Criterion Goes Mobile At E3

Market leader to maintain pole position in technology race and deliver quality games content across mobile devices

Market leader to maintain pole position in technology race and deliver quality games content across mobile devices

22nd May, 2002, Criterion Software, the worlds leading provider of game development solutions, unveils its strategy at E3 for driving high quality development technology standards across the mobile device sector. Already leading the market for multi-platform games middleware, Criterion is set to extend the functionality and benefits of its middleware technology to the mobile space, providing a total mobile games solution enabling developers and publishers to deliver quality games content over mobile devices such as PDAs and mobile phones, as well as digital set top boxes and other electronic entertainment platforms.

Criterions recent announcement of its intention to acquire the middleware business of MathEngine plc, including its Zenon technology, is a further step towards delivering this strategy. Criterion will bring together RenderWare®s multi-platform capabilities and Zenons mobile games feature-set to create a middleware solution that helps solve the complex technology issues facing developers who wish to create games for mobile devices. In addition, Criterion is partnering with leading hardware manufacturers and the carrier networks to provide concrete business models for actual delivery and distribution of games content.

RenderWare and Zenon technologies are already firmly integrated on Tao Groups intent® universal media platform. A growing number of consumer device manufacturers, including Grundig, JVC, Kyocera, Psion Teklogix, Sendo, Sharp, and Sony, will be releasing products over the next 12 to 18 months incorporating the intent platform. The first device incorporating Zenon technology will be Kyoceras PocketCosmo.

David Lau-Kee, President and CEO, Criterion Software Ltd comments, Developers and publishers are facing new challenges in terms of games content distribution for this sector, both on a commercial and technology level. Wireless operators and mobile device manufacturers, unfamiliar with games content architectures, are searching for the solutions to enable them to deliver games as value added content to their customers. But until sustainable business models are developed to support this sector, its forecasted growth potential may never be realised.

Criterion has already delivered the 'de facto development solution across all leading game platforms. Its a natural step for us to not only drive the delivery of tailored solutions to fit the mobile space and other emerging platforms, but also to help lay down concrete and tangible business models in order to provide a truly end-to-end solution to our customers."

Francis Charig, Executive Chairman of Tao Group noted, "The combination of RenderWare, Zenon and Tao's intent platform uniquely enables a comprehensive games engine for the delivery of premium content to all devices from low-powered to high-end client devices. This is the breakthrough required for delivering workable business models for developers, publishers and carriers."

EDITORS NOTES

Criterion Software
Criterion Software is the undisputed world-leading provider of middleware solutions for the game development industry. Founded in 1993, Criterion Software is a rapidly expanding organisation that today employs over 200 people in its software technology and game development divisions and is headquartered in Guildford UK, with offices in Tokyo, Austin, Paris and Derby. Criterion Software is a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon Inc. Further information on Criterion Software can be found at http://www.csl.com.

Criterion's game development middleware solutions include RenderWare Platform and the new RenderWare Studio. Both are available for PlayStation® 2, Xbox, NINTENDO GAMECUBE and PC. RenderWare is used extensively among the game development community, including heavyweights such as Activision, Acclaim, DMA Design, EA, Empire Interactive, Infogrames, Interplay, Konami, Lucas Learning, Midway, Rage, Sierra-Online, Sony Computer Entertainment America, Sony Online, THQ, Titus and Ubisoft. For the latest information on Criterion Software, RenderWare Platform, RenderWare Studio, our other tools and technologies and our partnerships, please visit http://www.renderware.com.

Tao Group
Tao has developed intent®, the Universal Multimedia Platform now used by many of the leading electronics manufacturers in their client products for home and mobile networks. intent is the platform specified by the Open Contents Platform Association (OCPA), launched successfully in Japan last year by Kyocera, JVC and Sharp, and now with more than sixty member companies. Tao was founded in 1992, has offices in Dallas, Tx., Reading, England, and Tokyo, Japan and has Mitsubishi, Sony, Motorola, NEC, Sharp and Bowman Capital Partners amongst its investors. intent enables a single, rich content strategy across all platforms, irrespective of operating system, hardware and language, and is used in a broad range of products such as smart mobile appliances and digital television. Tao's range of Graphics, Audio, Java, C, C++ and VP-based products have been designed from their inception to run best-in-class multimedia and real-world content many times faster than any alternative. Tao has a growing and high value, global patent portfolio and is the recipient of multiple industry awards.

Canon 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. intent is a registered trademark of Tao Group Limited. Java and all Java-based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the U.S. or other countries.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR PHOTOS PLEASE CONTACT:
USA            
Steve Smith         
Criterion Software Inc.    
+1 512 478 5605      
steves@csl.com   

Europe
Nicola Kirby   
Criterion Software
+44 (0) 1483 406 296
nkirby@csl.com   

Japan   
Akiko Iwagaki
Criterion Software Japan
+81 (0) 3 5731 5380
akikoi@csl.com

Tao Contact information:

Graham Nice
Tao Group
Tel: +44 (0)118 901 2999
Fax: +44 (0)118 901 2963
E-mail: nice@tao-group.com

Jenny Orford
Companycare Communications
Tel: +44 (0)118 939 5900
Fax: +44 (0)118 959 9595
E-mail: jennyo@companycare.com

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