StarCraft
StarCraft's box art depicts a Protoss warrior, flanked by a Terran soldier and a Zerg hydralisk.
Developer(s)	Blizzard Entertainment Mass Media Interactive Entertainment (Nintendo 64 version) The official logo for the StarCraft franchise. ... Starcraft is a racehorse which pulled off a truly international win in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Newmarket in England in September 2005. ... Artanis, a young Protoss Praetor in the StarCraft universe. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ... This page is about the fictional extraterrestrial race from the Starcraft series. ... A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates video games. ... Blizzard Entertainment, a division of French Vivendi Games, is an American computer game developer and publisher headquartered in Irvine, California. ... THQ Inc. ... The Nintendo 64 ), often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendos third home video game console for the international market. ...
Publisher(s)	Windows, Mac OS NA Blizzard Entertainment PAL Sierra Entertainment Nintendo 64 INT Nintendo
Designer(s)	Chris Metzen James Phinney
Series	StarCraft
Engine	Warcraft II engine
Version	1.15.2 (2008-01-16)
Platform(s)	Windows, Mac OS, Nintendo 64
Release date	Windows INT March 31, 1998[1] Mac OS NA March 1999 Nintendo 64 NA June 13, 2000[2] EUR June 16, 2000[2] North American redirects here. ... Television system by country The PAL region is a video game publication territory which covers Australia, New Zealand, and varying European countries. ... Sierra Entertainment is an American computer game developer and publisher headquartered in Los Angeles, California. ... In video games, an international version is a relocalized version of a previously released title in its native territory that has gained additional features and contents in foreign releases. ... For the video game system, see Nintendo Entertainment System. ... A game designer is a person who designs games. ... Chris Vincent Metzen alias Thundergod[1] is the Vice President of Creative Development at the computer game developer/publisher Blizzard Entertainment. ... The official logo for the StarCraft franchise. ... A game engine is the core software component of a computer video game or other interactive application with real-time graphics. ... Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness (usually simply Warcraft II or Warcraft 2; sometimes abbreviated to WCII, WC2 or War2) is a sequel to the popular real-time strategy game Warcraft, developed by Blizzard Entertainment and released in December of 1995. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... In computing, a platform describes some sort of framework, either in hardware or software, which allows software to run. ... Windows redirects here. ... This article relates to both the original Classic Mac OS as well as Mac OS X, Apples more recent operating system. ... The Nintendo 64 ), often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendos third home video game console for the international market. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... North American redirects here. ... North American redirects here. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...
Genre(s)	Real-time strategy
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: Teen ELSPA: 15+ OFLC: M15+ OFLC/NZ: R16+ PEGI: 16+ USK: 12+ GRB: 12 Further information: Game classification Video games are categorized into genres based on their gameplay interaction. ... -1... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A video game content rating system is a system used for the classification of video games into suitability-related groups. ... The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that applies and enforces ratings, advertising guidelines, and online privacy principles for computer and video games and other entertainment software in North America (Quebec in 2004 and 2005). ... The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (or ELSPA) is an organisation set up in 1989 by British software publishers. ... The Office of Film and Literature Classification is a statutory censorship and classification body which provides day to day administrative support for the Classification Board which classified films, video games and publications in Australia, and the Classification Review Board which reviews films, computer games and publications when a valid application... The Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC, Māori: ) is the government agency in New Zealand that is responsible for classification of all films, videos, publications, and some video games in New Zealand. ... PEGIs logo Pan European Game Information, or more commonly PEGI, is a European system for rating the content of computer and video games, and other entertainment software. ... The USKs official logo. ... Game Rating Board(GRB, 게임물등급위원회) is the South Korean video game content rating board. ...
Media	CD-ROM, download, Nintendo 64 cartridge
System requirements	Windows: Windows 95 or better 90 MHz Pentium 16 MB RAM DirectX-compatible 2x CD-ROM drive 640x480 8-bit display Mac OS: System 7.6 or better PowerPC 601 or better 16 MB RAM The CD-ROM (an abbreviation for Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (ROM)) is a non-volatile optical data storage medium using the same physical format as audio compact discs, readable by a computer with a CD-ROM drive. ... Cartridge for the VIC 20 homecomputer In various types of electronic equipment, a cartridge can refer one method of adding different functionality or content (e. ... Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented graphical user interface-based operating system. ... This article is about the SI unit of frequency. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about a unit of data. ... RAM redirects here. ... Microsoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. ... System 7 refers to the Mac OS that superseded the earlier versions of the Macintosh System Software before the term Mac OS came into official use. ... PowerPC is a RISC microprocessor architecture created by the 1991 Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance, known as AIM. Originally intended for personal computers, PowerPC CPUs have since become popular embedded and high-performance processors as well. ...
Input methods	Mouse, keyboard

