Product: Rockstar, NaturalMotion Partner For Next-Gen Projects

Take-Two publishing label Rockstar Games and NaturalMotion, the developers of the Endorphin 3D animation creation software, have announced a partnership to integrate NaturalMotion’s run-time animation technology Euphoria into upcoming next-generation Rockstar titles. According to a statement released today, the two companies have collaborated over the past several months on the integration of Euphoria within unspecified Rockstar projects, though no information was released regarding how many games or for what platforms these future titles are being targeted. NaturalMotion’s Euphoria software allows in-game characters to behave in a realistic manner without the restrictions and limitations of more traditional animation techniques. Characters move and adapt realistically to their given situations on the fly, resulting in a series of unique experiences and payoffs. Based on NaturalMotion’s DMS technology, Euphoria uses the CPUs of next-generation platforms to synthesize interactive animations on the fly, using fast simulations of the game character’s actual motor control, muscles and biomechanics. “Euphoria is about giving people an interactive experience they have never seen before. We now have the processing power to simulate humans, and the possibilities for games are endless,” commented Torsten Reil, CEO of NaturalMotion. “In Rockstar, we have found a partner that shares this vision, and is renowned for creating some of the most ground-breaking and immersive games in the industry.”