Rockstar Advanced Game Engine

Last updated

Rockstar Advanced Game Engine
Developer(s) RAGE Technology Group (Rockstar San Diego)
Middleware
Platform
PredecessorAngel Game Engine
License Proprietary

The Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE) is a proprietary game engine of Rockstar Games, developed by the RAGE Technology Group division of Rockstar San Diego. Since its first game, Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis in 2006, released for the Xbox 360 and Wii, the engine has been used by Rockstar Games' internal studios to develop advanced open world games for consoles and computers.

Contents

History

Prior to developing the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE), Rockstar Games, and primarily its Rockstar North studio, mostly used Criterion Games' RenderWare engine to develop games for PlayStation 2, Windows, and Xbox, such as the early 3D installments in the Grand Theft Auto franchise. [1] In 2004, Criterion Games was acquired by Electronic Arts, which led Rockstar Games to switch from RenderWare, and open RAGE Technology Group as a division of Rockstar San Diego. [2] RAGE Technology Group started developing what would later become RAGE, based on Rockstar San Diego's previous Angel Game Engine (AGE). [3] The first game to use the engine was Rockstar San Diego's Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis , released for Xbox 360 on May 23, 2006 [4] and ported to the Wii more than a year later. Since then, RAGE integrates the third-party middleware components Euphoria [5] and Bullet, as character animation engine and physics engine, respectively. [6] [7]

On seventh generation consoles, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, RAGE often saw a disparity in the optimization on the hardware: major titles on PlayStation 3 usually had lower resolution and minor graphic effects, as in Grand Theft Auto IV (720p vs. 640p), [8] [9] in Midnight Club: Los Angeles (1280×720p vs. 960×720p) [10] and in Red Dead Redemption (720p vs. 640p). [11] Despite its problems in optimization equality, in July 2009, Chris Stead of IGN voted RAGE as one of the "10 Best Game Engines of [the 7th] Generation", saying: "RAGE's strengths are many. Its ability to handle large streaming worlds, complex A.I. arrangements, weather effects, fast network code and a multitude of gameplay styles will be obvious to anyone who has played GTA IV." [12]

Since the release of Max Payne 3 , the engine supports DirectX 11 and stereoscopic 3D rendering for personal computers. [13] Max Payne 3 also marked the first time in which RAGE was capable of rendering the same 720p resolution on a game, both on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. [8] This benefit has been achieved also in Grand Theft Auto V , which renders at a 720p resolution on both consoles. [14]

For the remastered versions of Grand Theft Auto V, RAGE was reworked for the eighth generation of video game consoles, with 1080p resolution support for both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. [15] The PC version of the game, released in 2015, showed RAGE supporting 4K resolution and frame rates at 60 frames per second, as well as more powerful draw distances, texture filtering, and improved shadow mapping and tessellation quality. [16]

RAGE would later be further refined with the release of Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018, supporting physically based rendering, volumetric clouds and fog values, pre-calculated global illumination [17] [18] as well as a Vulkan renderer in the Windows version. [19] The Euphoria engine was overhauled to create advanced AI as well as enhanced physics and animations for the game. [20] [21] HDR support was added in May 2019. [22] [23] [24] Support for Nvidia's Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) was added in July 2021. [25] [26] [27] [28]

Games using RAGE

YearTitlePlatform(s)Developer(s)
2006 Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis [29] Xbox 360, Wii Rockstar San Diego
2008 Grand Theft Auto IV [30] PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows Rockstar North
Midnight Club: Los Angeles [31] PlayStation 3, Xbox 360Rockstar San Diego
2009 Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, WindowsRockstar North
Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony
2010 Red Dead Redemption [32] PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 Rockstar San Diego
Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare
2012 Max Payne 3 [33] PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, OS X Rockstar Studios
2013 Grand Theft Auto V [34] PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S Rockstar North
2018 Red Dead Redemption 2 [18] PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, Stadia Rockstar Games
2025 Grand Theft Auto VI [35] [36] PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockstar Games</span> American video game publisher