StarCraft is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. The first game of the StarCraft series, it was released for Microsoft Windows on 31 March 1998.^[1] With more than nine million copies sold worldwide as of 21 May 2007, it is one of the best-selling games for the personal computer. A Mac OS version was released in March 1999, and a Nintendo 64 adaptation co-developed with Mass Media Interactive Entertainment was released on 13 June 2000.^[2] With its storyline adapted and expanded through a series of novels, StarCraft has three expansion packs available and a sequel in development. A contemporary computer mouse, with the most common standard features: two buttons and a scroll wheel. ... A 104-key PC US English QWERTY keyboard layout The Dvorak Simplified Keyboard layout A standard Hebrew keyboard showing both Hebrew and QWERTY. A computer keyboard is a peripheral partially modelled after the typewriter keyboard. ... Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein is a well-known example of military science fiction. ... -1... Computer and video games redirects here. ... Blizzard Entertainment, a division of French Vivendi Games, is an American computer game developer and publisher headquartered in Irvine, California. ... The official logo for the StarCraft franchise. ... Windows redirects here. ... is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... This is a list of video games that have sold one million copies or more, including the top ten best-selling franchises. ... This article relates to both the original Classic Mac OS as well as Mac OS X, Apples more recent operating system. ... The Nintendo 64 ), often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendos third home video game console for the international market. ... THQ Inc. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... An expansion pack is an addition to an existing game. ... StarCraft II is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game currently under development by Blizzard Entertainment as a sequel to the award-winning 1998 video game StarCraft. ...

Set in the 26^th century, the game revolves around three species—the Terrans, humans exiled from Earth; the Zerg, a race of insectoids obsessed with assimilating other races in pursuit of genetic perfection; and the Protoss, a humanoid species with advanced technology and psionic abilities attempting to preserve their civilization from the Zerg—fighting for dominance in a distant part of the Milky Way galaxy. The game has been praised for pioneering the use of unique factions in real-time strategy gameplay^[3] and for a "compelling" story.^[4] The 26th century of the anno Domini (common) era will span the years 2501–2600 of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ... This page is about the fictional extraterrestrial race from the Starcraft series. ... Insectoid denotes any creature or object that shares a similar body or traits with common earth insects. ... Artanis, a young Protoss Praetor in the StarCraft universe. ... Psionics is a term used mostly in fiction and games to denote a variety of paranormal psychic abilities, especially those that are under a persons conscious control. ... For other uses, see Milky Way (disambiguation). ...

Many of the industry's journalists have praised StarCraft as one of the best^[5] and most important^[6] video games of all time, and for having raised the bar for developing real-time strategy games.^[7] StarCraft's multiplayer is particularly popular in South Korea, where professional players and teams participate in matches, earn sponsorships, and compete in televised tournaments.^[8]

