RenderWare (RW) is a computer and video game middleware from Criterion Software.
Description
RenderWare is a 3D API (Application Programming Interface) and graphics rendering engine used in computer and console games such as Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, in MUVRS's such as Active Worlds, and some VRML (Virtual Reality Markup Language) browsers. RenderWare is developed by Criterion Software Ltd. (which used to be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canon but is now owned by Electronic Arts).
Prior to versions 2.x, an external programming or scripting language had to be used to take advantage of RenderWare. RenderWare 2.x, on the other hand, has its own internal scripting language: RWX (RenderWare script).
RWX support was dropped from RenderWare 3.x, instead focusing on a binary model file format. RWX scripts are incompatible with RW3.x.
With RenderWare 4.x, Criterion is slated to drop support for RW3.x's formats, thereby making version 4.x incompatible with scripts/files from all previous versions.
RenderWare is available for use in Windows based PC applications, and many video game consoles such as PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox and PlayStation Portable.
Industry Support
RenderWare is used throughout the video game industry. Some of the games using RW include: Grand Theft Auto III (PlayStation 2, PC and Xbox); Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC); Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC); Black (PlayStation 2, Xbox); Bratz: Rock Angelz (PlayStation 2 and PC); Burnout series; Call of Duty: Finest Hour, Mortal Kombat, Pro Evo Soccer 2; SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom (PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox and PC), Sonic Heroes (GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC); Shadow The Hedgehog (PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox) and the Tony Hawk series.
Rockstar Leeds 3D Engine
Main article: Rockstar Leeds 3D Engine
The engine Rockstar Leeds used for Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is derived from RenderWare. Most of the functions have the same name except that Rw/Rp/... are replaced by Rsl. Furthermore, RslGeometry contains no platform independent data like RwGeometry does but only PSP or PS2 specific data. Also some RW objects were renamed:
RwFrame -> RslNodeRpAtomic -> RslElementRpClump -> RslElementGroupRwTexDictionary -> RslTexListRpHAnim(Hierarchy) -> RslTAnim(Tree)
Rockstar Games Powered by RenderWare
- Grand Theft Auto III (2001) (All versions except for The Definitive Edition)
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) (All versions except for The Definitive Edition)
- Manhunt (2003)
- Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (2003) (Console versions only)
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) (All versions except for The Definitive Edition)
- Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005) (Mobile version only)
- The Warriors (2005)
- Bully (2006) (PS2 and Wii versions)