Offset Software

{{Short description|Video game development company}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Offset Software

| logo = Image:Offset Software Logo.jpg

| foundation = 2004

| defunct = 2010

| location = Newport Beach, California

| key_people = {{unbulleted list|Sam McGrath|(Founder)|Travis Stringer|(Co-founder)|Trevor Stringer |(Co-founder)|Rod Green|(Director)}}

| num_employees = 50

| industry = Video games

| products = Project Offset (canceled)

| homepage = [http://www.projectoffset.com/ ProjectOffset.com]

}}

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,{{cite news |title = Project Offset Article |first = Jon |last = Peplinski |url = http://www.sffworld.com/mul/124p0.html |work = SFFWorld.com |date = September 3, 2005 |accessdate = December 22, 2009 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20090218155919/http://sffworld.com/mul/124p0.html |url-status = dead |archivedate = February 18, 2009 }} which won the grand prize at the Independent Games Festival in 2004.{{cite web |title = The 12th Annual Independent Games Festival - 2004 Finalists & Winners |url = http://www.igf.com/2004finalistswinners.html |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20100210085907/http://www.igf.com/2004finalistswinners.html |publisher = Independent Games Festival |archivedate = February 10, 2010 |url-status = dead |accessdate = December 22, 2009 }}

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.{{cite web |title = Project Offset, The Lush, Chris Gore |url = http://g4tv.com/attackoftheshow/episodes/4643/Project_Offset_The_Lush_Chris_Gore.html |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20120531064155/http://www.g4tv.com/attackoftheshow/episodes/4643/Project_Offset_The_Lush_Chris_Gore.html |work = Attack of the Show! |date = October 25, 2005 |archivedate = May 31, 2012 |url-status = dead |accessdate = December 22, 2009 }}

In February 2008, Intel acquired Offset Software,{{cite news |title = Intel Acquires Offset Software, Project Offset Engine |url = https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/intel-acquires-offset-software-project-offset-engine |work = Gamasutra |date = February 25, 2008 |access-date = December 22, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100510092434/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=17599 |url-status = live |archive-date = May 10, 2010 }} having purchased the Havok engine in 2007.{{cite news |title = Why Intel bought Project Offset and the Offset Engine |first = Joel |last = Hruska |url = https://arstechnica.com/hardware/news/2008/02/why-intel-bought-project-offset-and-the-offset-engine.ars |work = Ars Technica |date = February 25, 2008 |accessdate = December 22, 2009 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20091208162406/http://arstechnica.com/hardware/news/2008/02/why-intel-bought-project-offset-and-the-offset-engine.ars |url-status = live |archivedate = December 8, 2009 }}

Intel canceled the game in mid-2010, citing "recent changes in our product roadmap" (possibly meaning the failure of Larrabee as a consumer product).{{cite news |title=Project Offset officially shut down at Intel; founders launch Fractiv LLC |url=http://news.bigdownload.com/2010/07/01/project-offset-officially-shut-down-at-intel-founders-launches/ |first=John |last=Callaham |publisher=Big Download |date=July 1, 2010}} The founders of Offset Software have moved to a new game development studio named Fractiv LLC.{{cite web |url=http://www.fractiv.com/ |title=Home |website=fractiv.com}}

The Offset Engine was licensed by Red 5 Studios in 2006 to create their MMOFPS game Firefall.{{YouTube|UutK_AYw9m8|Firefall Live - Special Tiki Edition}} 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.{{Cite web |last=Callaham |first=John |date=2010-07-07 |title=Offset Engine still being used by Red 5 Studios |url=http://news.bigdownload.com/2010/07/07/offset-engine-still-being-used-by-red-5-studios/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711052322/http://news.bigdownload.com/2010/07/07/offset-engine-still-being-used-by-red-5-studios/ |archive-date=2010-07-11 |website=Big Download}}