EA, 2K Games License PhysX Engine

Both major games companies have licensed the physics-acceleration technology for future titles.

Nvidia’s fledgling  PhysX engine received a major dose of support this week with two major game studios picking up the technology for use in future titles. Electronic Arts and 2K Games both revealed on Monday that they had licensed PhysX technology for their games studios.

The PhysX engine, which Nvidia purchased from Ageia back in February, allows for advanced in-game physics like destructible terrain, deformable materials, and more realistic water. The technology harnesses the processing power of Nvidia GPUs to handle the extra load of calculating the effects.

EA’s upcoming PC release of Mirror’s Edge will be among the company’s first titles to sport PhysX acceleration, adding effects like banners that flap realistically in the wind, papers that scatter in the wash from a helicopter, and intricate shattering glass.

In the future, all of the company’s studios will be able to dabble with the technology. “PhysX is a great physics solution for the most popular platforms, and we’re happy to make it available for EA’s development teams worldwide,” said Tim Wilson , Chief Technology Officer of EA’s Redwood Shores Studio, in a statement.