Gameplay

A Zerg colony shown from StarCraft's overhead perspective

Blizzard Entertainment's use of three distinct races in StarCraft is widely credited with revolutionising the real-time strategy genre. All units are unique to their respective races and while rough comparisons can be drawn between certain types of units, every unit performs differently and require different tactics for a player to succeed. The enigmatic Protoss have access to powerful units and machinery and advanced technologies such as energy shields and localised warp capabilities, powered by their psionic traits. However, their forces are slow and expensive to produce, encouraging players to follow a strategy of the quality of their units over the quantity.^[9] The insectoid Zerg possess entirely organic units and structures, which can be produced quickly and at a far cheaper cost to resources, but are accordingly weaker, relying on sheer numbers and speed to overwhelm enemies. The Zerg augment their forces through evolution, developing armoured carapaces and various types of claws, spines and acids as weapons.^[10] The Terrans provide a middle ground between the other two races, providing units that are versatile and flexible. The Terrans have access to a range of more ballistic military technologies and machinery, such as tanks to nuclear weapons.^[11] Although each race is unique in its composition, no race has an innate advantage over the other. The balance between the species has been the subject of numerous gameplay tweaks by Blizzard Entertainment, via infrequent patches.^[12] This page is about the fictional extraterrestrial race from the Starcraft series. ... -1... Artanis, a young Protoss Praetor in the StarCraft universe. ... An energy shield is a form of technology commonly found in science fiction, but also in development for real-life space travel[1]. // A number of efforts to design defensive energy fields are occuring in real life, most notably the efforts to design a deflector shield to protect spacecraft that... Faster-than-light (also superluminal or FTL) communications and travel are staples of the science fiction genre. ... This page is about the fictional extraterrestrial race from the Starcraft series. ... The term carapace refers to a dorsal section of an exoskeleton or shell, in a number of animal groups. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ...

StarCraft features artificial intelligence which scales in difficulty, although the player cannot change the difficulty level in the single-player campaigns. Each campaign starts with enemy factions running easy AI modes, scaling through the course of the campaign to the hardest AI modes. In the custom map editor provided with the game, a designer has access to four levels of AI difficulties: "easy", "medium", "hard" and "insane", each setting differing in the units and technologies allowed to an AI faction and the extent of the AI's tactical and strategic planning.^[13] The single-player campaign consists of thirty missions, split into ten for each race. AI redirects here. ...

Resource management

Each race relies on two resources to sustain their game economies and to build their forces: minerals and gas. Minerals are needed for all units and structures, and are obtained by using a worker unit to harvest the resource directly from mineral nodes dotted around a map. Players require gas to construct advanced units and buildings, and is acquired by building a refinery on top of a geyser and using worker units to extract the gas from it.^[14] In addition, players need to regulate the supplies for their forces to ensure that they can construct the number of units they need. Although the nature of the supply differs between the races—Terrans use physical supplies held in depots,^[15] Protoss use a psionic power nexus^[16] and Zerg are regulated by the amount of controlling units present^[17]—the supply acts exactly the same for each race, preventing players from creating new units unless there are sufficient supplies to sustain them. The Protoss and Zerg are also limited in where they can build structures: Protoss buildings need to be linked up to a power grid to function,^[16] while Zerg structures must be placed on a carpet of biomass produced by certain structures.^[17] Terran buildings are far less limited, with certain primary base structures having the ability to take off and slowly fly to a new location.^[15] The battlefield environments themselves vary according to the planet a mission is taking place on, ranging from volcanic wastelands and lush jungles to space platforms. For other uses, see Mineral (disambiguation). ... Fuel gas can refer to any of several gases burned to produce thermal energy. ...

Multiplayer

Multiplayer in StarCraft is powered through Blizzard Entertainment's Battle.net Internet service. Through this, a maximum of eight players can compete in a variety of game modes, from simply destroying all other players on a level, to king of the hill and capture the flag objective-based games. In addition, the game incorporates a variety of specialised scenarios for different types of game, such as simulating a football game, using the Terran hoverbike unit to conduct a bike race, or hosting a Zerg hunting competition.^[13] StarCraft is also one of the few games that include a "spawn" installation, which allows for limited multiplayer. It must be installed from a disc, and requires a product key to work just as the full version does. However, one product key can support up to eight spawned installations with access to Battle.net. Limitations of a spawned installation include the inability to play single-player missions, create multiplayer games or use the campaign editor.^[18] Battle. ... King of the Hill is a game, the object of which is to stay on top of a large hill or pile (or any other designated area) as the King of the Hill. Other players attempt to knock the current King off of the pile and take their place, thus... For other uses, see Capture the flag (disambiguation). ... Look up Football in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A CD key is a specific software-based key for a certain program or a computer game. ...

