Saber Interactive Licenses Havok Destruction

Intel-owned tools and middleware firm Havok says that New Jersey-headquartered Saber Interactive (TimeShift) has licensed its Havok Destruction artist's tool for several titles. Saber is based in Millburn, but it also has a production office in St. Petersburg, Russia. Its next title will feature Havok-supported destructible environments in a city. Saber COO Andrey Iones claims Havok Destruction has reduced its destructible asset budget by 40 percent. "By utilizing Havok’s toolset, the artists are given full control over physics and destruction properties of various in-game objects and are able to do physics setup without the help of programmers," Iones says. First unveiled in February 2008, Havok Destruction is one of the middleware company's newest tools, part of the 6.5 lineup, and includes a fully multi-threaded SDK for PlayStation 3 and XBox 360. It's used to simulate rigid body destruction, and the company says it enhances "structural mechanics, graphical effects, and game level design." "We are excited to work with such a talented team at Saber Interactive as we aim to positively impact the overall quality and performance of the company’s titles that feature Havok technology," says Havok managing director David O'Meara.