 | |
| Developer(s) | Massive Entertainment, Ubisoft |
|---|---|
| Repository |
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| Written in | C++ |
| Engine |
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| Platform | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch |
| Type | Game engine |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | massive |
Snowdrop is a proprietary game engine created by Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft Studio for use on Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It was first revealed at E3 2013 with Tom Clancy's The Division, the first game using the engine.
Technology[]
The engine is coded mainly in C++.[1]
Rodrigo Cortes (former brand art director at Massive Entertainment) says that the development on Snowdrop engine started in 2009 by Massive Entertainment. Initially it was an engine built for PC and next-gen development by Massive Entertainment to do "things better not bigger". The core of the game engine is powered by a "node-based system and the engine is a dynamic, interconnected and flexible system where developers can create their assets quickly and interact with them in ways that have never been done before.[2] Massive created a revolutionary lighting and destruction system (inspired by film production techniques) within the Snowdrop engine.[3]
The Snowdrop engine is efficient and flexible, enabling relatively small teams to create ambitious AAA games. At the core of the Snowdrop engine, Massive Entertainment want to empower the developers. When using Snowdrop, the artists, the designers and the animators have full power and control over the engine to achieve their ideas and vision. Snowdrop is a dynamic and interconnected system, which makes it intuitive and very easy to use.
Features[]
The engine is distinguished mainly by the following points:
- Node-based scripting system that links all areas, from rendering, AI, mission scripts to UI.
- Realistic day and night change.
- Global volumetric lighting.
- Procedural destruction.
- Advanced particle system and visual effects.
- Dynamic material shader.
Since 2013, Massive Entertainment have uploaded two videos entitled "Snowdrop Tech Showcase" and "GDC 2014 Snowdrop Developer Diary" to Massive Entertainment's YouTube channel to demonstrate the power of the engine.
Games using Snowdrop[]
- Tom Clancy's The Division (2016)
- Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (2017)
- South Park: The Fractured but Whole (2017)
- Avatar Project[4]
- Starlink: Battle for Atlas (2018)
- Tom Clancy's The Division 2 (2019)[5]
- The Settlers (2019)
References[]
- ↑ "Engine & Tools Programmer - Snowdrop". massive.se.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Here's The Division's amazing game engine in action". polygon.com.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "The Division: Ubisoft On Snowdrop Engine's Lighting And Destruction Capability". 2P.com.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ https://www.massive.se/project/the-avatar-project/
- ↑ "AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM MASSIVE ENTERTAINMENT ON THE DIVISION 2". 8 March 2018.
{{cite web}}:
| Ubisoft | |
|---|---|
| Franchises | Anno • Assassin's Creed • Brothers in Arms • Call of Juarez • CSI • Driver • Far Cry • Imagine • Just Dance • Might and Magic • Myst • Petz • Prince of Persia • Rayman (Raving Rabbids) • Red Steel • Silent Hunter • The Settlers • Tom Clancy's (Rainbow Six • Ghost Recon • Splinter Cell) |
| Subsidiaries | Annecy • Barcelona • Blue Byte (Mainz) • Bucharest • Ivory Tower • Halifax • Ketchapp • Kiev • Leamington • Massive • Milan • Montpellier • Motion Pictures • Montreal • Nadeo • Paris • Pune • Quazal • Quebec • Red Storm • RedLynx • Reflections • Shanghai • Toronto |
| Defunct | Sao Paulo • Sunflowers Interactive |
| Technology | Anvil • Jade • LyN • Snowdrop • UbiArt Framework • Ubisoft Motion Tracking Camera • Uplay • YETI |
| Related articles | List of Ubisoft games • List of Ubisoft subsidiaries • Gameloft • Vivendi |
| Game engines (list) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Main | Source port • First-person shooter engine (list) • Game engine recreation (list) • Game creation system • List of visual novel engines | |
| Free and open-source |
2D | Adventure Game Studio • Beats of Rage • Cocos2d • Corona • Moai • OHRRPGCE • OpenFL • ORX • Pygame • Ren'Py • Stencyl • Stratagus |
| 2.5D | Build • Doom ports | |
| 3D | Away3D/AwayJS • Cafu • GamePlay • GLScene • Horde3D • Irrlicht • JMonkey • OGRE • Panda3D • Platinum Arts Sandbox • PlayCanvas • Torque • Xenko | |
| Mix | Allegro • Godot • libGDX • Lightweight Java Game Library • Spring | |
| Proprietary | 2D | Clickteam Fusion • Construct • Felgo (V-Play Engine) • GameMaker Studio • GameSalad • RPG Maker • UbiArt Framework • Vicious • Zillions of Games |
| 3D | 4A • Amazon Lumberyard • AnvilNext • Chrome • Creation • CryEngine • Crystal Tools • Decima • Diesel • Disrupt Engine • Dunia Engine • EGO • Essence • Fox • Frostbite • HeroEngine • id Tech (5 • 6 • 7) • Ignite • IW • LithTech • Luminous Studio • MT Framework • PhyreEngine • REDengine • RAGE • Shark 3D • ShiVa • Snowdrop • Source • Unigine • Unreal | |
| Mix | Gamebryo • Unity | |
| Historical (Free and open-source) |
2D | Thousand Parsec • Vassal • Xconq |
| 2.5D | Doom engine | |
| 3D | Blender Game • Bork3D • Crystal Space • CyanWorlds.com Engine • Delta3D • Dim3 • Genesis3D • id Tech
(Quake • Quake II • 3 • 4) • Open Wonderland • Papervision3D • PLIB | |
| Mix | Wintermute Engine | |
| Historical (Proprietary) |
2D | Game-Maker • GameMaker • Garry Kitchen's GameMaker • Genie • MADE • M.U.G.E.N • SCUMM • Southpaw • Virtual Theatre |
| 3D | Bitsquid • C4 • Dark • Enigma • Flare3D • GoldSrc • Filmation • Freescape • INSANE • Jade • Jedi • LyN • Marmalade • Panta Rhei • Pie in the Sky • Q • Reality Lab • RenderWare • SAGE • Silent Storm • Sim RPG Maker • Sith • Titan • Truevision3D • Vision • Visual3D • Voxel Space • XnGine • Zero | |
| Proprietary middleware |
Euphoria • Gameware • GameWorks • Havok • iMUSE • Kynapse • SpeedTree • FaceGen | |