Shiva3D: â??Torque is dead, join us at a low costâ??

The company behind game engine Shiva3D wants to pull developers away from using the Torque Engine while the rival tech’s future remains in doubt.

In what is an unequivocal example of well-timed opportunism, Stonetrip is offering its Shiva3D licence to ex-Torque developers at a considerably reduced price.

“Torque Engine is closing,” read a Stonetrip advert. “Join the Shiva3D community, it’s a smooth and painless transition process.”

Specifically, Stonetrip is offering a 50 per cent discount on the ShiVa3D Advanced Licence to existing Torque users.

“This brings the Shiva3D price down from €1499 to €749.50”, the company said.

But Stonetrip is going one step further. It will also deduct the original cost of purchasing Torque (€169) from its’ own engine – effectively ‘refunding’ devs on their Torque purchase.

The double discount means that Torque Engine users will be able to buy Shiva3D Advanced for €580.

InstantAction, the owners of the Torque Engine, collapsed last week amid financial pressures.

The Oregon-based company has been emptied of nearly 30 staff, while the Torque engine business has been put up for sale. So far no buyer has been named.

For InstantAction’s administrators, the Torque business sale couldn’t have been more unfortunately timed, as fellow engine vendor Emergent is also seeking a buyer for its popular Gamebryo engine.

“Because of the way ShiVa3D is designed, Torque engine users will find the transition to ShiVa3D a smooth and painless process, but we’ll be on hand to support developers through that process,” said Stonetrip CEO Philip Belhassen.