Ageia Debuts Physics Mod Kit For UT3

Hardware-accelerated physics company Ageia has announced a PhysX Mod-Kit for Unreal Tournament 3 that will allow developers and modders to customize the game's levels and interactive experience with PhysX-enabled content. As part of the announcement, the company is rolling out a series of free downloadable mod levels for the PC version of the game. As the creator of the software engine that drives underlying physics interaction in UT3, PhysX enables dynamic gameplay on all systems - with additional benefits for PhysX Processor hardware card owners on PC. In addition to Epic's Unreal Engine 3 (UE3) tools that are already integrated with PhysX technology, the kit adds additional tools, guides, tutorials and documentation, assets and examples. The first set of PhysX mods includes the "Tornado" and "LightHouse" levels. The Ageia Tornado PhysX Mod, which was first revealed at the Leipzig Games Conference earlier this year, features physics and environmental effects powered by the PhysX processor, including a tornado that attacks the battlefield as the game progresses, actually able to lure rockets and projectile weapons into its vortex. The LightHouse mod introduces a dungeon-like structure featuring a variety of destructible walls, floors and ceilings and new weaponry. Additional maps and mods showcasing other types of PhysX implementations and level morphs will also be available in the future as part of Ageia's ongoing Mod-Kit program, and the kit itself is expected to roll out in December. Ageia CEO Manju Hegde said, "We're excited to be a part of the future of the Unreal Universe. Integrating Ageia PhysX has never been easier. Designers and modders can use our powerful PhysX UT3 Mod-Kit, and UE3 developers can build on the Ageia Adaptive Physics Extensions Platform to manipulate physically realistic and interactive worlds in next-generation games -- this is what the future of modding and game design is all about."