Emergent has announced Gamebryo Casual, a new middlware product that will make the popular engine available to casual game developers.

With this new product, developers will get a full-featured version of Gamebryo 2.5. This version allows for development on any current platform, and according to Emergent provides a variety of casual-oriented features including a flexible geometry pipeline that will help reduce the downloadable file size of the final product. Licensing of the engine will be done using a flexible system that takes into account the budgets and timelines of individual casual developers.

Emergent CEO Geoffrey Selzer believes that Gamebryo Casual will expand the market by allowing developers with smaller budgets and schedules to create short format AAA products. He says, We see a future where short format games have the same level of graphics, interactivity and gameplay as big budget releases. To get there casual developers will need the same world-class tools and support that AAA titles can afford today.”

Emergent president Scott Johnson added, “A new company will be able to go from their first self-financed casual title to major publisher-financed AAA blockbusters using the same engine.  There is no reason developers should have to learn new tools and workflow if they go from a casual strategy on the PC to a hardcore RPG for the console.”