Interactive Data Visualization, which developed and launched SpeedTreeRT in late 2002, will license the SpeedTree SDK for PS3 at $9,995US per title. IDV also announces the availability of a free, fully-functional evaluation version of the middleware for potential customers who wish to try it out first. The evaluation kit includes plug-ins for 3ds max and Maya, the fully-functional real-time foliage software and the highly versatile SpeedTreeCAD foliage editor and creation tool.

"SpeedTree's ability to quickly bring beautiful, wind-blown and efficient foliage to real-time titles makes it ideal as a middleware choice for the ground-breaking graphical excellence of "PLAYSTATION 3"," said IDV Vice President Michael Sechrest. "We welcome developers of "PLAYSTATION 3" titles to evaluate SpeedTree if they want to give their players truly next generation outdoor environments."

SpeedTreeRT delivers highly realistic trees and plants, with adjustable wind effects, user-configurable and seamless LOD transitions, and an included library of hundreds of tree, plant and marine models representing more than 170 core species. SpeedTreeRT includes SpeedTreeCAD, a Windows application used to create and edit animated trees in real-time. For more information about SpeedTree, visit www.speedtree.com