Synopsis

Setting

See also: Species of StarCraft

StarCraft takes place in a science fiction universe created by Chris Metzen for Blizzard Entertainment. According to the story presented in the game's manual, the overpopulation of Earth in the early 21^st century has caused the international government to exile undesirable elements of the human race, such as criminals, the cybernetically enhanced and genetic mutants to colonise the far reaches of the galaxy.^[19] In the distant Koprulu sector of the galaxy, the exiles form several governments, but quickly fall into conflict with each other. One government, the Confederacy of Man, eventually emerges as the strongest faction, but its oppressive nature and brutal methods of suppressing dissent stir up major rebel opposition in the form of a terrorist group called the Sons of Korhal. Just prior to the beginning of the game in December 2499, an alien race of advanced technology and psionic power, the Protoss, makes first contact with humanity by destroying a Confederate colony world without any prior warning. Soon after this, the Terrans discover that a second alien race, the insectoid Zerg, has been stealthily infesting the surface of several of the Terran colonies, and that the Protoss are destroying the planets to prevent the Zerg from spreading. With the Confederacy threatened by two alien races as well as a large rebellion, it begins to crumble.^[20] Chris Vincent Metzen alias Thundergod[1] is the Vice President of Creative Development at the computer game developer/publisher Blizzard Entertainment. ... This article is about Earth as a planet. ... 20XX redirects here. ... Logo of the United Earth Directorate. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ... For other uses, see Cybernetics (disambiguation). ... The idea of a mutant is a common trope in comic books and science fiction. ... The Sons of Korhal are a military organization in the fictional StarCraft universe, founded after the destruction of the colony world of Korhal. ... The 25th century of the anno Domini (common) era will span the years 2401–2500 of the Gregorian calendar. ... Artanis, a young Protoss Praetor in the StarCraft universe. ... This page is about the fictional extraterrestrial race from the Starcraft series. ...

Characters

Main article: Characters of StarCraft

The player assumes the role of three anonymous characters over the course of the game. In the first campaign, the player acts as the Confederate governor of an outlying colony threatened by both the Zerg and the Protoss, Mar Sara, and is forced through events to join the rebel Sons of Korhal under its leader Arcturus Mengsk. Mengsk's campaign is accompanied by Jim Raynor, a moral law enforcement officer from Mar Sara, and Sarah Kerrigan, a psychic espionage agent and Mengsk's second-in-command. The second episode of the game sees the player as a cerebrate, a commander within the Zerg Swarm. The player is ruled over by the Zerg Overmind, the manifestation of the collective consciousness of the Swarm and the game's primary antagonist, with advice from other cerebrates of higher rank and status while accomplishing the objectives of the Swarm. In the final part of StarCraft, the player is a newly appointed officer within the Protoss military, reporting to Aldaris, a representative of the Protoss government. Aldaris is at odds with the former occupant of the player's position, Tassadar, over his association with Zeratul, a member of the dark templar, a group considered heretical by the Protoss government.^[21] Blizzard Entertainments 1998 bestselling real-time strategy game series StarCraft revolves around interstellar affairs in a distant sector of the galaxy, with three species and multiple factions all vying for supremacy in the sector. ... In the fictional StarCraft universe, Mar Sara was a core Terran Confederacy colony in the Koprulu Sector. ... Arcturus Mengsk is a character in the StarCraft universe. ... James Raynor, usually referred to as Jim and less frequently as Jimmy, is one of the central characters in the fictional StarCraft universe. ... Morality (from the Latin manner, character, proper behavior) has three principal meanings. ... This article is about the StarCraft universe character. ... Zerg Cerebrates are fictional characters from the StarCraft series of video games and books. ... The Zerg Overmind, sometimes known simply as the Overmind, is a character in the StarCraft universe. ... In the fictional StarCraft Universe, Aldaris is a 740-year-old powerful Protoss Judicator in the service of the Protoss Conclave. ... Tassadar is a fictional character in the StarCraft universe. ... Zeratul is a fictional character in the StarCraft universe. ... A Dark Templar is a member of a group of Protoss in the StarCraft universe. ...

