Game developers may find PlayStation 3 development a bit more attractive today, thanks to the generosity of Nvidia. The graphics chip manufacturer is offering its PhysX tech to developers as a free download.

Nvidia, which also happens to be responsible for the PS3’s RSX ‘Reality Synthesizer’ graphics chip, has inked a deal with Sony Computer Entertainment to provide the software development kit to PlayStation developers. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to see above and beyond physics engine support on par with PhysX hardware acceleration, as in the Games For Windows version of Mirror’s Edge, it may mean better things bouncing off other things in your PS3 library.

Or, in Tony Tamasi, senior vice president of content and technology at NVIDIA’s words, “offer a more realistic and lifelike interaction between the games characters and other objects within the game.”

The real-world sensory technology of amBX could soon be coming to a PlayStation 3 near you, as the company announces a Tools and Middleware agreement with Sony Computer Entertainment.

amBX is a technology originally developed for the PC by Phillips Research that incorporates lighting, rumble, and even air-flow peripherals to help deliver real-world sensory experiences in video games and television entertainment. Now that technology makes the jump from the PC and specialty television market to the console gaming market, with a Tools and Licensing Middleware agreement that allows amBX to develop its technology for use on the PlayStation 3.

“This is a major milestone in the development of amBX as a ubiquitous standard for entertainment sensory experiences,” commented Jo Cooke, Chief Marketing Officer, amBX. “amBX has already proved incredibly popular and successful within the PC games, music, movies and apps markets and the Tools & Middleware Licence agreement with SCEI will allow us to bring amazing light, rumble, sound and air movement experiences to game users.”

With amBX already licensing its technology to major players in the gaming world, it might not be long before you’re plugging light strips and fans into your PlayStation 3 in order to get the most out of your gaming experience.

Personally, I still see the whole amBX thing as more of a gimmick than anything else. This agreement shows that folks with a bit more insight into industry trends than I have seem to think otherwise. What about you? Would you fork over your hard-earned cash in order to make your television pulse colour sympathetically with your PlayStation 3 games, or is this simply technology for those with far too much spending money on their hands?

“We started the in-house development team a couple of months ago and we’re starting with downloadable content because the team is still small,” explained the studio’s US president John Yamamoto. “All formats – Xbox Live, WiiWare, PlayStation Network – are all viable formats for us”

The LA studio will also be investigating middleware solutions, after successfully using the Unreal Engine 3 for The Last Remnant. “I want to [...] evaluate lots of middleware,” said Yamamoto, “because western middleware is much more advanced compared to Japanese middleware. So we will study and feed back information to Square Enix in Japan.”

Square Enix LA studio to focus on digital titles [GamesIndustry.biz]

The engine is currently being prepped for duty in the Godfather 2 game and Glen Schofield of EA Redwood Shores is hopeful that it will go on to see heavy use within EA and beyond.

Weirdly, the source article mentions that “Lawyers are currently on the job sorting out the legalities of officially naming the engine” – not sure what this means, but perhaps there are some licensing issues stemming from the engine’s origins in the original Godfather game and From Russia With Love (it has been heavily extended since then).

For now though, it is The Engine With No Name – suggestions in the comments, by all means.

Dead Space engine to become major middleware [Game Player]

“This is fantastic news for commercial PC game developers as well as the independent game development community, who will really benefit from this move,” said Mark DeLoura, creator of the Game Programming Gems series.

Indeed fantastic news, as having powerful tools freely available can really help foster creativity across the industry, while also expanding the market for Havok’s add-on products, like the recently announced Cloth and Destruction apps. An extremely long press release follows.

Now BigWorld (the company is actually named after the middleware) has entered into a “strategic partnership” with Global Netoptex Inc (GNi). GNi is, in essence, a hosting business, and the plan is that BigWorld will sell the software while GNi provides the hardware – making the two combined a one-stop shop for MMO developers.

It’d be interesting to find out the pros and cons of buying pre-baked MMO server/client software, considering most developers seem content with making their own. Sounds like an interview in the making…

You can read the full release after the jump.

(Canberra/AUSTRALIA): Leading MMO and Virtual World technology providers BigWorld have formed a strategic partnership with Global Netoptex, Inc (GNi). The partnership will see GNi provide BigWorld clients with hosting and management services that are tailored for multiplayer online games. This agreement again demonstrates that BigWorld is building the leading solutions for MMO and Virtual World developers, and providing a custom tailored delivery solution for a global marketplace.

The preferred partnership with GNi will allow BigWorld licensees the opportunity to access state of the art hosting facilities, a centralized operational knowledge base and increased operational and technical efficiencies. The first BigWorld focused environment will be housed at GNi’s new Oakland facility and will provide licensees effective and efficient hosting and management services with an organization that has a solid technical foundations including specialized expertise in the online gaming environment.

James Hursthouse, Director of GNi’s Games and Digital Media division said of the partnership “BigWorld is clearly a world leader in the MMOG development space, and partnering enables GNi Games and Digital Media and BigWorld to jointly offer world-class, global hosting facilities and service to BigWorld licensee companies. By extending GNi’s philosophy of customization where necessary, standardization where appropriate, we’ll see increased advantages for BigWorld clients in terms of economies of scale and a centralized technical knowledge base as we build out BigWorld specific dedicated hosting sites. As with all GNi clients, the BigWorld offering is based around our ‘pay-as-you-grow’ approach. We aim to have BigWorld clients utilizing the basis of what will become their production environment from as early in the production cycle as possible.”

Gavin Longhurst, Vice President of Business Development for BigWorld recently returned from Virtual Worlds in San Jose commented “Hosting a game or virtual world up to a global user base can be a massive, complex undertaking – a huge responsibility. GNi is the recognized leading provider in this space, with solid technical foundations and a successful portfolio of hosted content already deployed. GNi have proven themselves as a highly focused, reliable and proactive player in the online industry. I am happy to welcome GNi as a preferred services partner.”

About the BigWorld Technology Suite
Comprised of the BigWorld Server Software, Content Creation Pipeline, 3D Client Engine Package, Live Management Tools & Instrumentation, BigWorld Technology Suite is the only complete MMOG solution, providing all of the difficult technology required to produce an engaging next-generation MMOG and Virtual Worlds.

About BigWorld Pty Ltd
BigWorld Pty Ltd was formed in 2002 to commercialise years of intense R&D, which started in 1999 and continues to this day. BigWorld Pty Ltd is a privately held company based in Australia that licenses its BigWorld Technology Suite middleware platform to game studios and publishers around the world that are looking to produce successful next generation Massively Multiplayer Online Games and Virtual Worlds.

BigWorld Website
http://www.bigworldtech.com

About GNi
GNi is a leading provider of customer-centric managed services that extend customers’ infrastructure while dramatically reducing their total cost of ownership (TCO). GNi provides the expertise, resources and solutions to meet and exceed customers’ unique onsite and off-site requirements. Services include wired and wireless connectivity, world-class network security, disaster recovery, comprehensive server management and hosting, networking operations and management, and network consulting.

The company’s Games and Digital Media division was formed from the recent acquisition of Online Game Services, Inc. and allows GNi to strengthen its game service provider business model with industry-leading, fully-managed dedicated games hosting environments and Internet transit around the world.

GNi Website
http://www.gni.com.