GarageGames to Release T3D as Open Source
by Eric Preisz · 09/10/2012 (9:05 am) · 159 comments
Torque 3D to be Released on Github under the MIT license!
Eleven years ago, The GarageGames founders did an incredibly innovative thing when they sold a full source game engine for $100. We are excited to continue in their footsteps by announcing that we will be releasing Torque 3D as the best open source game technology in the world. Once again, GarageGames will be changing game development.
Why are we doing this?
Nine months ago, we realigned the goals of GarageGames; making Torque 3D available via a permissive open source license is a strategic move towards fulfilling the company vision. Our first goal was to use iTorque to build a new product we call 3 Step Studio. We envisioned a game development tool that requires no programming at all and began to build it. This product is available today for free, but it’s very, very, early in development and we expect to iterate many times before it is a commercially viable product. Our second goal was to build a service division. I’m happy to say that we’ve already booked our first million dollars in service work and we expect the growth trend to continue as we make Torque 3D more accessible. You can visit our services site at services.garagegames.com. We are very well prepared and staffed to provide support, training, and custom development.
Our long term plans are to focus on innovative uses of game technology. Currently, all GarageGames employees have the option to work on any project on Fridays. We are working on some really great projects under the initiative and it’s our hope that we will be able to invest in several of these projects as they evolve. We’ve encouraged our developers to open source these projects. If you think you have what it takes to be an innovative developer using game technology, consider applying for one of our open positions.
Dave Wyand will be leading the T3D open source effort and he has posted a blog describing the details around how we will run the development process. But before you dive into the details with Dave, I’d like to leave you with answers to some expected questions:
Is this version different or a subset of T3D?
We've split off some modules as separate downloads and we've removed some art to bring down the payload size. Other than those changes, the versions are the same.
Is this just a way for you to dump Torque 3D?
No. We've been using T3D internally for service projects and we expect that to continue. In some cases, our service work will directly benefit the core code base.
I recently bought your engine, I feel ripped off.
We will be offering refunds for T3D purchases that happened on or after Sept 1st but before this announcement.
What about other GarageGames engines?
We are starting open source efforts with T3D and learning from this experience. For now, the other engines/products are not available via the MIT license.
About the author
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#142
How can GG make money if they are giving their biggest engine away for free? I can fully understand wanting more people using the engine. What I don't understand is how GG can stay in buisness if they are giving this away. I don't want to see GG go to the curb.
09/15/2012 (5:09 pm)
This news is exciting, scary, and sad all in one. How can GG make money if they are giving their biggest engine away for free? I can fully understand wanting more people using the engine. What I don't understand is how GG can stay in buisness if they are giving this away. I don't want to see GG go to the curb.
#143
We made this transition almost a year ago so while it may seem like this is a drastic change, it's been fairly calculated and planned.
09/15/2012 (5:18 pm)
@Mike - Us not reacting to change would have surely been our demise. And T3D alone hasn't supported our company for quite some time. What we will loose in retail sales and education licensing will be made up in other areas like service work. We made this transition almost a year ago so while it may seem like this is a drastic change, it's been fairly calculated and planned.
#144
09/15/2012 (5:24 pm)
Thanks Eric. That makes me feel better. I wish GG the very best in any direction you choose to go. :-)
#145
09/15/2012 (5:36 pm)
this may of been answered but there are a lot og pages to read so I figure I will just ask agian what does this mean for us that has already bought it I like T3D a lot
#146
Many thanks for taking the time to explaining about my question.
I hope after T3D becomes an open-source GarageGames continue to develop it together with the community and does not transfer all responsibility concerning product improvement and support for open source community members.
No offense, however, in my opinion, I do not know any open-source product better than a similar product wholly developed and administered by the owning company.
Greetings,
09/16/2012 (6:02 am)
@DavidMany thanks for taking the time to explaining about my question.
I hope after T3D becomes an open-source GarageGames continue to develop it together with the community and does not transfer all responsibility concerning product improvement and support for open source community members.
No offense, however, in my opinion, I do not know any open-source product better than a similar product wholly developed and administered by the owning company.
