Earlier today, the Blender Foundation announced that the AAA game publisher Ubisoft has joined the Blender Foundation’s Development Fund, which is good news for the company and everyone who uses its product, Blender.
If you never heard of Blender, it is an open-source computer graphics software tool that lets users develop 3D models, visual effects, and even produce animated films. The program also comes with its own game engine, simply known as the Blender Game Engine, which allows developers to create their own games from scratch. Best of all, Blender is free, but individual users can help fund the program’s ongoing development by joining the Blender Foundation’s Development Fund.
According to the Blender Foundation, Ubisoft is now a corporate Gold member of the Development Fund, which means the company will provide Blender 30,000 Euros (approximately $33,650) a year. However, Ubisoft will go one step further and utilize Blender for future Ubisoft Animation Studio projects, as well as provide developers to help work on Blender’s ongoing open source titles. While the announcement doesn’t list any specific projects, Blender already has a sizable library of upcoming movies and games, such as Agent 327: Operation Barbershop and Yo Frankie!
“Blender was for us an obvious choice,” stated Head of Production at Ubisoft Animation Studio Pierrot Jacquet. “Its strong and engaged community paired up with the vision carried by the Blender Foundation makes it one of the most creative DCC on the market.” Blender founder Ton Roosendaal mirrored Jacquet’s positivity.
“Good news keeps coming,” explained Roosendaal. “It’s such a miracle to witness the industry jumping on board with us! I’ve always admired Ubisoft, as one of the leading games and media producers in the world. I look forward to work with them and help them finding their ways as a contributor to our open source projects on blender.org.”
Only time will tell what becomes of this partnership between Ubisoft and Blender.
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