Amazon launches a free game engine

Amazon makes TV shows, streams music oh and delivers millions of items to people around the world. Now it makes game engines, for some reason.

The retail giant has just released Lumberyard. It's a fully featured engine which can be used to create any kind of game, all the way up to triple A first person shooters with amazing graphics - in fact its based on the CryEngine code, which already does just that. And the entire thing is totally free, with no license needed and no royalties to pay.

That's pretty incredible, and there's no major catch either. If you want to have online functionality you're encouraged to run it through Amazon's own servers but other than that, and some Twitch integration, you're good to go. The system is set up for PC and console titles right now, including specific feature sets for the Xbox One and PS4, and they'll be adding mobile development tools in the near future.

It's pretty clear that this tech has been out there for awhile with certain developers and let's be clear - you still need skills, time and patience to create the kind of work you see in the video. But the first step for many developers of the future is usually access, and with a free and open system like this, the possibilites are endless.

Get more info and download Lumberyard here.