DFK Technology

Dennoflöckel Technology (known as DFK Technology) is a Switzerland-based free and open-source software and web framework and platform for the creation of multi-platform applications and video games. DFK Technology can also act as a game engine, supporting 2D, 2.5D and 3D. When used as a framework, it

History (Work in Progress)
Miyuki Toshiro, an 18-year old Japanese college student met a Swiss programmer Josef Werner in University of Zürich in January 1992. When they get along with each other, both of them started to experiment with functions of Delta OS versions, including DX, along with its console counterparts - DeltaConsole and its successor DeltaConsole II (since they were fans of DeltaConsole). One of them was a simple application engine that could create very complex graphics. Many of their attempts to push the hardware and features used in Delta OS, DeltaDOS and DeltaConsole to their absolute limit were pretty much successful.

They have sent the experiments to HagsBurg Electronics. Tevan Hanamadski, the very main person behind Delta OS and DeltaConsole, also the current CEO of HagsBurg was suprised by the two's interesting workarounds. He replied that with a note, stating the offer for the two to be hired as programmers, as well as invitation to DeltaCON 1992 as guest to present their achievements. Miyuki and Josef at first refused the offer, since they were busy with university courses.

Their achievement later inspired the two into working on the framework toolkit, codenamed 'Karlsruher Äußerungen' in June 1992. The first prototypical version - v 0.00 was released on the internet, licensed with GNU GPL version 2 ot later, quickly gaining popularity in Zurich. The developers, who used Karlsruher were suprised at what it could do.

Version 0.99 was released on March 17 1995 for DeltaOS and DeltaConsole III. The first version of DFK Technology is fairly powerful, capable of creating software-accelorated, very complex 3D graphics that could rival Sillicon Graphics if used as a game engine and graphics visualization, as well as can be used to create several different types of software, ended up being very popular. The interest in the framework drew numerous developers to the website, as well as a large portion of the community. The community is so impressed by DFK being far ahead of its time that they added support for rival systems, for example Windows 9x, Windows CE, Windows NT, Linux and Mac OS, as well as original PlayStation, Philips CD-i and Sega Saturn.

The two later were approached by Tevan Hanamadski, he again offered Miyuki and Josef a job as programmers. Josef at first thought it wouldn't be well, Miyuki later convicted him to join him. They later accepted the offer and HagsBurg released v 1.00 of DFK Technology for several platforms.

The first DeltaConsole game contained the framework used as a game engine was Bruce Fighters, released on 19th of July 1995 in North America, 27th of August 1995 in Europe and Japan. It was praised not only for gameplay, but also the way-ahead-of-it's-time-like graphics.

Japanese developers insised of using the framework for games for various CD-based consoles, DFK Technology got very widespread in the country in matter of several months.

A version 2.00 of DFK Technology was released on 19 May 1997, providing improvements, along with support for NeXTSTEP, IRIX, BSD, Apple A/UX, Macromedia Shockwave and Macromedia Flash. It also introduced support for many programming and markup languages, such as Ximor, C#, XML, HTML, Assembly, et cetera.

Around the turn of the century, in the 2000, DFK was chosen for the "Best Game Engine" award in the 3rd annual Game Critics Awards, as well as the two creators Miyuki Toshiro and Josef Werner being induced as Gaming Hall of Fame and they were given interviews.

Since 2005, DFK Technology faced competition with .NET Framework.