Criterion Games is a Guildford, England based video game developer. It is best known for its work on the Burnout series, Black video games, the Need for Speed series, and the RenderWare middleware game engine.
History[]
Criterion Software Ltd. was created to commercialize 3D graphics rendering technology created by Canon's European Research Lab, having two co-founders both employed by Canon.
Criterion Software became a game development studio known for the development of the RenderWare family of middleware technology including graphics, AI, audio, and physics components.
RenderWare was used in such games as Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and Crackdown, and Crackdown 2.
In August 2004, Electronic Arts announced that their acquisition of Criterion Games from Acclaim Entertainment for a rumored £40 million, if taking into account the purchase price and existing debt. After the purchase both Criterion and EA declared that RenderWare would continue to be made available to third party customers, but some clients decided it was too risky to rely on technology owned by a competitor. EA has since withdrawn RenderWare from the commercial middleware market although EA do honour previous contracts for third party use of the middleware engine.
Criterion decided to close their Derby satellite office in the summer of 2006, and made all of their programmers and support staff redundant. In early March 2007, EA moved Criterion from their Bury Fields Studio to a new building in Central Guildford, thus creating a single UK studio that at its height had approximately 500 full-time developers.
Criterion announced their first game in the Need for Speed franchise with Hot Pursuit at E3 2010 on June 14, 2010. The game was released on November 16, 2010 in the USA, November 18, 2010 in Australasia, and November 19, 2010 in the EU for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.
Once again, Criterion introduced another entry in the Need for Speed series with their reimaginning of Most Wanted.
On June 27, 2012, Criterion Games was given control of the Need for Speed series alongside the Burnout series.[1]
On January 3, 2014, Vice President and Creative Director of Criterion Games; Alex Ward, and Studio Director Fiona Sperry both left Criterion Games.[2] They later announced their new studio on March 3, 2014 called Three Fields Entertainment[3], and their first game, Dangerous Golf, released on June 4, 2016.[4]
On August 18, 2016, numerous tweets sent out by the official Criterion Games twitter feed that they were not actively working on a new entry in the Burnout series.[5]
On November 22, 2016, the Xbox 360 releases of Burnout Paradise and Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box were made playable on the Xbox One through backwards compatibility.
Released Games[]
Game | Published |
---|---|
Scorched Attack Windows |
1996 Virgin Interactive Entertainment, Inc. |
Speedboat Attack Windows |
1997 Telstar Electronic Studios Ltd. |
Sub Culture Windows |
1997 Ubisoft Entertainment Software |
Redline Racer Dreamcast, Windows |
1998 Ubisoft Entertainment Software |
Suzuki Alstare Extreme Racing Dreamcast, Windows |
1999 Ubisoft Entertainment Software |
Trickstyle Dreamcast, Windows |
1999 Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. |
Deep Fighter Dreamcast, Windows |
2000 Ubisoft Entertainment Software |
Burnout Gamecube, PlayStation 2, Xbox |
2001 Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. |
AirBlade PlayStation 2 |
2002 Namco Hometek Inc. |
Burnout 2: Point of Impact Gamecube, PlayStation 2, Xbox |
2002 Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. |
Burnout 3: Takedown PlayStation 2, Xbox |
2004 Electronic Arts, Inc. |
Burnout: Legends PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS |
2005 Electronic Arts, Inc. |
Burnout Revenge PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360 |
2005 Electronic Arts, Inc. |
Black' PlayStation 2, Xbox |
2006 Electronic Arts, Inc. |
Burnout Paradise PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Xbox One |
2008 Electronic Arts, Inc. |
Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows |
2009 Electronic Arts, Inc. |
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010) PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows |
2010 Electronic Arts, Inc. |
Burnout CRASH! PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS |
2011 Electronic Arts, Inc. |
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012) PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Wii U, Windows |
2012 Electronic Arts, Inc. |
Need for Speed: Rivals PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows |
2013 Electronic Arts, Inc. |
Battlefield Hardline PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows |
2015 Electronic Arts, Inc. |
Need for Speed (2015) PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows |
2015 Electronic Arts, Inc. |
Star Wars Battlefront: Rogue One: X-wing VR Mission PlayStation VR |
2016 Electronic Arts, Inc. |
Star Wars Battlefront II (Starfighter Assault mode only) PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows |
2017 Electronic Arts, Inc. |
Burnout Paradise Remastered PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows |
2018 Electronic Arts, Inc. |
References[]
<references>
External links[]
- ↑ http://www.polygon.com/gaming/2012/6/25/3115707/criterion-to-take-full-control-of-need-for-speed-and-burnout Polygon: Criterion to Take Full Control of Need for Speed and Burnout
- ↑ http://www.polygon.com/2014/1/3/5269474/co-founders-of-criterion-games-leave-studio Co-Founders of Criterion Games Leave Studio
- ↑ http://www.polygon.com/2014/3/5/5473770/criterion-founders-announce-new-indie-game-studio-three-fields Polygon: Criterion Founders Announce New Indie Game Studio Three Fields Entertainment
- ↑ http://www.polygon.com/2016/5/4/11591156/dangerous-golf-release-date-pc-ps4-xbox-one Polygon: Dangerous Golf Release Date
- ↑ http://www.technewstoday.com/31080-do-no-expect-a-burnout-game-or-remaster/ Tech News Today: Do Not Expect A Burnout Game or Remaster