Autodesk Showcases 3D Animation Leadership at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2005 for Next Generation Game Titles

ELECTRONIC ENTERTAINMENT EXPO (E3), 16 May 2005 - Autodesk Inc. today announced its attendance at E3 in Los Angeles to demonstrate 3ds Max 7.5, its professional 3D animation software, a preferred solution chosen by game developers worldwide to realise ideas, and deliver new, high definition (HD) game titles to market on time. Many top game developers have chosen Autodesk 3ds Max to create new game titles to support Microsoft's next-generation Xbox^® 360, unveiled last week. Autodesk will host a private suite at the show in room # 5018 on the Concourse Level from 18-20 May 2005, providing game developers, publishers and invited guests an inside peek on how the top games showcased at E3 are made.

Hundreds of high-profile games will debut at E3 this week, with the largest share being created wholly or in part with Autodesk's 3ds Max animation software. Instrumental in over half of the titles that will ship in 2005, 3ds Max software allows artists to create the games that meet players' increasing demands for motion picture-quality graphics and animation.

Popular game titles recently released and new titles being showcased at E3 that were created with 3ds Max include: Peter Jackson's King Kong (Ubisoft), Jade Empire (BioWare), Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War: Winter Assault (Relic Entertainment, THQ), Myst V: End of Ages (Cyan, Ubisoft), Destroy All Humans (Pandemic Studios), Ghost Recon 3 (Red Storm Entertainment, Ubisoft), Golden Eye: Rogue Agent (EA), Age of Empires III (Microsoft Game Studios, Ensemble Studios), Rainbow Six Lockdown (Ubisoft), Medal of Honor: European Assault (EA), Company of Heroes (Relic Entertainment), Starcraft Ghost (Blizzard Entertainment).

James Schmalz, founder and creative director, Digital Extremes added, "We used 3ds Max to do everything in Pariah from character animation using Character Studio to Normal Map generation environment modelling to high resolution, high polygon full detail renders of the characters. The flexibility and speed of 3ds Max allowed us to do everything we needed to make all the content quickly and at the quality levels we desired."

The $25 billion games industry, today competing with the global film industry, unveils the most cutting-edge games and technologies each year at E3. One of this year's biggest is Microsoft's Xbox 360 platform, which will deliver never-before-seen HD graphics that will fundamentally change the way games are created. Autodesk has partnered with Microsoft since the launch of Xbox in 2001, with the 3ds Max development team dedicating a large part of its R&D efforts in ensuring that 3ds Max continues to offer game developers with the most robust professional 3D animation feature set to streamline game production and provide developers with the highest return on investment.

"Creating next generation games is increasingly complex, and to be able to hit your game milestones, ship your title on time, and stay in the business, game developers need advanced 3D production tools that are production proven," said Martin Vann, vice president of sales, marketing and support, Autodesk Media and Entertainment. "Autodesk 3ds Max has been a mainstay within our clients' production pipeline for years, and we're proud to play a part in helping them continue to take these games to the next level. 3ds Max's feature set is perfectly suited to game creation, with tools like editable poly, Maxscript and our exclusive character animation tool, Character Studio. These features are unparalleled in the industry and a competitive advantage for our clients," added Vann.

About 3ds Max software

3ds Max software is the most popular 3D tool for game development with consistent delivery of high-quality results. As content becomes more complex and workflow and creative management prove more challenging, companies look not only to the market-proven 3ds Max modelling, animation and rendering toolset, but also to Autodesk's commitment to providing solid cost of ownership benefits through engineering advancements, re-investment in R&D, and progressive subscription service advantages.

Each year, an increasing amount of game studios grow, invest, and standardise on Autodesk 3ds Max software. 3ds Max software is available at the suggested retail price (SRP) of £2,695 (4,250€), plus an additional £295 (450€) for Subscription. For more information, visit http://www4.discreet.com/3dsmax/ or call 020 7851 8000.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc. is wholly focused on ensuring that great ideas are turned into reality. With six million users, Autodesk is the world's leading software and services company for the building, manufacturing, infrastructure, digital media and wireless data services fields. Autodesk's solutions help customers create, manage and share their data and digital assets more effectively. As a result, customers turn ideas into competitive advantage by becoming more productive, streamlining project efficiency and maximising profits.

Founded in 1982, Autodesk is headquartered in San Rafael, California. For additional information about Autodesk, please visit www.autodesk.com.

Autodesk and 3ds Max are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

® 2005 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

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