SIGGRAPH, LOS ANGELES, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- NewTek, Inc., manufacturer
of industry-leading 3D animation and video products, announced today that
Croteam relied on LightWave 3D to create the graphics for their best-selling
game, Serious Sam. Published by Gathering of Developers/Take 2 Interactive,
this first-person-shooter game began shipping in March of this year and has
received accolades from sources as varied as Newsweek magazine, the
San Francisco Chronicle and GameSpot (plus many others).
Croteam was started in Croatia in 1993 to create games. They have used
LightWave 3D since moving to the Windows platform and relied heavily on its
tools for the creation of Serious Sam, for which they also developed their own
game engine. The game, a first-person-shooter in which the player battles all
sorts of enemies in different environments, offers much brighter, more
beautiful graphics than what have typically been included in similar games.
This was achieved because LightWave 3D offered tools to quickly include smoke,
fire, and beautiful environment shots.
Admir Elezovic, a 3D artist at Croteam said, "LightWave 3D has a long
history and brand name in the computer graphics industry, and when we moved to
the PC, it was the only serious application that ran on the Windows platform.
It has the best polygonal modeler of any 3D package on the market and also has
excellent UV tools, which is very important for real-time graphics. LightWave
3D offers a lot in the standard package; you don't need expensive add-on
tools."
"The LightWave 3D development team has worked very hard to create a
software package that offers a versatile toolset, trying to satisfy the needs
of film and television animators, game developers, print publishers and other
designers. The success of Serious Sam and the use of LightWave 3D by the
Croteam artists and developers, we hope, will showcase LightWave 3D's
abilities in the game development arena, and we plan to continue to work with
Croteam as they develop what are sure to be more successful games using
LightWave 3D," said Brad Peebler, NewTek's executive vice president of 3D
graphics.
LightWave 3D is versatile enough to make the transition to and from all
kinds of projects. Proven for years in television, film, and games, LightWave
3D is also being used to create graphics for print, web, industrial design,
architecture, medical imaging, and anywhere else a 3D package is needed. A
full, robust program, LightWave 3D includes soft-body dynamics, particles,
hair and fur, plus unlimited render nodes; LightWave 3D ships with all the
tools an artist needs to create.
Serious Sam is a high-adrenaline arcade-action shooter heavily focused on
frantic arcade-style single player action. In a world where cyberpunk meets
fantasy-fiction and advanced technology is mixed with black magic and
psycho-powers, Sam travels through the beautiful world of ancient Egypt.
Pricing and Availability
LightWave [7] is available immediately for a suggested retail price of
US$2495. LightWave [7] is available for Macintosh OS 9 and OS X-native, and
for Windows 98, 2000, Me and NT4, and is running on AMD, DecAlpha and Intel
processors. Product is available through NewTek's channel of authorized
resellers and distributors worldwide.
Serious Sam is available for a suggested retail price of US$19.95. For
more information on Serious Sam or Croteam, go to http://www.croteam.com,
http://www.serioussam.com, or http://www.godgames.com.
About NewTek
With headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, NewTek is a leading provider of
full-featured video editing, animation and special effects tools including the
Video Toaster, LightWave 3D and Aura. NewTek launched the desktop video
revolution in 1990 with the release of the legendary Video Toaster. The
company's products are used worldwide on projects ranging from home video to
feature film. Recent film and television projects using NewTek software
include Driven, A.I., Final Fantasy, The Time Machine, How The Grinch Stole
Christmas, The 6th Day, Jurassic Park III, Charlie's Angels, X-Men The Movie,
Pitch Black, Dracula 2000, Star Trek: Enterprise, Roughnecks: Starship
Troopers, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The X-Files,
The Family Guy, Ally McBeal, Dune: The Miniseries, Dawson's Creek and
Family Law. Recent game titles include Deus Ex, Serious Sam, Twisted Metal:
Black, Quake 3 Arena, Moto Racer World Tour, Giants for PS2, Baldur's Gate II,
EverQuest, Planescape: Torment, Dead To Rights, and Escape From Monkey Island.
Contact NewTek at 5131 Beckwith Blvd, San Antonio, TX, 78249. Phone:
210-370-8000, fax: 210-370-8001, website: http://www.newtek.com or
http://www.lightwave3d.com.
NOTE: LightWave 3D is a trademark of NewTek. All other products or brand
names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
holders.
SOURCE NewTek, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.newtek.com
CONTACT:
Press or Review Units Only, Hollie Wendt of
Wendt Communications, +1-831-688-1193, or hollie@earthlink.net,
for NewTek, Inc.
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