Square Enix Licenses Gamebryo Engine

Publisher Square Enix has licensed Emergent's Gamebryo engine, but has not yet announced what projects will make use of it. The deal grants the use of Gamebryo to all Square Enix operations worldwide, but it was inked by the company's North American office, which recently opened a development studio in Los Angeles. "Gamebryo offers a flexible framework, allowing us to develop effectively and efficiently for any target platforms," said CEO John Yamamoto. "Gamebryo's engine provides the ability to integrate our internally developed tools into a proven, stable tech solution which allows for more time to be spent on innovative and creative gameplay." Part of the new studio's charter is to develop downloadable games and evaluate middleware technology, suggesting that the Gamebryo licensed may be used in-house in Los Angeles before it spreads to other potential Square Enix locations. Like many Japanese companies, Square Enix is still relatively new to integrating full-scale engine middleware into its development processes. The publisher took criticism for its Unreal Engine 3-powered RPG The Last Remnant on Xbox 360, which suffered from various technical issues. Said Emergent CEO Geoff Selzer of the deal, "Our approach is to provide the best engine technology to publishers and developers while backing the technology with AAA global support. It is the ultimate validation that the market is coming to understand that, in the future, the value of a developer will come from its ability to create original and immersive games rather than creating tech."