Plot

Plot exposition often takes place in menued screens with only the characters' faces shown and their captioned voices heard

The story of StarCraft is presented through its instruction manual, the briefings to each mission and conversations within the missions themselves, along with the use of cinematic cut scenes at key points. The game itself is split into three episodes, one for the player to command each race. In the first segment of the game, the player and Jim Raynor are attempting to control the colony of Mar Sara in the wake of the Protoss attack on other Terran worlds. After the Confederacy arrests Raynor for destroying Confederate property, despite the fact that it had been infested by the Zerg, the player joins Arcturus Mengsk and the Sons of Korhal.^[22] Raynor, who is freed by Mengsk's troops, also joins and frequently accompanies the player on missions. Mengsk then begins to use Confederate technology captured on Mar Sara to lure the Zerg to Confederate installations and further his own goals.^[23] After forcing Confederate general Edmund Duke to join him, Mengsk sacrifices his own second-in-command, Sarah Kerrigan, to ensure the destruction of the Confederacy by luring the Zerg to the Confederate capital Tarsonis.^[24] Raynor is outraged by Mengsk's true aims of obtaining power at any cost and deserts, taking with him a small army of the former colonial militia of Mar Sara. Mengsk reorganises what remains of the Terran population into the Terran Dominion, crowning himself as emperor.^[25] A cut scene or cutscene (sometimes also referred to as a cinematic) is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no control. ... James Raynor, usually referred to as Jim and less frequently as Jimmy, is one of the central characters in the fictional StarCraft universe. ... In the fictional StarCraft universe, Mar Sara was a core Terran Confederacy colony in the Koprulu Sector. ... Arcturus Mengsk is a character in the StarCraft universe. ... This article is about the StarCraft universe character. ... Tarsonis was the capital of the Terran Confederacy in the StarCraft universe. ... The Terran Dominion was created after the fall of the Confederacy at the height of the war between the Terrans, the Zerg and the Protoss. ...

The second campaign reveals that Kerrigan was not killed by the Zerg, but rather is captured and infested in an effort to incorporate her psionic traits into the Zerg gene pool. She emerges with far more psionic powers and physical strength, her DNA completely altered.^[26] Meanwhile, the Protoss commander Tassadar discovers that the Zerg's cerebrates cannot be killed by conventional means, but that they can be harmed by the powers wielded by the heretical dark templar. Tassadar allies himself with the dark templar prelate Zeratul, who assassinates one of the Zerg's cerebrates in their hive clusters on Char.^[27] The cerebrate's death results in its forces running amok through the Zerg hives, but briefly links the minds of Zeratul and the Zerg Overmind, allowing the Overmind to learn the location of the Protoss homeworld Aiur, which it has been seeking for millennia. The Zerg promptly invade and despite heavy Protoss resistance, the Overmind is able to embed itself into the crust of the planet.^[28] Parapsychology is the study of the evidence involving phenomena where a person seems to affect or gain information about something through a means not currently explainable within the framework of mainstream, conventional science. ... Tassadar is a fictional character in the StarCraft universe. ... Zerg Cerebrates are fictional characters from the StarCraft series of video games and books. ... A Dark Templar is a member of a group of Protoss in the StarCraft universe. ... Zeratul is a fictional character in the StarCraft universe. ... Char is a planet in the StarCraft universe. ... The Zerg Overmind, sometimes known simply as the Overmind, is a character in the StarCraft universe. ... Illustration of Aiur, homeworld of the mighty Protoss. ...

