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Fable 2 does NOT use SpeedTree
Earlier this week we reported on news that Microsoft Game Studios partnered with IDV's SpeedTree software and also (semi-jokingly) speculated that Lionhead would be using SpeedTree in Fable 2. Well, we just wanted to say that we were 100% wrong about our speculation.Sam from Lionhead Studios sent us a message to not only inform us that Fable 2 does NOT use IDV's SpeedTree software, but that their team is building their foliage and trees in-house and from scratch. Though, Sam did confirm that, early on, the dev team did look into using SpeedTree for Fable 2, but decided it wouldn't be right for their RPG baby. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, we've been told that each and every one of Fable 2's non-SpeedTree trees have approximately 120,000 leaves dangling from their branches. Oh, friggin' yeah.So, there you have it. Fable 2 will not use SpeedTree and we were so very wrong to even joke about such a matter. We've slap our hands, yelled at ourselves in a mirror and as penance will be forcing ourselves to count each and every individual leaf on one of Fable 2's trees come launch day. It's the least we can do.
Microsoft to use SpeedTree for multiple projects in 2008
The next time you're frolicking through a dense forest in your favorite video game, be sure to bark out your gratitude to the widely used SpeedTree program and its painstaking planting, positioning and watering of all the nearby faux foliage. Microsoft Games Studios clearly appreciates this in-game gardening, having just entered into a new agreement with Interactive Data Visualization Inc. for the use of SpeedTree RT, a cross-platform real-time tree-generating program. A variant of the software was previously employed in both Project Gotham Racing 3 and Project Gotham Racing 4.The agreement will see SpeedTree RT, which has already been incorporated into the Unreal Engine, used for multiple unannounced projects on the Xbox 360 and Games for Windows platforms. We can't venture any guesses as to what these titles may be, but we feel safe in our assumption that none of them will be set in Antarctica. [Via GameDaily]Read -- Press Release (PDF)
Microsoft embraces its SpeedTree love [update]
Update: Oops, our speculation was wrong as we just learned Lionhead will not be using SpeedTree in Fable 2. Get all the deets here.Today, Interactive Data Visualization and Microsoft Game Studios announced that they will be partnering to license SpeedTree software in most of MGS's upcoming products. For the uninformed, SpeedTree is all the rage right now as it pertains to easy implementation of lifelike foliage in video game worlds. It's seen as the industry's de facto tree generator. Now, with today's news, we know that Microsoft Game Studios is committing to using SpeedTree (just as they did in both PGR3 and PGR4), which can only mean prettier tree'ness for gamers the world over. And yes, SpeedTree trees in Fable 2 are a guarantee.
