Sun, Sep 26, 2010 | 03:03 BST
Crytek has seven studios, military contracts
Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli has said the reason the company has been able to expand so rapidly in the past few years – enough to have seven studios under its umbrella – is due to its “secretive engine business”.
First rule of Crytek: We don’t talk about the seventh studio
Speaking in an interview with Gamasutra, Yerli said the company licenses its CryEngine to more than just game developers.
“Part of [the reason for company growth] is that we have a very good secretive engine business,” he said. “We have some other contracts going on as well for some other non-game industries. From that perspective, it’s been a good, privileged position to be able to do that and also work on our own IPs.
“Working with a partner like EA also brings in funds. Our most recent game is signed up with Microsoft as well, which helps us bring in finances to develop technology and awesome games.
“Since March, we’ve been doing very well with [CryEngine 3].
“There is a whole industry in serious games, and we have a lot of contracts going on from gas and oil companies, General Electric, all the way to SOCOM.
“We have a lot of military companies working with our technology, in fact. Technologies, simulations, contract work, whatever they need and whatever they want. We have a studio for serious game development. That studio is a subsidiary of Crytek, but it’s not called Crytek. It’s studio number seven — so secret I didn’t even mention it.”
Lots of games in the pipe, but we don’t talk about them right now
Yerli goes on to say every studio has its own head of production and management team, and Crytek grew its infrastructure before it started growing in game development itself.
He also said keeping up with all the studios is easier, thanks to focusing on only one game at a time, but it can still be “a challenge to maintain quality everywhere”.
“Right now Crysis 2 is the focus, and after that another game,” he said. “We have a lot of games in the pipe, but we don’t talk about them right now.”
Crysis 2 hits the US on March 22, and Europe on March 25 for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, and it’s been called by Crytek a “choreographed sandbox” title.
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Posted in: Platform holders
Tags: cevat yerli, CRYEngine3, crysis 2, crytek
14 comments
#1
DSB
25/09/10, 10:39 pm
Crytek talks a lot.
I’ve seen lots of companies flaunt military contracts, but so far I’m yet to see any military using the “infantry simulators” they buy, for anything more than a glorified powerpoint presentation in tactics classes.
#2
jeremycafe
25/09/10, 11:25 pm
That sadly is exactly why they keep buying this kind of stuff. Every time I see a 3D viewer requirement in contracts I shake my head because there is absolutely no training benefits coming from the current uses. The government is failing pretty hard on how to incorporate “game” technology into government software.
#3
BULArmy
25/09/10, 11:28 pm
And I am very proud to be working in one of these seven
But on the oder hand it is very annoying what the bosses in Germany are doing, whit all the trash talking…
#4
LOLshock94
26/09/10, 12:10 am
stfu noo ur not ur just gay
#5
DSB
26/09/10, 12:34 am
@2 It really makes you think when it’s so hard to gather support for neccesary research projects, and the adaptation of new weapons.
I think it was a US defense secretary who once said that if you need a masterclass in wasteful spending, spend some time in the Pentagon. Sadly that goes for pretty much every other defense ministry I know of, as well.
#6
James Mac
26/09/10, 1:44 am
It’s so secret we don’t even talk about it… except for now, when I’m talking about it?
#7
Lord Gremlin
26/09/10, 11:04 am
A sign of shitty game №26: developer is talking a lot.
#8
polygem
26/09/10, 11:40 am
Ah they support oil and gas companys and the military? Wow how cool…in that case crytek can kiss my greeny prick ass from now on.
#9
Freek
26/09/10, 3:35 pm
Yeah, that was a load of nonsense, especially considering there was a demo movie with allot of the non games stuff a while back.
Saying you have a secret studio sounds cooler then actaully explaining you have a studio making a lot of training and archectual tools.
#10
G1GAHURTZ
26/09/10, 3:41 pm
“Right now Crysis 2 is the focus, and after that another game,”
Crysis 2 has 7/10 written all over it.
#11
AHA-Lambda
26/09/10, 3:45 pm
@10 – for me, yes
for overenthusiastic and impressionable reviewers? nope -_-
#12
rainer
26/09/10, 6:19 pm
VG247 left out the bit in the interview where he laughs after talking about the secret studio obviously just joking around on it’s status.
Crytek having a subsidiary is no surprise that deals with anyone who wants their tech, that sort of business has happened since the early days of the games industry.
At least they are not constantly bragging like Epic are.
#13
DSB
26/09/10, 6:25 pm
@12 They aren’t?!
#14
Neolucifer
26/09/10, 6:29 pm
lately they have been .