Greetings,
#147
09/16/2012 (11:17 am)
I too hope this will be a successful path for GarageGames. Torque has always been my favourite engine (in source form) even though it clearly lacked the content-tools, I think this is a good step forward. 
#148
09/16/2012 (4:28 pm)
Are our licenses retroactive? i.e. once T3D is MIT'd, do we simply no-longer worry about logo placement / earlier EULA conditions? Or do we have to download the opened version? 
#149
09/16/2012 (4:36 pm)
You must download the open version.
#150
Maybe there's a lawyer in here that can provide an opinion?
I can tell you that in the history of GG, I don't know of any case where we threatened to sue any of our customers.
09/16/2012 (4:38 pm)
"Technically", the only version that is available for MIT is T3D 1.2 and all versions that will be coming after. I'm not a lawyer, so I'm not really sure what the burden is for saying that you ported to the new version.Maybe there's a lawyer in here that can provide an opinion?
I can tell you that in the history of GG, I don't know of any case where we threatened to sue any of our customers.
#151
09/16/2012 (8:23 pm)
I'm definitely not a lawyer, but to be on the safe side if you intent on contributing to the open sourced T3D project or wanting to release your game's source code to the public it would be wise to port your existing changes, if any, to your own copy of the T3D MIT licensed project first before doing so. GG might not bite in you in the ass so to speak, but nVidia and others sure will if they find you releasing code that's not allowed in their EULAs.
#152
09/17/2012 (4:55 pm)
My main concern is just whether the "closed" parts of T3D will be downloadable with the open source release.
#153
09/17/2012 (5:00 pm)
Which "closed" parts are you concerned with, Ian? 
#154
Honestly, I'd really be impressed if TGE/A were under the new license as well. Both were killed off (no new licenses available) with the push to T3D. That, I consider as an event that needs to be remedied.
TGE on Android would be fun!
edit:typo
09/17/2012 (6:36 pm)
Sweet news. I'm glad the MIT license allows for closed source. At this point, I'm just trying to figure out what opportunities this opens up.Honestly, I'd really be impressed if TGE/A were under the new license as well. Both were killed off (no new licenses available) with the push to T3D. That, I consider as an event that needs to be remedied.
TGE on Android would be fun!
edit:typo
#155
09/17/2012 (8:21 pm)
@Kenneth - Nothing is impossible. Right now, our focus is T3D 1.2. If it goes well, and we see a big swell in interest and a growing contributing community...the sky is the limit.
#156
09/17/2012 (11:42 pm)
@ Eric - Count me in. Glad to help in whatever way I can.
#157
09/19/2012 (6:21 am)
+1 I will try one more time t3d 
#159
I bought the TGB Pro and then Torque 3D Artist license because I can't afford the pro one. Later on I bought a Torque 3D Pro licence on sale.
All those licenses are my personal licences paid with my hard worked earned money. The lack of documentation made me put those engines aside to deal with when I have the time to pull out the information I need or the documentation has improved.
To see that it goes open source makes me pissed in the sense that I could have spent these money on something else, like Unity.
On the other hand, going open source maybe is exactly what this engine need to get up to date and maybe finally get some good documentation.
But in the end, I still feel ripped off! I think for us that actually bought our licences should get something extra.
10/18/2012 (7:33 pm)
Well I feel ripped off.I bought the TGB Pro and then Torque 3D Artist license because I can't afford the pro one. Later on I bought a Torque 3D Pro licence on sale.
All those licenses are my personal licences paid with my hard worked earned money. The lack of documentation made me put those engines aside to deal with when I have the time to pull out the information I need or the documentation has improved.
To see that it goes open source makes me pissed in the sense that I could have spent these money on something else, like Unity.
On the other hand, going open source maybe is exactly what this engine need to get up to date and maybe finally get some good documentation.
But in the end, I still feel ripped off! I think for us that actually bought our licences should get something extra.
Associate David Montgomery-Blake
David MontgomeryBlake
Well, they get a commercial grade engine with the complete source code, no restriction on the type of product they want to make or libraries they want to incorporate into the engine, no logo or royalty requirements ever, etc.