Ryzom is a commercial Sci-Fi MMORPG, developed exclusively for Windows by Winch Gate.
Well, it was, anyway. The Free Software Foundation talked them into releasing the source code for both the client *and* the server, under the GNU Aferro GPL v3 (Which, in layman’s term’s means that projects that use and modify Ryzom source code will be required to share those improvements with others.), as well as all their art and character models under the CC-BY-SA license. The only things they’re not releasing are audio assets (Due to the unknown copyright nature), as well as the level and world data (their storyline).
Now Ryzom will also be available for Linux and Macs. The code (Developed in c++) is fully available to study and use. Over Two-Million lines of code, and over 20,000 high quality textures, and thousands of 3D game objects
Now, you might be wondering what Ryzom has anything to do with the K3RNEL Project?
Well, it just proved that commercial projects *can* be Free and Open Sourced Software, and we just got us one hell of a competitor in the area.
One problem though… to create world data you still need a proprietary program. I guess work is being done to create tools for the Free Software program Blender. Until then the K3rnel project has got time to catch up.
Sure, sure.
They released all the code they created (Client, Server and Tools)
They don’t profit from using propietary tools, and who knows? Maybe now that they’re Open, they’ll either make something to replace that, or enhance Blender or similar to generate the world data needed.
I’m not basing the K3RNEL Code on Ryzom. The news there was the release of the code for a propietary game.
hm… that kinda sucked.