Qubesoft

Q Engine is the result of a decade-long development process carried out by DirectX alumni Servan Keondjian and Doug Rabson following their departure from Microsoft. Setting up Qubesoft in North London, they decided to create a from-the-ground-up piece of middleware with particular attention placed on the flexibility of the technology.

To that extent, Q is built as a cross-platform extensible plug-in framework that enables you to customize and add game-specific technologies as you see fit, without modifying existing source code. Features include a texture manager capable of handling large amounts of data, n-dimensional animation blending and data streaming.

The engine also links into the real-time QStudio editing system that lets you run custom plug-ins live while you are developing and testing your game.

It's still an early stage for Q, although it is being used internally by Qubesoft as well as by a number of smaller game developers and virtual world builders.

Ongoing work includes broader integration with other middleware providers, improved debugging for massively multi-threaded script applications, enhanced animation tools and an expanded library of ready-to-use shaders.

Q 2.0

Features: Arbitrary scene rendering algorithms, programmable shaders; background data streaming, texture manager; cross-platform data format; n-dimensional animation blending; background work queue; integrated QStudio development environment

Platforms: Linux, Mac, PC, PlayStation 3, Wii

Integration with Other Technologies: Visual Studio 2008

Cost: An annual support fee plus shipping fee per SKU

Released Games Include: Earthsim (Earthsim), LEGO Digital Designer (Qube)

Games in Development Include: Near (Near)

www.qubesoft.com

Qube's LEGO Digital Designer