Intel nab physics middleware provider Havok
Monday 17th September 2007, 02:02:00 PM, written by Rys
Intel, the world's largest microprocessor manufacturer, has announced
that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire physics middleware
provider, Havok Inc.
Intel are expanding their software technology portfolio to compliment current and future multi-core processor architectures, and the physics software vendor, set to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Intel, were always going to be a prime target.
Havok's technology is almost ubiquitously used in the game development industry in particular, powering the physics implementations in games like Valve's upcoming physics-heavy title Portal, the recent smash hit BioShock, Lost Planet, Oblivion and more.
Notice that all the games listed are multi-platform, a fact that won't have been lost on Intel (and Havok's customers) as it made the approach. Havok's software offerings are designed to exploit processing power available in uni-core, multi-core and GPU products across multiple architectures, with Havok's API glue providing the magic of architecture agnostic implementation.
Intel won't have any incentive to sabotage that in any way, however it's clear that they'll work hard to make sure Intel-based platforms are more than competitive in terms of the performance of the Havok product versus competing architectures that it runs on.
It's not clear from the press release which part of the Havok product range Intel's efforts as new owner will first appear in, but it shouldn't be too hard to hazard a guess! Whispers abound that the acquisition was made in a forward-looking fashion, as Intel will look for software examples to exploit upcoming multi-core architectures such as Larrabee.
Intel are set to discuss the Havok deal at IDF this week, although the pre-IDF news is that they won't talk much about Larrabee this time around, with just a minor spot in Pat Gelsinger's keynote.
Intel are expanding their software technology portfolio to compliment current and future multi-core processor architectures, and the physics software vendor, set to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Intel, were always going to be a prime target.
Havok's technology is almost ubiquitously used in the game development industry in particular, powering the physics implementations in games like Valve's upcoming physics-heavy title Portal, the recent smash hit BioShock, Lost Planet, Oblivion and more.
Notice that all the games listed are multi-platform, a fact that won't have been lost on Intel (and Havok's customers) as it made the approach. Havok's software offerings are designed to exploit processing power available in uni-core, multi-core and GPU products across multiple architectures, with Havok's API glue providing the magic of architecture agnostic implementation.
Intel won't have any incentive to sabotage that in any way, however it's clear that they'll work hard to make sure Intel-based platforms are more than competitive in terms of the performance of the Havok product versus competing architectures that it runs on.
It's not clear from the press release which part of the Havok product range Intel's efforts as new owner will first appear in, but it shouldn't be too hard to hazard a guess! Whispers abound that the acquisition was made in a forward-looking fashion, as Intel will look for software examples to exploit upcoming multi-core architectures such as Larrabee.
Intel are set to discuss the Havok deal at IDF this week, although the pre-IDF news is that they won't talk much about Larrabee this time around, with just a minor spot in Pat Gelsinger's keynote.
Tagging
intel ± havok, bought, subsidiary, larrabee, multi, core
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