TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICES:TOOLS PROVIDER Hansoft Autodesk
With the last 16 winners of the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects using Autodesk software, the company has a rich history of entertainment clients. In games, the latest development was acquiring technology- related assets and staff from middleware firm Grip, including the Grip Character Control System AI Tool and the Grip Digital Extra System, a feature that helps users to manage large amounts of NPCs.
Epic Games
This developer of both games and cross-platform game engine technology scored a number of hits last year through its own titles – but as a tools provider its links to the industry have been strengthened on many levels. It continues to work with and foster amateur and indie talent using Unreal, and week-after- week, new games using UE3 roll out. Then there’s UE4, which many are looking to for next-gen guidance…
Firelight Technologies
The company behind the popular FMOD Designer has introduced the FMOD Studio, a piece of kit compatible with all platforms which includes new features such as multi-track editor, mixer deck and a profiling and audio capture interface. Users can also enjoy the addition of a new live in- game audio composer that allows users to add, edit and mix music in real time without the need to rebuild scenarios.
Hansoft has created new features based around direct feedback and discussions with developers. The indie community specifically has welcomed with open arms the recently launched Hansoft 6.7 featuring readymade JIRA integration as well as the ‘free for up to nine users’ Start Up Licence.
Unity Technologies
With over a quarter of a million new developers choosing to install the Unity engine in the last three months, Unity has seen the number of total registered developers rise above the one million mark. 2011 also saw the company extend support to the increasing number of Asian developers on its platform.
Havok
Now both an engine and middleware company, Havok worked on some of last year’s biggest, award-winning titles, including Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, Assassin’s Creed: Revelation and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Alongside supporting the big budget titles, the tech firm also continues to support small development teams through its Havok Strike Program.
NaturalMotion
Last October saw the company launch Morpheme 3.5, a tool that took a weight off animators’ shoulders by allowing the CPU to take care of all real time run- time retargeting. NM says that this played a huge part in enjoying the largest sales growth for Morpheme to date.
RAD Game Tools
RAD has continued to enhance its array of development tools and, to date, the company has featured in over 15,000 titles. Alongside a new Bink codec that is faster than MP3 or Ogg, RAD has also excited developers with Miles v9.0, an upgraded version of a sound system that has been used by over 5,000 games since its birth in 1991.
Xaitment
This year has seen Xaitment bring its console-standard AI into mobile platforms with xaitControl for Unity, the programme that simplifies the creation of realistic character behaviours and game logic arrives on iOS, Android and the Unity Web Player. Cementing this expansion is the arrival of the xaitMap for Unity, too.