Virtools Releases Wii Solutions 1.1

Dassault Systèmes has announced that it has released its Virtools package of prototyping and full game production tools for the Nintendo Wii, giving developers for the console access to the Behavior Engine and the VSL compilation, as well as new Wii dedicated functionalities. Dassault says the Wii solutions are "add-on libraries of building blocks specifically dedicated to Wii game prototyping and game development. Game developers will be able to test on the console anytime during the development, using the power of Virtools 4 and its 500 building Blocks and accessing the Wii Remote information from a Virtools application running directly on the PC." The company says its Wii-dedicated package will aid in the prototyping and production of not just retail Wii games, but also those for its forthcoming download service, WiiWare. It also notes that developers will be able to prototype with the WiiMote and tweak the gameplay directly on PC, as well as test output on the console at any point during game development. "Virtools Wii solutions give the developers the opportunity to validate game design decisions much faster and focus on gameplay production and optimization, creating games with outstanding graphics and cutting edge interactivity," said Dassault.