U

Media Contact:

Jim Ong
650.931.2710

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STOTTLER HENKE DEMONSTRATES FIRST COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE
FOR VISUALLY SPECIFYING A.I. GAME BEHAVIOR

SimBionic(TM) empowers the development team to rapidly define how game characters act and react

 SAN JOSE, CA., March 4, 2003 — At the Game Developers Conference here, Stottler Henke Associates, Inc. will demonstrate SimBionic(TM), the first software tool kit that lets non-programmers easily define the behavior of people, systems or other entities in computer games.

SimBionic(TM) is a visual authoring tool and runtime engine for creating complex behavior, through the use of artificial intelligence (AI). It enables game developers to speed their development time, while empowering designers and end users to directly incorporate their knowledge and expertise into the systems. Speeding the behavior development process can accelerate time-to-market for games. Non-technical members can participate in development using the graphical interface for specifying behavior. Having the AI exposed reduces the risk of errors related to miscommunication of content between designer and a programmer.

Visitors to Stottler Henke’s booth (#648) at the Game Developers Conference will see how SimBionic can help build game AI, and how it fits into the game development cycle.

Stottler Henke introduced SimBionic in December, 2002. In the games market, users who tested a pilot version of SimBionic specialized for the popular computer game, NeverWinter Nights, were overwhelmingly positive about the value of the tool.

SimBionic’s components

SimBionic consists of two major components: a visual authoring tool, and a runtime engine. The SimBionic authoring tool is a standard Windows application. Because SimBionic presents its logic graphically, it can communicate more information to more people compared to textual code methods. Visual representations can be understood by experts and by software programmers alike, so they can speak the same language, resulting in superior collaborative development.

The SimBionic runtime engine takes the behavior description, and makes it operational within a game. The engine is efficient, highly scalable, and provides a C++ application programming interface, so software developers can easily interface it with simulations and games.

The SimBionic authoring tool runs on Microsoft Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP operating systems. The SimBionic runtime engine runs on these operating systems, as well as Linux.

SimBionic Price and Availability

SimBionic is available immediately from Stottler Henke. Pricing begins at $8,000 for a minimum configuration of authoring tool and run-time licenses.

Founded in 1988, Stottler Henke Associates, Inc. applies artificial intelligence and other advanced software technologies to solve problems that defy solution using traditional approaches. The company delivers intelligent software solutions for education and training, planning and scheduling, knowledge management and discovery, decision support, and software development. Stottler Henke’s clients include manufacturers, retailers, educational media companies and government agencies.   Web: https://www.stottlerhenke.com.