Reprinted from "No Nameless Bird Combination"
That is a glorious and dream year, the pioneers of computer householdization are like the Toy rushing in California, and they will teach the Silicon Valley of the mythical legend. At that time, they did not expect themselves, but they were for an ideal Even a curious thoughts, everything, in less than 10 years, is the last decade of the 20th century, from the small chip and a piece of small chip and one segment of the block in their hands only 0 and 1 The composed digital program has almost dominated the entire human world.
In 1981, the Blue Giants IBM launched the world's first Personal Computer - IBM 5150 PC, which officially opened the prelude of the raging PC wave. In fact, the game has earlier, in the apple machine of the products in 1976, there is already a commercial game running, but the PC's significance of the game industry, no one can question.
After more than two years, the day of 1983, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, a noisy named "23th century" Apple computer store, a named Blat W. Spa The 21-year-old young programmer of Brett W. Sperry, I met a salesman of this store. This salesman named Louis Castle. About two years later in 1985, Blart and Louis partners set their own game production companies, which were later famous game giants --westwood.
In the fifteen years later, Westwood has become silently to develop, until today, it has become the world's most famous game production company, with Lucasarts, Sierra and other old-name manufacturers, and the history of the history is even more expensive to come. Perhaps due to heavy past, its development trajectory always is in a relatively gentle state, not like ID, Blizzard is aggressive, in the special circle of the game industry, but some alternatives. Many people say that Westwood is now heroic. There is a feeling of gradually walking down the slope, and even suspecting that it will continue to survive under the current situation of competition.
Ideally born
Garage ... This concept will immediately think of "public" or "big money" for the Chinese. In the United States, the garage is like the kitchen in our family, but many people may not know that this small garage of this stepper tool is The status in the IT industry - does not exaggerate, it can almost count the US IT industry until the entire world IT industry cradle: from the garage, countless boy genius, such as Bill Gates, Steve · Steve Jobs; from the garage, countless IT giants in today, the founder of Silicon Valley was born in the garage, the famous Apple was born in the garage - and Westwood, also born in the garage.
In 1985, it was the start of the home computer. Two young people who were full of embarrassment and ideals in the future, the preceding documents mentioned in Spinai and Kassel, planning a software company that brought their own software - in the United States To open a company, it is much more complicated in the country. Many people have a "open company, making boss" from the student era. In fact, the two were only 21 years old, and Spiri is a poor program and Kasale is still going to school, and it is also the kind of milk stinking hair kid. The reason why the two partnerships is even more absurd. Just because Spary has some self-think of thinking, there is no printer to play them out and Kassel happens to have a printer who compares "precious" at the time. In this way, this ten years later, the name of the game is deafening, in a shabby garage, in a very "leather bag", in a small step, such as Armstrong walks out on the moon Same, the small step of Westwood, today we re-examine it, and a big step towards the whole game industry. The two-person programs have given up the original smooth and comfortable work to go to "white hand!" And they have nothing to "be the world's best game manufacturer", and even did not expect to develop The game is just a software development workshop "". When the so-called life is also transported, the first order received by the two is precisely for Epyx's three songs named "Temple of Apshai", since then, it is not available, and it has achieved a game world. Field industry.
As for the name of the company's full name "Westwood Associates", two people wondered together, Westwood is Cassier's favorite California city name (although the company is not there), and Associates is the meaning of "partners", Spa In thinking that only the friendship between the two people, after being worshiped by the player film as the "West House" in the Game Temple, it was born.
Many people know that westwood has passed the "sand dune" or "Krandia Legend", in fact, Westwood's work is far more than what we know, only more than 20 years in the last five years of the 1980s The game is also a lot of production. Most of them are issued by the previous Epyx, and some are famous by the famous Sega, Disney and Activation Agents. It should be said that Westwood's famous fame is not * a hot one of the games, the company's corporate culture is a single accumulation, In addition, there is no shortage of sensation, driving it step by step to today.
This period may be more famous (because the author has not played, so you can only feel the name, the translated name is also exactly accurate) includes: "Mi Mouse Escape Zoo", unknown, Disney Company The "Wariors of the Eternal Sun", the age is unknown, Sega Company issued "Mars Saga", 1988, EA issued "Nightmare on Elm Street, 1989, Monarch issued
The rest of the nearly twenty author is not one, the reason is very simple, everyone will take a look, what is you have to play? I am afraid nothing. Anyway, I will say that I don't know anything about the history of the game industry, but these works still belong to a blank in my mind, and I don't know why they belong to, how, how is the sales score. Despite the "Times Review" should be made as much authority, the Nai's old facts are in the past, but they have to pass the budging period, and go directly into Westwood from the 1990s famous to brilliant. Ideal
"Red Rise, Large Light". At the beginning of the 1990s, Westwood continued to maintain an inadvertent development speed. The main work in this period is the "Eye of the Beholder", in 1991, in 1991, the first second part was launched by the Strategicsimulation agent, which is also a player who pays attention to game information in many Westwood works. The earliest series of familiar and accepted.
