Front Line Winners Unite! FMOD now available for Torque Users

Hey Guys,

It's been awhile since I posted a blog, but with news like this I simply had to say something. The Audio Tool of the Year, FMOD, is now available for purchase in the Developer Store for only $100. This particular license of FMOD mimics the Indie license of our engines, making it an awesome opportunity for indies on a budget to use cutting edge sound technology. FMOD has been used on such games as Little Big Planet, World of Warcraft, Starcraft II and Mich's favorite WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2009. We even use it in house for all of our InstantAction games.

Because we have included FMOD libraries and headers in every TGEA release since version 1.7, all you need to do to unleash this kickass sound library on your game project is to drop in a DLL. We plan to continue supporting FMOD with Torque 3D. FMOD is also cross platform, which not only opens up awesome tech to all you Mac developers out there, but makes it easier to create cross platform games. No more OpenAL issues! Included with FMOD EX is a whole suite of 14 DSP effects such as echo, chorus, reverb etc. which can be applied throughout the DSP mixing network.

If you’re willing to get your hands dirty, you can extend SFX to support the advanced features of FMOD:

Create realistic soundscapes
Supply 3D positions for the sound source and listener and FMOD Ex will automatically apply volume, filtering, surround panning and Doppler effect to mono, stereo and even multichannel samples. Transition between calculated positioning and sound designer defined positioning using 2D/3D pan morphing! For even greater audio realism use FMOD Ex's:

• Choice between linear, logarithmic and custom rolloff curves
• Custom geometry engine to add polygon scenes (FMOD Ex will factor in obstruction/occlusion)
• 3D reverbs to blend transitions between environments with different ambience

The software mixer even has a 'HRTF' (Head-Related Transfer Function) mode to provide 3D realism through headphones!
Virtual Voices
Virtual voices allow a game to play thousands of sounds at once on limited hardware without worrying about handling the logic to switch sounds off and on. FMOD Ex provides voice management using 3D distance and priority properties.

Extending SFX also gives you access to the award winning FMOD Designer. FMOD Designer provides access to FMOD Ex's advanced low-level features to sound designers, without the need for programming knowledge. This comprehensive sound design tool allows simple or complex sound events to be modeled and created by the sound designer. Capabilities include such things as layering, effects, random behavior, and stitching of sounds. The aim of this tool is to give control of the artistic direction of the audio to the sound designer - and not the programmer.

FMOD EX has the largest range of supported hardware including:

• Windows (32bit and 64bit)
• Macintosh (PPC and x86)
• Linux (32bit and 64bit)
• Sony PS2, PS3 and PSP
• Microsoft Xbox and Xbox 360
• Nintendo Gamecube and Wii

FMOD has always embraced the Indie spirit. Together with Torque you can have two Front Line award winning technologies at an incredibly friendly Indie price. Get your copy of FMOD now for only $100.