According to the Vancouver Sun Black Box Games co-founder Martin Sikes suddenly passed away on Christmas Eve at the age of 39. After he left the University of British Columbia with a degree in electrical engineering, Sikes went to work for Radical Entertainment. In 1998, Sikes co-founded Black Box Games, which was acquired by EA Canada in 2002. He was a programmer on various titles in the Need for Speed franchise and co-founded United Front Games, although he had recently left the company.