Editing StarCraft (video game) (section)

==Development==
[[Blizzard Entertainment]] began development on ''StarCraft'' in 1995, shortly after the release of highly successful ''[[Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/features/play-starcraft|title=Why We Play: StarCraft|first=Kat|last=Bailey|website=[[1UP.com]]|access-date=December 21, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111130034155/http://www.1up.com/features/play-starcraft|archive-date=November 30, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> Using the ''Tides of Darkness'' game engine as a base, ''StarCraft'' made its debut at [[E3 1996]].<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017043633/http://www.sclegacy.com/content/starcraft-encyclopedia-4/starcraft-evolution-12/|url=http://www.sclegacy.com/content/starcraft-encyclopedia-4/starcraft-evolution-12/|title=The Evolution of StarCraft|publisher=sclegacy.com|date=September 28, 2007|archive-date=October 17, 2007}}</ref> The version of the game displayed, assembled by the team's lead programmer Bob Fitch, received a rather weak response from the convention and was criticized by many for being "''[[Warcraft]]'' in space."<ref>{{cite web |last=Keighley|first=Geoff |title=Eye of the Storm: Behind Closed Doors At Blizzard |website=[[GameSpot]] |url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/pc/blizzard/p3_01.html |access-date=August 19, 2006 |archive-date=October 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004214451/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/pc/blizzard/p3_01.html}}</ref> According to programmer [[Patrick Wyatt]], the E3 1996 build of ''StarCraft'' fared especially poorly in comparison to ''[[Dominion: Storm Over Gift 3]]'', another science fiction real-time strategy game which was being demoed at E3, despite the fact that the demo had been faked by [[Ion Storm]] employees; in reality, the demo for ''Dominion'' was actually a pre-rendered video that the employees were merely pretending to play.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wyatt |first1=Patrick |title=StarCraft: Orcs in space go down in flames |url=https://www.codeofhonor.com/blog/starcraft-orcs-in-space-go-down-in-flames |website=Code of Honor |date=September 27, 2012 |access-date=8 July 2023}}</ref>  As a consequence the entire project was overhauled, bringing the focus onto creating three distinct species. [[Bill Roper (video game producer)|Bill Roper]], one of the game's producers, stated this would be a major departure from the ''Warcraft'' approach, comparing its two equal sides to those of chess and stating that ''StarCraft'' would allow players to "develop very unique strategies based on which species is being played, and will require players to think of different strategies to combat the other two species."<ref name="GameSpotPreview1">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/starcraft-preview/1100-2563222/ |title=''StarCraft'' Preview |website=[[GameSpot]] |first=Ron |last=Dulin |date=May 1, 1996 |access-date=February 16, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140405064923/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/starcraft-preview/1100-2563222/ |archive-date=April 5, 2014 }}</ref> The hand-drawn graphics seen in the E3 version were also replaced with rendered graphics.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=In the Studio|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=21 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=September 1996|page=17}}</ref> In early 1997, the new version of ''StarCraft'' was unveiled, receiving a far more positive response.

[[File:Alpha build (StarCraft).png|thumb|left|The Zerg in an early [[alpha build]] of ''StarCraft'']]
However, the game was still marred by technical difficulties, so Bob Fitch completely redesigned the ''Warcraft II'' engine within two months to ensure that many of the features desired by the designers, such as the abilities for units to [[burrow]] and [[cloaking device|cloak]], could be implemented.<ref name="bobdev">{{cite web|url=http://www.blizzard.com/blizz-anniversary/bob.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010210182346/http://www.blizzard.com/blizz-anniversary/bob.shtml|archive-date=February 10, 2001|title=Bob: ''StarCraft''!|work=10th Anniversary Celebration|publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]]|access-date=January 8, 2008}}</ref> Later improvements to the game included pre-rendered [[sprite (computer graphics)|sprites]] and backgrounds, constructed using [[3D Studio Max]]. An [[isometric projection|isometric]] in-game view was also adopted, in contrast to ''Warcraft II''{{'}}s [[Auxiliary view|auxiliary bird's eye perspective]]. In addition, the game utilized high quality music, composed by Blizzard's resident composers, and professional voice actors were hired.<ref>{{cite web|last=Giovetti |first=Al |title=Interview with Bill Roper |publisher=The Computer Show.com |date=January 1, 1997 |url=http://www.thecomputershow.com/computershow/interviews/starcraftbillroper.htm |access-date=August 19, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060721233238/http://www.thecomputershow.com/computershow/interviews/starcraftbillroper.htm |archive-date=July 21, 2006 }}</ref>

