Interactive Data Visualization, the creators of SpeedTree RT, announced today that BioWare, the company behind Mass Effect, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Neverwinter Nights and the Baldur's Gate series, has signed on to use SpeedTreeRT in multiple projects. SpeedTreeRT is a middleware tool that delivers highly realistic trees and plants, with adjustable wind effects, user-configurable and seamless LOD transitions.
The tool includes a library of hundreds of tree, plant and marine models representing more than 170 core species. SpeedTreeRT includes SpeedTreeCAD, a Windows application used to create and edit animated trees in real-time.
IDV Announces BioWare Will Use SpeedTree®RT Company-Wide
IDV’S SOFTWARE TO BE FEATURED IN DRAGON AGE™, OTHER PROJECTS
COLUMBIA, SC, Feb. 13, 2007 – Interactive Data Visualization, Inc. has announced that BioWare Corp., developer of numerous best-selling games, including Star Wars©: Knights of the Old Republic™, Neverwinter Nights™ and the Baldur's Gate™ series, has licensed use of IDV’s award-winning SpeedTree®RT software company-wide.
“Within days of downloading the software, we had beautiful, shadowed, deciduous trees running in our upcoming title, Dragon Age,” said Trent Oster, Eclipse Engine project director for BioWare. “Based on the visual quality and the ease of integration, we signed a multi-game, company-wide licensing deal for SpeedTree.”
IDV officials said the relationship ensures that BioWare’s future titles will meet the highest standards of outdoor beauty and efficiency. “The fans of BioWare’s past efforts will continue to see outstanding products,” said IDV President Michael Sechrest. “The broad adoption of SpeedTree means our technology gets to be a part of this ongoing excellence.”
BioWare Corp. is an electronic entertainment company which develops computer and console video games focused on rich stories and memorable characters. BioWare's developers are hard at work on Mass Effect, a brand new BioWare-created intellectual property, and an Xbox™ 360 exclusive, to be published by Microsoft. Mass Effect is an epic science-fiction role-playing game set in a spectacular new vision of the future.
BioWare's new studio in Austin, Texas, has begun work on a new massively multiplayer online game, marking BioWare's entry into the MMO space.
In 2006, BioWare formed a new group to develop games for handheld platforms, beginning with the Nintendo DS™. Jade Empire, BioWare’s first game based on a BioWarecreated intellectual property, was released for Xbox in April 2005 to critical and commercial success, with a PC version scheduled for release early 2007. BioWare is also hard at work on Dragon Age, a high fantasy RPG set in another brand-new world created and owned by BioWare.
BioWare's Technology Architecture Group is also developing the cutting-edge next-generation BioWare Eclipse Engine technology for multiple platforms.
BioWare has an online fan community at www.bioware.com consisting of over 3 million registered users who regularly connect to discuss the company's current and future games. In November 2004, the company launched the BioWare Online Store at store.bioware.com, where fans can purchase new content for their favorite BioWare titles and merchandise. Previously published projects include: the action-RPG of 2005 for Xbox, Jade Empire; the 2003 Game of the Year, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™ for PC and Xbox; the award-winning Neverwinter Nights™ series; the genredefining Baldur's Gate™ role-playing game series for the PC; MDK™2 for Dreamcast and PC, MDK™2: Armageddon for PlayStation®2, and Shattered Steel™. Employment information at BioWare can be found online at jobs.bioware.com
The tool includes a library of hundreds of tree, plant and marine models representing more than 170 core species. SpeedTreeRT includes SpeedTreeCAD, a Windows application used to create and edit animated trees in real-time.
IDV Announces BioWare Will Use SpeedTree®RT Company-Wide
IDV’S SOFTWARE TO BE FEATURED IN DRAGON AGE™, OTHER PROJECTS
COLUMBIA, SC, Feb. 13, 2007 – Interactive Data Visualization, Inc. has announced that BioWare Corp., developer of numerous best-selling games, including Star Wars©: Knights of the Old Republic™, Neverwinter Nights™ and the Baldur's Gate™ series, has licensed use of IDV’s award-winning SpeedTree®RT software company-wide.
“Within days of downloading the software, we had beautiful, shadowed, deciduous trees running in our upcoming title, Dragon Age,” said Trent Oster, Eclipse Engine project director for BioWare. “Based on the visual quality and the ease of integration, we signed a multi-game, company-wide licensing deal for SpeedTree.”
IDV officials said the relationship ensures that BioWare’s future titles will meet the highest standards of outdoor beauty and efficiency. “The fans of BioWare’s past efforts will continue to see outstanding products,” said IDV President Michael Sechrest. “The broad adoption of SpeedTree means our technology gets to be a part of this ongoing excellence.”
BioWare Corp. is an electronic entertainment company which develops computer and console video games focused on rich stories and memorable characters. BioWare's developers are hard at work on Mass Effect, a brand new BioWare-created intellectual property, and an Xbox™ 360 exclusive, to be published by Microsoft. Mass Effect is an epic science-fiction role-playing game set in a spectacular new vision of the future.
BioWare's new studio in Austin, Texas, has begun work on a new massively multiplayer online game, marking BioWare's entry into the MMO space.
In 2006, BioWare formed a new group to develop games for handheld platforms, beginning with the Nintendo DS™. Jade Empire, BioWare’s first game based on a BioWarecreated intellectual property, was released for Xbox in April 2005 to critical and commercial success, with a PC version scheduled for release early 2007. BioWare is also hard at work on Dragon Age, a high fantasy RPG set in another brand-new world created and owned by BioWare.
BioWare's Technology Architecture Group is also developing the cutting-edge next-generation BioWare Eclipse Engine technology for multiple platforms.
BioWare has an online fan community at www.bioware.com consisting of over 3 million registered users who regularly connect to discuss the company's current and future games. In November 2004, the company launched the BioWare Online Store at store.bioware.com, where fans can purchase new content for their favorite BioWare titles and merchandise. Previously published projects include: the action-RPG of 2005 for Xbox, Jade Empire; the 2003 Game of the Year, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™ for PC and Xbox; the award-winning Neverwinter Nights™ series; the genredefining Baldur's Gate™ role-playing game series for the PC; MDK™2 for Dreamcast and PC, MDK™2: Armageddon for PlayStation®2, and Shattered Steel™. Employment information at BioWare can be found online at jobs.bioware.com
This is great news, eventhough I doubt it will affect Mass Effect at all. Anything that cuts down development time, but still gives you amazing quality is great. I loved SpeedTree and how it was used in Oblivion, and I'm sure BioWare can put it to good use, whether it be in Dragon Age, or Mass Effect 2.
