Signature Devices Debuts Free Elemental Engine II

California-based Signature Devices debuted its open source Elemental Engine II development platform today, which it says covers features like 3D rendering, 3D audio, physics and GUI design. The engine, says Signature Devices, contains networking capabilities for online play and multiplayer tournaments that integrate into its social networking site, phatyaffle.com, where the company plans to showcase the engine and allow access for all developers who register. According to the company, the new engine features a world editor with source code, and allows for AI with hierarchical state machines and LUA scripting, and is "fully capable" of working with next-gen consoles. CEO Kenneth Hurley says, "Signature Devices has naturally felt that we needed to give back to the game development community. The Elemental Engine II received an overwhelmingly positive response at this year's Game Developers Conference and we believe it will become very popular among industry insiders."