Binary Announcement and Release
by Brett Seyler · 12/01/2009 (2:18 pm) · 203 comments
Good afternoon Torque people! It's my pleasure to share some exciting news with all of you this Monday. As I alluded to in my previous blog, we've mulled over a lower-tier licensing option for Torque 3D long enough. It's time.
"Torque 3D" is now available for licensing. A full-featured, binary-only version of Torque 3D Professional, it can be licensed for just $250 / seat. With Torque 3D then, the following options are available:
Torque 3D Professional - $1000 / seat
Torque 3D - $250 / seat
Of course, we also have a full-featured, binary only demo which you can download and use for FREE as long as you want. But we have one more surprise for you...
For the month of December, you can license Torque 3D at a $150 discount. For the next 31 days, it's $100 / seat!
I hope you all feel like this is a good solution for an high-quality introduction to Torque for developers who aren't ready to pay for the full cost of a Professional license. We looked at a lot of options, and we feel like this is the most straightforward way for us to give developers what they are looking for. There are no strings, no royalties, no catches or gimmicks. If you have $100 (in December), you can start using Torque 3D to make games now. If you have another $750, you can upgrade to a Professional license and have full access to Torque 3D source code and first access to alpha and beta features. Again, the latter is just the beginning in the way of Pro perks, but source access to a the best terrain, networking and rendering technology this side of $1M is a pretty nice perk in and of itself.
Here's a quick peek at what people are doing right now (shameless eye candy plug):
Fantastic work in Torque 3D by Alan James
Pre-emptive Q&A
Q. Is there a feature delta between Torque 3D and Torque 3D Professional?A. With the exception of source code, not at all.
Q. Is the Torque 3D (binary) license for commercial use?
A. Absolutely. It's the same as the Professional license. Use it make as many games as you like. One simple fee. No royalties.
Q. What about upgrade paths?
A. Legacy Torque license holders (TGE / TGEA) cannot apply their investment to Torque 3D, but we will continue to allow that investment to applied to a Professional license. If an individual owns both a legacy license (e.g. "TGE" for $150), and they purchase Torque 3D, they may apply the greater of the two discounts to a Torque 3D Professional license.
Q. If I pay $100 for Torque 3D this month, do I get a $100 or a $250 discount on a Professional license?
A. $250.
I'm happy to answer any other questions in the comments and I'll update the Q&A with good ones as we go.
Torque 3D development blogs:
- Post #1 - Kickoff
- Post #2 - Apparatus and Warrior Camp
- Post #3 - Luma's racing kit
- Post #4 - Josh Engebretson and Web Publishing
- Post #5 - Pricing and Licensing
- Post #6 - Pricing and Licensing CONTINUED
- Post #7 - Wetness & Precipitation
- Post #8 - Screeen Space Ambient Occlusion (SSAO)
- Post #9 - Matt Langley and the Torque Launcher
- Post #10 - Chris Robertson and Collada
- Post #11 - Depth of Field
- Post #12 - Advanced Lighting
- Post #13 - Soft Particles
- Post #14 - World Editor
- Post #15 - Pricing and Licensing ANNOUNCED!
- Post #16 - GDC Live Edition
- Post #17 - River & Road Editors
- Post #18 - Beta is UP!
- Post #19 - Light Rays, Undercity, and the Material Editor
- Post #20 - Mass Market Hardware
- Post #21 - Beta: Part Deux
- Post #22 - Marching Towards Beta 3
- Post #23 - pureLIGHT
- Post #24 - Lighting, Terrain, and Cloth
- Post #25 - Beta 3!
- Post #26 - Documentation
- Post #27 - Beta 4!
- Post #28 - Shape Editor
- Post #29 - Beta 5!
- Post #30 - Collada Import GUI Dialog
- Post #31 - 1.0 Release!!!
- Post #32 - The only good bug...
- Post #33 - 1.1 Alpha!
- Post #34 - Binary Announcement and Release
- Post #35 - Coming Soon!
About the author
Since 2007, I've done my best to steer Torque's development and brand toward the best opportunities in games middleware.
#22
12/01/2009 (4:00 pm)
Checkmate! Great move guys. 
#24
Hmm...have you guys created a Linux-friendly version of Torque yet?
12/01/2009 (4:06 pm)
It's been months since I last logged into this site...Hmm...have you guys created a Linux-friendly version of Torque yet?
#25
12/01/2009 (4:06 pm)
Yes you get all the editors. As Brett mentioned the only feature difference is the source code. 
#26
A. Binary-only at $100 (thru December)
B. Pro license with source at $705 ($295 discount for legacy license holders)
What if I choose option A and then decide I want to upgrade to Pro?
Is it $100 for option A plus $705 for the upgrade (for a total of $805)? Is any portion of the $100 applicable to the subsequent upgrade?
I've been putting off a Torque 3D purchase because I don't have a 3D game project planned at the moment...but at the right price...I'd bite.
I'd (obviously) prefer the source code...but I certainly don't NEED it (and, therefore, can't justify the cost) right now.
