Intel, Havok Launch Physics Innovation Contest

Intel and middleware developer Havok have launched a new Physics Innovation Contest with $40,000 in prizes, challenging amateur game developers to create an inventive, playable PC game demo using the free Intel-sponsored PC version of Havok Physics. Four overall winners will be selected and announced at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco in 2009, where they will have their demos showcased by Havok and Intel. In addition to the prizes, which are in categories including 'Most Innovative Use of Physics in a Game' and 'Best Physics Knowledge Base', each top winner in the main category will receive an All Access Pass to GDC. A panel of five judges, including representatives from the two companies, will review all entries and choose the winners based on a variety of criteria including the following: new use of physics, realistic user interaction, responsiveness, high quality visual content, detail accuracy, originality of content, and value to the community. Havok began offering the no-charge PC version of its Havok Physics and Havok Animation products to independent game developers in May of this year through a sponsorship arrangement with parent company Intel. "Havok is committed to advancing this industry from top to bottom and supporting creativity from its earliest stages," says Havok's managing director David O’Meara. "The industry is always on the lookout for emerging talent and we anticipate that the competition will generate innovative entries from the amateur game developer community."