As we enter the new console generation, engines have been as much a part of the conversation as the games they power.

Electronic Arts has Frostbite 3 and Ignite. Ubisoft has Anvil Next, Disrupt, and the UbiArt Framework. Epic is readying Unreal Engine 4. A new company, Oxide Games, has been founded, and it’s working on something to compete with all of those.

Oxide Games was founded by a team of industry veterans. They are:

• Brad Wardell, CEO of Stardock
• Dan Baker, Civilization V DirectX 11 engine designer
• Marc Meyer, Civilization V UI designer
• Brian Wade, Civilization V lead developer
• Tim Kipp, Civilization V 3D engine architect and systems lead

The new 64-bit engine, Nitrous, is being designed for multi-core processors. It is intended for use on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Stardock, which provided the seed funding for Oxide Games, is currently developing titles to run on the engine, and the team is working with Nvidia, AMD, and Intel to maximize compatibility.