Support us on Patreon to keep GamingOnLinux alive. This ensures all of our main content remains free for everyone. Just good, fresh content! Alternatively, you can donate through PayPal. You can also buy games using our partner links for GOG and Humble Store.
We do often include affiliate links to earn us some pennies. See more here.
Amazon dropped a bit of a big one recently, they announced Lumberyard which will be a mix of code from CryEngine, Double Helix and you can get source code access with it too.

In the FAQ we are given a mention:
QuoteQ. What device platforms does Lumberyard support?
Lumberyard currently supports PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Mobile support for iOS and Android devices is coming soon, along with additional support for Mac and Linux. Note that Sony and Microsoft only permit developers who have passed their screening process to develop games for their platforms.


So, what is it?
QuoteAmazon Lumberyard is a free AAA game engine deeply integrated with AWS and Twitch – with full source code provided. Whether you are a major studio, an indie developer, a student, or a hobbyist, Lumberyard provides a growing set of tools to create the highest-quality games, connect your games to the vast compute and storage of the AWS Cloud, and engage fans on Twitch.


It's another way to hook people into using Amazon AWS services (you're not allowed to use other cloud services for it), even though the game engine can produce completely stand-alone games. It's a good idea, and I hope it works out well.

It's completely free to download and use too, which is quite nice of Amazon to do.

Read the full announcement here. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
0 Likes
About the author -
author picture
I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly checked on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly.
See more from me
The comments on this article are closed.
14 comments
Page: 1/2»
  Go to:

Teodosio Feb 10, 2016
Is it free as in 'free beer' or as in 'free speech'?
DrMcCoy Feb 10, 2016
Quoting: GuestOK, according to their FAQ, it is indeed Windows only

At the moment. From what I hear, Linux and Mac OS X support will come later.

Quoting: TeodosioIs it free as in 'free beer' or as in 'free speech'?

Beer, and not even that completely.

Have a look at their FAQ:

QuoteQ. Can I take Lumberyard and make my own game engine and distribute it?
No. While you may maintain an internal version of Lumberyard that you have modified, you may not distribute that modified version in source code form, or as a freestanding game engine to third parties. You also may not use Lumberyard to distribute your own game engine, to make improvements to another game engine, or otherwise compete with Lumberyard or Amazon GameLift.

Q. Is Lumberyard “open source”?
No. We make the source code available to enable you to fully customize your game, but your rights are limited by the Lumberyard Service Terms. For example, you may not publicly release the Lumberyard engine source code, or use it to release your own game engine.

[...]

Q. Can my game use an alternate web service instead of AWS?
No. If your game servers use a non-AWS alternate web service, we obviously don’t make any money, and it’s more difficult for us to support future development of Lumberyard. By “alternate web service” we mean any non-AWS web service that is similar to or can act as a replacement for Amazon EC2, Amazon Lambda, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon RDS, Amazon S3, Amazon EBS, Amazon EC2 Container Service, or Amazon GameLift. You can use hardware you own and operate for your game servers.

So you can't distribute derivates, and you have to use AWS (unless you use no web service at all). You still have to pay for AWS if you use it, too.
DrMcCoy Feb 10, 2016
Quoting: GuestAs a target for the exporter, yes, but were did you see that the tools themselves would work on Linux (or Mac)?

Hmm, okay, I might have read more into it than I should have. Yeah, they don't mention development tools on anything else than Windows.
linux_gamer Feb 10, 2016
Quoting: GuestWhat about the tools themselves? Windows only?
As the source is visible for free, you are able and allowed to write your own, and you are most probably allowed to share it.

Quoting: TeodosioIs it free as in 'free beer' or as in 'free speech'?
Your living in Germany or North Korea?
adolson Feb 10, 2016
I'll stick with Godot. I am not a fan of companies dictating what I can and cannot do with something I choose to create.
DasCapschen Feb 10, 2016
Meh, I don't like companies branching out into everything.
Amazon should've stuck with selling books online.

Even if they created the best, most awesome game engine in the world I'd refuse to use it, for the sake of not feeding a Konzern more money.
N30N Feb 10, 2016
Quoting: TheBossyou're not allowed to use other cloud services for it
But if you own and operate your own private servers, you do not need to use AWS.


Last edited by N30N on 10 February 2016 at 4:51 pm UTC
DrMcCoy Feb 10, 2016
Quoting: N30N
Quoting: TheBossyou're not allowed to use other cloud services for it
Source?
If you had read a bit further in that FAQ, or the comments here...

Quoting: DrMcCoyHave a look at their FAQ:

[...]

QuoteQ. Can my game use an alternate web service instead of AWS?
No. If your game servers use a non-AWS alternate web service, we obviously don’t make any money, and it’s more difficult for us to support future development of Lumberyard. By “alternate web service” we mean any non-AWS web service that is similar to or can act as a replacement for Amazon EC2, Amazon Lambda, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon RDS, Amazon S3, Amazon EBS, Amazon EC2 Container Service, or Amazon GameLift. You can use hardware you own and operate for your game servers.

I.e. you are allowed to use no cloud service at all, yes. But if you do use cloud services, it has to be AWS (which you have to pay Amazon for to use).
Mountain Man Feb 10, 2016
"It's completely free to download and use too, which is quite nice of Amazon to do."

They're not doing it to be nice, they're doing it to be competitive. Remember, every other major game engine is also available for free, so it would be business suicide if Amazon tried to charge for theirs.
Kristian Feb 10, 2016
CryEngine has a subscription fee, Lumberyard doesn't(even though it basically IS CryEngine). Unreal Engine 4 has royalty fees, Lumberyard doesn't. The Pro version of Unity has per seat fees, Lumberyard doesn't.

So it is not true that it has to be free to be competitive.
While you're here, please consider supporting GamingOnLinux on:

Reward Tiers: Patreon. Plain Donations: PayPal.

This ensures all of our main content remains totally free for everyone! Patreon supporters can also remove all adverts and sponsors! Supporting us helps bring good, fresh content. Without your continued support, we simply could not continue!

You can find even more ways to support us on this dedicated page any time. If you already are, thank you!
The comments on this article are closed.
Buy Games
Buy games with our affiliate / partner links: