GDC08: Square Enix unveils Crystal Tools engine

by Andrew Yoon { Feb 22nd 2008 at 4:45PM }

Note: Image not representative of engine. Once again, Square Enix refuses to let us take photographs from their sessions. Sorry.

Square Enix's Taku Murata of the GM, Research and Development Division spoke to a completely packed audience at GDC this year. In a session entitled "The Technology of Final Fantasy," Murata explained the new technical direction of the company for the new generation of gaming platforms. "This is the first time Square Enix has made a technology platform that could be used across the entire company."

The platforms being targeted are PS3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC, although he noted that "some of our technologies support Wii. It's not 100% yet, so that's why I didn't put it up [on the slide] yet." He noted that in the past, Square Enix has made games specifically for one platform. However, that's not what they're interested in pursuing in the future. "In the past that approach, that worked and at the time I believe that was the right approach."

In 2004, the company wanted to a "common 3D data format" to work on. This decision occurred as hardware manufacturers started offering new details on the current generation of hardware. Square's Research and Development Division was established on September 2006, and they announced an engine, then nicknamed "White Engine." At GDC, Murata unveiled its official new name: Crystal Tools, which reached version 1.0 on September 2007. (Internally, the team is working with v.1.1 of the tools.)

The development team requested extensive use of character close-ups and stylized expressions. Visuals are of the upmost importance for Square Enix. "When you look at the screen, it should look cool, or you should feel good."

Currently, the Crystal Tools engine is being used for Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, and a new MMORPG . Unfortunately, no other details could be provided for any of these three projects. When asked if the engine would be made available for other companies to use, Murata noted that there simply isn't enough documentation to properly support a public release. Perhaps in the future, Square Enix will be able to support a public release of the tools in the future.

Tags: breakingnews, crystal-tools, gdc08, square-enix, taku-murata

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

zombie @ Feb 22nd 2008 4:47PM

FFXIII on 360 CONFIRMED!

umm....hello??? @ Feb 22nd 2008 4:52PM

you took the words right out of my mouth....why did I buy a PS3 again?? oh yeah...I guess I can look forward to MTS4, RFoM2, and LBP....

Bluebrake @ Feb 22nd 2008 5:17PM

I'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic.

RPGJock @ Feb 22nd 2008 5:51PM

Like I said before, you will see FF XIII on the 360 if "The Last Remnant" and "Infinite Undiscovery" sells well on the system first worldwide. Probably a timed exclusive.

upz @ Feb 22nd 2008 7:13PM

Hmm... I feel like we've dance this exact same dance before...

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/854/854309p1.html
Second to last paragraph.

umm....hello??? @ Feb 22nd 2008 9:50PM

@BlueBrake

I know....I was just rolling with it. FFXIII was one of my primary reasons for acquiring a PS3....being able to play my PS2 games was another one (still working on FFXII).

hvnlysoldr @ Feb 23rd 2008 12:40AM

Dark Crystal rules. I'd + you if you weren't already full.

koehler83 @ Feb 22nd 2008 5:00PM

This was seriously the ONLY thing in GDC I was looking forward to.. And apparently for absolutely nothing.

I have seriously lost alot of faith in SE as of late. Final Fantasy XI has fallen completely apart. There hasnt been an FF released in JAPAN for over 2 and a half years.. There is no sign of one on the horizon.

Their "Engine" is apparently so useless they cant even show it doing a Hello World..

Wow... I honestly dont know about their potential in this generation. I really dont.

Bluebrake @ Feb 22nd 2008 5:16PM

Well, Square isn't the same company it was 10 years ago, that's for sure. But the main FF series really hasn't faltered quality-wise, even if the space between releases has gotten a little ridiculous. (If FFXIII is really pushed back to 2010, then yeah, SE is pretty much a non-player this generation. Which is insane.) And it sounds like this presentation didn't deliver much of anything.

What makes you say FFXI has fallen apart, by the way? I find it's much more common to hear from people who hated it for what it began as, not what it evolved into. I stopped playing just before the last expansion, but I really had very few complaints about the state of the game. I just felt like I'd seen it all.

NATO_Duke @ Feb 22nd 2008 5:38PM

Be patient - I am working on my "Dark Crystal" engine that will harnesses the forces of nature, especially the light of the three suns, for the benefit of all on Thra. You'll love it.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:49PM

Uh, quality of FF games has sucked since 10. 10 sucked, 10-2 sucked, 11 is an MMO, 12 would have been great but the main character was a moron, which was the same problem 10 had.

I do not have high hopes for 13. I'm expecting really nice FMV, and crappy gameplay.

Bluebrake @ Feb 22nd 2008 7:03PM

X was widely regarded as excellent, and XII was the best entry in the series since VII (and the very best gameplay-wise). Its style wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but by no stretch did it suck. It masterfully executed exactly what it was trying to do.

Conda @ Feb 22nd 2008 9:14PM

"There hasnt been an FF released in JAPAN for over 2 and a half years.."

they just got FF4 DS, and Crisis Core...

RoboChamp @ Feb 22nd 2008 5:11PM

In before "LOLlL!f OMFG!!R FF13 CONFoRMED FoR 360!!!!"

....

Shit.

Fernando Rocker @ Feb 22nd 2008 5:12PM

White Engine coming to the Wii =)

http://kotaku.com/359811/square+enix-rechristens-white-engine-plans-to-bring-it-to-wii

Source engine coming to the Wii too, and I'm waiting to see game footage of the Factor 5 engine too =)

JayVe @ Feb 22nd 2008 5:45PM

The Wii has too big of an install base to overlook.

HighFiveJesus @ Feb 22nd 2008 5:40PM

Alright, chill out. Sarcasm aside, this is an expansion of what they were talking about earlier. Square makes more games than just Final Fantasy ones, thats what this pertains to. Multiplatform new projects.

So if anyone says peep about a non exclusive Final Fantasy 13, i will punch you in the face!

Henry E. @ Feb 22nd 2008 8:37PM

I agree with you. The 360 is only strong in North America. Not only that, the engine can be use for other square-enix games which can become multi but as for FFXIII, it's ps3. It gets really annoying how xbot fanboys jump at every sony exclusive and keeps claiming it's coming for 360. I don't really see sony fanboys jumping at every single 360 exclusive and make up rumors about it coming to ps3. Seriously, if you want MGS 4 and FFXIII, just buy a ps3.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Feb 22nd 2008 9:38PM

Umm, no. The 360 is stong EVERYWHERE, except japan. Its only UNCHALLENGED in America, but its strong everywhere but Japan.

Josh @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:30PM

That's a lot of words just to say "Final Fantasy isn't a Sony exclusive anymore."

Leonhart @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:48PM

Read the article at ign.com. it explicitly states that the trailer said ffxiii is a ps3 exclusive. sometimes i think joystiq leaves this stuff out of the articles just to start flame wars

Bluebrake @ Feb 22nd 2008 7:00PM

Joystiq shouldn't have to anticipate every ridiculous conclusion that every moron will jump to. It's been known for over a year that the White Engine was multiplatform, and that the FFXIII Chrysalis Novalis-blah-blah-blah series (but not FFXIII itself) would be spread across all consoles.

The only new information here is the possible support for Wii and the new name for the engine.