Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/1999/06/29/creative_labs_to_dump_s3/

Creative Labs to dump S3

Vendors part ways over S3's Diamond Multimedia buyout

By Tony Smith

Posted in On-Prem, 29th June 1999 11:28 GMT

Creative Labs has become the first graphics card vendor to fall out with S3 following the 3D accelerator chip developer's announcement last week that it intends to by Diamond Multimedia. Creative launched its Savage 4-based 3D Blaster card in the Spring, but yesterday the company said the product would be discontinued when it introduces its Autumn product line. The move mirrors Creative's reaction to 3dfx when that chip vendor bought board maker STB. That acquisition put 3dfx into direct competition with Creative, and indeed Diamond, which also dropped its Voodoo-based products. S3's deal with Diamond was always likely to generate a similar reaction among board vendors, though S3 has said it doesn't intend to can Diamond boards not based on its chips. That said, the examples it cites tend to be only those chips its own products don't directly compete with. How many rival chip vendors will be happy with that remains to be seen. Fellow card maker Number Nine has said it will continue to offer its Savage 4-based SR9 board, according to Maximum PC magazine. ®