Rovio Announce They Have Acquired Futuremark Games Studio

Rovio have announced they have acquired Futuremark Games Studio, the gaming arm or Futuremark.

“They are an incredibly talented and experienced team, and we are thrilled to have them on board,” said Mikael Hed, Rovio Entertainment’s CEO. “Rovio’s success is founded on the excellence of our team, and Futuremark Games Studio is going to be a superb addition.” 

"I am proud to see the potential of our talented games team recognized by Rovio," said Jukka Mäkinen, Futuremark CEO. "Futuremark will now focus on supporting gamers and industry with 3DMark, our professional grade benchmark which, in a new version to be released later this year, will allow unified gaming performance comparison across operating systems and form factors for the first time." 

Futuremark is Rovio's second acquisition over the last year. at present, Rovio employs nearly 300 people across Espoo and Tampere, Finland and Shanghai, China.

Press Release

Futuremark Announce The Second Content Pack For Shattered Horizon

Futuremark Games Studio have announced the second content pack for Shattered Horizon. The Firepower Pack will be a free update that will add new weapons and grenades to Shattered Horizon. unfortunately, no release date or specifics about the content in the update, have been revealed by Futuremark at this time.

Press Release

HELSINKI --(Business Wire)-- Apr 07, 2010 Futuremark® Games Studio today revealed plans for a second content pack for Shattered Horizon™, their PC exclusive multiplayer first-person shooter. The "Firepower" pack will add new weapons and grenades encouraging different styles of play and providing the opportunity for new team tactics. Like the Moonrise pack released in February, the Firepower expansion will be free for all players.http://www.shatteredhorizon.com/

"Since the launch of Shattered Horizon we have shown our thanks to players who have supported us by releasing free DLC. That commitment to the community continues with the Firepower pack which will add new weapons and grenades to the game," said Jaakko Haapasalo, producer at Futuremark Games Studio. "And while we are not revealing the release date or specific details just yet, players in our Arconauts program have already started helping us test and balance the new weapons."

In Shattered Horizon, a catastrophic explosion on the Moon has filled near-Earth space with billions of tons of rocky debris. Trapped in orbit the survivors fight in zero gravity to control the limited supplies that mean the difference between survival and death in the cold of space.

Seeking to gain an advantage the ISA successfully launch a rocket carrying a cargo of modified weapons through the cloud of debris to the entrenched astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Meanwhile, engineers at the MMC’s hidden base of operations have been scavenging equipment to create their own new weapons and grenades. Resupplied and rearmed with newfound firepower, the ISA and MMC begin fresh hostilities.

About Shattered Horizon
Shattered Horizon is the innovative first game from Futuremark Games Studio that immerses you in the cold reality of zero gravity combat in space.

- Multiplayer first-person shooter set in near-Earth space 40 years from now.
- Experience intense zero gravity combat and complete freedom of movement. Use your rocket pack to fly freely through space then land on any surface.
- Join your friends in action-packed 32 player battles fighting across eight space based levels from hollowed-out asteroids to the ruined remains of the International Space Station.
- New weapons and grenades coming soon in the free Firepower pack.

Shattered Horizon requires DirectX 10, a DirectX 10 compatible video card, and Windows Vista or Windows 7. There is no support for Windows XP or DirectX 9. Suggested retail price: €19.95 / $19.95 / £14.95 Available now from Steam and the official website: http://www.shatteredhorizon.com/buynow/

Keywords and Suggested Tags
Shattered Horizon, Futuremark Games Studio, Firepower, first-person shooter, FPS, zero gravity, multiplayer, PC, video game, DLC, expansion pack, DirectX10, Windows 7

About Futuremark® Games Studio
Futuremark® Games Studio, wholly owned by Futuremark® Corporation, was formed in January 2008 to create original games with new and entertaining gameplay. Shattered Horizon™ is the studio's first self-published game. Shattered Horizon is rated Teen by the ESRB and 16 by PEGI. The game carries the NVIDIA®: The Way It's Meant To Be Played™ seal. Futuremark is based in Helsinki, Finland and maintains a sales office in Saratoga, California. For more information, please visit http://www.futuremark.com/

© 2010 Futuremark® Corporation. Shattered Horizon™ and Futuremark® Games Studio trademarks and logos, Futuremark character names and distinctive likenesses, are the exclusive property of Futuremark Corporation. The names of other companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Futuremark Announce A Major Update For Shattered Horizon Is Out Now

Futuremark have announced that a major update is out now for Shattered Horizon. they say they listened to the community and added request features like Voice Chat, a new ranking system, 5:4 Monitor support and more. They have also revealed that 4 new levels will be coming out soon in the Free Moonrise content pack.

Significant New Features Include:

• Added in game voice chat support.

• Improved ranking system better tailored to both new and existing players.

• Cosmetic changes to player’s suit as rank is gained help distinguish between new and experienced players.

• Tutorial screens added to main menu.

• MPR grenades have been made more effective against flying targets.

• HUD targeting brackets no longer appear on spawning astronauts.

• Level loading, team selection and match results screens have been redesigned.

• All game audio has been re-mastered to improve dynamic range.

• Added support for 5:4 monitor resolutions such as 1280x1024.

• Servers can now be set to limit access to players above, below or between configurable point thresholds.

• Server browser list now refreshes player count, level and ping every few seconds. Dead servers are removed from list.

• Added Melee Only (MO) option to server configuration options.

• Fixes for several game and server bugs.

Press Release

HELSINKI --(Business Wire)-- Feb 11, 2010 Futuremark® Games Studio today released a major update for Shattered Horizon™, their PC exclusive multiplayer first-person shooter. The update adds some of the most requested features from the game’s active community, including voice chat, a new rank system, tutorial content, 5:4 monitor support and point limited servers as well as fixing several bugs and issues. The game’s menus and audio have been given an overhaul and as an added bonus the studio has also released the soundtrack from Shattered Horizon to the community as a free download.

"This update which includes voice chat and other popular suggestions gathered directly from our community makes Shattered Horizon a better experience for all our players," said Jaakko Haapasalo, producer at Futuremark Games Studio. "And with four new levels coming soon in the free Moonrise content pack Shattered Horizon will soon be even better value too."

Significant New Features:
*Added in game voice chat support.
*Improved ranking system better tailored to both new and existing players.
*Cosmetic changes to player’s suit as rank is gained help distinguish between new and experienced players.
*Tutorial screens added to main menu.
*MPR grenades have been made more effective against flying targets.
*HUD targeting brackets no longer appear on spawning astronauts.
*Level loading, team selection and match results screens have been redesigned.
*All game audio has been re-mastered to improve dynamic range.
*Added support for 5:4 monitor resolutions such as 1280x1024.
*Servers can now be set to limit access to players above, below or between configurable point thresholds.
*Server browser list now refreshes player count, level and ping every few seconds. Dead servers are removed from list.
*Added Melee Only (MO) option to server configuration options.
*Fixes for several game and server bugs.

For the complete list of new features, changes, bug fixes and optimizations please visit the Futuremark Games Studio forums: http://futuremark.yougamers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1318583

Soundtrack available as a free download:
By popular request, Futuremark Games Studio has released the soundtrack for Shattered Horizon composed by Markus "Captain" Kaarlonen of the band Poets of the Fall as a free download from the game’s official website: http://www.shatteredhorizon.com/media/soundtrack

About Shattered Horizon
Shattered Horizon is the innovative first game from Futuremark Games Studio that immerses you in the cold reality of zero gravity combat in space.
Multiplayer first-person shooter set in near-Earth space 40 years from now.
Experience intense zero gravity combat and complete freedom of movement. Use your rocket pack to fly freely through space then land on any surface.
Join your friends in action-packed 32 player battles fighting to control hollowed-out asteroids, huge fragments of Moon rock and the ruined remains of the International Space Station.
Four new levels coming soon in the free Moonrise content pack.

Shattered Horizon requires DirectX 10, a DirectX 10 compatible video card, and Windows Vista or Windows 7. There is no support for Windows XP or DirectX 9. Suggested retail price: €19.95 / $19.95 / £14.95

Shattered Horizon is available now from Steam and the official website: http://www.shatteredhorizon.com/buynow/

Keywords and Suggested Tags
Shattered Horizon, Futuremark Games Studio, first-person shooter, FPS, zero gravity, multiplayer, PC, video game, DirectX10, Windows 7, NVIDIA TWIMTBP, patch, update

About Futuremark® Games Studio
Futuremark® Games Studio, wholly owned by Futuremark® Corporation, was formed in January 2008 to create original games with new and entertaining gameplay. Shattered Horizon™ is the studio’s first self-published game. Shattered Horizon is rated Teen by the ESRB and 16 by PEGI. The game carries the NVIDIA®: The Way It's Meant To Be Played™ seal. Futuremark is based in Helsinki, Finland and maintains a sales office in Saratoga, California. For more information, please visit http://www.futuremark.com/

