Offset Software was a video game development company based in Newport Beach, California. It was founded by Sam McGrath, Travis Stringer, Trevor Stringer and Rod Green; except for Green, they had worked for S2 Games developing Savage: The Battle for Newerth,[1] which won the grand prize at the Independent Games Festival in 2004.[2]

Offset Software
IndustryVideo games
Founded2004
Defunct2010
HeadquartersNewport Beach, California
Key people
  • Sam McGrath
  • (Founder)
  • Travis Stringer
  • (Co-founder)
  • Trevor Stringer
  • (Co-founder)
  • Rod Green
  • (Director)
ProductsProject Offset (canceled)
Number of employees
50
WebsiteProjectOffset.com

The company had one game under development, a first-person shooter with the working title "Project Offset". (Some official preview videos have shown third-person views for close-quarters combat.) The game featured a detailed high fantasy world. It was showcased on Attack of the Show! in 2005.[3]

In February 2008, Intel acquired Offset Software,[4] having purchased the Havok engine in 2007.[5]

Intel canceled the game in mid-2010, citing "recent changes in our product roadmap" (possibly meaning the failure of Larrabee as a consumer product).[6] The founders of Offset Software have moved to a new game development studio named Fractiv LLC.[7]

The Offset Engine was licensed by Red 5 Studios in 2006 to create their MMOFPS game Firefall.[8] Intel shutting down the Offset team did not mean Red 5 could no longer use the engine. The game used a heavily modified engine originally based on the Offset Engine.[9]

References

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  1. ^ Peplinski, Jon (September 3, 2005). "Project Offset Article". SFFWorld.com. Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
  2. ^ "The 12th Annual Independent Games Festival - 2004 Finalists & Winners". Independent Games Festival. Archived from the original on February 10, 2010. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
  3. ^ "Project Offset, The Lush, Chris Gore". Attack of the Show!. October 25, 2005. Archived from the original on May 31, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
  4. ^ "Intel Acquires Offset Software, Project Offset Engine". Gamasutra. February 25, 2008. Archived from the original on May 10, 2010. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
  5. ^ Hruska, Joel (February 25, 2008). "Why Intel bought Project Offset and the Offset Engine". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on December 8, 2009. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
  6. ^ Callaham, John (July 1, 2010). "Project Offset officially shut down at Intel; founders launch Fractiv LLC". Big Download.
  7. ^ "Home". fractiv.com.
  8. ^ Firefall Live - Special Tiki Edition on YouTube
  9. ^ Callaham, John (2010-07-07). "Offset Engine still being used by Red 5 Studios". Big Download. Archived from the original on 2010-07-11.
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