Spawn Installation
In personal computer games, a spawn installation is an installed copy of a game that may only be used to play in multiplayer mode, or otherwise limits the amount of single-player content accessible to the user. Additionally, some spawn implementations only allow the user to join games hosted by the installer's cd-key. There are several purposes for a spawn installation, including but not limited to creating added value by allowing the owner of the game to experience the multiplayer mode with friends and demonstrating the game to more potential buyers. A similar concept (for example, in some ''Command & Conquer'' games) is the use of multiple game discs. Each disc contains a discrete portion of the game, such as an individual campaign. Sharing a disc with a friend allows both the owner and the friend to experience the full content of each respective disc, but not at the same time. In contrast with spawn installations, the disadvantage to the multiple-disc approach was that the gam ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Personal Computer Game
A personal computer game, also known as a PC game or computer game, is a type of video game played on a personal computer (PC) rather than a video game console or arcade machine. Its defining characteristics include: more diverse and user-determined gaming hardware and software; and generally greater capacity in input, processing, video and audio output. The uncoordinated nature of the PC game market, and now its lack of physical media, make precisely assessing its size difficult. In 2018, the global PC games market was valued at about $27.7 billion. Home computer games became popular following the video game crash of 1983, leading to the era of the "bedroom coder". In the 1990s, PC games lost mass-market traction to console games, before enjoying a resurgence in the mid-2000s through digital distribution on services such as Steam and GOG.com. Newzoo reports that the ''PC gaming sector'' is the third-largest category (and estimated in decline) across all platforms , with th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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StarCraft II
''StarCraft II'' is a military science fiction video game created by Blizzard Entertainment as a sequel to the successful ''StarCraft'' video game released in 1998. Set in a fictional future, the game centers on a galactic struggle for dominance among the various fictional races of StarCraft. ''StarCraft II'' single-player campaign is split into three installments, each of which focuses on one of the three races: '' StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty'' (released 2010), '' Heart of the Swarm'' (2013) and '' Legacy of the Void'' (2015). A final campaign pack called '' StarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops'' was released in 2016. ''StarCraft II'' multi-player gameplay spawned a separate e-sports competition that later drew interest from companies other than Blizzard, and attracted attention in South Korea and elsewhere, similar to the original ''StarCraft'' e-sports. Since 2017, ''StarCraft II'' multi-player mode, co-op mode and the first single-player campaign have been free-to-play. St ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Nintendo
is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produced handmade playing cards. After venturing into various lines of business during the 1960s and acquiring a legal status as a public company, Nintendo distributed its first console, the Color TV-Game, in 1977. It gained international recognition with the release of ''Donkey Kong'' in 1981 and the Nintendo Entertainment System and ''Super Mario Bros.'' in 1985. Since then, Nintendo has produced some of the most successful consoles in the video game industry, such as the Game Boy, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the Nintendo DS, the Wii, and the Switch. It has created numerous major franchises, including ''Mario'', ''Donkey Kong'', ''The Legend of Zelda'', ''Pokémon'', ''Kirby'', ''Metroid'', ''Fire Emblem'', ''Animal Crossing'', ''Splatoon'', ''Star Fox'', ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Gearbox Software
Gearbox Software is an American video game development company based in Frisco, Texas. It was established as a limited liability company in February 1999 by five developers formerly of Rebel Boat Rocker. Randy Pitchford, one of the founders, serves as president and chief executive officer. Gearbox initially created expansions for the Valve game ''Half-Life'', then ported that game and others to console platforms. In 2005, Gearbox launched its first independent set of games, '' Brothers in Arms'', on console and mobile devices. It became their flagship franchise and spun off a comic book series, television documentary, books, and action figures. Their second original game series, '' Borderlands'', commenced in 2009, and by 2015 had sold over 26 million copies. The company also owns the intellectual property of ''Duke Nukem'' and ''Homeworld''. Gearbox expanded into publishing with the creation of Gearbox Publishing in 2015. A parent company, The Gearbox Entertainment Company, wa ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Halo Custom Edition
''Halo: Combat Evolved'' is a 2001 first-person shooter game developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was released as a launch game for Microsoft's Xbox video game console on November 15, 2001. The game was ported to Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X in 2003. It was later released as a downloadable Xbox Original for the Xbox 360. ''Halo'' is set in the twenty-sixth century, with the player assuming the role of the Master Chief, a cybernetically enhanced supersoldier. The Chief is accompanied by Cortana, an artificial intelligence. Players battle aliens as they attempt to uncover the secrets of the eponymous Halo, a ring-shaped artificial world. Bungie began the development of what would eventually become ''Halo'' ''CE'' in 1997. Initially, the game was a real-time strategy game that morphed into a third-person shooter before becoming a first-person shooter. During development, Microsoft acquired Bungie and turned ''Halo'' into a launch game ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Id Software
