during the 2008 Game Developers Conference. [3] New features (including deferred rendering) were showcased during GDC 2009. [6] Version 2.40, released in March 2009, included a new “foliage rendering” system that provides tools and technology to render ultra-realistic trees and plants to be easily integrated into games. [7]

Version 3.0, released in 2011, has a new and powerful asset pipeline, combining enhanced versions of the already robust exporters, with a powerful processing tool to generate optimized assets for each platform. Also new is the rewritten level editor, which permits a far more data-driven approach to authoring games using PhyreEngine. Version 3.0 added support for the PlayStation Vita. [8]

List of games using PhyreEngine
TitleDeveloperYear
Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed Acquire2013
Malicious Alvion 2010
Rugby League Live Big Ant Studios 2010
AFL Live 2011
AFL Live: Game of the Year Edition 2012
Critter Crunch [9] [10] Capybara Games 2009
Below 2018
Colin McRae: Dirt [lower-alpha 1] Codemasters 2007
Race Driver: Grid [lower-alpha 1] Codemasters2008
Unravel [11] Coldwood Interactive, Electronic Arts 2016
Unravel Two 2018
Hyperdimension Neptunia Compile Heart, Idea Factory, Gust Corporation,
Nippon Ichi Software, Sega
2010
Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 Compile Heart, Idea Factory 2011
Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory 2012
Megadimension Neptunia VII 2015
Mugen Souls Compile Heart, Idea Factory, Nippon Ichi Software 2012
Mugen Souls Z 2013
Hotline Miami [11] Dennaton Games, Abstraction Games2012
Burn Zombie Burn Doublesix Games 2009
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel Falcom [12] 2013
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II 2014
Tokyo Xanadu 2015
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III 2017
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV 2018
The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie 2020
Savage Moon FluffyLogic2008
Catan Game Republic 2008
Knytt Underground [13] Green Hill Studios2012
Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland [14] Gust Corporation 2009
Ar tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel [14] 2010
Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland [14] 2010
Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland [14] 2011
Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk [14] 2012
Divekick Iron Galaxy Studios 2013
PachiPara DL Hyper Sea Story In Karibu Irem 2008
Zettai Zetsumei Toshi 4: Summer Memories 2011
Strength of the Sword 3 [11] Ivent2013
Super Mega Baseball [11] Metalhead Software2014
Trinity Universe Nippon Ichi Software 2009
Last Rebellion 2010
Disgaea 4 2011
The Witch and the Hundred Knight 2013
Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken [13] Ratloop 2011
Rocketbirds 2: Evolution [11] [13] 2016
OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood [11] Roll7 2015
OlliOlli World 2022
Gravity Daze / Gravity Rush Sony Computer Entertainment 2011
Under Siege [14] Seed Studios2011
GripShift Sidhe Interactive 2007
Shatter [15] [16] 2009
Mars: War Logs Spiders 2013
Bound by Flame 2014
The Technomancer 2016
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster Square Enix 2014
Final Fantasy XII Zodiac Age 2016
Dragon Quest Builders [17] 2016
Flower [11] thatgamecompany [4] 2009
Flow [11] 2007
Journey [11] 2012
Sky: Children of the Light [11] 2019
Amy VectorCell 2012
Flashback 2013
ibb & obb Sparpweed & Codeglue2013(PS3) / 2014(PC) / 2020(Switch)
Super Motherload XGen Studios 2013

Derived game engines

Notes

  1. 1 2 Uses the derivative EGO game engine

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation 3</span> Sonys third home video game console, part of the seventh generation

The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan, November 17, 2006, in North America, and March 23, 2007, in Europe and Australia. The PlayStation 3 competed primarily against Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles.

Source is a 3D game engine developed by Valve. It debuted as the successor to GoldSrc in 2004 with the releases of Half-Life: Source, Counter-Strike: Source, and Half-Life 2. It is most well-known for its usage by Valve, but the engine has been used both by small teams and individuals to create modifications of Valve games, and other studios creating distinct games, notably Troika Games' title Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines. Valve continued to create incremental updates to the Source engine after its 2004 release, most of which coincided with games created by Valve. In the late 2010s, Valve created the Source 2 engine to replace Source, with it publicly debuting alongside Half-Life: Alyx. The Source engine is most well-known for its advancements in physics, AI, and graphics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sony Interactive Entertainment</span> Sonys software company

Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (SIE) is an American multinational video game and digital entertainment company of Sony. Established in 2016, it primarily operates the PlayStation brand of video game consoles and products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Remote Play</span> Video game console remote control function

