Criterion Software Ltd.
Moby ID: 1687
- Criterion Software Group Ltd. (from 1990-01-29 to 2001-11-29)
Overview edit · view history
Criterion is a game development company founded on 29 January 1990 and based in Guildford, England (UK). The team is especially known for the fast-paced Burnout series of race games and its proprietary 3D engine RenderWare. The company had offices in the United States (Austin, Texas - Criterion Software Inc.), Derby (UK), Paris (France) and Tokyo (Japan). It was owned by Canon Europe N.V. One of Criterion's subsidiaries was Fiendish Games (closed in late 2000).
In 2004, Criterion was sold by Canon to Electronic Arts UK Limited and became an internal development studio of Electronic Arts. In the summer of 2006, the Derby satellite office was closed. In February or March 2007, Electronic Arts UK combined its Chertsey-based UK development studio and Criterion Games into a new building in central Guildford (UK), creating a single studio together with the now-closed EA Bright Light, part of EA Casual Entertainment.
In September 2013, it was revealed the main Criterion team had been downsized to 16 people, known as Criterion Zero. The other part, about 60-65 people, was dubbed Ghost Games UK as a support studio for the Swedish EA studio Ghost Games. In February 2014 it was reported all of the contractors at Ghost Games UK were let go and the full staff were said to either take redundancy or join the team at Criterion to work on Battlefield: Hardline. On 12 May 2022, it was announced that Codemasters Cheshire would be absorbed into Criterion Software.
Criterion is currently still active with the name Criterion Software Ltd., the company name that was registered on 29 November 2001. The other registered companies tied to Criterion were all dissolved on 13 May 2014: Criterion Software Group Ltd. (registered on 29 January 1990), Criterion Software International Ltd. (registered on 29 January 1990) and Electronic Arts (UK) Ltd. (registered on 15 July 2004). Although informally referenced as EA UK in the Battlefield Hardline credits, Criterion Software Ltd. is most like the only active studio name.
Credited on 99 Games from 1994 to 2022
Displaying most recent · View all
NFS: Unbound (2022 on Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series) |
Battlefield 2042 (2021 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...) |
Lost in Random (2021 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...) |
Sea of Solitude: The Director's Cut (2021 on Nintendo Switch) |
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit - Remastered (2020 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...) |
Star Wars: Jedi - Fallen Order (2019 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...) |
NFS: Heat (2019 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One) |
Sea of Solitude (2019 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One) |
Battlefield V (2018 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...) |
Burnout: Paradise - Remastered (2018 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch...) |
Star Wars: Battlefront II (2017 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One) |
Need for Speed (2015 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One) |
Battlefield: Hardline (2015 on Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3...) |
Need for Speed: Most Wanted U (2013 on Wii U) |
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012 on Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3...) |
Battlefield 3 (2011 on Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) |
Burnout: Crash! (2011 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, iPhone...) |
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010 on Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) |
Party Pigs: Farmyard Games (2009 on Wii) |
Burnout: Paradise - The Ultimate Box (2009 on Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) |
[ view all ]
History +
- February 2007
-
The company moves into a single building with Electronic Arts UK and forms a single entity as EA UK.
- July 28th, 2004
-
Acquired by Electronic Arts.
- 1993
-
Company founded.
Trivia +
One of the company websites was formerly located at www.csl.com
Company address and contact information:
(Feb 2007):
Criterion Games
Onslow House
Onslow Street
Guildford, Surrey
GU1 4TN
United Kingdom
Website: www.criteriongames.com
(Oct. 2004):
Criterion Software Ltd. (Criterion Software Group Limited)
Westbury Court, Bury Fields
Guildford, Surry
GU2 4YZ
United Kingdom
Tel: 01483 406200
Fax: 01483 406211
Website: www.csl.com
Related Web Sites +
-
Criterion Software Ltd.
official site -
Renderware
Criterion's 3D engine, used in various games. -
Criterion Games - Wikipedia
article about the company in the open encyclopedia
Frequent Collaborators
Companies- 23 games with Electronic Arts, Inc.
- 16 games with Valve Corporation
- 14 games with Havok
- 13 games with ak tronic Software & Services GmbH
- 12 games with Data Design Interactive Ltd
- 10 games with EA México S. de R.L. de C.V.
- 10 games with 1C Company
- 10 games with Denuvo Software Solutions GmbH
- 9 games with EA Digital Illusions CE AB
- 9 games with Ubisoft Entertainment SA
- 20 games with Richard Thomassen
- 19 games with Alex Fry
- 18 games with Simon Crawford
- 18 games with Steven Schnur
- 17 games with Catherine Schell
- 17 games with Peter Lake
- 16 games with Gavin Parker
- 16 games with Fiona Sperry
- 16 games with Matthew Webster
- 16 games with Neil Manners
Browse Games
- All games by Criterion Software Ltd.
- Published by Criterion Software Ltd.
- Developed by Criterion Software Ltd.
- Additional Development by Criterion Software Ltd.
- Original Concept by Criterion Software Ltd.
- Additional Sound by Criterion Software Ltd.
- Game Engine by Criterion Software Ltd.
- Graphic Engine by Criterion Software Ltd.
- Sound Engine by Criterion Software Ltd.
- Middleware by Criterion Software Ltd.
- Contributions by Criterion Software Ltd.
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