The final section of the game sees Aldaris and the Protoss government branding Tassadar a traitor and a heretic for conspiring with the dark templar. The player initially serves Aldaris in defending Aiur from the Zerg invasion, but while on a mission to arrest Tassadar, the player joins him instead.^[29] A Protoss civil war erupts, pitting Tassadar, Zeratul, and their allies against the Protoss establishment. The dark templar prove their worth when they use their energies to slay two more of the Zerg cerebrates on Aiur, and the Conclave reconciles with them.^[30] Aided by Raynor's forces—who sided with Tassadar back on Char—the Protoss break through the Overmind's weakened defenses and destroy the Overmind's outer shell, but take heavy casualties in the process. Tassadar channels his own psionic energies in combination with those of the dark templar through the hull of his command ship and crashes it into the Overmind, sacrificing himself in order to destroy it.^[31] In the fictional StarCraft Universe, Aldaris is a 740-year-old powerful Protoss Judicator in the service of the Protoss Conclave. ...

Development

The Zerg in an early alpha build of StarCraft

Blizzard Entertainment began planning development on StarCraft in 1995, shortly after the beginning of development for Diablo.^[32] Using the Warcraft II game engine as a base, StarCraft made its debut at E₃ 1996. 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 criticised by many for being "Warcraft in space".^[33] As a consequence the entire project was overhauled, bringing the focus onto creating three distinct species. 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".^[34] In early 1997, the new version of StarCraft was unveiled, receiving a far more positive response. This page is about the fictional extraterrestrial race from the Starcraft series. ... Blizzard Entertainment, a division of French Vivendi Games, is an American computer game developer and publisher headquartered in Irvine, California. ... Diablo is a dark fantasy-themed action role-playing game developed by Blizzard North and released by Blizzard Entertainment in December 1996. ... Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness (usually simply Warcraft II or Warcraft 2; sometimes abbreviated to WCII, WC2 or War2) is a sequel to the popular real-time strategy game Warcraft, developed by Blizzard Entertainment and released in December of 1995. ... The history of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) began with its creation in 1995 and has continued through the most recent expo in 2007. ... Warcraft: Orcs & Humans is a real-time strategy computer game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment in 1994. ... Bill Roper is a video game developer and has been a well-known figure in the worldwide gaming industry for over a decade. ... This article is about the Western board game. ...

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 cloak, could be implemented. Later improvements to the game included pre-rendered sprites and backgrounds, constructed using 3D Studio Max. An isometric in-game view was also adopted, in contrast to Warcraft II's top down perspective. In addition, the game utilised high quality music, composed by Blizzard's resident composers Glenn Stafford, Jason Hayes and Derek Duke, and professional voice actors were hired.^[35] A burrow is a hole or tunnel dug into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. ... A Klingon Bird of Prey from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country fires while using a cloaking device In several science fiction universes, a cloaking device is an advanced stealth system which causes a spaceship or individual to be invisible and extremely difficult to detect with normal sensors. ... 3D Studio Max (name changed to 3DS Max, also sometimes called 3dsm, or just Max) is a 3D modeler developed by Autodesk Media & Entertainment (formerly known as Discreet and Kinetix). ... An isometric drawing of a cube. ... Jason Hayes is a video game music composer, born in New Orleans, Louisiana. ...

Despite the progress, StarCraft was slow to emerge. After release was delayed until after December 1997, a group of StarCraft fans on the official forums who labeled themselves "Operation: Can't Wait Any Longer" attempted to retrieve the beta version of StarCraft from Blizzard's headquarters in Irvine, California.^[36] Although the attempt was unsuccessful, Blizzard Entertainment later incorporated the group's name into StarCraft as a cheat code to speed up the production of units,^[37] and giving the group thanks in the game's credits.^[38] The game was released for Windows on 31 March 1998,^[1] with the Mac OS version following a year later in March 1999.^[39] Development on a Nintendo 64 version, StarCraft 64, began in 1999, converted from PC by Mass Media Interactive Entertainment—a subsidiary of THQ^[40]—and published by Nintendo.^[41] StarCraft 64 was released on 13 June 2000 in the USA and on 16 June 2000 in Europe .^[2] Code complete redirects here. ... Motto: Innovation. ... Windows redirects here. ... is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... This article relates to both the original Classic Mac OS as well as Mac OS X, Apples more recent operating system. ... The Nintendo 64 ), often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendos third home video game console for the international market. ... THQ Inc. ... For the video game system, see Nintendo Entertainment System. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