Remote Play is a feature of Sony video game consoles that allow the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 to transmit video and audio output to another device; previously this could only be a PlayStation Portable or PlayStation Vita. In 2014, it was expanded to include the use of PlayStation TV, Xperia smartphones and tablets, and PlayStation Now. In 2016, it was expanded to Microsoft Windows PCs and macOS. In 2019, support for Android and iOS devices was eventually added. Support for remote play of PlayStation 5 games to other devices was added in November 2020 just prior to the new console's launch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation Store</span> Digital media store for various consoles of the PlayStation family

The PlayStation Store is a digital media store available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game consoles via the PlayStation Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation Home</span> Social gaming platform developed by London Studio

PlayStation Home was a virtual 3D social gaming platform developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's London Studio for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) on the PlayStation Network (PSN). It was accessible from the PS3's XrossMediaBar (XMB). Membership was free but required a PSN account. Upon installation, users could choose how much hard disk space they wished to reserve for Home. Development of the service began in early 2005 and it launched as an open beta on 11 December 2008. Home remained as a perpetual beta until its closure on 31 March 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation Eye</span> Digital camera device for the PlayStation 3

The PlayStation Eye is a digital camera device, similar to a webcam, for the PlayStation 3. The technology uses computer vision and gesture recognition to process images taken by the camera. This allows players to interact with games using motion and color detection as well as sound through its built-in microphone array. It is the successor to the EyeToy for the PlayStation 2, which was released in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation 3 system software</span> System software for the PlayStation 3

The PlayStation 3 system software, is the updatable firmware and operating system of the PlayStation 3. The base operating system used by Sony for the PlayStation 3 is a fork of both FreeBSD and NetBSD known internally as CellOS or GameOS. It uses XrossMediaBar as its graphical shell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation 3 technical specifications</span> Overview of the PlayStation 3 technical specifications

The PlayStation 3 technical specifications describe the various components of the PlayStation 3 (PS3) video game console.

PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a division of Sony.

<i>EyePet</i> 2009 video game

EyePet is a game for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable, developed by London Studio and Playlogic Game Factory. The original PlayStation 3 version was released in Europe on 23 October 2009 and in Australia on 27 October 2009. This version of EyePet was originally scheduled to be released in North America on 17 November 2009, but was held back. Instead, a newer version of EyePet adapted for the PlayStation Move motion control system was released in North America on 5 September 2010, where it is available in a bundle. In October 2010, the Move-adapted version was released in Japan and Europe, with the European edition entitled EyePet Move Edition. The game also supports 3D on 3D enabled TVs. The PSP version of EyePet was released on 2 November 2010.

Bluepoint Games Inc is an American video game developer based in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2006 by Andy O'Neil and Marco Thrush, the studio is known for video game remasters and remakes, such as Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection (2015), Shadow of the Colossus (2018), and Demon's Souls (2020). Sony Interactive Entertainment acquired the company in September 2021, making them a first-party developer for PlayStation Studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation Move</span> Motion game controller by Sony Interactive Entertainment

PlayStation Move is a motion game controller developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Initially released in 2010 for use with the PlayStation 3 home video game console, its compatibility was later expanded to its successor, the PlayStation 4 in 2013, its PlayStation VR platform in 2016 and the PlayStation 5 in 2020. Conceptually similar to Nintendo's Wii Remote and Microsoft's Kinect, its function is based around controller input in games stemming from the actual physical movement of the player. The Move uses inertial sensors in the wand to detect motion while the wand's position is tracked using a PlayStation Eye or PlayStation Camera. The device was generally well received by critics, but has not quite met Sony's goals for integration into the market.

<i>FirstPlay</i> Online video game magazine

FirstPlay was a video gaming online magazine published by Future Publishing for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. It was produced by the team behind PlayStation Official Magazine and features video reviews and previews and screenshots of upcoming and recently released PlayStation 3 games. Episodes were released weekly on the PlayStation Store where users could choose to purchase a single episode or a 90-day subscription at a discounted rate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation Vita</span> Handheld game console by Sony

The PlayStation Vita is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international territories beginning on February 22, 2012. The console is the successor to the PlayStation Portable, and a part of the PlayStation brand of gaming devices; as part of the eighth generation of video game consoles, it primarily competed with the Nintendo 3DS.

