There has been much talk about leading platforms when it comes to game development for the PS3 and Xbox 360, and one common denominator seems to show up again and again: things seems to turn out better for everyone involved, when you start out on the PS3.

With the unveiling of the "freebie" PhyreEngine at GDC yesterday, Sony is hoping to stimulate the perfect conditions to make that the rule -- and not the exception.  So what can budding developers expect to find in the package? How about full documentation, with the complete source code and artwork for over 70 game samples (including templates)?

The engine is designed to mimic the more familiar PC environments that developers are familiar with, and will make use of both OpenGL and Direct3D. Best of all, Sony promises that all one needs to do in order to make it PS3-friendly, is to use a "simple recompile." 

Impressed yet? If not, this one should take the glaze off of your eyes: the PhyEngine, by nature, is making it easier to create games on competing consoles. In fact, it has already been done -- with DiRT and GripShift. This is an example of exactly what Sony needed to do, and something that PS3 fans have been begging for all along.

By nurturing the community and going out of their way to put the tools in the hands of developers (many of which, have publicly stated the complexity of the PS3 has been a deterrent for them), Sony has the most to gain from this announcement. Now that's putting your money where your mouth is.

[Via Joystiq]