GAME TECHNOLOGY firm Havok is preparing to take a leap into the mobile arena in the form of a new deal with Sony Ericsson that will see the firm’s technology used in the Xperia Play phone.
Under the deal Sony Ericsson developers will have access to a build of the Intel-owned company’s product line fully optimised for the Android-powered smartphone. The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is due to launch within days.
The Sony Xperia Play, which will be the first PlayStation certified device, combines smartphone functions and games controls. The phone will be able to access PlayStation game content made available through the PlayStation Suite scheme that Sony is working on, due to launch later this year.
“One of the things Havok is doing is looking to broaden the range of platforms that Havok-powered titles are available on,” Havok’s managing director David Coghlan said. “It became apparent at a pretty early stage that this was an opportunity that was good for both us.”
Havok’s technology has been used in game blockbusters such as Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed and a number adaptations of Tom Clancy titles. The evolution in the mobile industry and growth in popularity of mobile gaming has made portable devices another area Havok is planning to develop.
“Historically there have been very large limitations in that the processing power you could put in [a] mobile device hasn’t been at a level where the cinematic content Havok delivers is feasible on the device,” said Mr Coghlan.
In recent years, however, there has been huge momentum in improving mobile processing power, Mr Coghlan said, and it was now possible to bring the 3D software that Havok has traditionally powered to the mobile device.
All seven of Havok’s products have been ported over to Gingerbread, the latest version of the Google operating system.
The deal is expected to see more Havok-powered titles make their way to PlayStation-certified mobile phones. “One of the reasons the Xperia Play is particularly exciting to us is that while it’s an Android platform its being packaged through to consumers in a way that is familiar to gamers,” Mr Coghlan said. “Someone who buys a phone like that is almost certainly looking for more than a casual experience.”
The Android-powered handset, which uses the latest version of the operating system, will be available from the Carphone Warehouse for the first three weeks of April
Mr Coghlan also expects evolution in online browser-based and MMO gaming. “We’re acutely aware of emerging markets around online games that encompass a social element,” he said.
