Video game:StarCraft

Released by Blizzard Entertainment in 1998, StarCraft became the first in a now huge franchise of real-time strategy games and related media. Playable on Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X, this PC series centers on a galactic war between three groups�the human Terrans, exiled from Earth; the insectoid Zerg; and the humanoid Protoss race�in the 26th century. The games follow strategy-based military operations in which the player(s) choose a faction and command the appropriate troops in battle. Each race's divisions have their own advantages and disadvantages, making gameplay distinctive within each faction. Gamers can complete single-player campaigns featuring 30 total missions�10 for each race�each increasing in difficulty. Multiplayer game modes and cooperative teams can also be set up over the Internet through Blizzard's servers. Editing tools allow players to create their own campaigns and download new maps. Critics hailed StarCraft as an extremely well-crafted game, one that established a trend in using unique factions in real-time strategy gameplay. Its involved storyline, stylistic graphics, enticing sound and cinematics, and effective interface created a large following for the games. After StarCraft's debut in 1998, Blizzard developed several other games within the same fictional storyline and universe, along with two expansion packs for the original game, and other licensed merchandise. The series is a commercial and critical success; not only has it won several Game of the Year awards, it also has a special multiplayer following in South Korea, where pro-gamers compete in televised matches. Credited with being one of the best-selling personal computer games for its time, the original StarCraft game sold over 9.5 million copies in its first decade, 4.5 million of which were bought exclusively in South Korea. A copy of StarCraft even flew into space aboard the shuttle Discovery in May 1999. The StarCraft series, through its innovation and popularity, became a pop culture phenomenon recognizable to both the gaming and non-gaming communities.