EA Nabs Criterion
Electronic Arts reaps the rewards of acquiring Criterion Software Group by assuming the properties of Burnout and Black as well.
Published: July 28, 2004
Electronic Arts announced today an agreement to acquire Criterion Software Group from Canon Europe. The buyout also entitles EA to Criterion's studio in Guildford, UK, along with the intellectual properties of the over-the-top racer Burnout, exceptional first-person shooter Black and the RenderWare middleware technology.
"This is a great fit," admits EA Chairman and CEO Larry Probst. "Criterion offers us studio talent and a proven management team, globally recognized intellectual property and technology infrastructure that will accelerate our readiness on the next generation of consoles."
RenderWare and RenderWare 4, which are apparently under development for next generation consoles (hint, hint), will be combined with EA's current technology for form a common framework for development. EA also plans to license the technology to other developers, giving them the opportunity to work with it.
"Combining EA's tools and technology libraries with the existing RenderWare technologies will create a superior platform for game development," suggests Criterion CEO David Lau-Kee. "This system will provide the most powerful common technological framework for creating great games. Our work on RenderWare4, combined with EA's next generation efforts, will also boost development efforts on the next generation of consoles which are expected to debut over the next two years."
"Our mission has always been to create exciting new franchises that appeal to the widest possible audience," says Fiona Sperry, Head of Criterion Games. "Within EA, we can now secure our future as one of the world's leading development studios."
Burnout 3: Takedown, Criterion's current product that is accordingly being published by Electronic Arts, will be crashing into stores in September. As for Black, details have been rather scarce on the FPS, but we'll be sure to keep you updated nonetheless.
"This is a great fit," admits EA Chairman and CEO Larry Probst. "Criterion offers us studio talent and a proven management team, globally recognized intellectual property and technology infrastructure that will accelerate our readiness on the next generation of consoles."
RenderWare and RenderWare 4, which are apparently under development for next generation consoles (hint, hint), will be combined with EA's current technology for form a common framework for development. EA also plans to license the technology to other developers, giving them the opportunity to work with it.
"Combining EA's tools and technology libraries with the existing RenderWare technologies will create a superior platform for game development," suggests Criterion CEO David Lau-Kee. "This system will provide the most powerful common technological framework for creating great games. Our work on RenderWare4, combined with EA's next generation efforts, will also boost development efforts on the next generation of consoles which are expected to debut over the next two years."
"Our mission has always been to create exciting new franchises that appeal to the widest possible audience," says Fiona Sperry, Head of Criterion Games. "Within EA, we can now secure our future as one of the world's leading development studios."
Burnout 3: Takedown, Criterion's current product that is accordingly being published by Electronic Arts, will be crashing into stores in September. As for Black, details have been rather scarce on the FPS, but we'll be sure to keep you updated nonetheless.
