June 17, 2004 – Paris, France

For Immediate Release
Category: Interactive 3D Applications / Technology

The Virtools™ Xbox™ Kit is Released.

Paris, France. June 17, 2004 - Virtools™, the leading solutions provider for interactive 3D applications, integrates Xbox specificities to its solution and announces the release of the Virtools Xbox Kit.

In response to the game market's evolution and to fulfill Xbox game artists' technical and creative development needs, Virtools enlarges its offer to provide greater ease and flexibility through it's latest addition: the Virtools™ Xbox™ Kit.

The Virtools Xbox Kit is an add-on library of building blocks, an editor, SDK and Xbox Players geared to Xbox specifications. Especially created to allow users to develop a game for the Xbox, the new Xbox Exporter interface in Virtools Dev manages the communication with the Xbox console.

The Virtools Xbox Kit is an advanced development tool that enables developers to focus on content and game play. Developers take advantage of the Virtools' unique and innovating graphical programming process to create rich stunning interactivity.

The Virtools Xbox Kit adds 19 new building blocks in Virtools Dev. These new behaviors enable handling game pads, memory units, saving or loading games using the Virtools schematic view.

As such, it supports almost all of Dev's features and building blocks, and it works with Dev's other add-on packs.

Thanks to its features, the Virtools Xbox Kit facilitates prototyping as well as the robust development needed for full-scale applications on Xbox. While significantly reducing production costs and overall risks the Virtools Xbox Kit encompasses very useful Xbox-specific features :

• Export Virtools compositions, media, etc. in the selected format according to specific Xbox features, thanks to the Xbox Exporter editor in the Virtools Dev interface.
• Edit and update shaders used in a composition on the fly to the Xbox without reloading the composition. It enables the shader writer to develop shaders in a real game situation and see the visual enhancement immediately.
• Quickly and easily customize the Virtools Xbox Kit thanks to the Virtools Xbox Kit SDK to integrate your game loop, behaviors, managers and plugins and develop specific low-level features. The Virtools Xbox Kit SDK comes with the full Virtools building blocks source code.
• Package your game easily into an Xbox application to submit for Xbox technical certification.
• The Virtools Xbox Kit SDK also allows users to script gameplay though Dev's VSL Virtools Scripting Language. Thus can be developed through the Virtools Xbox Kit SDK .

With the Virtools Xbox Kit game developers have now the possibility to create a game with Virtools technology and to play it on Xbox. By offering this new product, Virtools enables its clients to target an even larger audience, specifically the community of Xbox' users.

"We have successfully used an early version of the Virtools Xbox Kit for Syberia 2 Xbox; the toolset was simple to use, and the rendering engine for the Xbox is among the best. We will also use the Virtools Xbox Kit for the development of Still Life, recently acclaimed at E3."

Dave Lynch - Xbox Programmer - Microids Canada

"The Virtools Xbox Kit enable Xbox game developers to prototype in weeks rather than months, and concentrate on the quality of both graphics and gameplay."

Drew Angeloff - Xbox Tools Program Manager- Microsoft Coproration, www.xbox.com

“Virtools, once again, shows what rapid prototyping and development tools are all about and what game production will soon heavily rely on. Virtools Dev bridges the gap between PCs and consoles and brings its ease of use and versatility to the Xbox. eRelevant will naturally want to take advantage of this breakthrough and use Virtools Xbox Kit on all present and future products it will produce or prototype.”

Fred Markus, President / Executive Producer - www.eRelevant.com

“For Roman Race Xbox prototype, our development team concentrated to work on the quality of graphics and gameplay and was not fooling around with obscure codes. The user-friendliness, the power and the versatility of the Virtools Xbox Kit helped us to demonstrate advanced gameplay and graphics for the Xbox.

Michael Fuchs – Chief Executive Officer – CAMF- www.camf.com

“Artematica has chosen Virtools suite since 2003 and has developed an adventure core to develop new adventures that will be announced in next months. 
We are greatly satisfied by using Virtools technologies, and chose the Virtools Xbox Kit to develop games for the Xbox platform. Its incredible easiness and innovating graphical programming process will facilitate our development workflow and our developers will have powerful, cutting-edge technology at their fingertips to drive playable prototypes and run time games to the Xbox in record times. The Virtools Xbox Kit will provide our team with sophisticated control over the rendering pipeline, stunning visual effects and valuable post-processing techniques.”

Riccardo Cangini – CEO and Managing Director- Artematica – www.artematica.com

About Virtools™

Virtools launched its commercial activities in 1993 with consulting and services targeting the VR sector. With the needs of this and other key markets in mind, Virtools built the company's initial software solution, Virtools Dev. As an Independent Software Vendor since Q4 1999, Virtools has become the leading provider of comprehensive software development solutions for building highly interactive 3D content.

With several thousands of users throughout the world, the Virtools Software Suite enables prototyping, development and deployment of offline and online/networked video games, along with applications in the fields of industrial simulation/virtual reality and marketing/multimedia.

Virtools clients include industry leaders such as Procter & Gamble, EDF, EADS, CEA, CNRS, France Telecom, Matsushita, American Department of Energy, Intel, Publicis Networks/Renault, Arte TV and L'Oréal, as well as major game studios such as Electronic Arts, Microïds, Microsoft, Warner Bros Online, Blue Fang Games and Ubisoft.

More information at: http://www.virtools.com

Press contacts

Virtools SA
93 rue Vieille du Temple
75003 Paris
Julie ERCOLANI
ercolani@virtools.com
+33 1 42 71 46 86