Rockstar Games, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in New York City. The company was established in December 1998 as a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, using the assets Take-Two had previously acquired from BMG Interactive. Founding members of the company were Terry Donovan, Gary Foreman, Dan and Sam Houser, and Jamie King, who worked for Take-Two at the time, and of which the Houser brothers were previously executives at BMG Interactive. Sam Houser heads the studio as president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockstar North</span> British video game developer

Rockstar Games UK Limited is a British video game development company and a studio of Rockstar Games based in Edinburgh. The company was founded as DMA Design in Dundee in 1987 by David Jones, soon hiring former classmates Mike Dailly, Russell Kay, and Steve Hammond. During its early years, DMA Design was backed by its publisher Psygnosis, primarily focusing on Amiga, Atari ST and Commodore 64 games. During this time, they created successful shooters such as Menace and Blood Money, but soon turned to platform games after the release of Lemmings in 1991, which was an international success and led to several sequels and spin-offs. After developing Unirally for Nintendo, DMA Design was set to become one of their main second-party developers, but this partnership ended after Nintendo's disapproval of Body Harvest.

<i>Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas</i> 2004 video game

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh title in the Grand Theft Auto series, following 2002's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Set within the fictional state of San Andreas, based on California and Nevada, the game follows Carl "CJ" Johnson, who returns home after his mother's murder and finds his old friends and family in disarray. Over the course of the game, he attempts to re-establish his old gang, clashes with corrupt authorities and powerful criminals, and gradually unravels the truth behind his mother's murder.

<i>Grand Theft Auto</i> Video game series

Grand Theft Auto (GTA) is a series of action-adventure games created by David Jones and Mike Dailly. Later titles were developed under the oversight of brothers Dan and Sam Houser, Leslie Benzies and Aaron Garbut. It is primarily developed by British development house Rockstar North, and published by its American parent company, Rockstar Games. The name of the series is a term for motor vehicle theft in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockstar Leeds</span> British video game developer

Rockstar Leeds Limited is a British video game developer and a studio of Rockstar Games based in Leeds. Ian J. Bowden, Dave Box, Gordon Hall, and Jason McGann founded the company as Möbius Entertainment in December 1997 after working together at the studio Hookstone. Möbius worked with SCi on two games: Alfred's Adventure, a remake of the Twilight-developed Alfred Chicken, and the cancelled Titanium Angels. From 2001 on, the studio created Game Boy Advance games for several publishers, including multiple for The 3DO Company and Max Payne for Rockstar Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockstar San Diego</span> American video game developer

Rockstar San Diego, Inc. is an American video game developer and a studio of Rockstar Games based in Carlsbad, California. The studio is best known for developing the Midnight Club and Red Dead series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot Coffee (minigame)</span> Minigame in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

"Hot Coffee" is the unofficial name for a minigame in the 2004 action-adventure video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas by Rockstar Games. While it was not playable in the official game release, the modding community discovered hidden code that, when enabled, allows protagonist Carl "CJ" Johnson to have animated sexual intercourse with his in-game girlfriend.

<i>Grand Theft Auto IV</i> 2008 video game

Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, following 2004's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and the eleventh instalment overall. Set in the fictional Liberty City, based on New York City, the single-player story follows Eastern European war veteran Niko Bellic and his attempts to escape his past while under pressure from high-profile criminals. The open world design lets players freely roam Liberty City, consisting of three main islands, and the neighbouring state of Alderney, which is based on New Jersey.

Euphoria is a game animation middleware created by NaturalMotion based on Dynamic Motion Synthesis, NaturalMotion's proprietary technology for animating 3D characters on-the-fly "based on a full simulation of the 3D character, including body, muscles and motor nervous system". Instead of using predefined animations, the characters' actions and reactions are synthesized in real-time; they are different every time, even when replaying the same scene. While it is common for current video games to use limp "ragdolls" for animations generated on the fly, Euphoria employed a more complex method to animate the entirety of physically bound objects within the game environment. The engine was to be used in an Indiana Jones game that was later cancelled. According to its web site, Euphoria ran on the Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, iOS and Android platforms and was compatible with all commercial physics engines.

