ACTIVISION®, SPARK AND CRITERION COMBINE EXPERTISE IN NEW
RELATIONSHIP
RenderWare to support delivery of new Call of Duty™: Finest Hour™
May 12, 2003 — Criterion Software®, the world’s leading provider of game development
solutions, has announced that leading video game publisher Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI)
and recently formed developer Spark have joined forces with RenderWare® for their
upcoming first person action title, Call of Duty™: Finest Hour™, which is being developed
for PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system, NINTENDO GAMECUBE™ and Xbox™
video game system from Microsoft.
In Call of Duty: Finest Hour players will be able to experience the cinematic intensity and the
chaos of battle as never before - through the eyes of ordinary soldiers fighting together as a
squad through the epic moments of World War II. Featuring an immersive storyline, players
will take on Nazi forces through a variety of squad-based missions set among WWII’s
legendary battlefields of Europe and beyond. Additionally, players will be able to experience
the war from multiple perspectives, fighting as soldiers from an alliance of countries as they
battle the Nazi regime and attempt to turn the tide of war.
Spark, a newly formed studio comprised of 28 of the individuals who developed titles in the
Medal of Honor™ console and PC series, including several of the production leads, will
specifically be using RenderWare® Studio and RenderWare® Platform to help manage the
complexity of multi-platform development; ensuring the team can meet technical needs and
maximize the time and resources spent on developing awesome gameplay.
Working closely with both the Spark and Activision teams, Criterion’s developer relations
team will be providing comprehensive and dedicated technical support for the timely
completion of the title.
"As a new game developer, with a group of incredibly strong designers, artists and animators,
we needed a production solution that could allow everyone to start working right away,"
commented Craig Allen, CEO of Spark. "RenderWare Studio and the RenderWare Platform
allowed our engineering group the ability to focus their skills on the unique challenges of our
title, knowing that the rest of the team has the necessary tools and technology to start
creating our game from day one. As a group that is focused on artistic excellence, we are
excited to announce this partnership as the RenderWare system will allow us to provide a
richer gaming experience for our audience while reducing the overall production risks and
costs associated with core engine development."
“Spark's talent and vision coupled with RenderWare's developer-friendly technology will allow
us to bring home the most authentic and fun WWII first-person action console game ever in
Call of Duty: Finest Hour. Using the RenderWare Studio technology allows Spark to focus
from the beginning on fun gameplay features and helps them to build very realistic detailed
environments, rather than spending time creating the underlying engine," comments Mark
Lamia, Vice President, North America Studios at Activision.
David Lau-Kee, CEO, Criterion Software comments, “ We’re delighted to be providing Spark
with our technology and top tier support, and at the same time, strengthening our
relationship with Activision. The combination of the three companies’ unique expertise and a
strong relationship built on true understanding of our audience is a powerful force, and we
are looking forward to the game being completed and people enjoying the results of Spark’s
hard work and talent.”
About Criterion Software/RenderWare
Criterion Software® is the world-leading provider of middleware solutions for the game development industry. Founded in 1993,
Criterion Software is a rapidly expanding organization that today employs over 200 people in its software technology and game
development divisions, and has offices in Austin, Guildford, Paris and Tokyo. (Criterion Software is a wholly owned subsidiary of
Canon Inc.)
RenderWare® is Criterion's portfolio of game development solutions, which includes RenderWare Platform and RenderWare Studio
for PlayStation® 2, Xbox™, NINTENDO GAMECUBE™ and PC.
RenderWare is used extensively among the game development community, including heavyweights such as EA, Konami, Sony
Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) Sony Online, Midway, Sammy Studios, Namco, Ubisoft, Infogrames and THQ. Games
developed using RenderWare, have so far collectively delivered over $2billion of retail revenue, which includes sales of this season’s
hottest game properties: Grand Theft Auto: – Vice City, Mortal Kombat 5 – Deadly Alliance, Pro Evolution Soccer 2 and
Burnout 2: Point of Impact
For more information about RenderWare please visit http://www.renderware.com.
Criterion and RenderWare are registered trademarks of Canon Inc. Microsoft is a registered trademark and Xbox is a trademark of Microsoft
Corporation. PlayStation is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Nintendo is a registered trademark and NINTENDO
GAMECUBE a trademark of Nintendo Co., Ltd. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective companies
About Activision
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher
and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net
revenues of $864 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2003.
Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan,
Australia, Scandinavia and the Netherlands. More information about Activision and its products can be
found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com.
The statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements.” The Company cautions readers of this press release that a number of
important factors could cause Activision’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements. These important factors, and
other factors that could affect Activision, are described in Activision’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2002, which was filed with the United
States Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers of this press release are referred to such filings.
About Spark
Spark Unlimited is a developer of high quality games for PlayStation® 2, Xbox™ and NINTENDO
GAMECUBE™.
Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Sherman Oaks, California, Spark Unlimited is an employee owned
company that seeks to create artistry through technology for a global gaming audience.
For more information about Spark Unlimited, please visit our website at www.sparkunlimited.com.
Microsoft is a registered trademark and Xbox is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. PlayStation is a registered trademark of Sony
Computer Entertainment Inc. Nintendo is a registered trademark and NINTENDO GAMECUBE a trademark of Nintendo Co., Ltd.