![]() Perhaps what is most important about this landmark game for Blizzard was that it didn't just attract hardcore gamers, but it generated them. It no longer mattered who was "first" to the genre after Blizzard played to their greatest strength: tapping into mass appeal. Anyone familiar with Tolkein's tales could find something familiar in the colorful and often humorous characters portrayed in Warcraft. The series took the top-down strategy tactics in Dune II and added an approachable fantasy presentation. By that summer, PC gamers were circulating the demo for Warcraft: Orcs vs. This bloody platformer starred a shotgun toting space pirate that battled villains bearing more than a passing resemblance to the orcs that would become so recognizable in later Blizzard products. ![]() They were also hard at work on their next project, one that would carry a moniker that would become even more popular than the studio itself.ฤก994 was also the year Blizzard released Blackthorne for the SNES. It was easy to know everyone well because going out for a beer only meant taking 2 or 3 cars to bring the entire company." - Frank Pearce talking to IGN in 2001 In 1994, Silicon and Synapse briefly changed their name to Chaos Studios and then finally settled on Blizzard, a name that has become known the world over. "When we were a much younger and smaller company, the bonds that developed between everyone were very strong. Though it wasn't much of a commercial success, this unique strategy title would certainly impact Blizzard's next project and PC gaming would never be the same. ![]() While Blizzard was gaining experience on the home console in 1992, Westwood Studios released the enormously influential Dune II. Oh, it also featured Larry "Super Mouth" Huffman providing racing commentary. Rock n' Roll Racing is perhaps best known for its licensed instrumental versions of classic rock songs including Bad to the Bone. The Lost Vikings combined a humorous attitude with a clever technique of having players switch between three characters to solve platforming puzzles. The next year they released Rock & Roll Racing and The Lost Vikings for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The title acted as the foundation for what would be one of the company's first original projects. In 1992 Blizzard (still known as Silicon and Synapse) released a remake of Racing Destruction Set called RPM Racing on the Super Nintendo Entertainment system. Other ports included Lord of the Rings on Amiga and Shanghai on Windows. You'll also probably never forget the gory "castle takes queen" animation. If you ever played Battle Chess on Windows or Commodore 64 you experienced one of Blizzard's first works. (Adham left Blizzard in 2004.) The company's early projects were all ports, an easy way for the founders to become comfortable with coding techniques and art design. Allen Adham, Frank Pearce, and Mike Morhaime founded the company Silicon & Synapse in February of 1991, just after they graduated from UCLA where Adham had studied computer science and had previously worked on coding games with Interplay, Datasoft, and Software Toolworks. Two of the three founders of Blizzard Entertainment have remained completely involved with their original enterprise, a testament to the company's staying power. Join us as we take a look back at the History of Blizzard. Getting to this point wasn't without its difficulties and hardships, but it's certainly been a fun ride. Who doesn't get misty-eyed over the Lost Vikings and Rock n' Roll racing? It's hard to believe that this is the same company behind the biggest MMO in the world, perhaps the highest profile strategy game in the world, and a handful of big-budget upcoming projects. Starting from humble beginnings, Blizzard developed a host of classic games that are held in high regard by retro gaming aficionados.
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