In 1992, Westwood ended with the original publisher SSI's cooperation, and turned to go to the game circle. At that time, it was a Virgin Interactive Entertainment (ViTi Interactive Entertainment), which became a professional production game. Studio, ie, all known well, do WESTWOOD STUDIO. Since then, Westwood has entered a high-speed development period. Many of us today's ear-well-known outstanding works have focused on the feet "killing" after the feet, and the name is very noisy, not only for the company itself, it seems that the whole game industry It is more or less affected by its impact, producing obvious "outward" trend, which can drive each other and go to glory. Among them, the most representative significance is also the most familiar series of works in players:
Kyrandia BOOK
The first episode: "Kyrandia Book, 1992, Daxi (most games before this time) were transferred by the dimension, so the following remarks will not be Description)
The second episode: "Kyrandia Legend: The Hand of Fate", 1993
The third episode: "Kyrandia Legend: Malcom's Revenge", 1994
There are Chinese version of the three works, including the first two of Taiwan's traditional Taiwan, in the Mainland introduced the third episode "Malburge" in 1998.
Eight years is not a too long time, and you can have a "industrial revolution" that is enough for the game world. In addition to a few people who have caused global sensation, most games are difficult to have more than one year, not to say that the players are impressive. However, until today, in many adventure games, "Kelantia Legend" can still be counted as the best, the most classic puzzle adventure game series, many people put it with Lucas "monkey island small The Hero "Series and Sierra" King Secret "series and called" three sworders "of cartoon adventure games, painted in the history of AVG development.
Perhaps it is the violent "factor" of the human evolutionary process left by the animal evolution process, and the development of computer technology has made more realistic and more stimulating scenes, today's game seems to have a pursuit of competitive and sensory stimulation. The tendency, more and more types, the road is getting narrower. The player is not a pleasure in the "Imperial Times" knife sword, which is to compete in the site in the Chinese "StarCraft"; Forward Quake, "Unreal", "Semi-Hand", etc. FPS is even naked. And we seem to have habit and accept this, no a few people can think of a few years ago, there have been some no violence, no blood, no stimulation, no battle, only beautiful, only fun, only relaxed, only happy, only happy The game, "Krandia Legend" is one of their representatives. What is the concept of 5m? When the game is calculated in G to calculate the capacity, 5M may be just a storage file size, but in 1992, Westwood can use poor 5M to make a game that makes countless players for the game, this is "Kaililan" Dia Legend. I believe that as long as I have played, I will definitely leave a deep impression. The game can be beautiful, the plot is twisted, the imagination is rich, the language is humorous, and the garbage of some of the large content of the empty content is now comparable.
The plot is very simple, telling the calm Kellandia mainland, because the evil-seized courtier Malcolm escaped the cage, began to retaliate the whole continent, many people were petrified, the world was falling into evil in. Kingdom of the Kingdom of Kingdom
(Brandon) is in the help of Herman, female priest Brrane, alchemist Shancia and Dawn, etc., the end of the calendar, and finally defeat evil, becoming the king of the Cellantia mainland, will culcinate Reproduction. The game is very interesting, the style is relaxed, the only shortcoming is that some puzzles are not very reasonable, it is slightly difficult, especially when there is a maze cave, do not use S / L Dafa almost no other way, a bit of a bit of meant players. Of course, these small defects can't be calculated at all, Westwood, because this work has also appeared in the face of adventure game developers.
However, to the most successful work in the trilurate, it is also necessary to say that it is the second episode "The Hand of Destiny". Although the capacity is not too significant, it is more colorful from the image quality to the sound, especially the image fine, but also reflects some simple light and shadow, the music production is good, more than a dozen sounds are easy and bright, sweet Anesthes. The second-generation protagonist is the collected female alchemist Shansia, which has been investigated for the recent evil threatened evil, and eventually destroyed the conspiracy of the big boss "gloves", so that the whole continent has recovered calm.
With the last experience, the second generation level is obviously a grade, regardless of the rationality of the puzzle or the funality of the plot, greatly strengthened. Most of the puzzles and items of this episode are related to the transfer of drugs. At the beginning of the magic book, several pharmaceutical formulations were recorded, and some formulations were added later. However, the contents of the formula are relatively vague, and the player needs to have some imagination. Overall is not too difficult, and the same medicine has a variety of materials to reduce difficulty. The author has remembered that the puzzle is based on the music to open the secret door, which is the first time when the sound card has just been popular.
