Editing Crytek (section)

=== 1999–2004: CryEngine and ''Far Cry'' ===
[[File:VIGAMUS E3 2000 Demo Disk of Crytek Engine.jpg|thumb|The E3 2000 Crytek demo disk]]
Crytek was founded by the [[Turks in Germany|Turkish-German]] brothers [[Cevat Yerli|Cevat]], Avni and Faruk Yerli in September 1999 in [[Coburg]], Germany.<ref name="x-isle">{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2013/7/11/4503782/crytek-x-isle-redemption |title=THE STORY OF CRYTEK: FROM X-ISLE THROUGH REDEMPTION |first=Charlie |last=Hall |date=11 July 2013 |access-date=31 May 2017 |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |archive-date=22 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322003321/http://www.polygon.com/features/2013/7/11/4503782/crytek-x-isle-redemption |url-status=live }}</ref> One of their first projects was a tech demo of a game called ''X-Isle: Dinosaur Island'', which showcased their game engine technology that offered larger viewing distances than other game engines could at that time. They met with [[Nvidia]] during the 1999 [[Electronic Entertainment Expo]] (E3) where their [[tech demo]] caught the attention of Nvidia and various media groups. Crytek later signed on with Nvidia to distribute ''X-Isle'' as benchmarking software for Nvidia cards.<ref name="x-isle"/>

Crytek's first major game project was ''Engalus'', a [[first-person shooter]] with a [[cyberpunk]] theme and [[Role-playing video game|role-playing]] elements, which was first privately shown at E3 2000. The project first attracted publicity for the company at the 2000 [[European Computer Trade Show|ECTS]] with their tech demo at the Nvidia booth, but was subsequently cancelled.<ref name="engalus">{{Cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2013/2/7/3963986/cryteks-canceled-fps-was-a-cyberpunk-adventure-of-half-life-meets |title=Crytek's canceled FPS was a cyberpunk adventure of 'Half-Life meets Metal Gear Solid' |last=Corriea |first=Alexa Ray |date=7 February 2013 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |access-date=17 May 2017 |archive-date=24 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181224065508/https://www.polygon.com/2013/2/7/3963986/cryteks-canceled-fps-was-a-cyberpunk-adventure-of-half-life-meets |url-status=live }}</ref> Crytek was approached by [[Ubisoft]] to develop ''X-Isle'' into a full [[AAA (video gaming)|AAA]] game. This evolved into ''[[Far Cry (video game)|Far Cry]]'', which was released in March 2004. Concurrently, Crytek announced their licensable game engine, [[CryEngine]], that was used for ''X-Isle'' and ''Far Cry''.<ref name="x-isle" />

In February 2004, German police carried out a morning raid on Crytek offices, acting on an ex-intern's claim that Crytek was using software illegally. The police investigated for software copies greater than licences purchased, but no charges were pressed.<ref name="Crytek Raided">{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/02/05/crytek-responds-to-raid|title=Crytek Raided|date=5 February 2004|access-date=27 January 2015|archive-date=18 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218155101/http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/02/05/crytek-responds-to-raid|url-status=live}}</ref> That same month, Crytek and [[Electronic Arts]] (EA) announced a strategic partnership to develop a new gaming franchise based on the CryEngine, which would eventually be the ''[[Crysis]]'' series. Crytek chose this path to highlight that the CryEngine was not limited to just what ''Far Cry'' had shown.<ref name="x-isle" /> Due to this partnership, Ubisoft acquired the full rights to the ''Far Cry'' franchise by 2006 as well as a perpetual licence to the first CryEngine, which they have since adapted into their own Dunia Engine.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/03/30/ubisoft-acquires-rights-to-far-cry |title=UBISOFT ACQUIRES RIGHTS TO FAR CRY |first=Wade |last=Steel |date=30 March 2006 |access-date=30 May 2017 |work=[[IGN]] |archive-date=20 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320055803/http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/03/30/ubisoft-acquires-rights-to-far-cry |url-status=live }}</ref> In December 2004, Crytek and [[ATI_Technologies|ATI]] created a special cinematic [[machinima]]<ref name="Crytek and ATI Demo">{{cite web |url=http://ati.amd.com/gitg/promotions/crytek/index.html |title=Crytek and ATI Demo |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071104120026/http://ati.amd.com/gitg/promotions/crytek/index.html |archive-date=4 November 2007 }}</ref> to demonstrate the future of PC gaming.