Autodesk acquires Illuminate Labs
Lighting tech company's Beast joins expansive middleware business line-up
Autodesk has announced that it has acquired Illuminate Labs, a privately held lighting technology firm, in a move that will add its Beast middleware solution - alongside its Turtle plug-in for Autodesk's own Maya software - added to the company's tools line-up.
Both products "enable faster iteration on a game's creative intent, and more realistic in-game lighting," a statement announced.
"We welcome Illuminate Labs customers and employees to Autodesk," said Marc Stevens, VP of Games for Autodesk. "Technological progress is a mainstay of the games industry.
"Advanced lighting solutions help game developers achieve their aesthetic goals, enhancing the game's design and story. Illuminate Labs' lighting technology and workflow tailored to game development are some of the most advanced in the industry. They complement Autodesk's games middleware offering."
Meanwhile, Magnus Wennerholm - previously CEO of Illuminate Labs, who will now join Autodesk - added: "In just a few years, Beast and Turtle have become production-proven technologies for in-game lighting. Leading game developers like Sony Computer Entertainment, Nintendo America and THQ/Heavy Iron rely on these tools to help deliver higher visual quality in their games.
"My team and I are excited about the technology development opportunities that Autodesk has to offer. I believe that this acquisition will benefit both Autodesk and Illuminate Labs customers."
A full interview with Stevens, conducted at GDC earlier this year, is also available now.