Xbox Developers to Use NetImmerse

Numerical Design, also known as NDL, and Microsoft have announced an agreement to include the NetImmerse 3D game engine in the Xbox tools portfolio. The Xbox Tools Program is a set of developer tools licensed for use on the Xbox. After receiving a number of requests from developers for the NetImmerse engine to be included, Microsoft selected NDL's engine for the program.

NDL released NetImmerse 3.1 last month. The latest version improved 3D plug-in capabilities, added multi-texturing support, and expanded the engine's animation features. The engine included in the Xbox Tools Program will be optimized for the Xbox to allow developers to take advantage of the console system's performance. Other upcoming games to use the NetImmerse engine include Freedom Force by Irrational Games, Munch's Oddysee by Oddworld Inhabitants, and Star Trek: Bridge Commander by Totally Games. Microsoft plans to launch the Xbox console in the fall of 2001.