Intel in Havok

Mike Bantick
Tuesday, 18 September 2007 08:23

IT Industry - Market

Chip giant Intel has forked out a reported US$21 million for Irish developer Havok.  Havok provide the physics technology behind games such as BioShock and Halo 3.

Physics engine Havok is powering some of the big name games going around now.

Half Life 2, BioShock, Stranglehold, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Crackdown, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, MotorStorm, as well the about to be released Halo 3 all use the Havok Physics engine.

"Havok is a proven leader in physics technology for gaming and digital content, and will become a key element of Intel's visual computing and graphics efforts," said Renee James, an Intel vice president and general manager of its Software and Solutions Group, in a statement.

The Dublin based Havok have been working on game-physics middleware for some nine years now, and have been developing digital effects for both games and movies such Troy, Poseidon and The Matrix using the Havok engine.