id Software LLC () is an American video game developer based in Richardson, Texas. It was founded on February 1, 1991, by four members of the computer company Softdisk: game programmer, programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack. id Software made important technological developments in video game technologies for the IBM PC compatible, PC (running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows, Windows), including work done for the ''Wolfenstein'', ''Doom (franchise), Doom'', and ''Quake (series), Quake'' franchises. id's work was particularly important in 3D computer graphics technology and in game engines that are used throughout the video game industry. The company was involved in the creation of the first-person shooter (FPS) genre: ''Wolfenstein 3D'' is often considered to be the first true FPS; ''Doom (1993 video game), Doom'' is a game that popularized the genre and PC gaming in general; and ''Quake (video game), Quake'' was id's first true ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Quake Wars
''Enemy Territory: Quake Wars'' is a first-person shooter video game developed by Splash Damage and published by Activision for Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was first released in the PAL region on September 28, 2007, and later in North America on October 2. It is a spinoff of the ''Quake'' series and the successor to 2003's '' Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory''. ''Quake Wars'' is a prequel set in the same universe as ''Quake II'' and ''Quake 4''. New features include the addition of controllable vehicles and aircraft as well as multiple AI deployables, asymmetric teams, much bigger maps and the option of computer-controlled bot opponents. Unlike ''Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory'', ''Quake Wars'' is a commercial release rather than a free download. ''Enemy Territory: Quake Wars'' received mostly positive reviews upon release, with a more mixed reception for the console versions. Since 2011, the rights to the game have reverted to ZeniMax ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Strategy First
Strategy First Inc. is a Canadian video game publisher based in Montreal. Founded in 1988 by Don McFatridge, Steve Wall and Dave Hill, the company filed for bankruptcy in 2004 and was subsequently acquired by Silverstar Holdings in 2005. Initially specializing in developing strategy video games, it since switched to primarily publishing, releasing games like the ''Disciples'' series, the ''Jagged Alliance'' series, '' O.R.B: Off-World Resource Base'', and the ''Space Empires'' series. History Strategy First was founded by Don McFatridge, Steve Wall and Dave Hill, three board game designers. During one lunch break in 1988, they decided that they would begin their careers anew, establishing Strategy First as a video game development company. Richard Therrien joined as a partner shortly thereafter. The four wished to focus on strategy video games and named the company accordingly. By May 2004, Strategy First had amassed over in debt and had shrunk from more than 100 employ ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sacred Lands
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a " sacred artifact" that is venerated and blessed), or places (" sacred ground"). French sociologist Émile Durkheim considered the dichotomy between the sacred and the profane to be the central characteristic of religion: "religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to ''sacred things'', that is to say, things set apart and forbidden." Durkheim, Émile. 1915. ''The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life''. London: George Allen & Unwin. . In Durkheim's theory, the sacred represents the interests of the group, especially unity, which are embodied in sacred group symbols, or using team work to help get out of trouble. The profane, on the other hand, involve mundane individual concerns. Etymology The word ''sacred'' desc ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Cavedog Entertainment
Cavedog Entertainment was a PC game developer and publisher based in Bothell, Washington. Founded in 1995 as a division of edutainment game developer Humongous Entertainment, Cavedog was known for the 1997 release of ''Total Annihilation''—which won several accolades, such as multiple ''Game of the Year'' honors—considered one of the "greatest games of all time" in 2004 by ''GameSpot''. History Early days Cavedog Entertainment was a label created in 1995 by Humongous Entertainment, a developer of children's video games founded by Ron Gilbert and Shelley Day, to pursue the creation of mainstream games. Humongous Entertainment was originally independent, but was purchased in 1996 by GT Interactive. In the same year Squaresoft closed its office in Redmond, many of their former developers were hired for Cavedog, notably game music composer Jeremy Soule and graphics designer Clayton Kauzlaric, who created the logo for Cavedog. After two years of development on Cavedog's ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Total Annihilation
''Total Annihilation'' is a real-time strategy video game created by Cavedog Entertainment, a sub-division of Humongous Entertainment, and was released on September 26, 1997 by GT Interactive for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. Two expansion packs were released, '' The Core Contingency'' on April 28, 1998 and '' Battle Tactics'' on June 30. After the closure of the Cavedog Entertainment in 1999, the intellectual property fell to Infogrames (now Atari). ''Total Annihilation'' is no longer officially supported, due to the closure of Cavedog. Former lead designer Chris Taylor went on with Gas Powered Games to create '' Supreme Commander'' in 2007, considered the "spiritual successor" of ''Total Annihilation''. The creators of XTA, a mod for ''Total Annihilation'', independently developed the open-source 3D graphics Spring game engine. The ''Total Annihilation 3D'' project began in 2006. Other ex-members of Cavedog, including ''Total Annihilation''s game engine developer Jon Mavor, la ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Reality Pump
TopWare Interactive – AC Enterprises e.K. is a German video game publisher based in Karlsruhe. The company is best known for publishing the '' Two Worlds'' series developed by its Reality Pump Studios division. History TopWare Interactive was started in 1995 as a video game publishing subsidiary of ''TopWare CD Service AG'' based in Mannheim, Germany, which included two inhouse development studios (ToonTRAXX and TopWare Programy), which was later renamed to Reality Pump Studios based in Poland. In February 2001, TopWare CD Service AG filed for bankruptcy. All rights, including both development studios, were acquired by Zuxxez Entertainment AG. The company was resurrected by Zuxxez in 2005. In 2011, Zuxxez officially changed its name back to TopWare Interactive, thus completely abandoning the Zuxxez brand. TopWare Interactive AG's American company, TopWare Interactive Inc., revealed that it was developing ''Battle vs. Chess'' to be published by SouthPeak Games. Interplay ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |