Criterion Games

British video game developerTemplate:SHORTDESC:British video game developer[[Category:**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Pagetype/config' not found.**s with short description]]

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* *Burnout* series

**Criterion Games** is a British video game developer based in Guildford, England. Founded in 1996, it is best known for their work on the racing video game series *Burnout* and various *Need for Speed* games.

## History

 File:Criterion Games Old Logo.svg
Criterion Software was founded in December 1993 to commercialise 3D graphics rendering technology. It was set up by David Lau-Kee and Adam Billyard within Canon's European Research Lab, before being spun out as a Canon-owned startup. Criterion Software was a technology company specialising in the development of the RenderWare family of middleware technology, including graphics, artificial intelligence, audio and physics components. Criterion Games, initially named Criterion Studios, was formed as a division within Criterion Software in January 1996, set up to develop games that would use the RenderWare engine and act as showcases as to what was possible with the platform. RenderWare is used in such games as *Grand Theft Auto III*, *Grand Theft Auto: Vice City* and *Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas*, which are developed by Rockstar North, and the *Burnout* series, developed in-house by Criterion Games.

In August 2004, Electronic Arts announced they had acquired Criterion Games and Criterion Software for a rumoured Template:GBP, taking into account the purchase price and existing debt. This was followed by the release of *Black,* a first-person shooter, to which they applied the action movie sensibilities characteristic of the *Burnout* series.

After the purchase, both Criterion and Electronic Arts declared that RenderWare would continue to be made available to third-party customers. However, some clients decided it was too risky to rely on technology owned by a competitor. Electronic Arts has since withdrawn RenderWare from the commercial middleware market, although remnants are still used by internal developers.

In mid-2006, the company closed its Derby satellite office, making all of its programmers and support staff redundant. In early March 2007, Electronic Arts combined its Chertsey-based UK development studio and Criterion Games into a new building in central Guildford. Integration of the teams did not occur and the location housed two very separate development studios: Criterion Games and EA Bright Light before Bright Light was shut permanently in 2011.

On 14 June 2010, Criterion announced that *Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit* was set for release in November 2010. The software utilizes a new game engine named Chameleon. On 1 June 2012, Electronic Arts announced Criterion's second *Need for Speed* title, *Need for Speed: Most Wanted*, which was released on 30 October 2012. At Electronic Entertainment Expo 2012, Criterion Games announced that it had taken sole ownership of the *Need for Speed* franchise.

On 28 April 2013, Alex Ward announced via Twitter that the studio is planning to steer away from its tradition in developing racing games and are instead focusing on other genres for future projects. On 13 September 2013, Criterion elected to cut its staff numbers to 17 people total, as 80% (70 people) of the studio moved over to Ghost Games UK to work with *Need for Speed* games.

On 3 January 2014, it was announced that Alex Ward and Fiona Sperry left Criterion to found a new studio, Three Fields Entertainment. Their first game *Dangerous Golf*, slated for release in May 2016, combined ideas from *Burnout* and *Black* and is to lead them throws a spiritual successor to *Burnout*.

At the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2014, the company announced a new racing project. However, the project was cancelled as Criterion is now focusing on providing additional support to other EA studios in creating future *Star Wars* games. Criterion worked on *Star Wars Battlefront: X-Wing VR Mission*, a new virtual reality mission for *Star Wars Battlefront*.

In June 2015, news site Nintendo Life reveals that in early 2011 Nintendo of Europe approached Criterion to work on a pitch for a new *F-Zero* game which they hoped to unveil at E3 that same year alongside the then-unreleased Wii U console, and potentially release the game during the console's launch period. However, the developer was unable to handle the pitch as, at the time, they devoted much of their resources into the development of *Need for Speed: Most Wanted* for multiple platforms. The site was tipped by an anonymous, yet "reliable" source, but they had confirmed this information when Criterion co-founder Alex Ward (who left the company in 2014) admitted that Nintendo of Europe did indeed approach the company for a potential *F-Zero* game on the Wii U. Alex Ward also noted on Twitter that Criterion was also offered the opportunity to work on the first *Forza*, *Mad Max*, a Vauxhall only racer, a *Command & Conquer* first-person shooter and a *Gone in 60 Seconds* game.

