Middleware boost for 'Alan Wake' project

Remedy Entertainment has secured new middleware to boost the development of its upcoming Xbox 360 and PC game Alan Wake.

The firm has licensed Umbra's rendering optimisation toolset to inject some speed into the content creation process on the long-running development.

Game director Markus Mäki said: "Umbra gave a significant boost in rendering performance on the Xbox 360, and at the same time made our content creation faster.

"With Umbra's culling technology, Remedy's team can add more details to Alan Wake world and concentrate on the cool visuals while minimising tedious work such as adding portals."

Umbra chief executive Marko Nurro added that it has been a "pleasure" to work with the Remedy team on the project.

"Remedy is one of the most innovative and technically competent studios in the world," he said. "Their games just rock, simple as that."

Alan Wake is set in the open-world environment of Bright Falls, where the titular lead character searches for his lost wife as a nightmarish situation develops around him.

It is scheduled for release in spring 2010.