In computer gaming, there are really only a few truly classic gaming franchises. These are commonly games that are so popular, so revered, that every gamer waits with bated breath for the next in the series. Generally, these game classics masterfully combine fresh, new gameplay concepts, revolutionary visuals, and captivating atmosphere. They also establish the standards by which all other others are judged and then consistently raise the bar with each sequel. Good games are played and then forgotten within a matter of weeks or months, but the truly great games are put under the microscope, having every nuance of their engine analyzed, every technique and strategy studied, and then played until exhaustion, which usually happens to set in around the time that the follow-up releases. The many Quake, Unreal and Civilization games also rank amongst the most acclaimed, and of course there is Warcraft.
For much of the early 80's Blizzard had been mainly known as a console game developer. The company produced a few sleeper hits like The Lost Vikings and Blackthorne, but didn't have a popular series to give them company name recognition, which is the ultimate fuel to set games sales on fire. But with Blizzard's first PC-exclusive title, Warcraft: Orcs and Humans (an engaging fantasy game in the then little known real-time strategy genre), gamers stood up and took notice of this small, California based company.
When the sequel, Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness released in 1995, it improved on the predecessor by offering enhanced graphics and tighter gameplay and a well-balanced multiplayer experience. Gamers ate it up. It was the first "must have" title in the RTS genre and it couldn't have come at a better time. PC's had started becoming truly affordable and, with the release of Windows 95, were also a more viable gaming solution than in the days of DOS. With the release of the right game at the right time (and a flashy "Blizzard" logo during the intro sequence) Blizzard's name recognition started rivaling companies such as id.
As good as Warcraft 2 was, the big question on everyone's mind was "When is Warcraft 3 coming out?" Blizzard gave no definite answer, but like other successful companies, Blizzard felt compelled to branch out of RTS games and flex their creative muscles in new genres, while solidifying others. StarCraft was a huge success, as were Action-RPGs Diablo and Diablo II, but there was one area that Blizzard failed to have the Midas touch. Warcraft Adventures, a (go figure) adventure game, was conceived. Although nearly complete, the game failed to meet up to Blizzard's expectations, and not wanting to tarnish their hard-earned reputation in the gaming community, Warcraft Adventures was cancelled. And gamers were left, once again, wondering when the next Warcraft would grace their computer screens.
In the 3rd quarter of 1999, Blizzard officially announced the development of Warcraft 3, but not necessarily the Warcraft people were expecting. It was to be a new genre of game, which Blizzard coined as an RPS or "Role Playing Strategy" game. Aside from the game moving to a fully 3-D engine, the focus of the game was set to shift from a design where base expansion, resource gathering and unit movement took precedence, to a game where the units were the major focus. Bases would be more automated and would require much less attention than they did in the previous Warcraft games, encouraging gamers to focus more on the overall battles.
Armies would be more guerilla-like and have fewer units but have higher hit points and promote lengthier battles. A new concept of Heroes was also introduced, which would lead their armies and enhance units with attack and defense bonus, or using powerful spells. Another bombshell was the announcement of six playable races. Vocal die-hard Warcraft 2 players quickly labeled Warcraft 3 as the fall of the Warcraft series and the RTS in general, but the Blizzard loyalists had faith in the company that had impressed them time and time again.
As development progressed on Warcraft 3, Blizzard began to rethink their initial design. Balancing six unique races turned out to be quite an undertaking, the dynamic 3D camera wasn't working as efficiently as they would have liked and some overhauls in design were called for. Naturally, these proposed changes delayed Warcraft 3, but finally, after multiple release postponements, a lengthy public beta testing and major changes to units and game interface, Warcraft 3 has been released to the voracious gaming public.
|