© 2010 Futuremark® Corporation. Shattered Horizon™ and Futuremark® Games Studio trademarks and logos, Futuremark character names and distinctive likenesses, are the exclusive property of Futuremark Corporation. The names of other companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Futuremark Have Released A New Trailer And Screenshots For Shattered Horizon

Futuremark have released a new gameplay trailer and in-game screenshots for their upcoming PC game, Shattered Horizon. both the trailer and the screenshots show the shooting in game, with the video showing it in action as well as a couple of the locations in the game, and the screenshots showing mainly shooting around the station.



Shattered Horizon

Futuremark Reveal Shattered Horizon Release Date, Price And Pre-Order Offer

Futuremark have revealed that Shattered Horizon has a suggested retail price of €19.95 / $19.95 / £14.95 from their website and Steam.
People who pre-order the game will get a 10% discount on the game, but will also be eligible to play and test new level packs before they go on general release. with this announcement of future DLC, Futuremark confirmed that the content packs will be free to all players.

Futuremark have also announced that Shattered Horizon will support dedicated servers, at launch Futuremark will run servers in North America, Europe and Australia and New Zealand with the server code being made available shortly afterwards.

Press Release

HELSINKI --(Business Wire)-- Oct 26, 2009 Futuremark® Games Studio today announced that Shattered Horizon™, their multiplayer first-person shooter for the PC, will be released on Wednesday 4 November, 2009. The game will be available as a digital download from Steam, or direct from the Shattered Horizon website at the suggested retail price of €19.95 / $19.95 / £14.95. Gamers who pre-order get a 10 percent discount and will be invited to help test new level packs before they become available to everyone else. http://www.shatteredhorizon.com/buynow

Shattered Horizon is a multiplayer first person shooter that immerses you in the cold reality of combat in space. Teams of players fight in zero gravity to control hollowed-out asteroids, huge fragments of Moon rock and the ruined remains of the International Space Station. Shattered Horizon is exclusive to the PC and is also one of the first games to require a DirectX 10 graphics card running under Windows Vista or the recently released Windows 7.

Pre-order Offer: 10 percent off
Gamers who pre-order Shattered Horizon not only get a 10 percent discount but will also be able to play and test new level packs before they become available to everyone else.

Antti Summala, lead designer at Futuremark Games Studio explained, “During our beta many game features, and even one whole level, were added as a direct result of beta tester feedback. The process worked so well that we have decided to continue it after launch. Gamers who pre-order Shattered Horizon will join an elite group who will get early access to help test and refine new levels to be released in future content updates.”

Post launch support
Futuremark Games Studio has confirmed that Shattered Horizon will be supported after launch with new levels and features being added to the game through downloadable content packs. These expansions will be free to all players.

Dedicated Servers
Shattered Horizon allows PC gamers to choose who and how they want to play through dedicated servers run by the community. Futuremark Games Studio will host dedicated servers for North America, Europe and Australia and New Zealand at launch with the server code being made available to everyone shortly afterwards.

Game server hosting companies, clan and e-sport communities, and tournament and LAN party organisers can contact Futuremark Games Studio for early access to server code via fgs [at] futuremark [dot] com.

About Shattered Horizon
Experience intense zero gravity combat and complete freedom of movement in this multiplayer first-person shooter set in near-Earth space 40 years from now.
Use your rocket pack to fly freely through space and then land on any surface. Engage enemies in furious firefights, or ambush them from unexpected angles.
Join your friends in action-packed 32 player battles fighting to control hollowed-out asteroids, huge fragments of Moon rock and the ruined remains of the International Space Station.
Familiar and intuitive FPS controls let you take full advantage of the zero gravity environments while astonishing graphics and advanced lighting effects immerse you in the cold reality of combat in space.
Coming November 4, 2009 exclusively for the PC at the suggested retail price of €19.95 / $19.95 / £14.95
Minimum Requirements
Shattered Horizon requires DirectX 10 on Windows Vista or Windows 7. There is no support for Windows XP or DirectX 9. Full requirements: http://www.shatteredhorizon.com/support/
Pre-order now and save 10 percent: http://www.shatteredhorizon.com/buynow

