amBX/Immersion deal
Immersive effects standard born.
Monday, August 17, 2009 – amBX UK Ltd. today announced an agreement with Immersion to standardise the creation of immersive effects across a range of platforms. Games developers and publishers will be able to add full immersive effects to their games using a single software development kit.
This ‘one stop’ solution and standardised toolset will combine Immersion’s haptic technology and amBX’s immersive effects controls, providing a complete solution for games developers to add force feedback, touch sense, rumble, lighting effects and even wind effects to games and deliver a true immersive gaming experience.
amBX’s SDK programme was launched earlier this year. Immersion and amBX will now develop a joint SDK which will be freely available to games developers and which will provide new and easier ways to include exciting effects in their games. Initially available for PC, the SDK will soon be followed by versions for other gaming hardware platforms.
"amBX has become a standard for delivering immersive effects for content creators and hardware manufacturers. Working with Immersion and adding their haptic technology we intend to offer the games industry the best toolset yet for adding immersive effects to games,” says Neil MacDonald, CEO amBX. “amBX is committed to making the process of providing new experiences for gaming as simple and efficient as possible for all our partners.”
"For years gamers have enjoyed touch feedback from Immersion,” said Craig Vachon, senior vice president and general manager of Immersion's Touch line of business. “amBX’s innovations in ambient effects and our haptic technology are completely complementary; a seamless combination will help developers design more immersive and engaging multi-sensory experiences more quickly and cost effectively.”
amBX has already licensed its technology to many content developers and publishers in the PC gaming sector, and holds a PLAYSTATION® 3 tools and middleware licence from SCEI.
Non-gaming applications which produce amBX effects include iTunes, Media Player Classic, MediaPortal, QuickTime, VLC, WMC and Zoom Player.
amBX UK Ltd also provides specialist hardware to the professional lighting market to use amBX technology to control RGB LED lights in entertainment venues – see http://pro.ambx.com/ for more details.