GarageGames will make its engine, Torque 3D, available for free with an open source license in a few weeks, as part of the company's efforts to realign its goals.

The engine will be released to Github under the MIT free software license, offering Torque 3D 1.2's complete source code and four starting templates. GarageGames' Dave Wyand will lead open source development and oversee future updates.

The complete Torque 3D 1.2 source code, along with the four starting templates, will be included in the GitHub repository. A separate repository for reference documentation will be set up. Other items, such as the FPS Tutorial template, will be part of a separate download to help keep the main repository to a manageable size. There are other, closed source components of Torque 3D that I would like to open up following our launch.

Following the launch of Torque 3D on GitHub, GarageGames is going to tackle performance and bugs, further separation of core from other layers and additional platforms (OSX and Linux).

Developers that purchased the engine since the beginning of the month will receive a refund.

Sources:
http://gamasutra.com/view/news/177431 ...
http://www.garagegames.com/community/blogs/view/... (1)
http://www.garagegames.com/community/blogs/view/... (2)

Well, they failed to re laucnh Torque 3D.
I think Unity 3D , even free version (with lot of games plublished on Apple Store also), make that people didn't taken on Torque 3D.
The prgramming side of Torque 3D in c++ is awfully complicated when i digged in some code, and with some bunch of bugs as some people said !

I'm not sure this license will make things change.
People will continue to follow Unity and it's 3D mobile solution, even on free version.
It has unbeaten number of plugins also could it be for some RPG, 2D game etc ... for beginners or 3D artists.

Well , it's not some flame war, but it just shows, their sales have not been great, and some concurrent popular 3D engine is prooven and have lot more features now.

And their selling strategy have changed :
. You are now one of the best of a much, much, larger community. There will be more people to sell add-ons, training, support, and services to.

But their are some few big projects like some interesting MMO, but somewhat classic ...

For people wanting to make some FPS , racing game, or free MMO, it could be a solution indeed, specially with their complete Terrain/lightmapping/Lightening/shaders solution

Good luck to them (i pass my turn, but perhaps i will test it if we can find a binary version, and if script is not too complicated).

another engine to try
C++ is not definitely complicated if the access of engine functions is well structured and user friendly enough.
as I remember last year I tested its pacific or island demo, and was very slow even with lowered settings...

Yes, this is not a big optimised engine perhaps !
I don't know if their demo used LOD, Distance display for shadows and shaders etc ... ?

Anyway, it will be free and i'll test the workflow to see if i can put 3D objects and apply shaders and textures as easy as in some others firiendly 3D engines ?