Microsoft has purchased Havok, a company known for creating physics-based realistic special effects in the gaming and movie industries.
The company, which was previously owned by Intel, has helped to recreate the realistic physics in top franchises like Halo, Assassins Creed, Call of Duty and Destiny.
Effectively, studios license Havok’s technology to ensure that the natural order of things is reflected in the in-game environment. So, the way things fall, land, fly and bounce, etc.
The tech was also used in The Matrix and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Troy and Kingdom of Heaven.
Microsoft says it’ll use part of Havoc’s tech to built “the most complete cloud service.”
In a blog post, the firm wrote: “
“Havok shares Microsoft’s vision for empowering people to create worlds and experiences that have never been seen before, and we look forward to sharing more of this vision in the near future.”
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Microsoft says it will continue to license out the technology to the “broad AAA games industry,” which means developers on other formats will still be able to make use of Havok’s endeavours.
A price for the acquisition has not been disclosed.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