Information for Editors
A Shattered Horizon Press Kit is available from http://bit.ly/SH_PressKit. For original, non-watermarked trailers and high resolution images for print publications please contact fgs [at] futuremark [dot] com

Community
Facebook: http://bit.ly/FGSonFB
Twitter: http://twitter.com/FuturemarkGames
Steam: http://steamcommunity.com/games/shatteredhorizon
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/futuremarkTV

Keywords and Suggested Tags
Shattered Horizon, Futuremark, first-person shooter, FPS, pre-order, zero gravity, multiplayer, PC, video game, space, DirectX10, NVIDIA TWIMTBP

About Futuremark® Games Studio
Futuremark® Games Studio, wholly owned by Futuremark® Corporation, was formed in January 2008 to create original games with new and entertaining gameplay. Shattered Horizon™ is the studio’s first self-published game. Shattered Horizon is rated Teen by the ESRB. The game carries the NVIDIA®: The Way It's Meant To Be Played™ seal. Futuremark is based in Helsinki, Finland and maintains a sales office in Saratoga, California. For more information, please visit http://www.futuremark.com

© 2009 Futuremark® Corporation. Shattered Horizon™ and Futuremark® Games Studio trademarks and logos, Futuremark character names and distinctive likenesses, are the exclusive property of Futuremark Corporation. The names of other companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Futuremark Reveal Shattered Horizon PC Hardware Recommendations

Futuremark have revealed the Shattered Horizon PC hardware recommendations.

Minimum Requirements:
Shattered Horizon requires DirectX 10 on Windows Vista or Windows 7. There is no support for Windows XP or DirectX 9.

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 / AMD Athlon64 X2 5600+
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT / ATI Radeon HD 3870
GPU memory: 256MB
Hard disk space: 1.5 GB
RAM: 2GB
Sound: Windows Vista compatible sound card

Recommended Requirements:
Shattered Horizon requires DirectX 10 on Windows Vista or Windows 7. There is no support for Windows XP or DirectX 9.

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 / AMD Phenom II X4 940
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 / ATI Radeon HD 4870
GPU memory: 512MB
Hard disk space: 1.5GB
RAM: 2GB
Sound: Windows Vista compatible sound card

Screenshots and trailer can be found here

Press Release

HELSINKI --(Business Wire)-- Oct 22, 2009 Futuremark® Games Studio today confirmed that Shattered Horizon™, their upcoming multiplayer first-person shooter for the PC, will be fully compatible with Windows 7. The studio also revealed the minimum and recommended hardware requirements for their DirectX®10 only game. www.shatteredhorizon.com

Shattered Horizon is a multiplayer first person shooter that immerses you in the cold reality of combat in space. Teams of players fight in zero gravity to control hollowed-out asteroids, huge fragments of Moon rock and the ruined remains of the International Space Station.

Speaking about the requirement for DirectX 10 Jukka Mäkinen, Head of Futuremark Games Studio, explained, “PCs are rapidly leaving the consoles behind when it comes to graphical capabilities. Because Shattered Horizon is being developed exclusively for the PC we haven’t had to make any compromises. Everything, from graphics and controls, through to the interface and dedicated server support, has been designed for PC gamers who love to play FPS games.”

Jaakko Haapasalo, producer at Futuremark Games Studio added, “With Windows 7 launching today, and some very affordable DX10 and DX11 cards entering the market, there are plenty of reasons for PC gamers to make the jump from XP. When they do, they’ll find that Shattered Horizon’s stunning space setting is a great way to show off their PC.”

Minimum Requirements:
Shattered Horizon requires DirectX 10 on Windows Vista or Windows 7. There is no support for Windows XP or DirectX 9.

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 / AMD Athlon64 X2 5600+
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT / ATI Radeon HD 3870
GPU memory: 256MB
Hard disk space: 1.5 GB
RAM: 2GB
Sound: Windows Vista compatible sound card

Recommended Requirements:
Shattered Horizon requires DirectX 10 on Windows Vista or Windows 7. There is no support for Windows XP or DirectX 9.

