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Microsoft buys Havok from Intel, GAFfers tear skin off while screaming about endtimes
- Thread starter gofreak
- Start date
The Artisan
Member
i'm not aware of all the various physics engines out there. is havok generally considered the best?
but it doesn't really affect the person who wants to use it, does it? unless mS makes it more expensive to be licensed out?
Will you be mad if it does? If yes, then MS absolutely will use it the way you are speculating.
The Artisan
Member
i'm not in the business of making games but i imagine it'll be annoying for devs.
MS is in the business to make money. They want you using what they own. I can't see them jacking up the price on this with other 3rd party options being out there.
Big news for console gaming. Just googled Havok's portfolio and there engine is mostly used for gaming. Anybody saying that MS bought it for the royalties is deluding themselves, they bought it to get more gaming exclusives. Of course this means Nintendo and Sony will have to partner up with somebody else. Why on earth would Sony or Nintendo pay royalties to the MS corporation?? That would be like Sony buying the UE4 engine and asking MS and Nintendo to pony up cash for royalties. With the minecraft license, I fully expect Nintendo and Sony to try to kill it off with there own version sometime in the future.
The Artisan
Member
that's why i was asking also is havok generally considered the best physics engine?
demigod
Member
Everything in this is wrong, get your facts straight.
How so? How is this different from, say, someone buying Bink Video? In fact, I don't know why MS would even do such a thing.
Not sure if it's the best, a lot of companies use it so it could be a case of something like UE where it is very easy to use for devs.
The Artisan
Member
i guess because now mS is gonna be making money off of playstation games?
Its the most widely used physics engine, doesn't mean its the best.
Vestal
Gold Member
Unlike some would lead you to believe companies like MS and Sony cross license stuff all the time. Sony sells computers with Windows installed ffs. Microsoft is selling an Xbox one with a bluray drive.
People are panicked for nothing.
Did you know the Xbox has a bluray drive?
The Artisan
Member
yes, but sony isn't the only shareholder of the blu ray disc association iirc. just the largest
Unknown Soldier
Member
Sony sold off their PC division a few years ago.
What operating system do you think Sony and Nintendo use on their production machines?
Some of you guys are crazy. Hell Microsoft was at the Apple iPhone press event a few weeks ago. They are in the money business, not the fanboy business. They released Minecraft for PS4 and PS3 and support it as well. They also previously released some Nintendo DS games.
I guarantee you Sony and Playstation's headquarters all rely on Windows Server and that their workstations are Windows PCs.
I guarantee you Sony and Playstation's headquarters all rely on Windows Server and that their workstations are Windows PCs.
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
Did you know Windows phones as well as most other phones use Sony camera and lense tech?
This should not be an issue. Third parties will still license as per usual. If MSFT tries to lock them down, it will just be a great opportunity for other solutions to rise up.
NoMoChokeSJ
Banned
I doubt it will really affect much in the way that Havok is used or licensed for games. The royalties will just go to MS instead.
BTW, I love the title of this thread. Absolutely hilarious.
BTW, I love the title of this thread. Absolutely hilarious.
The Artisan
Member
no. i knew apple uses sony cameras, but not other phone companies.
The problem with Havok is none of there portfolio shows it being used in other major industried other than gaming. Obviously Sony the overall company sees it as a threat as it affects one of there divisions. Also doubt Sony uses only windows, with apple and the macs making inroads in the PC Market and Linux still the preferred OS for major corporations worried about competitor espionage.
ProvenDeadly
Member
TLDR most large companies own brands or companies that other large companies also use. This isn't a big deal.
Pimpbaa
Member
Look how much shit samsung makes for apple in their ios devices, and yet they are one of their biggest competitors in the phone market. MS isn't going to want Havok to make way less money by limiting it to only xbox. Very little is going to change here other than who gets the money from Havok being in games.
Maybe it was expensive to get Havok, as a third party, to make the customisations that they needed for Crackdown (and whatever other cloud-physics stuff they have going on). If that's the case it might have been worthwhile to buy them, save that cash, and make a bit more from the existing licensing, too.
That's what I suggested on the previous page. Why did Intel buy them at all?
joecanada
Member
Exactly, Noone buys a business or product and then instantly thinks how can I limit the potential of this product? Especially not for consolewarz
Shrennin
Didn't get the memo regarding the 14th Amendment
This is a smart buy from Microsoft, and it won't change anything aside from the Xbox platform getting the best type of support since it's now owned by Microsoft. That still won't change anything as far as licensing Havok. Microsoft can make money licensing this tech, making its own games better, and using it for the cloud-based physics that they are working on with games like Crackdown 3.
HTC, LG, Samsung, Motorola. Sony sensors aren't in all their phones, but it's common to find them in the flagship devices.
You have no idea how business work do you?
Businesses sell to their competitors all the time. A company does not spend millions to billions of dollars and limit their own market for spite. No company purchases a product and not try to recoup what it spent.
Sony do all their work on Yellow Dog Linux on the PS3, obviously.
Lmao.
It is an investment. The sums must have added up.
It's a win for all devs. When Intel acquired Havok, the dev tools were made available for free. The move gave more devs access to it. Licensing fees only applied to commercial games. With MS, the DX SDK and VS Community are all free and well documented. As Havok becomes part of the toolset, I'd imagine MS will push for easier/better integration. The goal for MS would be to get more games to use Havok, regardless of platform.
Jedipottsy
Member
Wow the fud in this thread. Microsoft aren't going to stop licensing havok. Yes it is currently the most popular physics solution because there has been no need for competition. However havok doesn't do anything special. Its just a physics engine that works. There are plenty of physics frameworks that could be adapted for gaming, most notably bullet physics. The only reason Microsoft would stop licensing havok was if it was special sauce that other companies couldn't copy and would give them a competitive advantage, but people don't buy havok games for the physics. Havok isn't enough to sell games its just a required component. It just force someone else to create a competitive competing physics package that could be used across all platforms, at which point Microsoft would just be loosing licensing money for no reason.
Look at physx, a competing product which arguably does a better job than havok. If NVIDIA wanted physx and the game works suite to be used across console and amd cards then they could license it out and I'd bet a significant chunk would use it over havok. Just look at valve, they created their own in house physics for source engine 2 called Rubikon, there's nothing difficult just typically easier to use havok.
Look at physx, a competing product which arguably does a better job than havok. If NVIDIA wanted physx and the game works suite to be used across console and amd cards then they could license it out and I'd bet a significant chunk would use it over havok. Just look at valve, they created their own in house physics for source engine 2 called Rubikon, there's nothing difficult just typically easier to use havok.
thekiddfran
Member
Intel most likely want to cut staff count and make money. Havok has literally no bearing on any of intel products so it was a good sale
Also fucking hilarious comments in thread saying that Microsoft will just use it for themselves.
Also fucking hilarious comments in thread saying that Microsoft will just use it for themselves.
And they will be trying to get other devs to use their cloud computing, it seems like they will be integrating Havok to that.
SeeNoWeevil
Member
Don't even joke.
Mihael Mello Keehl
Banned
Conspiracy theory rock. All the companies are all the same shit. Videogame-opoly.
http://youtu.be/z3JLKw0q4kY
http://youtu.be/z3JLKw0q4kY
Somebody has to own it, it might as well be Microsoft, they'l probably support it better than other's... or will they? They dont tend to support their projects that well. They probably have one specific reason and use for this and then it may end up forgotten. I'm just speculating though it's not the end of the world either way.
No there not. Try not to tell too many people about this. Cant have it getting out.
SmartWaffles
Member
Software wise MS always maintain their stuff well, they are world's most successful software company for a reason, it'll be fine.