Electronic Arts has moved away from a fragmented approach to non-sport game development where every studio in its stable uses a different engine or toolset to create games to one where only a single game engine and toolset is used across all of the company’s internal studios. The primary benefit of doing so, is to cut down on the development time of triple-A games while simultaneously delivering cutting-edge visuals for gamers to drool over.

That engine is Frostbite 3, and was most recently seen in the amazing-looking Battlefield 4. Anyone who has seen the game in action will surely agree that the engine’s visuals, destructibility and environmental ambiance are top notch. EA’s upcoming (and gorgeous-looking) Need for Speed driving game, Rivals, that releases on the 22nd of November also uses the engine, illustrating just how versatile it can be.

Engadget has just posted a large, long and fascinating read detailing the history of the engine, looking at what EA is trying to achieve with its unified toolset strategy as well as the possible future of both the company and the games it will produce. It’s a fascinating read, and if you’re in any way interested in the gaming industry, EA and the Frostbite 3 engine specifically, it’s well worth a read.