CRI Middleware

CRI Middleware Co., Ltd.^[1] (formerly CSK Research Institute Corp.) is a Japanese developer providing middleware for use in the video game industry. From the early nineties, CRI was a video game developer, but shifted focus in 2001.

CRI Middleware Co., Ltd.

Native name	株式会社CRIミドルウェア
Romanized name	Kabushiki gaisha Kuri Midoruwea
Formerly	CSK Research Institute Corporation
Company type	Public
Traded as	TYO: 3698
Industry	Video game
Founded	October 1983; 41 years ago (October 1983)
Headquarters	Shibuya, Tokyo
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Masao Oshimi (president) Masahiko Suzumi (chairman)
Products	Middleware
Revenue	¥767 million (2021)
Number of employees	187 (2021)
Subsidiaries	CRI Middlware China R-Force Two-Five Web Technology
Website	criware.com/en

History

CRI started out as CSK Research Institute, subsidiary of CSK, producing video games for the Mega Drive/Genesis. Throughout the 1990s, CRI gradually transitioned its focus, evolving into a provider of audio middleware tools like ADX and Sofdec. It went on to develop games for the Sega Saturn and Dreamcast before it was incorporated as CRI Middleware in 2001. In 2006, CRI Middleware introduced the CRIWARE brand.

Games

Developed

Name	Platform(s)	Release date(s)
Galaxy Force II	Mega Drive/Genesis	1991
Dyna Brothers	Mega Drive/Genesis	1992
After Burner III	Mega CD/Sega CD	1993
Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra	Mega CD/Sega CD	1993
Dyna Brothers 2	Mega Drive/Genesis	1993
Zaxxon's Motherbase 2000	32X	1995
Puzzle & Action: Treasure Hunt	Sega Saturn	1996
Virtual On: Cyber Troopers	Sega Saturn	1996
Kunoichi Torimonochou	Sega Saturn	1998
AeroWings	Dreamcast	1999
TNN Motorsports HardCore Heat	Dreamcast	1999
Aero Dancing: Torodoki Taichou no Himitsu Disc	Dreamcast	2000
AeroWings 2: Air Strike	Dreamcast	2000
Aero Dancing F: Todoroki Tsubasa no Hatsu Hikou	Dreamcast	2000
Aero Dancing i: Jikai Sakuma de Machite Mase	Dreamcast	2001
Power Jet Racing 2001	Dreamcast	2001

Published

Name	Platform(s)	Release date(s)
Speedball 2	Mega Drive/Genesis	1992
Mega-Lo-Mania	Mega Drive/Genesis	1993

CRIWARE

CRI ADX

ADX

Main article: ADX (file format)

CRI ADX is a streamed audio format which allows for multiple audio streams, seamless looping and continuous playback (allowing two or more files to be crossfaded or played in sequence) with low, predictable CPU usage. The format uses the ADPCM framework.

CRI Sofdec

Sofdec

CRI Sofdec is a streamed video format supporting up to 24bit color which includes multistreaming and seamless playback with a frame rate of up to 60 frames per second. It is essentially a repackaging of MPEG-1/MPEG-2 video with CRI's proprietary ADX codec for audio playback.

CRI Clipper

CRI Clipper is an automated lip-syncing program which analyzes waveforms and outputs an appropriate lip pattern into a text file, for later substitution into the facial animations of the (in-game) speaker.

CRI ROFS

CRI ROFS is a file management system for handling a virtual disc image, an extension of the CD-ROM standard. It has no limitations on file name format, or number of directories or files, and has been designed with compatibility with ADX and Sofdec in mind.

CRI Sound Factory

CRI Sound Factory is a GUI-based video game audio tool for effective sound design without input from programmers. It has support for the previewing and playback of generated audio.

CRI Movie Encode

CRI Movie Encode is a video encoding service by which CRI generates Sofdec or MPEG files from other media. For a fee (designated by the length of the file to be encoded), files are converted to the desired format with the quality specified by the client.

CRI Audio

The Precursor to Cri ADX2

CRI Movie

CRI Movie 2

CRI Movie with High Definition video support.

CRI Vibe

CRI CP Sound Craft

CRI FileMajik

CRI FileMajik - file system with features such as: asynchronous file requests, prioritized loads, zero-buffer decompression and UMD speed emulation for the PlayStation Portable.^[2]