SEPT. 12, 2007 • Montreal based audio solution provider Audiokinetic announced that the company raised $5 million from several Canadian-based investment agencies – raising its financing total for the year to $11 million. Audiokinetic’s flagship product, Wwise was created by sound experts, and is positioned to be the audio middleware solution for game developers to have flexibility toolsets and workflow for game content. Last January, Zoo Tycoon developer Blue Fang had entered into a long term licensing agreement with Audiokinetic to use Wwise in unannounced future titles. It also saw its first commercial use in Microsoft/FASA’s Shadowrun, and, most recently, announced a new licensing scheme for downloadable titles for XBLA, PSN, and WiiWare.
Impact: Audiokinetic has done a good job making an early impression, winning some lead accounts and providing some solid technology. However, audio has often been a looked-over element of the game development process, with developers struggling to justify budget expenditures for audio. The biggest hurdle is going to be educating developers of the benefits of using off-the-shelf solutions from third party providers.
