Dassault Systems Acquires Virtools SA

Dassault Systems, a Paris-based Product Lifecycle Management company, has acquired game middleware and engine company Virtools for around 12 million euros ($14.4 million). The deal grants Dassault Systems ownership of the Virtools Software Suite, which includes several game development tools such as Virtools VR Pack, the Virtools Physics Pack, the Virtools Artificial Intelligence Pack, and the Virtools CAD Pack. Game titles developed using Virtools include casual/indie PC games including Beesly's Buzzwords and Sealab 2021: Sweet Mayhem, as well as larger PC console titles such as Jack The Ripper and Syberia II, and the company's 3D engines are also used in the VR/simulation market. "The visionary R&D team at Virtools will be an immediate asset to DS as we execute our strategy of democratizing 3D," said Bernard Charles, president and CEO, Dassault Systemes. "By combining our assets, we will deliver the next-generation 3D Web platform that will enable a wide range of users to imagine, share, and experience in 3D." The component of the Virtools Software Suite that Dassault seems most interested in is the Virtools Web Player, which assists in the development of 3D software within web browsers for the casual online game and entertainment market. "I am delighted that Dassault Systemes has chosen Virtools as a foundation of its 3D democratization strategy," said Bertrand Duplat, founder and CTO of Virtools.