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 / AMD Phenom II X4 940
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 / ATI Radeon HD 4870
GPU memory: 512MB
Hard disk space: 1.5GB
RAM: 2GB
Sound: Windows Vista compatible sound card

Coming to Earth 2009
Shattered Horizon is the first self-published title from Futuremark Games Studio and will be available via digital download this holiday. Visit the official website for more game details. www.shatteredhorizon.com

Community
Facebook: http://bit.ly/FGSonFB
Twitter: http://twitter.com/FuturemarkGames
Steam: http://steamcommunity.com/games/shatteredhorizon
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/futuremarkTV

About Futuremark® Games Studio
Futuremark® Games Studio, wholly owned by Futuremark® Corporation, was formed in January 2008 to create original games with new and entertaining gameplay. Shattered Horizon™ is the studio’s first self-published game. Shattered Horizon is rated TEEN by the ESRB. The game carries the NVIDIA®: The Way It's Meant To Be Played™ seal. Futuremark is based in Helsinki, Finland and maintains a sales office in Saratoga, California. For more information, please visithttp://www.futuremark.com

© 2009 Futuremark® Corporation. Shattered Horizon™ and Futuremark® Games Studio trademarks and logos, Futuremark character names and distinctive likenesses, are the exclusive property of Futuremark Corporation. Microsoft, DirectX, Windows, Windows Vista and Windows 7 are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of other companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Futuremark Have Released Screenshots And A Trailer For Their PC Shooter, Shattered Horizon

Futuremark have released debut screenshots and video from their upcoming PC Shooter Shattered Horizon.
The game is set on the remains of the moon and the International Space Station, both sides are fighting for supply's to survive. the game is set in space, which means that both sides have to fight in zero gravity.

The Trailer contains gameplay footage of two players moving around the environment using their rocket packs to move freely in Zero gravity. the screenshots also appear to be ingame, showing teams battling as well as the environments.

The game has been rated Teen by the ESRB and is currently set to come out this holiday. the website for the game has been updated and redesigned and can be found at www.shatteredhorizon.com

Shattered Horizon




Press Release

HELSINKI --(Business Wire)-- Oct 19, 2009 Futuremark® Games Studio today released a new trailer showing the first in-game footage from Shattered Horizon™, their upcoming multiplayer first-person shooter for the PC.www.shatteredhorizon.com
In Shattered Horizon, a catastrophic explosion on the Moon has filled near-Earth space with billions of tons of rocky debris. Survivors on the Moon are forced into conflict with those trapped on the battered International Space Station. Teams of players fight in zero gravity to control the limited supplies that mean the difference between survival and death in the cold of space.

With simple and intuitive controls, players have complete freedom of movement making full use of the distinctive zero gravity environments to control the battle. Shattered Horizon rewards players with gameplay and tactics impossible in games constrained by gravity.

“Raid on Moondust” trailer
The first trailer for Shattered Horizon to show in-game footage, this new video shows two players working together to take control of an asteroid being mined in near-Earth space. Players use rocket packs to fly freely through space and can land on any surface, surprising opponents by attacking from unexpected angles.
“This new trailer shows Shattered Horizon’s realistic space setting and the player’s complete freedom of movement,” said Antti Summala, lead designer at Futuremark Games Studio. “FPS fans looking for a new multiplayer challenge this holiday should check out Shattered Horizon for an experience that is only possible in a game without gravity.”

New Website
The official Shattered Horizon website has been redesigned to act as a community hub for the game both before and after the game’s launch. www.shatteredhorizon.com
Game Rating

Futuremark Games Studio has announced that Shattered Horizon has received a Teen rating from the ESRB. Ratings from other organisations are not yet available.
Coming to Earth 2009

Shattered Horizon is the first self-published title from Futuremark Games Studio and will be available via digital download this holiday. Visit the official website for more game details. www.shatteredhorizon.com

Community
Facebook: Find Futuremark Games Studio on Facebook
Twitter: Follow @FuturemarkGames
Steam: Join the official Shattered Horizon Steam Group
YouTube: Watch the latest videos on Futuremark TV

About Futuremark® Games Studio
Futuremark® Games Studio, wholly owned by Futuremark® Corporation, was formed in January 2008 to create original games with new and entertaining gameplay. Shattered Horizon™ is the studio’s first self-published game. Shattered Horizon carries the NVIDIA®: The Way It's Meant To Be Played™ seal. Futuremark is based in Helsinki, Finland and maintains a sales office in Saratoga, California. For more information, please visit http://www.futuremark.com

© 2009 Futuremark® Corporation. Shattered Horizon™ and Futuremark® Games Studio trademarks and logos, Futuremark character names and distinctive likenesses, are the exclusive property of Futuremark Corporation.