Audio

The musical score to StarCraft was composed by Blizzard Entertainment's in-house composers. Derek Duke and Glenn Stafford composed the tracks in the menus and the in-game music, while Jason Hayes composed the music used in the cinematic cut scenes. Tracy W. Bush provided additional support in composing.^[42] The musical score of the game was received well by reviewers, who have described it as "appropriately melodic and dark"^[4] and "impressive",^[43] with one reviewer noting that some of the music owed much of its inspiration to Jerry Goldsmith's score for the film Alien.^[44] The official game soundtrack was released in 2000, comprising of tracks from both StarCraft and 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.^[45] Jason Hayes is a video game music composer, born in New Orleans, Louisiana. ... A cut scene or cutscene (sometimes also referred to as a cinematic) is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no control. ... Tracy W. Bush is a video game music composer and sound designer. ... Jerrald King Jerry Goldsmith (February 10, 1929 – July 21, 2004) was an American film score composer from Los Angeles, California. ... This article is about the first film in a series. ... StarCraft: Brood War is an expansion pack released in 1998 for StarCraft — an award winning real-time strategy computer game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. ... For other places with the same name, see Korea (disambiguation). ... For other meanings of DJ, see DJ (disambiguation). ...

Expansions and versions

PC expansions

Further information: Insurrection, Retribution, StarCraft: Brood War

Shortly before the release of StarCraft, Blizzard Entertainment developed a shareware game demo campaign, entitled Loomings. Comprising of three missions and a tutorial, the campaign acts as a prequel to the events of StarCraft, taking place on a Confederate colony in the process of being overrun by the Zerg.^[46] In October 1999, Blizzard Entertainment made the prequel available for the full game as a custom map campaign, adding two extra missions and hosting it on Battle.net.^[47] In addition, the full release of StarCraft included a secondary campaign entitled Enslavers. Consisting of five missions played as both the Terrans and the Protoss, Enslavers is set in the second episode of StarCraft and follows the story of a Terran smuggler who manages to take control of a Zerg cerebrate and is pursued by both the Protoss and Terran Dominion. Enslavers acts as an exemplar single-player campaign for the game's Campaign Editor, highlighting how to use the features of the program.^[48] The official logo for the StarCraft franchise. ... The official logo for the StarCraft franchise. ... StarCraft: Brood War is an expansion pack released in 1998 for StarCraft — an award winning real-time strategy computer game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. ... Look up shareware in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Demo disc released with a magazine. ... This page is about the fictional extraterrestrial race from the Starcraft series. ... Battle. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ... Artanis, a young Protoss Praetor in the StarCraft universe. ... Zerg Cerebrates are fictional characters from the StarCraft series of video games and books. ... The Terran Dominion was created after the fall of the Confederacy at the height of the war between the Terrans, the Zerg and the Protoss. ... The StarCraft Campaign Editor, commonly known as StarEdit, is Blizzard Entertainments official level editor for StarCraft and StarCraft: Brood War. ...

Two Terran fleets in a multiplayer match

StarCraft's first expansion, Insurrection, was released for Windows on 31 July 1998.^[49] The expansion was developed by Aztech New Media and authorised by Blizzard Entertainment.^[50] Its story focused on a separate Confederate colony alluded to in the manual to StarCraft, following a group of Terran colonists and a Protoss fleet in their fight against the Zerg and a rising local insurgency. Insurrection was not received well, being criticised by reviewers for lacking the quality of the original game.^[51] Insurrection was followed within a few months by a second expansion, Retribution. Developed by Stardock, published by WizardWorks Software and authorized by Blizzard Entertainment,^[50] Retribution follows all three races attempting to seize control of a powerful crystal on a Terran Dominion colony. The expansion was not received with critical support, instead being regarded as average but at least challenging.^[52] After the release of Retribution, Blizzard Entertainment announced a new official expansion pack that would continue on the story of StarCraft. StarCraft: Brood War was consequently created, developed jointly by Blizzard Entertainment and Saffire. Brood War continues the story of StarCraft from days after its conclusion, and was released for both Windows and Mac OS to critical praise^[53][54] on 30 November 1998 in the US and in March 1999 in Europe.^[55] This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ... Insurrection: Campaigns for StarCraft is an add-on pack for StarCraft developed and published by Aztech New Media[1] and released on July 31, 1998. ... is the 212th day of the year (213th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Retribution is an authorized expansion pack to StarCraft, published in 1998 by WizardWorks Software, independently from Blizzard Entertainment. ... Stardock Corporation is a software development company founded in 1991 and incorporated in 1993 as Stardock Systems, later known as Stardock. ... WizardWorks Software was shut down in 2001 after several of its executives were criminally prosecuted (unsuccessfully) for business dealings related to the Baseball Mogul and Football Mogul computer games. ... StarCraft: Brood War is an expansion pack released in 1998 for StarCraft — an award winning real-time strategy computer game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. ... Saffire is a contract video game developer noted both for porting games and making titles from scratch. ... is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ...

Nintendo 64 version

In 2000, StarCraft 64 was released for the Nintendo 64, co-developed by Blizzard Entertainment and Mass Media Interactive Entertainment. The game featured all of the missions from both StarCraft and the expansion Brood War, as well as some exclusive missions, such as two different tutorials and a new secret mission, Resurrection IV.^[56] Resurrection IV is set after the conclusion of Brood War, and follows Jim Raynor embarking on a mission to rescue the Brood War character Alexei Stukov, a vice admiral from Earth who has been captured by the Zerg. The Brood War missions required the use of a Nintendo 64 memory Expansion Pak to run.^[57] StarCraft 64 was not as popular as the PC version, and lacked the online multiplayer capabilities and speech in mission briefings. In addition, cut scenes were shortened.^[56] Blizzard Entertainment had previously considered a PlayStation port of the game, but it was decided that the game would instead be released on the Nintendo 64.^[58] The Nintendo 64 ), often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendos third home video game console for the international market. ... Blizzard Entertainment, a division of French Vivendi Games, is an American computer game developer and publisher headquartered in Irvine, California. ... THQ Inc. ... James Raynor, usually referred to as Jim and less frequently as Jimmy, is one of the central characters in the fictional StarCraft universe. ... Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov (also spelled Alexi Stukov) is a character in the fictional StarCraft universe created by Blizzard Entertainment. ... The 4MB Expansion Pak The Expansion Pak is a RAM add-on for the Nintendo 64 game console, released in 1998. ... For other uses, see PlayStation (disambiguation). ...

Cultural impact

Reception

Reviews
Publication	Score
Allgame	[59] (PC & Mac)
GamePro	4.5/5[44] (PC & Mac) 4.5/5[43] (Nintendo 64)
Game Revolution	B[60] (PC & Mac)
GameSpot	9.1/10[4] (PC & Mac) 8.4/10[56] (Nintendo 64)
IGN	9.5/10[3] (PC & Mac) 7.7/10[61] (Nintendo 64)
PC Gamer UK	92%[62] (PC & Mac)
PC Zone	8.8/10[63] (PC & Mac)
Compilations of multiple reviews
Compiler	Score
Metacritic	88%[62] (PC & Mac) 80%[64] (Nintendo 64)
Game Rankings	93%[65] (PC & Mac) 77%[66] (Nintendo 64)
MobyRank	92%[67] (PC & Mac) 80%[68] (Nintendo 64)
Awards
Greatest Games of All Time - GameSpot[7]
Game of the Year - AIAS[69]
Game of the Year - Computer Gaming World[69]
Game of the Year - PC PowerPlay[69]
RTS Game of the Year - PC Gamer[69]
Strategy Game of the Year - Games Domain[69]

StarCraft was released internationally on 31 March 1998 and became the best-selling PC game for that year, selling over 1.5 million copies worldwide.^[70] In the next decade, StarCraft sold over 9.5 million copies across the globe, with 4.5 million of these being sold in South Korea.^[71] Since the initial release of StarCraft, Blizzard Entertainment reported that its Battle.net online multiplayer service grew by 800 percent.