Crytek Migrates

Crytek Migrates to InstallAware from InstallShield with Crysis Warhead

Crytek GmbH, makers of the blockbuster hit and critically acclaimed first person shooter Crysis, make the switch to InstallAware – the emerging standard in Windows software installations.

San Francisco, CA, November 11 2008 – Crytek GmbH, creators of the multi-award winning first person shooter interactive software titles including Far Cry and Crysis, are now using InstallAware to power the deployment of their latest installment in the Crysis franchise, Crysis Warhead.

“Just like Crytek, InstallAware is all about being at the bleeding edge of technology,” says Cevat Yerli, CEO & President of Crytek GmbH. “Crytek’s CryENGINE 2 is a monumental achievement, providing a vivid and immersive gaming experience. InstallAware’s own setup engine is similarly at the forefront of installation technology, helping developers do more with their Windows setups than previously thought possible.”

InstallAware features a robust setup engine, built from the ground-up to address today’s software installation requirements. Unlike competitors such as InstallShield, InstallAware’s setup engine is unencumbered by years of legacy code to maintain, reducing points of failure in installations, cutting down support costs for publishers, and dramatically enhancing the end-user software experience.

“Our setup engine runs on all Windows platforms – right from the very first version of Windows 95 to the latest 64 bit edition of Windows Server 2008,” says Sinan Karaca, Founder of InstallAware Software Corporation. “We made sure there are no dependencies on any Microsoft or third party technologies, so every setup works out-of-the-box. If you want to make sure your installers are bullet-proof – InstallAware delivers like no other vendor can. Extreme games like Crysis Warhead need extreme installers, and InstallAware delivers.”

In addition to eliminating the brittleness found in legacy installation technologies such as InstallShield, InstallAware’s setup engine embraces and extends Microsoft’s Windows Installer platform with runtime branching and decision-making capabilities. “MSIcode, our leaky abstraction of Windows Installer, saves you weeks of training on MSI tables, sequences, custom actions, and runtime hacks just to get your setup going under Windows Installer,” adds Agustín K-ballo Bergé, Vice President of Research and Development at InstallAware Software Corporation. “MSIcode is a human readable, branching setup script – similar to a Windows batch file. When its time to build your setup, InstallAware’s optimizing setup compiler converts MSIcode into a Windows Vista Certified logo-compliant Windows Installer MSI setup database – ready for both massive corporate rollouts and individual end-users.”

InstallAware saves both developers and end-users time and effort with more exclusive features. Partial Web Deployment enables users to download an independent setup that works without forcing an Internet connection, while still retaining the capability to download optional components from the web at runtime. LZMA compression produces setup packages typically 30%-60% smaller than Windows Installer’s native CAB compression. A streamlined prerequisite installer processes all technology frameworks (such as Microsoft.NET) as part of the main install routine, without launching individual and confusing setup windows for each runtime component. To top it off, installers built with InstallAware can even display interactive Flash or HTML billboards, entertaining and educating end-users about the product being installed while setup is still underway.

InstallAware is available in four editions, with prices starting at US$399. A time limited trial and more information is available at http://www.installaware.com/.

About InstallAware Software Corporation

InstallAware Software Corporation, founded in 2003, is a software development company focused solely on state of the art software installation tools which offer the highest compression ratios and bullet-proof installations. The company produces software installation and compression technologies for the Windows Installer (MSI) platform on the Microsoft Windows Operating System. InstallAware is supported by thousands of users worldwide, and is a CodeGear Integrated Partner. For more information, visit www.installaware.com.

About Crytek GmbH

Crytek GmbH ("Crytek") creators of the multi-award winning first person shooter Far Cry®, and the recent blockbuster hit Crysis®, awarded best PC Game of both E3 2007 and the 2007 Leipzig Games Convention, and awarded Best Technology at the 2008 Game Developers Choice Awards, is an interactive entertainment development company with its headquarters located in Frankfurt Main, Germany and additional studios in Kiev (Ukraine), Budapest (Hungary) and Sofia (Bulgaria). Crytek is dedicated to creating exceptionally high quality video games for the PC and next-generation consoles, powered by their proprietary cutting edge 3D-Game-Technology CryENGINE®2.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Candice Jones
InstallAware Software Corporation
Web: www.installaware.com
Phone: 415 839 5017
Fax: 415 358 4094

InstallShield® is a registered trademarks and/or service mark of Acresso Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Crytek, Crysis, Crysis Warhead and CryENGINE are registered trademarks or trademarks of Crytek GmbH in the USA, Germany and/or other countries.