NaturalMotion is a software company with offices in Oxford and San Francisco. Founded in November 2001 as a spin-off of Oxford University, the company specialises in creating animation technology for the game and film industries.
Contents |
NaturalMotion commercialized their procedural animation technology, which they call Dynamic Motion Synthesis (DMS). DMS is based on a real-time simulation of biomechanics and the motor control nervous system.[1] As such, it has roots in biology and robot control theory. NaturalMotion states that DMS allows for fully interactive 3D characters, as it is not based on canned animation. DMS is used in the company's products Endorphin and Euphoria, with the former being a 3D application and the latter being a run-time engine for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.
NaturalMotion's technology is in use at many film and games companies, including Sony, The Mill, Electronic Arts, Moving Picture Company, Konami, Capcom, Sega and many more. Movies and games featuring Endorphin animation include Troy, Poseidon, The Getaway, Tekken 5 and Metal Gear Solid.
In 2006, LucasArts announced that it would use the Euphoria engine in Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed games. In 2007, Rockstar Games announced it had licensed this engine for many of their new and upcoming games, with the first announced title being Grand Theft Auto IV.
In August 2007, NaturalMotion announced Backbreaker, an American Football game that utilises Euphoria to generate interactive tackles in real-time.[2]