The world's largest computer chip manufacturer Intel has announced the upcoming purchase of Havok, the middleware software manufacturer that creates physics engines used in games and virtual worlds like Second Life. Intel have been experimenting with the uses of 3D spaces for serious applications for some time, and see Havok becoming "a key element of Intel's visual computing and graphics efforts."
While some see this as a positive development for Havok in terms of resources and future possibilities, others see this as just the opposite. Steven Davis, CEO of SecurePlay, writes: "In general, this is a sad story. The games industry needs a vibrant tools industry to thrive in this increasingly competitive market."
Regardless, this connection between the two companies has the advantage of enabling them both to compete with Aegia, a combination hardware and software physics engine that has been gaining in popularity. While at present there aren't any plans to change the way Havok does business, it will be interesting to see how they take advantage of each other's resources in the future. As we've reported earlier, Intel considers the 3D web a high priority. How they'll use the physics engine to integrate into new 3D web initiatives remains to be seen.