Indie-Resource.com

Isogenic Engine has finally gone through with one of their earliest plans to release a "Prototype Edition" that can be downloaded for free. Of course, due to the nature of Javascript, it has some major features stripped out, including networking. Once you give someone a JS file they can use it however long they want and can easily remove your restrictions if the features are present, so they had to strip some functionality out, and most commercial JS engines don't offer trials at all (like Impact JS).

Even though the networking code is cut out, you can get a feel for the engine and how easy it would be to use (if it is easy to use; I have not tried it yet). It also includes quite a few examples, which are really the first any non-purchasers have seen of its actual in-code usage.

If you want to see what the Isogenic Engine has to offer without making a purchase, you can download the Prototype Edition off of Github.

If the networking code was "stripped out", then this means loose coupling and not corba-like object replication across the network.

I just saw that yesterday. I downloaded it but haven't looked at it yet. I couldn't find any details on what the "Free" version from the main page, but the github page has more information, so anyone looking at this should start there.

I'd be very interested to read about anyone's experience with this. I've been following them for awhile now as the engine itself looks pretty cool. I'll hopefully get a chance to look at it tonight, and I'll try to report back what I found.

Cayle wrote:If the networking code was "stripped out", then this means loose coupling and not corba-like object replication across the network.

I am not familiar with "corba-like object replication", but it is definitely loosely coupled. They offer a cheaper edition that is just for single-player games or for custom-built AJAX networking.

@Jwalton:

It really isn't a "free version" per se. It is just what they call a "Prototype Edition" that can be used to try out the client side of the engine to see what you think. The license dictates that you cannot release anything in any way commercial with it. That would be in contrast to other game engines which offer a "free version", which usually do allow commercial projects, but the engine is just stripped down.

@Jackolantern

Thanks for pointing that out. The main page of their site was misleading when that "Free Version Download" button was just a download of a zip file instead of a link to github. Do you plan on checking it out?

That is weird that it goes right to a download for you, because the "Version 1.1.0" button on the homepage goes to the GitHub entry for me.

I also did realize they were calling it a free version on the website, and only called it the "Prototype Edition" once you get deeper into the site. I guess I have seen "free versions" of other engines not allow commercial use, but maybe they should have called it the prototype edition on the main page.

That was a few days ago when I downloaded it. Now it goes to the github page which is much more informative than the rest of the site for the prototype version.

I haven't looked closely at a lot of game engines, but the license says they charge a 2% royalty fee. Is that normal?

It can be. 2% is basically nothing for royalties. The Unreal Engine demands 30% royalties, and to get one of the big AAA MMORPG engines, you are going to have to be in the 40%+ range to get a license for $100,000 or so. Basically what an engine developer is saying is that the value of the engine exceeds what you are paying for it. It is still yet to be determined if this is realistic for the Isogenic Engine since it has been fairly hush-hush until now. It does boast some impressive features, and I guess when it comes down to it, if you want an isometric HTML5 MMORPG engine, your choices are Isogenic, Isogenic and Isogenic lol. Perhaps once some competition shows up, they will be forced to axe the royalties, show more of the engine, etc.

But really 2% is not bad at all. It is so low I am kind of surprised they even included it.

I have to give them props for at least giving a "demo" before buying. There is a ton of work into engines like this, trust me I know, and too many people want free free free. I asked a Linux user the other day when he was complaining about non free software if he charges the company he works for and he said "Heck yeah I got to get a paycheck" I was like " and the software companies that pay their employees do to"

I know, right lol? Don't get me wrong: I love free software. But it just seems odd how much we expect other people to write software for free sometimes. But then games we readily accept have to make money somehow

But back on topic, I am happy that they have released something for a trial! Most JS-based engines don't because you have no control over it once it is released.