Iranian Developers Forced to Rely on Open Source Software

[cobrausn]

If it's really open source, as in uses anything with the GPL, there is no commercial viability for the project - because the project is stuck using the GPL.

If by 'open source' they meant LGPL, then it has a chance.

And I would like to point out that Unreal recently went open source. And all the work that went into current generation engines is out there on the internet (for most of it).

So really, what are they stuck with? Pretty much the same thing as most indie developers.

 

[Nalgas D. Lemur]

I'm also intrigued by the setting. Mythology is cool, and I honestly can't think of a single game that used Persian mythology for anything more than a place to steal a couple of names from.

The themes of the most recent Prince of Persia were at least vaguely Zoroastrian, (slightly) more than just in name, but yeah, there's a really long history of Persian stuff from the past few thousand years, both fictional and non, that's been largely ignored.

Maybe we'll get some good new ideas for game settings and play styles now that more things are starting to come out of places not really traditionally associated with game development. Zeno Clash was put together by a few guys in Chile, and it was definitely unique and interesting. Hopefully we'll keep seeing more of this.

 

[menhir]

Prince of Persia, amirite guys? Looks like an Xbox game, but in spite of that the environments are pretty nice. This is like the uplifting version of the Limbo of the Lost story.

I was interested enough to read their blog and apparently they are using famous open source applications like Visual C++, PhysX and DirectX. Hmm.

Lol. I guess someone is a little confused on the meaning of 'open source'.

Visual C++ and the DirectX SDK can be had for free though, but they're not open source. PhysX on the other hand...

PhysX is free.

 

[Kollega]

To be honest I am surprised the Ayatollah is cool with this.

I'm not sure he is. Maybe he just didn't hear. To make a game without modern development tools and in such a conservative society is about as determined as you can get. I want them to succeed in that.

 

[tkioz]

Good on them I say.

 

[mooseodeath]

PhysX is free.

it's as free as unreal 3 is...ie if you stand snowballs chance in hell of making good money you will owe a shit tonne of cash to all the freebie software distributors you just used.

udk is free...until you get a publisher at which time you owe epic 25%
blender is free unless your a company that makes more than 100,000 P.A then it's licenseable. in this example if a publisher gave them 100,000 to help make the game they would have to license blender or switch modelling APP.

read the fine print in those eula's before ever deciding on technology. they are not as free as they lead people to believe.

i do however commend them on attempting to defeat the odds and make a playable game on self tuition. as a self taught modeller i know how hard it is to get somewhere...and i had access to online tut's. i do however use high end software. slumming it with blender, truespace, gimp etc would be a nightmare

 

[heyheysg]

Ubisoft opens new studio in Iran, it's called Ubisoft Persia

 

[Steve the Pocket]

So the game's website says the game is projected to be released in "fall 2009." Black Mesa at least remembered to update their site when the release got delayed, but as with that game I can't help but worry. Especially since, as samsonguy suggested, they may have run into legal issues keeping them from ever releasing the game.

 

[James B Hamster]

I'm also wondering how the U.S. will respond to this game hitting shores Stateside. Sure, it's a pretty low-key offering in and of itself, but combine "the looming threat of Iran" with "the looming threat of video games" and you've got a media brouhaha in the making.

I can see the headlines now: "Iranian Murder Simulation Propaganda Due to Corrupt Children Nationwide August 16".

...I'm getting some popcorn for this.

 

[mohsen_ir65]

For their name alone, they should be given infinite money.

FANAFZAR!

It just has such a ring to it.

Im a Persian and I know what it means.FanAfzar means Technical Tool.Fan means Technique and Afzar means Tool.when we say FanAfzar,it means Technical Tool I think.

And I should inform you that we are under brutal sanctions that the U.S and its allies use against us.They prevent us to access some technologies about games and other Fileds.So I know in this goddamn situation,it is so difficult for Iranians to create such a nice game.But as you can see we can reach whatever we want.this is their first game, to be honest, its a pretty good game and it was done by 20 people only.

 

[mohsen_ir65]

http://gamepolitics.com/2010/03/22/iranian-game-developer-prepares-launch-title
http://www.garshasp.com/
http://dev.garshasp.ir/blog/
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/gc-09-garshasp/55801
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/gc-09-garshasp/55799