Archive notice: This article was originally published on October 16, 2015. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Game developers around the world work with the Havok Engine to create realistic movement of bodies, projectiles and vehicles in games such as Halo and Call of Duty. The VFX in Matrix and Troy were also realised with Havok, among other tools.
Microsoft has now bought the Irish software company Havok in order integrate the physics engine technology into its Windows and Xbox game developer toolset. These include: the Direct X12 suite, the VisualStudio Development Kit and the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, which was used in the new crime game Crackdown 3.
Before the purchase, Microsoft agreed to continue granting Havok licences to third parties and competitors. This is intended to continue the success of the software, which runs on all common platforms – from games consoles and PCs to smartphones.
How much Microsoft spent on Havok is not known. However, the price is likely to be higher than the 110 million US dollars Intel paid for the acquisition in 2007.
