Discreet Announces Digital Element to develop JSR-184 exporter for 3DS Max

Partnership with Criterion to Drive Support for JSR 184(M3G) Exporter to the Growing Number of 3D Mobile Gaming Platforms Supported by Discreet 3ds max® Software

San Francisco, Calif.
March 23, 2004

Discreet, a division of Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK), today announced a partnership with Criterion Software, a leading provider of middleware solutions for the game development industry, to provide support for JSR-184 (M3G), the mobile 3D graphics API for J2ME™, underscoring the company’s commitment to mobile 3D development pipelines. Working with Criterion’s RenderWare Mobile initiative and with its embedded graphics partner, Hybrid Graphics, Discreet partner Digital Element will craft a JSR-184 exporter and desktop viewer for Discreet’s 3ds max® professional animation software.

The JSR-184 graphics specification has recently been adopted as part of the J2ME platform, and is expected to increase the market opportunity for 3D mobile games by providing a common framework for 3D games over wireless networks. Along with the JSR-184 exporter for 3ds max software, Discreet will be providing a desktop viewer, based on Hybrid Graphics OpenGL® ES that emulates the hardware profile of the mobile phone on a PC.

“We are constantly seeking innovative ways to support our customers in game development—a market that Discreet’s 3ds max software has played a leading role in for many years,” said Marc Petit, vice president of product development at Discreet. “Mobile gaming is one of the next frontiers for 3D, and Discreet is committed to providing seamless integration with all of the major gaming formats for cell phones and wireless handheld devices,” added Petit.

Under Criterion Software’s RenderWare Mobile Initiative, the Hybrid OpenGL®ES/JSR 184 graphics solution is seeing widespread adoption by cell phone and silicon manufacturers for delivery of embedded graphics standards on mobile devices.

“JSR 184 is one of the important content interfaces to OpenGL ES, enabling a wide range of developers to bring their content to market over cellular networks, while benefiting from improvements in hardware,” says Lincoln Wallen, Criterion’s VP RenderWare Mobile. “By providing a desktop version of the Hybrid OpenGL ES/JSR 184 solution, fully compatible with those embedded on cell phones, artists and developers will enjoy simplified workflow and better productivity. We are pleased to work closely with Discreet to ensure developers get the support they need to address this challenging market cost-effectively”

This announcement comes on the heels of the launch of the first international 3D mobile gaming competition by Discreet together with Nokia, Orange, Intel, IBM, In-Fusio, Criterion, Fathammer, NVIDIA, Kaolink and Ideaworks3D. More information about this contest is available online at www.3dmobilegamingcontest.com.

About 3ds max

Discreet 3ds max software has the largest installed base in the 3D industry and is the preferred 3D software in the core production environment for Ubisoft , Rockstar Games, Electronic Arts, HOK, Ellerbe Becket, Blur Studios, Frantic Films, Digital Dimension—along with other leading design and entertainment firms.

About Discreet

Discreet empowers media professionals to realize the visual experience and transform their vision into reality. Discreet's award-winning solutions are designed for digital media creation, management and delivery—across all disciplines from film and television visual effects, color grading and editing to animation, game development, and design visualization. Discreet is based in Montreal, Quebec, and is a division of Autodesk, Inc, the world's leading design and digital media creation, management, and distribution company. www.discreet.com.


About Criterion Software/RenderWare

Criterion Software is the world-leading provider of middleware solutions for the game development industry. Founded in 1993, Criterion Software is a rapidly expanding organization that today employs over 200 people in its software technology and game development divisions, and has offices in Austin, Guildford, Derby, Paris and Tokyo. Criterion Software is a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon Inc.
RenderWare is Criterion's portfolio of game development solutions, which includes RenderWare Platform and RenderWare Studio for PlayStation® 2, Xbox™, NINTENDO GAMECUBE™ and PC.

RenderWare is used extensively among the game development community, including heavyweights such as Activision, Atari, EA, Konami, Midway, Rockstar Games, Sammy Studios, SCEA, Sony Online, THQ, Ubisoft and VUG. RenderWare is currently powering over 500 games in development or released – that’s one in four console skus using our services and technology. Games published using RenderWare include some of the industry’s hottest properties including Sonic Heroes, kill.switch, Grand Theft Auto: – Vice City, Mortal Kombat 5 – Deadly Alliance and Burnout 2: Point of Impact.


About RenderWare Mobile

The RenderWare Mobile Initiative aims to assist the mobile industry in the preparation of devices and services for premium game content by helping to place mobile devices in the mainstream of game development. This involves promoting high-quality multi-media foundations such as embedded implementations of graphics standards like M3G/JSR 184 and OpenGL ES on top of which higher level game development tools and technologies, such as RenderWare, can be delivered to enable game developers to build compelling content for mobile devices cost-effectively.

For more information about RenderWare please visit http://www.renderware.com.

About Hybrid Graphics Ltd

Hybrid Graphics, Ltd is a leading developer of graphics technology solutions for mobile devices.
Founded in 1994, Hybrid has a decade of experience in developing 3D technology for various platforms. The company has a strategic distribution partnership with Criterion Software, the leading 3D middleware vendor. Hybrid has shipped several embedded 3D graphics solutions that have been deployed in mass-market consumer devices. Among Hybrid’s customers and partners are also Ericsson Mobile Platforms, Fathammer, Futuremark, Intel and Sony Online Entertainment. Hybrid is located in Helsinki, Finland. Please visit http://www.hybrid.fi for more information.

Contact
Discreet Public Relations
Kevin G Clark, Senior Manager of Corporate Communications
(415) 547-2457
kevin.g.clark@autodesk.com

Raz Public Relations
Karen Raz
(310) 450-1482
karen@razpr.com

Discreet is a division of Autodesk, Inc. Discreet and 3ds max are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. /Autodesk Canada Inc. in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
©Copyright 2004, Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

During the course of this communication, we may make forward-looking statements regarding future events and the future performance of the Company. These forward-looking statements are subject to assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which are discussed in documents we file from time to time with the SEC and specifically in our Annual Report and 10-K filed for the year ended January 31, 2003. These documents contain and identify important factors that may cause the actual results to differ from those contained in our forward-looking statements.

Additionally, we may make statements regarding planned or future development efforts for our existing or new products and services. These statements are not intended to be a promise or guarantee of future delivery of products, services or features but merely reflect our current plans, which may change. Purchasing decisions should not be made based upon reliance on these statements.

The Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist or change after the date on which they were made.

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