<i>Red Dead Redemption</i> 2010 video game

Red Dead Redemption is a 2010 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar San Diego and published by Rockstar Games. A successor to 2004's Red Dead Revolver, it is the second game in the Red Dead series. Red Dead Redemption is set during the decline of the American frontier in the year 1911 and follows John Marston, a former outlaw who, after his wife and son are taken hostage by the government in ransom for his services as a hired gun, sets out to bring three members of his former gang to justice. The narrative explores themes of the cycle of violence, masculinity, redemption, and the American Dream.

<i>Grand Theft Auto V</i> 2013 video game

Grand Theft Auto V is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh main entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, following 2008's Grand Theft Auto IV, and the fifteenth instalment overall. Set within the fictional state of San Andreas, based on Southern California, the single-player story follows three protagonists—retired bank robber Michael De Santa, street gangster Franklin Clinton, and drug dealer and gunrunner Trevor Philips, and their attempts to commit heists while under pressure from a corrupt government agency and powerful criminals. Players freely roam San Andreas's open world countryside and fictional city of Los Santos, based on Los Angeles.

Development of <i>Grand Theft Auto V</i> Development of 2013 video game

A team of approximately 1,000 people developed Grand Theft Auto V over several years. Rockstar Games released the action-adventure game in September 2013 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, in November 2014 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, in April 2015 for Windows, and in March 2022 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The first main Grand Theft Auto series entry since Grand Theft Auto IV, its development was led by Rockstar North's core 360-person team, who collaborated with several other international Rockstar studios. The team considered the game a spiritual successor to many of their previous projects like Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3. After its unexpected announcement in 2011, the game was fervently promoted with press showings, cinematic trailers, viral marketing strategies and special editions. Its release date, though subject to several delays, was widely anticipated.

Development of <i>Red Dead Redemption</i> Development of 2010 video game

A team of approximately 1,000 people developed Red Dead Redemption over five years. Rockstar Games published the action-adventure game in May 2010 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and in August 2023 for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. A spiritual successor to the 2004 game Red Dead Revolver, its development was led by Rockstar San Diego's core 180-person team, who collaborated with Rockstar's Leeds, New England, North, and Toronto teams to assist development; Rockstar North, developer of the Grand Theft Auto series, consulted in the creation of the open world. After its announcement in 2009, the game was fervently promoted with press showings, cinematic trailers, and viral marketing strategies. Its release date, though subject to several delays, was widely anticipated. The working hours and managerial style of the studio during development was met with public complaints from staff members.

<i>Undead Nightmare</i> 2010 expansion pack for Red Dead Redemption

Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare is a standalone expansion pack to the 2010 video game Red Dead Redemption. It adds a non-canonical zombie horror-themed single-player campaign, two multiplayer modes, and cosmetic additions to the environments and characters of the open world Western action-adventure game. Set in an alternate timeline from the base game's story, the plot follows returning protagonist John Marston, a former outlaw who sets out to find the cause of and possible cure for a zombie plague that has infected his wife and son. Marston liberates towns overrun by the undead and assists non-playable characters with side quests along the way.

<i>Red Dead Redemption 2</i> 2018 video game

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a 2018 action-adventure game developed and published by Rockstar Games. The game is the third entry in the Red Dead series and a prequel to the 2010 game Red Dead Redemption. The story is set in a fictionalized representation of the United States in 1899 and follows the exploits of Arthur Morgan, an outlaw and member of the Van der Linde gang, who must deal with the decline of the Wild West while attempting to survive against government forces, rival gangs, and other adversaries. The game is presented through first- and third-person perspectives, and the player may freely roam in its interactive open world. Gameplay elements include shootouts, robberies, hunting, horseback riding, interacting with non-player characters, and maintaining the character's honor rating through moral choices and deeds. A bounty system governs the response of law enforcement and bounty hunters to crimes committed by the player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woody Jackson</span> American composer and session musician

Woodrow Wilson Jackson III is an American composer and session musician. He is best known for his work with Rockstar Games, composing scores for its video games Red Dead Redemption, L.A. Noire, Grand Theft Auto V, and Red Dead Redemption 2. Born in Oil City, Pennsylvania, Jackson studied at Virginia State University for one year, taking harmonica lessons before dropping out and playing guitar in a band. He moved to Los Angeles in 1992, and eventually joined the band Friends of Dean Martinez. He later became a session musician, working on the soundtracks of films like Ocean's Twelve (2004) and The Devil Wears Prada (2006). Since 2009, he has owned and operated Electro-Vox Recording Studios in Hollywood, where he has recorded two original albums and much of his composing work. He is an avid collector of vintage instruments.