"Malcom 's revenge" is a little unexpected. It turns out that the plot may be that the bad egg martiously wants to escape, and one hero is so like this. I didn't expect Marm, but he did not appear in hero - because the top leaders were Malu himself. The game uses Malcom's vision to see what happened in the Campanian continent. I hope that "good people don't necessarily be intimate, and bad people don't necessarily be the truth." In order to make a lot of improvements, for example, on the dialogue, it is necessary to design a honest, normal or lying indicator for Malcom, so that the low age layer can also distinguish it. The game screen, music to sound is made than the first two episodes. It is a pity that although the original intention and creativity is very good, the production personnel did not fully reflect their intent in the game, but so that the overall structure showed a mess, some places did not understand. And excessive pursuit of new settings makes the plot, and reduces playability. From the author's vision, "Malbu's revenge" is a unusual success in the trilog, since then, Westwood seems to have gradually lost the "adventure" aura, except for a "silver wing killer", There are no AVG works.
Ideal brilliant
At the beginning of the 1990s, after continuous launch of several "heavyweight" works, no one doubts the strength of Westwood, and no one suspects that it can continue to bring excellent works for players. I am probably no one can think of - including Westwood yourself, and did not think that they would bring a good work for players, this work, the development of the game industry will have much effect. It is what we have to mention - Sand Dune & Command and Conquer & Red Alert Series Sand Dunes (Dune) Sand Dune Winner II (Dune II), Dune 2000 (Dune2000), 1998 "Sand Dune Fort II "Whether it is in the history of Westwood or the history of the overall game industry, it is difficult to move. As for why it comes to mention two generations, what is going on? The older RTS players probably have passed through "sand dunes".
In 1992, Westwood didn't know where to come, decided to put the US famous sci-fi Frank Robs' work "Dune Fort" on the computer screen. Although the work itself is indeed exciting, the technology is still a lot of the subject, and the name of the game is almost impossible - can "sand dune" is achieved. It's a launch of it, it is popular with the unimaginable speed, almost occupying all the electric drives running the game at that time, is the most successful work in the history of computer games.
What makes it so charm? Today, "Dune II" is rough, but at the time, the effect of 320x200, 256 colors running on 386 or even 286, as if we first saw the picture of PS2, there was no rhetorite Describe it. The plot is also very good: a battle in the dunes of the mysterious outer space planet "Spices" war ... The structure is grand, and it is a famous work.
However, all this is just that part of its famous reasons, "Dunes" true success, it is created a new game type - Real Time Strategy, referred to as RTS. Today's players may feel a little annoying to RTS, and can only be RTS these three words in eight years agre enough. Countless people still can still recall the time of the year of sleep, such as the world that is inserted, and the world that tied into the fragrance does not want to leave.
Different from common round strategy games, there are several features: dark search mode; resources for resources, occupation, collection and accumulation; construction of multiple types of buildings and units; real-time combat and development system; high view The tilt top view of the distance. Test the player's strategy, and test the player's response ability; not only the fierce fighting of true battles, but also fully meet the desire of players, integrate the ideals and reality, and create it together for the game industry A new era. In six years, Westwood launched the sequel "Dune 2000" of "Dune 2000", what can players get? In addition to disappointing, there is not much to say much, and the players who have been getting more and more utilitarian operations for Westwood have finally endured, making this obvious perfunctory work truly "nostalgic" work, except "sand dune II" Outside the hardcore, there is almost no wave.
Command and Conquer & Red Alert Series (Command & Conquer) Command and Conquest (Command & Conquer), 1995
Command and Conquest: Commist & Conquer Covert Operations, 1996
Command and Conquest: Red Alert (Command & Conquer Red Alert), 1996
Command and Conquer: Command & Conquer Gold, 1997
Command and Conquest: Command & Conquer Red Alert Counterstrike, 1997
Command and Conquer: Command & Conquer Red Alert The Aftermath, 1997
Command and Conquest: Survivers (Command & Conquer Sole Survivor), 1997
Command and Conquest: Command & Conquer Red Alert Retaliation, 1998
Command and Conquer II: Tiberian Day (Command & Conquer II Tiberian Sun), 1999
Day of Tiberia: Tiberian Sun: FireStorm, 2000
Command and Conquer: Red Alert II (Command & Conquer Red Alert II),? year
It should be noted that Westwood is acquired by the game world in 1999, so all its games will be strictly released by the EA. The above should not be counted as two, "Red Alert", no matter from The production level is popular, which is far from ordinary information, which is generally considered to be a separate work. However, the two basically belong to a set, there is a very close "blood" relationship, so I still put it together.
