Press Release
- Archives 2000
ATI graphics
chip technology selected by Nintendo for new video game console
ATI enters
burgeoning home video game entertainment market with graphics
chip technology for the Nintendo GAMECUBE™
August
24, 2000
Tokyo, Japan and Toronto, Canada -
ATI Technologies Inc. (TSE:ATY, NASDAQ:ATYT) today announced it is the exclusive worldwide supplier of graphics chip technology for the Nintendo GAMECUBE™ - the world's most powerful next-generation video game console - unveiled today at Nintendo's Spaceworld Show in Tokyo.
ATI's custom graphics chip technology for the Nintendo GAMECUBE™ is a revolutionary design that will take video game enthusiasts to a new level of graphics realism and interaction. The graphics chip was designed by ATI engineers, formerly of ArtX, Inc. of Palo Alto, CA, which ATI acquired in April 2000. The design engineering team behind the chip for the Nintendo GAMECUBE™ was led by Dr. Wei Yen, now an ATI Board Director. Members of the team also designed the graphics chip for Nintendo's current video game system, the Nintendo 64. Nintendo is the world's best selling video game system manufacturer, and has also sold to-date more than one billion video games worldwide.
"The ATI chip technology is a vital technological advance that blazes new dimensions in graphics performance for the Nintendo GAMECUBE™," says Jim Merrick, Technical Director, Nintendo of America Inc. "We are pleased to have ATI as our graphics technology partner on the Nintendo GAMECUBE™ project, along with IBM's copper-based processor and Matsushita Electric's DVD-based drive. Together, they ensure unmatched interactive entertainment into the new millennium."
The ATI-designed graphics chip has a clock speed of more than 200 MHz, outpacing the graphics speed of any current video game system. The chip uses NEC's 0.18 micron embedded DRAM process technology.
"This announcement confirms ATI's entry into the mass consumer electronics and game consoles market" explains Dave Orton, President and COO of ATI. "ATI is pleased to have Nintendo as a partner as we continue to expand our product development efforts in the computing, entertainment and communications markets."
Nintendo GAMECUBE™ features a revolutionary graphics co-processor from ATI with Mosys 1-T SRAM memory embedded directly onto the chip; and 40 MB of system memory, including one of the largest implementations of static memory in consumer product history. This integrated design creates the fastest and most efficient video game system ever brought to market.
Copyright
2000 ATI Technologies Inc. All rights reserved. ATI and RAGE
Mobility 128 are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of
ATI Technologies Inc. All other products are trademarks of their
respective companies. Features, pricing, availability and specifications
are subject to change without notice.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that
involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may be materially
different from those contained in such forward-looking statements.
The markets for the Company's products are characterized by
rapidly changing technology, evolving industry standards, frequent
new product introductions, emerging competitors and significant
price competition. In the event that the Company is unsuccessful
in identifying, developing, manufacturing or marketing new products
or enhancing its existing products or maintaining its historic
prices or margins, its operating results will be adversely affected.
Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual
results to materially differ from those in such forward-looking
statements is contained in the Company's filings with securities
regulatory authorities.
About ATI
ATI Technologies Inc., the world's largest
supplier of 3D graphics and multimedia technology, designs,
manufactures and markets innovative and award-winning multimedia
solutions and graphics components for the personal computer,
set-top box and consumer electronics appliance markets. An
ISO 9002 company, ATI is the world's leading supplier of video
and 2D/3D graphics accelerators to OEM and retail customers.
Founded in 1985, ATI employs more than 1,700 people at headquarters
in Thornhill, Ontario, and in offices in the United States,
Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Barbados, Malaysia,
Japan and Hong Kong. ATI is a public company whose shares
trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange and NASDAQ.
For further information about Nintendo products visit the
company's web site, www.nintendo.com.
Contact Information
For other ATI news releases visit our web site
at www.ati.com.