<i>Red Dead Online</i> 2019 video game

Red Dead Online is a 2019 action-adventure game developed and published by Rockstar Games as the online component of Red Dead Redemption 2. After several months in beta, it was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in May 2019, and for Windows and Stadia in November 2019. A standalone client for the game was released in December 2020. In Red Dead Online, players control a customizable silent protagonist who is freed from prison after being framed for murder, and tasked with taking revenge in exchange for proving their innocence. Set in 1898, one year before the events of Red Dead Redemption 2, the game comprises story missions where up to four players can complete tasks to advance the narrative, as well as various side missions and events.

Development of <i>Red Dead Redemption 2</i> Development of 2018 video game

A team of approximately 1,600 people developed Red Dead Redemption 2 over several years. Rockstar Games published the action-adventure game in October 2018 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and in November 2019 for Windows and Stadia. Rockstar co-opted all of its studios into one large team to facilitate development. The story is set in 1899 in a fictionalized representation of the Western, Midwestern, and Southern United States and follows outlaw Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van der Linde gang. Arthur must deal with the decline of the Wild West while attempting to survive against government forces, rival gangs, and other adversaries. The story also follows fellow gang member John Marston, the protagonist of Red Dead Redemption (2010).

<i>Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition</i> 2021 video game compilation

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition is a 2021 compilation of three action-adventure games in the Grand Theft Auto series: Grand Theft Auto III (2001), Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002), and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004). Developed by Grove Street Games and published by Rockstar Games, all three games are remastered, with visual enhancements and gameplay upgrades. The games feature different protagonists and locations within the same continuity. Grand Theft Auto III follows silent protagonist Claude in Liberty City; Vice City, set in 1986, features ex-mobster Tommy Vercetti in the fictional Vice City; and San Andreas, set in 1992, follows gangster Carl "CJ" Johnson within the state of San Andreas.