There's always the binary demo version...but I love "owning" stuff. =P
Killer move, though!
--RB
12/01/2009 (4:14 pm)
I am a TGE & TGEA license holder. Currently my Torque 3D options appear to be:A. Binary-only at $100 (thru December)
B. Pro license with source at $705 ($295 discount for legacy license holders)
What if I choose option A and then decide I want to upgrade to Pro?
Is it $100 for option A plus $705 for the upgrade (for a total of $805)? Is any portion of the $100 applicable to the subsequent upgrade?
I've been putting off a Torque 3D purchase because I don't have a 3D game project planned at the moment...but at the right price...I'd bite.
I'd (obviously) prefer the source code...but I certainly don't NEED it (and, therefore, can't justify the cost) right now.
There's always the binary demo version...but I love "owning" stuff. =P
Killer move, though!
--RB
#27
12/01/2009 (4:41 pm)
Just as a bit of clarification as I am sure some people are curious. If Jeff was to release a compiled version of AFX would he be allowed to do that and those who have the binary/artist version of T3D be able to use that in replacement of the GG provided binary or is that going to require a full Pro license? Or is it going to be a case by case thing that you work out with 3rd party vendors? This has a lot of pleasant ramifications for the T3D port of the MMO KIT I am working on as long as there is a pathway for a binary release for licensed T3D owners. 
#28
The real sticking point is when you want to say use AFX with Verve but don't have T3D Professional.
Awesome announcement Brett!
12/01/2009 (4:44 pm)
I released a binary with the Platformer Kit. GG promote the idea, or have done in the past.The real sticking point is when you want to say use AFX with Verve but don't have T3D Professional.
Awesome announcement Brett!
#29
12/01/2009 (4:58 pm)
GGs do it again !!! Very, very cool ! 8) 
#30
12/01/2009 (5:15 pm)
I hope this gets alot of bites. 
#31
12/01/2009 (5:27 pm)
Very nice indeed! I guess the binary version opens the door to the T3D private forums as well? 
#32
12/01/2009 (5:31 pm)
This is Awesome. Time to get a cpl artists licenses :)
#33
12/01/2009 (6:08 pm)
Of more concern to me and alot of others is weather or not I can compile my changes into a binary using my pro license and distribute that binary to the artist on my team that have the binary license. If this is the case then Technically then we only need the main license for add-ons. That is if I am reading into the whole binary license thing correctly. 
#34
12/01/2009 (6:11 pm)
a quick question just out of curiosity, does a binary purchase grant access to the T3D private forums?
#35
Professional is obviously for folks that intend to add bells and whistles like custom code for Artificial Inteligence, Character Pathing maybe, or even something like Arcane FX.. generally anything that requires engine changes, or anyone serious about building a game from the ground up without limitation.
At 100 dollars for Binary version of T3D .. thats a steal.
12/01/2009 (7:07 pm)
Binary release for 100 is fine for folks like Artists, Students, Scriptors.Professional is obviously for folks that intend to add bells and whistles like custom code for Artificial Inteligence, Character Pathing maybe, or even something like Arcane FX.. generally anything that requires engine changes, or anyone serious about building a game from the ground up without limitation.
At 100 dollars for Binary version of T3D .. thats a steal.
#36
12/01/2009 (7:36 pm)
Great news! 
#38
12/01/2009 (7:47 pm)
I'm sure you guys are on this but ... just in case you missed it - the Binary vs Pro? link on the T3D product page takes you to licensing which doesn't mention the Binary version, just Pro and Studio. 
#39
The greater discount will be applied to your upgrade to pro. So with the Torque 3D license, you will get $250 towards pro. But if you also have a TGEA license, you get $295 instead of $250 since it is the greater discount. On the other hand, if you had TGE and not TGEA, you would get the $250 discount for Torque 3D rather than the $150 TGE discount.
So whichever license you have that garners the biggest discount... = WIN!
12/01/2009 (8:00 pm)
@RonThe greater discount will be applied to your upgrade to pro. So with the Torque 3D license, you will get $250 towards pro. But if you also have a TGEA license, you get $295 instead of $250 since it is the greater discount. On the other hand, if you had TGE and not TGEA, you would get the $250 discount for Torque 3D rather than the $150 TGE discount.
So whichever license you have that garners the biggest discount... = WIN!
#40
Last time I checked there was no built in melee systems, which blows, hack and slash and dungeon crawlers out of there. And I know in TGE/A you couldn't add new animations for movements that are not added through source, is this different in T3D?
12/01/2009 (8:10 pm)
Quote:You could make an RTS, racer, FPS, hack & slash, dungeon crawler, and quite a few other game types without source access. You just need to learn TorqueScript and thoroughly learn the editors.
Last time I checked there was no built in melee systems, which blows, hack and slash and dungeon crawlers out of there. And I know in TGE/A you couldn't add new animations for movements that are not added through source, is this different in T3D?
James Hoffman