Providing "foliage middleware" for the Xbox's successor.
March 9, 2005
[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Game Developer and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press]
IDV | EMBARGOED UNTIL: March 9, 2005, 11:30AM (PST)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SpeedTreeRTTM is the first and only foliage middleware provider for the next generation Xbox® platform, the video game system under development by Microsoft that builds on the extremely successful Xbox console.
Tracey Frankcom, Xbox Tools and Middleware manager, credited SpeedTree's unequaled beauty, wind effects and efficiency as key reasons for choosing the SDK.
"We have carefully investigated SpeedTree and have been impressed by the next generation look and feel it brings to outdoor environments," Ms. Frankcom said. "The time and expense associated with content creation is burgeoning, and the SpeedTree runtime technology offers game developers a means to help address this issue; it harnesses the power of the platform without sacrificing artistic control or compromising on the visual fidelity that will be increasingly important in the High Definition gaming era. Next generation Xbox players will quickly come to appreciate - and expect - SpeedTree powered titles."
Interactive Data Visualization, Inc., (IDV), which developed and launched SpeedTreeRT in late 2002, plans to offer a free evaluation version of the SpeedTreeRT SDK for next generation Xbox developers. For more information and to get on the SpeedTree - Xbox mailing list, visit www.idvinc.com or contact Kevin Meredith ([email protected]; 803-356-1999, ext. 10).
"SpeedTree is already one of the industry's most popular middleware solutions," noted IDV President Chris King, "but our partnership with Microsoft confirms that SpeedTree will continue to be the electronic entertainment industry's tree and plant software of choice."
Mr. King predicted that the advanced technology of the next generation Xbox platform will enable SpeedTreeRT to achieve amazing new heights in foliage aesthetics and realism. "The new system, coupled with SpeedTree," he said, "will mean forests of unprecedented density, comprising windblown trees of incredible detail and realism. Quite frankly, players are going to be blown away by next generation Xbox games wherever SpeedTree is used."
About Xbox
Xbox (http://www.xbox.com) is the video game system from Microsoft that brings people together for the most exhilarating game and entertainment experiences. Xbox delivers an expansive collection of breakthrough games, powerful hardware and the unified Xbox Live online service. The new tagline, "it's good to play together," captures the spirit of Xbox as the social hub of the new digital entertainment lifestyle. Xbox is now available in North America, Asia, Europe and Australia.
SpeedTreeRT delivers low-polygon, highly realistic trees and plants, with adjustable wind effects, seamless LOD transitions, and an included library of hundreds of tree models from more than 100 core species. SpeedTreeRT includes SpeedTreeCAD, a Windows application used to create and edit animated trees in real-time.
Interactive Data Visualization, Inc. (IDV), develops software products with a focus on real-time three dimensional applications for the game development, visual simulation, engineering visualization, and animation industries. IDV, a privately held corporation, was founded in 1999 in Columbia, South Carolina. For more information about IDV, visit www.idvinc.com.
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*Xbox is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
CONTACT
Kevin Meredith
(803) 356-1999
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