References

  1. ↑ "'This is the game that will put PSP over the top.'". 1Up.com . September 12, 2005. Archived from the original on May 26, 2016.
  2. ↑ Mittler, Patrick (December 26, 2013). "Seite 2: Die wichtigsten Spiele-Engines – Hinter den Hits" [Page 2: The Most Important Game Engines – Behind the Hits]. GameStar (in German). Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Rockstar explains the tech behind GTA4, with new screens". 1Up.com . April 23, 2008. Archived from the original on October 9, 2016.
  4. ↑ Klepek, Patrick (January 4, 2016). "That Time Rockstar Made A Table Tennis Game". Kotaku . Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  5. ↑ McKeand, Kirk (February 12, 2017). "Nine years later, one feature in GTA4 has never been bettered – here's its story". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on March 13, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  6. ↑ Arendt, Susan (February 28, 2007). "Rockstar Fills its Games With Euphoria". Wired . Archived from the original on December 31, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  7. ↑ Hardwidge, Ben (February 17, 2011). "AMD Talks GPU Gaming Physics: Bullet Physics – The Future of GPU-Accelerated Physics?". Bit-Tech . Archived from the original on December 31, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  8. 1 2 Morgan, Thomas (May 22, 2012). "Face-Off: Max Payne 3". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on December 31, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  9. ↑ Leadbetter, Richard (May 5, 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV: PS3 vs. Xbox 360 Special • Page 3". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on December 31, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  10. ↑ Leadbetter, Richard (November 4, 2008). "Xbox 360 vs. PS3 Face-Off: Round 15 • Page 3". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on December 31, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  11. ↑ Peckham, Matt (May 19, 2010). "Analysis: Red Dead Redemption on PS3 vs. Xbox 360". PC World . Archived from the original on July 4, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  12. ↑ Stead, Chris (July 15, 2009). "The 10 Best Game Engines of This Generation". IGN . Archived from the original on May 23, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  13. ↑ Dutton, Fred (March 22, 2012). "Max Payne 3 PC supports DirectX 11, 3D". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  14. ↑ Morgan, Thomas (September 17, 2013). "Face-Off: Grand Theft Auto 5". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on September 17, 2013. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  15. ↑ "GTAV: IGN Delivers New Details – First Person Experience Revealed". Rockstar Games . November 4, 2014. Archived from the original on December 16, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  16. ↑ Morgan, Thomas (April 21, 2015). "Face-Off: Grand Theft Auto 5 on PC". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on December 31, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  17. ↑ Linneman, John (October 25, 2018). "Red Dead Redemption 2 analysis: a once-in-a-generation technological achievement". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on February 24, 2020. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  18. 1 2 Linneman, John (October 3, 2017). "Red Dead Redemption 2's state-of-the-art technology analysed". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on February 15, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  19. ↑ Moass, Dominic (November 7, 2019). "Vulkan vs DX12 Red Dead Redemption 2 PC Performance Analysis". KitGuru. Archived from the original on February 24, 2020. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  20. ↑ Parijat, Shubhankar (October 24, 2018). "Red Dead Redemption 2's Euphoria Engine Is "Radically Overhauled", Says Rockstar". GamingBolt. Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  21. ↑ McKeand, Kirk (December 12, 2018). "Best of 2018: Red Dead Redemption 2 - how advanced AI and physics create the most believable open world yet". VG247 . Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  22. ↑ Sinha, Ravi (May 17, 2019). "Red Dead Redemption 2 Title Update Fixes HDR, Adds Calibration Menu". GamingBolt. Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  23. ↑ Murnane, Kevin (May 24, 2019). "'Red Dead Remption 2' Finally Gets An HDR Patch. How Does It Look?". Forbes . Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  24. ↑ Morgan, Thomas; Fairclough, Adam (May 24, 2019). "Red Dead Redemption 2 patch 1.09 tested: has HDR been fixed?". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  25. ↑ Robinson, Andy (July 13, 2021). "Red Dead Redemption 2 PC's DLSS update is out, with a '45% 4K performance boost'". Video Games Chronicle . Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  26. ↑ Prescott, Shaun (July 14, 2021). "Red Dead Redemption 2 DLSS update brings 'up to' 45 percent performance boost today". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  27. ↑ Klotz, Aaron (July 14, 2021). "Red Dead Redemption 2 Finally Gets DLSS Support". Tom's Hardware . Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  28. ↑ Stobing, Chris (July 16, 2021). "We Tested the New DLSS 2.2 Update for Red Dead Redemption 2: Here's What We Saw". PCMag . Archived from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  29. ↑ Totilo, Stephen (May 4, 2006). "The First Rule Of Ping-Pong Club: Talk About Rockstar's Table Tennis Game". MTV . Archived from the original on January 14, 2018. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  30. ↑ Thorsen, Tor (June 15, 2006). "Grand Theft Auto IV powered by Table Tennis engine?". GameSpot . Archived from the original on December 31, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  31. ↑ Roper, Chris (August 23, 2007). "Midnight Club: Los Angeles Preview". IGN . Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  32. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (February 4, 2009). "Rockstar unveils Red Dead Redemption". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on May 30, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2011.
  33. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (June 10, 2009). "Balding Max Payne 3 sighted". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on March 19, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2011.
  34. ↑ "Rockstar Game Tips: Learn from the Max Payne 3 Leaderboard Legends". Rockstar Games . October 10, 2012. Archived from the original on December 31, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  35. ↑ "Grand Theft Auto 6 - DF Direct GTA 6 Special - Trailer 1 Tech Breakdown". Digital Foundry. December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  36. ↑ Thompson, Michael (December 7, 2023). "The GTA 6 Game Engine Looks Insane - IGN's Grand Theft Auto 6 Performance Preview". IGN. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.