Havok Technologies Powering Wii U

WiiU

by Alex Culafi - March 7, 2012, 4:50 pm EST
Total comments: 6 Source: (Press Release)

The middleware developer will help power Nintendo's upcoming console.

Nintendo has licensed Havok Technologies middleware (services provided to software development beyond the operating system) for use on the Wii U.

With the licensing agreement, Wii U software developers will gain access to Havoks Physics and Animation technologies, previously used in the Assassins Creed franchise, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and L.A. Noire.

This week also saw the announcement of a similar licensing agreement between Nintendo and Autodesk, Inc. over Autodesk Gameware technologies.

PRESS RELEASE

Havok Enters Agreement with Nintendo to Offer Havok Physics and Havok Animation Technologies to Wii U Developers Worldwide

SAN FRANCISCO – March 6, 2012 – Havok™, a premier provider of interactive software solutions for the games and entertainmentindustry, announced today that it has entered into a worldwide licenseagreement with Nintendo Co., Ltd., to make Havok Physics and HavokAnimation available to studios around the world developing onNintendo’s Wii U™ platform. The agreement will give the developmentcommunity access to the Havok technology to create high-fidelity,immersive games.

“We are very excited to be at the forefront of the new platform,” saidDavid Coghlan, Managing Director of Havok. “We are honored to beproviding Havok technology to Wii U developers in order to creategreat games in all genres. Gamers around the world expecthigh-fidelity realism and want to immerse themselves into new gamingexperiences. This license agreement will give game developerseverywhere easy access to Havok’s industry-leading technology. We aresure this license agreement will result in the creation of greatinteractive experiences for consumers on the Wii U platform!”

Talkback

EnnerMarch 07, 2012

Ah, delicious middleware.

Correct me if I'm wrong, doesn't Super Smash Bros. Brawl use Havok stuff? I recall seeing the logo somewhere in Brawl's credits or titles.

NemoMarch 07, 2012

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havok_%28software%29

It was used in SSB: Brawl and RE: Darkside Chronicles, plus lots of other PC and game platforms.

TJ SpykeMarch 07, 2012

This means any Wii U developer will have access to it (free, or at least cheaper than licensing it on their own), this is good news. Giving developers more tools is always a good thing, better to give them more options and let them decide whether to use something or not than to have it not available at all.

hibern81March 08, 2012

This is a good thing! ;D

YmeegodMarch 08, 2012

No TJ Spyke, software developers still have to cover royalities paid to Havok for using their software, all this does is give them access to it right from the gate. This isn't anything new or unexpected considering Havok's been multiplatform from day 1.

All this means is porting will be simplfied with games using their tools like ACIII.

Chozo GhostMarch 08, 2012

There are other physics engines besides Havok available, and developers could always make their own in house engines, but Havok is the industry standard and probably the best.

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