Microsoft has bought Irish gaming technology company Havok from Intel to enhance gaming experiences.
Havok, which was acquired by Intel in 2007, provides a physics engine component and related functions to video games.
Some of its offerings include Havok Physics, Havok Animation Studio, Havok Destruction, Havok AI and Havok Script.
Microsoft said that with Havok it plans to continue licensing Havok’s development tools to partners and considers the company to be a great addition to Microsoft’s existing tools and platform components for developers.
Previously, Havok introduced a new visual effects product Havok FX, designed to run on the main processor which made certain visual effects like particle, dust, shrapnel, and smoke more CPU-friendly and less intensive in 3D game worlds.
The company also said that the product is fully cross-platform and is targeted towards current generation game platforms like Xbox One, PlayStation 4.
Microsoft said in a blogpost: "We will continue to innovate for the benefit of development partners. Part of this innovation will include building the most complete cloud service, which we’ve just started to show through games like ‘Crackdown 3’."
Havok’s reach goes beyond gaming as its special effects have been used in movies like X-Men First Class, World War Z, Harry Potter, James Bond, and The Matrix.
