Surveying Game Engine For My Game Development Project

The programming languages that I know are only PHP and C++. I self learned PHP while taking a formal lesson on C++. There are many ways and possibility for me to write a game using this two languages. Yes, we can make a game for Iphone using php too but of course we need something to interact in between such as Adobe Air for mobile to make it happen. While C++ is a full fledge native programming language that is officially supported by Apple.

Game Engine Make Suppose To Ease Our Coding Part

Game engine is just like a framework, parent theme, template functions that are ready to use, tweak and modified to build the game of my dream. But of course, nothing is too easy when it come to game programming.

So for time, cost and performance effectiveness, I decide to use ready-made game engine to base my game.

Unity 3

This is a great 3D game engine, the features built-in in this game engine are way too overwhelming for me. I don’t need this great engine for a starter let alone the price is very expensive for a new beginner like me. It have all component from graphic renderer, audio renderer, physics and even for MMORPG.

SIO2 Engine

This is another 3D game engine. Even though we can achieve 2D effect easily using this game engine, it also way too overwhelming for my first game. This game engine also provide all in one solution for the component such as graphic renderer, audio, physics and etc.

This game engine look promising for me. They even provide tutorials for beginner. They offer trial version but when you’re about to publish your game at Apple Store, you have to buy the certification for $364.99 hence eliminate this game engine from my consideration.

Bork 3D Game Engine

When I reach the homepage, they feature a golf game and it seem this is their orientation. The license for indie game developer is just $49 which is affordable for me. But from the website and forums it seems that they don’t have a user-friendly resources and the forum does not seems to have many posts.

I’m afraid when I find problems and need a solution, none can help me?

Cocos 2D Iphone

The project was initially hosted at Google Code and the activity is high. In fact when I first lurking around the internet about making game for Iphone, I stumble their website naturally. This mean if I stumble into problems, I may have a lot of free support and example codes.

This game engine is free to use and under MIT License. Honestly I do not understand what is MIT License mean and how I should comply to their license terms and condition if I want to use this engine to make a paid Iphone app.

What important is the game produced by this engine are almost similar to the game that I try to make. Not too simple, not too advance.

This game engine is in my consideration list.

iTorque 2D

This game engine offer a user-friendly SDK. But the one time fee of $99 kinda turn me off. Why I should pay another $99 as an indie game developers? At first I thought this will be a good choice beside Cocos 2D Iphone. But now it’s out of my consideration list.

It’s not that this game engine is bad, at the moment I can’t afford it. That’s all.

ShiVa 3D Game Engine

ShiVa 3D Game Engine look promising too. The showcase games features on the sites are good and there’s some of the game known to me. Yes, installed on my device.

It stated there the software are free for unlimited time for Windows and MAC OS under parallel. Lol, that’s mean this software are coded for Windows. But the usage status license is not known to me and I don’t bother to dig more. They should make it clear how to use their development tool for commercialisation.

Oolong Engine

Hosted at Google Codes, the activity is medium and I don’t see many developers around. But looking at them they are look like people who use Linux while most people use Windows. No, the software was mean for OSX. What I mean is they are creative people, believe in free software and their engine is just like Linux OS, where you can derive them yourself.

Which mean it’s not mean for me. I just don’t have time to figure out what I want. I need to be recommended. If any Oolong Engine developers read this, you should perhaps make it more user-friendly. There’s big potential in Oolong Engine by the way.

Airplay

They clearly stated that they support and mean to make game for Iphone. This is so convenient information. But the license fee make me backing off. Perhaps another time.

Game Salad

I heard about this game engine even before I decide to make this research, that’s mean this is quite famous and I hope there are a lot of support that I can find on the internet.

They said their game engine is free, that’s a good enough to hear. They seems to be very easy to use and they stated on their website it is designed for a designer and not programmer. Sound just like something for me. But when I look at their pricing price, what!? They only have two model. Free and Professional. The free version still enable IOS Publishing but the Professional at $499.00 offer more rugged feature liks Game Center, and iAd which what I actually want to add in my games.

This will be in my considered list. 

My Choice

It seems that I will go for Cocos2d for Iphone and also Game Salad. This mean research done. I’ll keep posting here for my own record and also sharing is caring. I hope this writing are somewhat useful to others who might find this article from any search engine.

Between Cocos2D for Iphone and Game Salad, I will try to make a “Hello World” game using it to find out which one will be my preference. I believe in love on first sight.