Intel Closes 'Project Offset', Founders Launch New Venture

A bit over two years after Intel bought a development team and its in-development first-person PC shooter, the parent company is closing down the operation. The Offset Software team within the chip maker is no more, and the same goes for its game, codenamed Project Offset. Website BigDownload confirmed the news with Intel, which explained via an email statement that the February 2008 acquisition of Offset Software had initially been geared at boosting the company's game development knowledge base and to advance its agenda for the development of its visual computing tech. "With the recent changes in our product roadmap, some of the resources and technologies from the acquisition are being re-applied to help support new graphics related projects," said Intel. "Additionally, other Offset Software team members have moved onto other external projects outside the company." Offset was also a graphical game engine tech team, although it's unclear how far its technology got off the ground, with the only real licensing announcement coming from Red 5 in 2006. According to the report, the company's founders have formed a new studio called Fractiv LLC; details on the new venture, including whether they have the right to continue developing Project Offset, are not yet available. Offset was originally founded in 2005 by former S2 Games team members. They began to show off Project Offset in 2005 with impressive trailers, and continued work on it even after acquisition by Intel.