Xaitment Launches Indie-Centric 'BrainPack 2011'

AI tool provider Xaitment is releasing its most-requested development tools as a single pack intended for studios with smaller development budgets. The company's XaitMap, XaitMove2 and XaitControl will be released together in the BrainPack 2011, offered at what Xaitment says is a "fraction of the normal cost." Licensors get a single-seat tool license for a year, and the tools support Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Windows PC, Linux and mobile platforms. "Studios no longer need big budgets to implement their own NavMesh generator, pathfinder or scripting engine," says Xaitment group CEO Andreas Gerber, Group CEO of Xaitment. "We are excited to offer studios in North America and Europe this low-cost option, reducing the barrier to mass market entry and giving independent developers the same tools that larger studios enjoy," Gerber said. Companies use XaitMap and XaitMove tools to generate navigation meshes for AI pathfinding and control movement and crowd simulations, while XaitControl is generally used to model character behaviors. Also part of the firm's middleware suite are XaitKnow and XaitThink which are aimed at helping developers plot and control NPC behavior. The company announced $3 million in new funding late last year, which it said it planned to use to strengthen its global presence and bolster its tools offering.