Intel Snags Physics Tech Developer Havok

Hardware manufacturer Intel will acquire physics software creator Havok for an undisclosed sum. Under the terms of the agreement, Havok will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Intel. In the past, Havok has provided physics solutions for a number of games, ranging from 2K Boston/2K Australia's BioShock (PC, X360) and Evolution Studios' MotorStorm (PS3) to Valve's Half-Life 2 (PC, PS3, X360, Xbox), and movies, such as Andy & Larry Wachowski's The Matrix and Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven. The company recently released the fifth iteration of its physics software suite, which introduced new features and allowed for greater efficiency across all supported platforms, including PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and PSP. "Havok is a proven leader in physics technology for gaming and digital content, and will become a key element of Intel's visual computing and graphics efforts," said Intel VP Renee J. James. "Havok will operate its business as usual, which will allow them to continue developing products that are offered across all platforms in the industry."