CCP Enlists NaturalMotion's morpheme Animation Middleware For Existing, Future MMO Titles
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - February 20, 2008 - NaturalMotion, Ltd., developers of the highly acclaimed euphoria and endorphin 3D motion synthesis technologies, announced today that CCP has licensed the morpheme animation middleware and will be integrating it into their smash-hit virtual world EVE Online, and into upcoming unannounced projects.
"Deeply immersive visual experiences facilitated by high-fidelity motion graphics are the hallmark of our virtual worlds," said Thor Gunnarsson, Vice President of Business Development at CCP. "As a valuable addition to our technology arsenal, morpheme will support CCP's drive to deliver vivid expressiveness to the avatars populating EVE and beyond."
morpheme is robust animation middleware designed to give developers and animators unprecedented creative control over the look of their final in-game animation by allowing them to author and preview blends, blend trees and transition graphs in real time.
"CCP has shown that they have the ability to take virtual worlds to new places," said Andy Payne, NaturalMotion's VP of Sales, Europe/Asia. "With NaturalMotion's morpheme technology, CCP will be able to blaze even more trails through the MMO space."
About CCP
CCP is recognized internationally as an industry-leading pioneer of the single-server persistent universe architecture as the developer and publisher of EVE Online, the critically acclaimed, science fiction-based massively multiplayer online game (MMOG). Utilizing a cross-discipline approach combining cutting-edge technology and artistic excellence, CCP is dedicated to providing vibrant, compelling products that transcend the boundaries of conventional MMOGs and facilitate social networking through virtual worlds. Founded in 1997 and privately held, the company is headquartered in Reykjavik, Iceland, with offices in Atlanta, London and Shanghai. More information about CCP is available at the company's website, www.ccpgames.com.
About EVE Online
Set tens of thousands of years in the future, EVE Online is a breathtaking journey to the stars, to an immersive experience filled with adventure, riches, danger and glory. With over 220,000 subscribers worldwide inhabiting the same virtual universe, EVE features a vast player-run economy where your greatest asset is the starship, designed to accommodate your specific needs, skills and ambitions. EVE offers professions ranging from commodities trader to mercenary, industrial entrepreneur to pirate, mining engineer to battle fleet commander or any combination of these and much more. From brokering business deals to waging war, you will have access to a diverse array of sophisticated tools and interfaces to forge your own destiny in EVE. Learn more and sign up for a free, 14-day trial at www.eve-online.com.
Definition of Subscribers
EVE Online subscribers include individuals who have paid a subscription fee or have an active electronic time code (ETC) to play EVE Online, as well as those who have purchased the game and are within their free month of access. The above definition excludes all players under free promotional subscriptions, expired or cancelled subscriptions and expired ETCs.
About NaturalMotion
NaturalMotion Ltd. Is the first company to create 3D character animation software based on Dynamic Motion Synthesis (DMS), a technology that utilizes Adaptive Behaviours and artificial intelligence to simulate the human-nervous system. Based on Oxford University research on the control of body movements, NaturalMotion's euphoria synthesizes 3D character motion in real time on PLAYSTATION ® 3, Xbox 360 TM and PC, and will debut in Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto IV and LucasArts' Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. NaturalMotion's other DMS product, endorphin, creates off-line animation an order of magnitude faster than traditional techniques, and is widely used in the film and games industries, with customers such as Sony, Giant Killer Robots, The Mill, Capcom, Namco and Konami. NaturalMotion's third product, morpheme, is the industry's first graphically authorable animation engine designed to give animators full control over the look of their animations in-game.
For further information, please visit NaturalMotion's website www.naturalmotion.com, or join the 80,000 endorphin LE users at community.naturalmotion.com.
® morpheme, euphoria, endorphin and Dynamic Motion Synthesis are trademarks of NaturalMotion Ltd. All other brand names, product names, service marks or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox Live are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
CONTACT:
Wes Phillips
TriplePoint
415-955-8500
wes@triplepointpr.com
Valerie Massey
CCP
512-825-5196
vmassey@ccpgames.com