There are so many elements that make our different devices and programs work as advertised, and tech giants like Microsoft are on the lookout for the best and most efficient way to make them do what they do. Microsoft is one of the largest tech companies in the world so it’s no surprise when they acquire someone that could keep them moving forward, and that’s what they’ve just done. Revealed on the Microsoft blog, the tech giant acquired Simplygon with the hopes to accelerate initiatives around 3D data optimization.
Simplygon provides artists, developers, and others with a development pipeline that eliminates unnecessary coding and does automated optimization. They’re service has been used by Telltale Games for models and scenes, was influential in the Witcher 3‘s graphical detail, and was even used to optimize the VR game EVE: Valkyrie. On the blog, Microsoft expresses that this move will “strengthen our position in 3D creation, making it easier to capture, create and share in 3D” and it will also enhance experiences with the Windows 10 creative update that includes the Paint3D creative platform and their online community.
On the Simplygon website, there’s a statement on the move signed by their CEO Matt Connors, CTO Ulrik Lindahl, and Co-Founder Koshi Hamedi:
Throughout our journey, we’ve been laser focused on helping developers push the boundaries of 3D. From our early days delivering advanced level-of-detail solutions, to the adoption of Simplygon SDK by most leading AAA game development studios, and our more recent expansion into enterprise AR/VR, Simplygon has made automatic 3D data-optimization increasingly more accessible to developers. Our next challenge is 3D For Everyone, the ultimate accessibility! We’re thrilled to join forces with Microsoft to make this happen.
Such an acquisition will hopefully permeate across many divisions of Microsoft, including any AR initiatives through Hololens and the company’s VR projects.
