Codemasters Details Next-Gen Ego Engine

Codemasters (Colin McRae: Dirt, Overlord) has announced a new name for its proprietary game engine, titling it the Ego Game Technlology Engine and highlighting its evolution over the previous generation of technology, which it called Neon. The proprietary engine technology, in its Neon incarnation, powered Codemasters' Colin McRae: Dirt, and the company says the continuous multi-platform project, in development for three years, is central to the creation of all its games. Additionally, Codemasters says that the enhanced middleware is currently being utilized in the development of its Race Driver: Grid to support the title's new damage and physics systems, and in the environments of Codemasters' upcoming Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising. The company claims ongoing development of the Ego Engine formed part of the £40.5m ($84.3m) Codemasters invested in game design and technical development in the 12-month fiscal period to June 30, 2007, an increase of over 150 percent over the previous year. Codemasters vice president Gavin Cheshire explained, "Officially naming the Ego Engine takes our middleware from having a project title to becoming a tech brand. Developing the engine, even through its initial phases, has been lengthy and a major investment for Codemasters. Not every third-party is in a position to devote resources to such an ambitious project and stay competitive. However, at Codemasters, we've invested in the technology and the support infrastructure to ensure all titles have an impressive and competitive edge."