Despite the progress, ''StarCraft'' was slow to emerge. The continual delays inspired a group of ''StarCraft'' fans on the official forums who labeled themselves "Operation: Can't Wait Any Longer" to write a series of fictional stories in which the members of Operation CWAL attempted to retrieve the [[Open beta|beta]] version of ''StarCraft'' from Blizzard's headquarters in [[Irvine, California]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Official CWAL FAQ |publisher=Operation CWAL |date=February 20, 2004 |url=http://www.cwal.net/docs/faq.shtml |access-date=August 21, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060519115149/http://www.cwal.net/docs/faq.shtml |archive-date=May 19, 2006 }}</ref> To pay homage to their presence on the forums and enthusiasm for the game, Blizzard Entertainment later incorporated the group's name into ''StarCraft'' as a cheat code to speed up the production of units<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/features/starcraft_sg/cheats.html|title=''StarCraft'' Strategy Guide: Cheat Codes - The Spoils of War|first=Greg|last=Kasavin|website=[[GameSpot]]|access-date=April 16, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004214828/http://uk.gamespot.com/features/starcraft_sg/cheats.html|archive-date=October 4, 2013}}</ref> and gave the group thanks in the game's credits.<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Credits|page=95|author=Underwood, Peter|author2=Roper, Bill |author3=Metzen, Chris |author4= Vaughn, Jeffrey |title=StarCraft (manual)|publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]]|year=1998}}</ref> The game was released for [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] on March 31, 1998<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 31, 1998 |title=''Starcraft'' In Stores Now |url=http://209.67.136.168/PRESS/980331sc.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990210065137/http://209.67.136.168/PRESS/980331sc.htm |archive-date=February 10, 1999 |access-date=March 28, 2024 |website=[[Blizzard Entertainment]]}}</ref><ref name="releasedate">{{cite web|url=http://www.blizzard.com/us/press/10-years-starcraft.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080402134120/http://www.blizzard.com/us/press/10-years-starcraft.html|archive-date=April 2, 2008|title=''StarCraft''{{'}}s 10-Year Anniversary: A Retrospective|publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]]|access-date=March 31, 2008}}</ref> and in the United Kingdom on April 9,<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 9, 1998 |title=Disks + Discs Computer Store |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/832905793 |access-date=March 28, 2024 |work=[[The Sentinel (Staffordshire)|Staffordshire Newsletter]] |pages=38 |quote=Just in Stock//''StarCraft'' (CD ROM)}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=April 9, 1998 |title=Latest Games Out Now |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/723143171 |access-date=March 28, 2024 |work=[[Evening Standard]] |pages=35 |quote=''StarCraft''}}</ref> with the [[Classic Mac OS]] version following a year later on March 12, 1999.<ref>{{cite web |title=Blizzard Entertainment News Archives - March 1999 |url=http://blizzard.com/ON/0399.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991013094347/http://blizzard.com/ON/0399.shtml |archive-date=October 13, 1999 |access-date=November 6, 2018 |publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Development on a [[Nintendo 64]] version, ''StarCraft 64'', began in 1999, converted from PC by Mass Media Interactive Entertainment—a subsidiary of [[THQ]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.massmedia.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080114224835/http://www.massmedia.com/|archive-date=January 14, 2008|title=Mass Media Interactive Entertainment official company site|access-date=April 19, 2008}}</ref>—and published by [[Nintendo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/starcraft-64-preview/1100-2545252/|title=''StarCraft 64'' Preview|website=[[GameSpot]]|date=June 16, 1999|access-date=February 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705041941/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/starcraft-64-preview/1100-2545252/|archive-date=July 5, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="64release2">{{cite web |title=StarCraft 64 - Nintendo 64 |url=http://www.ign.com/games/starcraft-64/n64-3894 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160224182624/http://www.ign.com/games/starcraft-64/n64-3894 |archive-date=February 24, 2016 |access-date=February 16, 2016 |website=IGN}}</ref> ''StarCraft 64'' was released in the United States on June 13, 2000, and in Australia on May 25, 2001.<ref name="64release2"/>
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===Music===
The musical score to ''StarCraft'' was composed by Blizzard Entertainment's composers. Glenn Stafford composed the Terran and Protoss in-game themes, while Derek Duke, who was a contracted composer at the time, wrote all the in-game music for the Zerg. The cinematic scores were composed by Stafford and Hayes. Hayes also collaborated with Stafford on one of the Protoss in-game tracks. Tracy W. Bush provided additional support in composing.<ref name="soundtrack1">{{cite web|url=http://www.soundtrackcollector.com/catalog/soundtrackdetail.php?movieid=71169 |title=''StarCraft'' |publisher=Soundtrack Collector |access-date=April 22, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060516200556/http://www.soundtrackcollector.com/catalog/soundtrackdetail.php?movieid=71169 |archive-date=May 16, 2006 }}</ref> The musical score of the game was received well by reviewers, who have described it as "appropriately melodic and dark"<ref name="GSpot"/> and "impressive",<ref name="GameProN64"/> with one reviewer noting that some of the music owed much of its inspiration to [[Jerry Goldsmith]]'s score for the film ''[[Alien (film)|Alien]]''.<ref name="GamePro"/> The first official game soundtrack, ''StarCraft: Game Music Vol. 1'', was released in 2000, comprising tracks from both ''StarCraft'' and ''[[StarCraft: Brood War|Brood War]]'', as well as a sizable portion of remix tracks and music inspired by ''StarCraft'', created by several South Korean disc jockeys. The soundtrack was distributed by Net Vision Entertainment.<ref name="soundtrack2">{{cite web|url=http://www.game-ost.com/info.php?id=450 |title=''StarCraft'': Game Music Vol. 1 |publisher=Game OST |access-date=April 22, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429004806/http://www.game-ost.com/info.php?id=450 |archive-date=April 29, 2011 }}</ref> In September 2008, Blizzard Entertainment announced that a second soundtrack, ''StarCraft Original Soundtrack'', had been released on [[iTunes]]. This soundtrack consisted entirely of the original music from ''StarCraft'' and ''Brood War'', both from in-game themes to music used in the cinematic [[cutscene]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/press/pressreleases.html?id=2843585 |title=Blizzard Entertainment Soundtracks Now On iTunes |publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] |date=September 4, 2008 |access-date=September 30, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811160324/http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/press/pressreleases.html?id=2843585 |archive-date=August 11, 2011 }}</ref>