Caligari Acquired by Microsoft
Roman Ormandy, CEO of Caligari has announced that Caligari Corporation has been acquired by Microsoft. Caligari TrueSpace is a Windows only 3D modeling and rendering product. According to Roman, the reason for this is to enhance Microsoft’s Virtual Earth.
I would also estimate that a portion of this will get rolled into Microsoft’s XNA game strategy for creating Xbox 360 and PC games.
The 3D graphics market has been in a constant state of vigorous consolidation following the early price wars between Alias Maya and Lightwave and the subsequent acquisition of Alias by AutoDesk – owners of Discreet and 3D Studio MAX.
In the 3D mid-market, recent years has seen the collapse of Eovia and the acquisition of its products by DAZ Productions and e-frontier. The majority of e-frontier America’s products were then acquired by Smith Micro.
This bloodbath will continue.