In 2018, it was announced that Criterion is developing Battlefield V’s battle royale mode, *Firestorm*.

In 2020, it was announced that Criterion will be returning as the main developer of the *Need for Speed* series.

## References

1. ↑ Grubb, Jeff (April 17, 2017). "PSVR X-Wing Mission studio Criterion is working on Star Wars: Battlefront II". *VentureBeat*. https://venturebeat.com/2017/04/17/psvrs-x-wing-mission-studio-is-working-on-battlefront-ii/. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
2. ↑ "About Us at Criterion Studios". 1997. https://web.archive.org/web/19971008180552/http://www.csl.com/studios/about\_us.htm.
3. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
4. ↑ "Electronic Arts revs up new Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit". 14 June 2010. http://www.gamespot.com/news/electronic-arts-revs-up-new-need-for-speed-hot-pursuit-6265473. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
5. ↑ "Tech Interview: Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit". 31 July 2010. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-needforspeed-tech-interview. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
6. ↑ "Most Wanted is out today". http://www.needforspeed.com/news/most-wanted-out-today. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
7. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
8. ↑ "Criterion Games not planning new a 'Need For Speed' or 'Burnout'". http://www.digitalspy.com.au/gaming/news/a473431/criterion-games-not-planning-new-need-for-speed-burnout.html. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
9. ↑ "Criterion Games staff reduced to 17 as 60-65 people move over to Ghost Games". *VG247.com*. http://www.vg247.com/2013/09/14/criterion-games-staff-reduced-to-17-as-60-65-people-move-over-to-ghost-games/.
10. ↑ Scamell, David. "The Ghost Of Criterions past.". http://www.videogamer.com/features/article/the\_ghost\_of\_criterions\_past.html.
11. ↑ Crecente, Brian (3 January 2014). "Co-founders of Criterion Games, creators of Burnout, leave studio [update"]. *Polygon*. Vox Media. http://www.polygon.com/2014/1/3/5269474/co-founders-of-criterion-games-leave-studio. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
12. ↑ Wawro, Alex (26 January 2016). "'You've got to make something that you love' - Designing Dangerous Golf". *Gamasutra*. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/264390/Youve\_got\_to\_make\_something\_that\_you\_love\_\_Designing\_Dangerous\_Golf.php. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
13. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (21 June 2016). "Burnout Dev's Extreme Sports Game Canceled and Here's Why". http://www.gamespot.com/articles/burnout-devs-extreme-sports-game-canceled-and-here/1100-6441119/. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
14. ↑ Robertson, Liam (23 June 2015). "Exclusive: We Almost Got A Wii U F-Zero Created By Burnout Studio Criterion". http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/06/exclusive\_we\_almost\_got\_a\_wii\_u\_f-zero\_created\_by\_burnout\_studio\_criterion. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
15. ↑ Phillips, Tom (23 June 2015). "Nintendo asked Burnout dev to make Wii U F-Zero". *Eurogamer*. Gamer Network. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-06-23-nintendo-asked-burnout-dev-to-make-wii-u-f-zero. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
16. ↑ Phillips, Tom (September 7, 2018). "Criterion making Battlefield 5's battle royale mode". *Eurogamer*. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-09-07-burnout-creator-criterion-making-battlefield-5s-battle-royale-mode. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
17. ↑  https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-02-12-ea-will-move-need-for-speed-development-back-to-criterion
18. ↑ "Need for Speed Rivals Speeds to Xbox One, PS4 and Current Gen This November". Joystiq. 23 May 2013. http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/23/need-for-speed-rivals-speeds-to-xbox-one-ps4-and-current-gen-this-november/. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
19. ↑ Dunning, Jason (12 June 2016). "E3 2016 – Criterion Working on the Star Wars Battlefront VR Mission for PlayStation VR". PlayStation LifeStyle. http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2016/06/12/e3-2016-criterion-working-star-wars-battlefront-vr-mission-playstation-vr/. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
20. ↑ Sarkar, Samit (29 March 2017). "Star Wars Battlefront 2 officially announced". http://www.polygon.com/2017/3/29/15113292/star-wars-battlefront-2-ea-celebration. Retrieved 1 February 2017.

## External links

* Template:Official website

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