Post by: NewsBot on July 28, 2004, 06:22:04 AM
EA to Acquire Criterion Software Group from CANON EUROPE; EA Acquires UK Creator of Burnout 3 and RenderWare
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 28, 2004--Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced an agreement to acquire Criterion Software Group Ltd. from Canon Europe. With the acquisition, EA assumes Criterion's studio in Guildford, UK; two globally recognized intellectual properties, Burnout and Black; and the RenderWare middleware technology.
Under a previous agreement, Criterion's Burnout3 game is being published by EA and is scheduled for release on all major platforms in September. Criterion is also developing a highly-anticipated game known simply as Black. Both titles received strong critical support earlier this year at the recent E3 game exhibition in Los Angeles.
"This is a great fit," said 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."
EA places a strategic priority on creating games with a set of tools and libraries that are shared among its studios. RenderWare and RenderWare4 - currently under development for next generation consoles - will be combined with EA's technology to create a common framework for development. EA also plans to continue licensing the middleware technology to other developers.
"Combining EA's tools and technology libraries with the existing RenderWare technologies will create a superior platform for game development," said 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," said Fiona Sperry, Head of Criterion Games. "Within EA, we can now secure our future as one of the world's leading development studios."
Criterion will be managed from EA's UK Studio in nearby Chertsey, Surrey; the RenderWare business will remain in the UK at a separate location. RenderWare will be managed apart from EA's local studios.
The acquisition is expected to close in 30-45 days, subject to regulatory clearances.
Post by: jmoe316 on July 28, 2004, 07:02:43 AM
Hopefully that is not an error in the Press Release.
Post by: Ian Sane on July 28, 2004, 07:22:36 AM
Post by: KDR_11k on July 28, 2004, 09:32:15 AM
Someone else brought up the point that EA now owns Renderware and might abuse it to get an edge on the competition.
Post by: Flames_of_chaos on July 28, 2004, 12:46:52 PM
Post by: Djunknown on July 28, 2004, 02:14:21 PM
And before it becomes a less-is-more, we-don't-need-em, argument, check the sales the figures. Time after time, an EA game is always on the top 20. Until EA's sphere of influence (ever) decreases, one can hope EA will not abandon the big N.
Post by: joeamis on July 28, 2004, 07:57:26 PM
Post by: NinGurl69 *huggles on July 28, 2004, 08:35:19 PM
Post by: Shift Key on July 28, 2004, 09:25:26 PM
QuoteLIES! So Criterion forced themselves to make Burnout 1 AND 2? They have their own middleware (to develop a game for multiple systems) and now a publisher with a track record for publishing sports games and not much else on GC (you may consider Mary Kate and Ashley's Sweet 16 an exception, but I consider it a shafting). I'm still skeptical this will appear on GC at all. I can imagine it now...
Criterion themselves didn't want to make it for the GC, but EA forced them to.
*EA Boss watches over Criterion workers from almighty throne, forcing them to play "Dual Heroes" on a chair of nails while smashing a GC*
This may not be accurate - they could be forced to play The Bouncer instead...
Post by: Uncle Rich AiAi on July 28, 2004, 09:53:25 PM
Post by: Deguello on July 28, 2004, 11:45:34 PM
The Ghosts of Westwood weep.
Post by: nickmitch on July 29, 2004, 08:16:32 AM
Post by: Syl on July 29, 2004, 04:18:38 PM
That said, The ONLY other game i've ever heard of that used the Renderware engine was actually Sonic Heroes, of all things.
Burnout 3 for cube though, thats a blessing.
I sure hope that Free Radical doesn't sell out... That would really piss me off.
Post by: Bloodworth on July 29, 2004, 08:33:33 PM
Post by: KDR_11k on July 29, 2004, 11:03:47 PM
Post by: Shift Key on August 01, 2004, 06:02:32 PM
QuoteDon't bet the house on it. I spotted some fresh "Coming Soon" boxes for Burnout 3 today, and there is no Gamecube logo to be seen on it.
Burnout 3 for cube though, thats a blessing.
:angryface:
Post by: joeamis on August 10, 2004, 01:39:57 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: Shift KeyQuoteLIES! So Criterion forced themselves to make Burnout 1 AND 2? They have their own middleware (to develop a game for multiple systems) and now a publisher with a track record for publishing sports games and not much else on GC.
Criterion themselves didn't want to make it for the GC, but EA forced them to.
Acclaim probably made the choice of putting out the previous games for Gamecube. Another thing is, the best EA games on Gamecube were not sports games.
