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Source Engine in prototyping

Started by gerbopel Dec 24, 2004 at 7:26 AM 4 replies 1k views

Original Post

Dec 24, 2004 at 7:26 AM

Hello, I'm wondering if anyone out there knows whether Valve will allow a commercial company to use the Source Engine for free while in the protoyping stage, obviously with an extremely limited license, under the obvious assumption that when completed and funding is secured, the full license will be purchased for the game's proper development. I am doing a marketing report for University and I believe that Valve's employee's are away for the holidays. This particular forum seemed the most relevant place to ask the question on gamedev, I apologize if it is considered OT. Many thanks, Mike

stodge

Dec 24, 2004 at 7:59 AM

I think the answer would be a resounding no. I think for a company like Valve (as with iD and the Unreal guys), you can't secure a license with heaps of money.

jamessharpe

Dec 24, 2004 at 8:06 AM

You could always begin development as a mod for your proof of concept and then move to get the engine licesned from there.

James

_the_phantom_

Dec 24, 2004 at 8:10 AM

If said company could do everything they need as a mod, then there is no reason why they couldnt use the Source Engine to develop a working mock up of the system, ofcourse they wouldnt be able to release it and they would have to buy it to finish it however doing so is the perfect way to get the attension of a publisher to get funding.

Infact, I know for a fact that the guys at Epic support this view point and I dare say the guys at iD and Valve wouldnt have a problem with it because if your "mod" gets snapped up by a publisher they get a load of money from buying the engine [wink]

edit: or what jamessharpe said [grin]

Promit

Dec 24, 2004 at 9:42 AM

I believe you can get a complete preview of the Source engine if you sign an NDA and talk to them. Any sort of actual development requires a license purchase, though. I mean, the poor guys did spend $40mil on the thing...

Alex Baker

Dec 24, 2004 at 3:18 PM

yes, but this eval (or "evaluation version") would be only possible if you can proof, that you are a real, existing company; i doub't that any marketruling 3D engine developer will give away an eval.version of it's million-costing 3D engine to an unknown computer game/software company.

but: Valve Source is not absolutely needed, to make a game that is fun !?

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