Sony has released a number of previously released PlayStation video games, remastered in high-definition (HD) for their newer consoles, a form of porting. A number of related programs exist, the most prominent two being "Classics HD" and "PSP Remasters". The former consists of multiple PlayStation 2 games compiled on one Blu-ray Disc. The latter are individual PlayStation Portable games republished on Blu-ray. These games are not direct ports, but remastered versions in high-definition, to take advantage of the newer consoles' capabilities. The remastering of the games include updated graphics, new textures, and Trophy support, and some of the remastered games released on PlayStation 3 have included 3D and PlayStation Move support. Some HD remasters have also been released individually or in bundles as downloads on the PlayStation Store; others are released exclusively as downloads.

Warrior's Lair was an action role-playing video game set in a medieval fantasy setting being developed for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita. The game was presented June 2011 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) where it demonstrated Sony Computer Entertainment's new handheld games console, and the ability to transfer active games between the two consoles.

<i>PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale</i> 2012 fighting crossover video game

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is a 2012 crossover fighting video game developed by SuperBot Entertainment, in conjunction with Bluepoint Games, and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It features various characters drawn from different PlayStation video game franchises competing against each other in multiplayer battles. The game was released in November 2012 for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita video game consoles.

God of War is an action-adventure video game series, the first era of which was loosely based on Greek mythology. Debuting in 2005, the series became a flagship title for the PlayStation brand and the character Kratos is one of its most popular characters. The series consists of nine games across multiple platforms; the first seven make up the Greek era of the series. Five of the Greek era games have been re-released through three separate compilations for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) platform: God of War Collection (2009), God of War: Origins Collection (2011), and God of War Saga (2012). With the exception of God of War III in the God of War Saga, each collection features remastered ports of the games that were not originally released on the PS3. God of War III was later remastered as God of War III Remastered and released on PlayStation 4 (PS4) in July 2015. God of War: Betrayal, God of War: Ascension, God of War (2018), and God of War Ragnarök are the only installments that have not been remastered for a newer platform or included in a collection.

The PlayStation 3 (PS3) video game console has been produced in various models during its life cycle. At launch, the PlayStation 3 was available with either a 20 or 60 GB hard disk drive in the US and Japan, respectively— priced from US$499 to US$599; and with either a 40, 60, or 80 GB hard disk drive in Europe, priced from £299 to £425. Since then, Sony have released two further redesigned models, the "Slim" and "Super Slim" models. As of March 2017, the total number of consoles sold is estimated at 87.4 million.

References

  1. "The Switch Now Supports Sony's Multiformat PhyreEngine". Shacknews. January 17, 2018. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
  2. 1 2 "PhyreEngine - official website". Sony Computer Entertainment Europe R&D. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  3. 1 2 "GDC08: PhyreEngine, Sony's new (free!) cross-platform engine". ps3fanboy. Feb 21, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
  4. 1 2 "Questions about the Phyre Engine". thatgamecompany.com. Mar 27, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
  5. 1 2 "10 Years of PhyreEngine™". 13 November 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  6. "GDC09: PhyreEngine game template demo showing post processing techniques". gametrailers.com. Mar 26, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  7. "Sony Computer Entertainment Announces PhyreEngine for PSP" (PDF). SCEE. March 6, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 21, 2012. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
  8. "Sony Computer Entertainment Announces release of PhyreEngine 3.0" (PDF). SCEE. March 6, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 21, 2012. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
  9. "PSN: Interview: Capybara Games On Crunching Critters". gamerbytes.com. May 21, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
  10. "Joystiq: ICritter Crunch dev praises Sony's support of indie games". joystiq.com. November 26, 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "PhyreEngine Showcase". Sony Computer Entertainment Europe R&D. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  12. "Toshihiro Kondo On Hajimari no Kiseki, Its Sequel, The New Falcom Engine, Spinoffs, And More". dualshockers.com. August 8, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  13. 1 2 3 Forster, Richard (27 March 2013). "Game Developers: PhyreEngine 3.5 Arrives Today for PS3, PS4, PS Vita". Playstation Blog (US). Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Develop Magazine (Online Edition)". Intentmedia. August 9, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  15. "Develop Magazine (Online Edition)". Intentmedia. July 13, 2009. Archived from the original on April 13, 2012. Retrieved 2009-07-13.
  16. "Shatter developer talks up benefits of PhyreEngine". Joystiq. July 23, 2009. Archived from the original on June 11, 2019. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
  17. Barder, Ollie. "Noriyoshi Fujimoto On 'Dragon Quest Builders' And How It Came About". Forbes. Retrieved 2016-10-18.
  18. "DiRT 2 demo: PS3/Xbox 360 performance showdown". Eurogamer. 28 August 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2010.