Audiokinetic has announced that it has entered into a long term licensing agreement with Microsoft Game Studios concerning the use of its WaveWorks Interactive Sound Engine (Wwise), a middleware solution specifically designed for sound designers and audio programmers in the game industry. Wwise will be used in games developed and published by MGS, the first of which will be Shadowrun, which is currently in development by FASA Studio for the Xbox 360 and Windows Vista platforms for release in 2007. Wwise was created by sound experts, and features an optimized sound engine for managing audio processing along with a non-destructive authoring tool for creating audio set structures, managing sound integration, defining both audio propagation and audio behaviors, and creating sound banks. With Wwise, game developers have the flexibility, toolsets and workflow to enhance even the most sophisticated game content. “We are thrilled about the opportunity to work closely with Microsoft Game Studios.” noted Martin H. Klein, President CEO of Audiokinetic. “This partnership reflects a mutual commitment to bring solutions to market that address the challenges of next-generation title development. With this agreement, Audiokinetic proves its ability to offer solutions that empower the game development community to efficiently deliver revolutionary audio.” “The care and thought Audiokinetic put into the design of their production toolset gave me the confidence early on that Wwise would help me achieve my project objectives,” explained Tobin Buttram, Audio Director for FASA Studio. “They put the needs of the audio content creator first. Its intuitive interface and toolset allow me to spend more time working with actual audio production concerns instead of deciphering cryptic UI and devising workarounds for seemingly arbitrary engine limitations.”