Havok (company)

Havok_logo

Havok is an Irish software company that provides interactive software and services for digital media creators in the video game and movie industries. Founded in 1998, Havok is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. The company is known for its Havok physics engine, which has been used in numerous high-profile video games and films.

History

Havok was founded in 1998 by Hugh Reynolds and Steven Collins, both of whom were researchers at Trinity College Dublin. The company quickly gained recognition for its innovative physics engine, which allowed for realistic physical interactions in virtual environments. In 2007, Havok was acquired by Intel Corporation, and in 2015, it was sold to Microsoft.

Products

Havok's primary product is the Havok physics engine, which is used to simulate physical interactions in real-time. The engine is highly regarded for its performance and accuracy, making it a popular choice among game developers and filmmakers. In addition to its physics engine, Havok offers a suite of other tools, including:

• Havok Animation: A tool for creating realistic character animations.
• Havok AI: A tool for developing artificial intelligence behaviors in games.
• Havok Cloth: A tool for simulating realistic cloth and clothing movements.
• Havok Destruction: A tool for creating destructible environments.

Notable Uses

Havok's technology has been used in a wide range of video games and films. Some notable examples include:

• Half-Life 2
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• Assassin's Creed series
• The Matrix film series

Acquisition by Microsoft

In 2015, Microsoft acquired Havok from Intel Corporation. This acquisition allowed Microsoft to integrate Havok's technology into its own products and services, including the Xbox gaming platform and the Azure cloud computing service.

See Also

• Physics engine
• Video game development
• Computer animation
• Artificial intelligence in video games

Related Pages

• Trinity College Dublin
• Intel Corporation
• Microsoft
• Xbox
• Azure (cloud computing service)