March 9^th, 2005 (3:23pm) - At the Game Developers Conference, Microsoft finally unveiled the very first details regarding the next-gen successor to the Xbox console and with that announcement comes a horde of smaller announcements from middleware developers NDL, AGEIA Technologies, and SpeedTree, which reveal that they will be supporting Microsoft’s next-gen platform with their technologies.

NDL announced that Gamebryo 2 will fully support the next generation Xbox platform. Scheduled for release this Summer, Gamebryo 2 is architected to take advantage of the capabilities of the next generation Xbox platform.

"To take full advantage of the next generation Xbox platform, developers must create a tremendous amount of content. They must focus their energy and resources on art and gameplay. Gamebryo 2 enables the developer to easily take advantage of the next generation Xbox platform," said John Austin, president and chief executive officer of NDL.

AGEIA Technologies announced that they will be making their NovodeX Physics SDK available for developers to use in game development for the next-gen Xbox.

As the games industry’s first multithreaded physics SDK, NovodeX is uniquely equipped to exploit the multicore architecture of the Xbox, allowing game developers to deliver incredibly lifelike worlds and characters for Xbox users.

"AGEIA’s NovodeX Physics SDK is a powerful middleware engine for game developers who want to make the most of the multicore architecture of the next generation Xbox platform," said Tracey Frankcom, program manager, Xbox Tools and Middleware. "The real-time physics capabilities of NovodeX, combined with the high-definition graphics and audio of the Xbox, enable the creation of totally immersive environments and unbelievably lifelike character interactions."

SpeedTreeRT is the first and only foliage middleware provider for the next generation Xbox platform. Tracey Frankcom, Xbox Tools and Middleware manager, credited SpeedTree’s unequaled beauty, wind effects and efficiency as key reasons for choosing the SDK.

"We have carefully investigated SpeedTree and have been impressed by the next generation look and feel it brings to outdoor environments," Ms. Frankcom said. "The time and expense associated with content creation is burgeoning, and the SpeedTree runtime technology offers game developers a means to help address this issue; it harnesses the power of the platform without sacrificing artistic control or compromising on the visual fidelity that will be increasingly important in the High Definition gaming era."

The next-generation successor to the Xbox is expected to make its grand debut at E3 in May, with North American launch of the hardware following the show in Fall 2005.