Fork Particle Visual FX SDK Complete for PC and Xbox 360 Live Arcade

Pleasanton, CA-based Fork Particle has launched its "Fork Particle Visual Effects SDK Complete" for PC and Xbox Live Arcade developers, a toolkit the company says helps developers implement advanced particle system special effects and reduce production time. The toolkit is also currently available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The company says its Fork Particle technology comes with a particle visual effects authoring studio and live update feature for in-game tweaks, alongside a runtime particle simulation engine. It's aimed at enabling artists and developers to streamline production and enhance the quality of their particle system special effects, says the company. The technology itself was conceived by the company's founder and CEO, industry veteran Noor Khawaja, whose experience includes work with Electronic Arts, Acclaim and Konami. Fork Particle says that Microsoft, Turbine and others are already using its middleware. "Launching the Complete version of our middleware for Xbox 360 Live Arcade developers is a big step towards kicking the quality of particle graphics special effects into another dimension," says Khawaja. "We’re emerging as the leading provider of advanced real-time visual effects simulation middleware solutions," Khawaja says, "simply because the entire Fork team is focused on raising the bar for particles effects technology in video games across the board."