Futuremark

Futuremark Corporation is a Finnish software development company, that produces computer benchmark applications for home users and businesses. Company headquarters and R&D department are located in Espoo, Finland. Futuremark also operates Futuremark Games Studio, a game development arm of the company.

History

Founded in 1997 as "Futuremark", the company is the leading producer of computer benchmark applications in the world. Its software is used by over 250 computer magazines and has been equally successful within the gaming community; high scores in its 3DMark benchmarks are considered as bragging rights among computer gamers who use it as a way to gauge their computer's performance relative to that of their friends'.

Soon after being founded the company altered its trading name to "MadOnion.com" [ [http://www.futuremark.com/companyinfo/pressroom/pressreleases/20409/ Futuremark press release Nov 9th 1999] ] until finally settling on "Futuremark Corporation" in 2002 [ [http://www.futuremark.com/companyinfo/pressroom/pressreleases/20433/ MadOnion press release Dec 11th 2002] ] .

Today, it is a reseller of tools from the BAPCo consortium, as well developing and selling its own industry-leading benchmarking programs; their 3DMark series has been the most popular and successful to date.

Futuremark's applications are distributed via the Internet as well as offline media; in addition to the above benchmarks, the company also provides services such as IHV/ISV customised benchmarks, 3D demos as well as online and data services.

During March 2007, Futuremark launched a website specialising in PC games, called [http://www.yougamers.com YouGamers] [ [http://www.futuremark.com/companyinfo/pressroom/pressreleases/50642/ Futuremark press release Mar 7th 2007] ] ; Futuremark held a series of launch promotions (including a car-mounted billboard, and hand-outs issued by models) at the GDC 2007 in San Francisco [ [http://www.yougamers.com/news/1558_yougamers_hits_the_gdc_with_all_guns_blazing/ YouGamers news item] ] . Aside from features typical of gaming review websites, YouGamers also provides an assessment service called the Game-o-Meter; this online-only tool estimates a PC's performance relative to the type of PC suggested by a game's publisher [ [http://www.yougamers.com/aboutus/faq/ Game-o-Meter FAQ] ] . This allows the end user to judge whether their PC will be able to play the tested game or not.

In January 2008, Futuremark announced the formation of the [http://www.futuremark.com/games/ Futuremark Games Studio] . [ [http://www.futuremark.com/companyinfo/pressroom/pressreleases/52482/ Futuremark press release Jan 29th 2008] ] . In August 2008, at the Leipzig Games Convention, Futuremark Games Studio announced details of their first game, Shattered Horizon. [ [http://www.futuremark.com/companyinfo/pressroom/pressreleases/53949/ Futuremark press release Aug 19th 2008] ]

Products

PC Benchmarks

*3DMark
*PCMark

Handheld Benchmarks

*3DMarkMobile
*VGMark
*SimulationMark
*SPMark

Video Games

*Shattered Horizon

Notes

External links

* [http://www.futuremark.com/ Futuremark]
* [http://www.yougamers.com/ YouGamers]
* [http://www.shatteredhorizon.com/ Shattered Horizon]