Havok 6.5 includes dramatic extensions to in-game software and production tools that deliver un-paralleled cutting-edge physics, destructible environments, and dynamic character behaviors with simulated clothing. Havok 6.5 also now includes the company’s AI technology that leads the pack in helping non-player game characters intelligently navigate dynamic environments. With Havok 6.5, game developers will see significant value immediately, starting with dramatically increased productivity and improved performance. The end result is an unrivaled, high-quality overall gameplay experience for games incorporating Havok.
Havok 6.5 is already being integrated into triple-A games from some of the best game developers around the world who find Havok’s tools and services critical to their game development process.
"As a part of our long-standing partnership with Havok, nine out of our ten internal studios, including Relic, Rainbow and Volition, are actively using Havok Physics and other Havok products in development today," said Roy Tessler, THQ's senior vice president, production and worldwide studios.
Tessler added, "We have found unique value in Havok's cross-platform physics solution, and in Havok's industry-leading support, especially in critical franchises like Saint's Row, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, Red Faction, Smackdown vs. Raw, and UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships). Given our confidence and success working with Havok over the years, we are expanding our use of Havok products in seven new multi-platform titles slated for development over the course of the next two years."
Havok 6.5 also offers developers a flexible, component-based structure that allows artists, designers, and game programmers to integrate the specific Havok components they need, taking advantage of Havok’s industry-leading support and unprecedented tool and SDK source code access.
“It is Havok’s platform-agnostic approach, high-quality product and dedication to our customers that has driven Havok-powered console games to outsell those using our competitor’s products by a staggering 6 to 1 ratio in the US market,” said David O’Meara, Managing Director of Havok. “With the introduction of Havok 6.5, our cross-platform software and tools will continue to positively impact the overall quality and performance of the games featuring our technologies.”
Havok’s product lineup for the 2009 Game Developer’s Conference includes the following:
Havok AI™
Havok AI is the newest addition to Havok’s product line, delivering unprecedented pathfinding and advanced character interaction within highly dynamic game environments. Now available to developers, Havok AI is part of Havok 6.5 and future versions moving forward.
Havok Animation™
Havok Animation is a fast, flexible animation SDK that provides a rich set of general purpose animation blending, inverse kinematics, and real-time mirroring and mapping capabilities for game characters. Havok Animation offers out-of-the-box integration with all Havok products and incorporates easily into existing game engines.
Havok Behavior™
Havok Behavior is a platform-optimized run-time SDK and toolset for developing dynamic character behaviors in a game. The Havok Behavior tool provides content management, fast prototyping, and final production of highly-interactive characters that can sense and react to their environment and to each other. The innovative composition tool provides an intuitive, yet powerful common-ground for artists, designers and game programmers to design and build cutting-edge characters that perform in the tool the way they will behave in the game.
Havok Cloth™
Havok Cloth is a platform-optimized run-time SDK and toolset that significantly increases the realism of game characters and environments by enabling character designers to add realistic, physically-based drape and motion to garments, environmental objects and other deformable items like hair, bellies or tails.
Havok Destruction™
Havok Destruction is the cross-platform tool for the simulation of rigid body destruction. In addition to drastically reducing the production time and cost of creating large numbers of realistic destructible game objects, Havok Destruction provides more realism to structural mechanics, graphical effects and level design for a new gameplay experience.
Havok Physics™
Based upon the award winning Havok Physics 2 SDK, the recently-released Continuous Physics™ is an innovative technology that adds an extra level of integrity to games and frees up production time by eliminating design limitations that stem from high-velocity game objects. Havok Physics also incorporates robust memory optimizations crucial for simulating physics in complex game environments on next-generation platforms.
Havok Content Tools™
Havok Content Tools provide a broad set of 3D content preparation features that allow artists and technicians to take dynamic character, object, and game level content directly into the game from their favorite modeler. Havok Content Tools integrate directly within the most popular versions of Autodesk® 3ds Max®, Maya®, and XSI® and deliver game-ready content to all Havok SDK products and production tools. Havok Content Tools preview and filtering tools may be used directly within a chosen modeler or in stand-alone form. Comprehensive source to SDK and plug-ins, as well as a common plug-in SDK for developing proprietary filters, allow Havok Content Tools to be customized and integrated directly into any content processing pipeline.
Havok Public Download
With over 40,000 registered downloads to date, Havok has also released an updated version of the Intel-sponsored public download of Havok game technologies and tools for the PC. Available now, the new update features Havok 6.5, which includes Havok Physics, Havok Animation, Havok Content Tools and the Havok Behavior Tool. Please go to www.havok.com for more information.
About Havok
Havok, an Intel company, was founded in Dublin, Ireland in 1998, and is the premier provider of interactive software and services for digital media creators in the games and movie industries. Havok works in partnership with the world’s best known game developers, including: Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft and Pandemic Studios. Havok’s cross-platform, professionally supported technology is available for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®2, PSP®, Wii™, and PC Games for Windows. Havok’s combination of superior technology and dedication to delivering for its customers has led to the company’s technology being used in more than 200 of the world’s best known game titles, including: BioShock, Halo 3, and Age of Empires III. Havok products have been used to drive special effects in movies such as Quantum of Solace, Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix, and The Matrix. Havok has offices in Dublin, San Francisco, San Antonio, Calcutta, Munich, and Tokyo. For more information on Havok, visit www.havok.com.
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