Customized Middleware Helps EA Advance In-Game 3D Character Animation
SAN FRANCISCO, Game Developers Conference, Autodesk Booth #610, March 7
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK) has licensed
HumanIK middleware to Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS), the world's leading
game developer. Autodesk HumanIK is a customized development library that
enables animated game characters to interact more realistically with
digital environments. Dynamically and accurately porting animation data
from the authoring environment into the game engine gives developers
increased flexibility in animating the game with more realistic, real-time
results. The HumanIK middleware has been used, along with Autodesk Maya 3D
software and Autodesk MotionBuilder character animation software, in EA's
DEF JAM: ICON(TM), FIFA Soccer 07 and NBA STREET Homecourt titles.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050415/SFF034LOGO )
"Through our partnership with Autodesk, we were able to achieve a new
level of character animation in DEF JAM: ICON, FIFA Soccer 07 and NBA
STREET Homecourt," said Glenn Entis, EA's chief visual and technical
officer. "Part of the reason EA consistently delivers innovative hit game
titles like these is because we rely on extensive internal and external
R&D. Autodesk HumanIK middleware allowed efficient porting of game data to
the various platforms on which we shipped our games. Autodesk R&D team was
highly responsive, quickly providing us with customized builds of the
HumanIK solution."
Built from the HumanIK character technology found in the Maya and
MotionBuilder software, Autodesk HumanIK middleware provides an on-target
intelligent inverse kinematics (IK) animation system. It lets game
developers control the animation of a character's body and limbs at
run-time, resulting in a much higher level of realism in the game. Artists
are empowered within the game authoring environment, as HumanIK delivers a
what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) workflow. This also reduces artists'
reliance on integration programmers, who typically port the game data into
the game engine.
Acacia Research Group's annual Middleware for Interactive Entertainment
market study forecasts that the market for interactive entertainment
middleware will grow from $718.4 million USD to nearly $1.3 billion USD by
2010. "Middleware solutions, such as Autodesk HumanIK, are a key element in
helping game developers create titles faster and more cost-effectively than
ever before," said Michael Arrington, analyst at Acacia Research Group.
"Instead of reinventing the wheel with each new title, game developers can
use established middleware solutions as a foundation and focus their
efforts on developing the innovative technologies and compelling content
that will distinguish their games in the marketplace."
"EA's DEF JAM: ICON, FIFA Soccer 07 and NBA STREET Homecourt titles
feature sophisticated animations that are impressing the industry and
consumers with their realism and fluidity of motion," said Marc Petit,
Autodesk's Media & Entertainment vice president. "Next-gen games are
visually stunning. But, if a game's animation quality doesn't match the
quality of the game's still elements, the illusion of realism is quickly
shattered. With HumanIK, Autodesk is helping game developers add
credibility to their games by offering a customizable solution for
realistic human motion."
EA's Entis continued, "With HumanIK, the character behaviors we created
remained intact when exported to the video game engine. That was a huge
benefit; it eliminated the usual time-consuming and costly tweaking and
toggling between the development software and the game engine. Autodesk
HumanIK is the ideal solution for our next-generation game development."
Developed by EA Chicago, DEF JAM: ICON is now shipping. The hip-hop
fighting game was designed to be more realistic than the franchise's
previous titles, taking advantage of the increased capabilities of
next-generation platforms. Players fight their way to the top of the game's
social ladder while adding elements of realism via the latest hip-hop
fashions and licensed gear.
Already available on Xbox 360 and will be in stores on PLAYSTATION 3
nationwide tomorrow. EA's NBA STREET Homecourt features the hometown courts
of some of the NBA's biggest stars. Start your journey as an anonymous
baller and earn a name for yourself as you go head-to-head with the NBA's
best, and put your own hometown on the map. Also now available, FIFA Soccer
07 received praise for its realistic advanced animation.
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc. is the world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the
manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment
markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk has
developed the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art digital prototyping
solutions to help customers experience their ideas before they are real.
Fortune 1000 companies rely on Autodesk for the tools to visualize,
simulate and analyze real-world performance early in the design process to
save time and money, enhance quality and foster innovation. For additional
information about Autodesk, visit http://www.autodesk.com .
NOTE: Autodesk, AutoCAD, HumanIK, Maya and MotionBuilder are registered
trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other
countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to
their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product
offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not
responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this
document.
Electronic Arts and EA are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Def Jam(R), Def
Jam Icon(TM), and all associated trademarks and logos are used under
license from DJR Holdings, LLC and Simcoh, LLC. NBA is a trademark of NBA
Properties, Inc. and may not be used, in whole or in part, without the
prior written consent of NBA Properties, Inc. WNBA is a trademark of WNBA
Enterprises, LLC and may not be used, in whole or in part, without the
prior written consent of WNBA Enterprises, LLC. FIFA 07 is an Official FIFA
licensed product. All other trademarks are the property of their respective
owners.
DEF JAM: ICON is rated "M" (Mature), with descriptors, Blood, Strong
Lyrics, Violence by the ESRB.
NBA STREET Homecourt is rated "E" (Everyone) by the ESRB.
FIFA Soccer 07 is rated "E" (Everyone) by the ESRB.
Contact: Shannon McPhee, 514.954.2838
Email: shannon.mcphee@autodesk.com
SOURCE Autodesk, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.autodesk.com
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AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
Shannon McPhee of Autodesk, +1-514-954-2838,
or shannon.mcphee@autodesk.com
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