Although "Dunes" created a new era of instant strategies, the power is awesome, but it can escape the "earliest affirmation the most inconsistent" iron, in many places, such as the picture, operation, AI, etc., even though there is domineering But it is difficult to become a real overlord. After three years, because many new game companies rapidly rise, such as the famous Blizzard launched the same RTS "World of Warcraft", Westwood feels suddenly increased, so he quickly throws their own "town company treasure "-" Command and Conquer ". How do this game I am afraid that the author doesn't need to be specifically described, because today's players are very few people will not know - At the beginning, it really "command" and "conquer" almost all people who love the game, the picture, sound, Interface ... You don't have to say, anyway, in 1995, it is the best. The game sets the two parties of the hostile, that is, in the game circle, the acronym of the highest chance: Justice GDI and evil NOD, this hatred of the family seems to be never eliminating, fighting for a long time, no one Didn't take advantage of what is wind, there is always a chance to come back, especially the bald kane, which is not dissolved. As for the "mother tank", invisible motorcycle, "mining car", atomic bomb ... and other nouns more spread all over the world, and create a standard for the later generation, enough to call "C & C culture".
In short, if the FPS is opened by the nasal ancestor "Wolf 3D", doom has done the large, RTS is from "Dune II", but it is "command and conquering" make it up to the new height, but also makes RTS later Main original power. Indeed, then we are very difficult (or don't even dare) to pick out any small flaw of C & C, it is simply a work that goes beyond the era, and Westwood walks into the brilliant sign.
Speaking of "Command and Conquer", you have to mention the "Red Alert". On the surface, it is just a set of ordinary data sheets, and there is no difference between the other "garbage", but in fact, its content is not simple to just a set of information. From the head to the feet ... things almost more than 90% are new, the production is cautious, and the investment has exceeded countless so-called "sequel" games. It is a real independent work.
The "Red Alert" is the background of Cold Wars, which is the story of Soviet's supermarket to seek world hegemony. Players can choose the Allies or the Soviet army to start the game. Due to the real sense, it is easy to get started, the soldiers are balanced, the map is rich, and the connection is good. In addition, the first to launch the Windows version, so quickly red, popularity, and even far more than C & C original version, especially because of multiplayer Improvement, let countless players are not tired, until now, although the RTS competitors countless, although there is "StarCraft", "Imperial Times" two new hegens, but there are still many hardcover players to "red alarm" .
Some other information films ... What do you say? This is the most concentrated point that Westwood is referred to by Qianfu. It is to be greedy. It is desperate to launch some information films "fraud money" without obvious progress. Despite the good sales, it is only a bit of this golden word sign. As for the "command and conquer II: Terbury day", the quality is not bad, but unfortunately, it is far from the expectations of the player, and there is very much unsatisfactory, very unfortunately in order to fail the work. .
Westwood's only hope "Red Alert II", so on, it is going to go public, how to still say it now, can only play again. I hope it can revitalize Westwood "Fang", but not let it be as forecast of some players, it will become the worst studio of EA. BLDE Runner, 1997 "Silver Wing Killer" is considered Westwood's sealing in the AVG field, and the later work gives people the most impressive one. "Silver Wing Killer" has adapted from the same name movie and is one of the combination of games and movies. The plot happens in the future of now, and the human masher has a variety of contradictions between replicans and normal people ... The game directly uses a movie narrative method, from the screen to the sound to the outside ... design It is quite good, especially the so-called "3D picture without 3D card", although it is slightly rough, it is not easy. Players in the game process will have a big impact on the final result. It is a number of multi-ended AVG works, which is quite exciting. Ideal lost
After the "silver wing killer", Westwood's famous arrogance was gradually dissipated to lie to the creative of money and Jiangulan. The entire company seems to be in a situation where it is gradually cool. And the turning point of the destiny is also the first "real" setback and failure in WESTWOOD. It is in a game, ie "Land Legend II - Destinating God".
Earth legend series
Dark Throne, Lands Of Lore Throne of Chaos, 1993
Lands of Lore Guardians Of Destiny, 1997
Earth Legend III (Lands of Lore III), 1999
In fact, the "Dark Throne of the Earth" should be summed up for the brilliant work. The game itself is indeed a brilliant - never produced the rpg traditional Westwood, and launched a "Genesis" in 1993, "Witch "The" Magic Gate "and other series of rpgs, the RPG, which has become one of the most representative role playing games in the computer game industry within two or three years. Because it is too" representative ", I have to neglect, and I also come to the lost period.
The plot itself is the old suit is very, or the traditional hero fights: the evil witch, the use of terrible spells, the Gladstone, the kingdom, and make a bloody rain, and the bigger crisis is in gestation. So the king Richard recruited two warriors, and he had suffered from hard, and finally went to the old nest of Diva. At first glance, it is simply like moving the setting of "Krandia Legend".
However, specific to the game, whether it is a picture sound operation, these "hard", or the laboratory of the plot, the main line rotation, the embodiment of the RPG element, the playability of playability, is the best in the history of RPG. For the author, it is the first European and American rpg I have played, so I have left a very deep impression, many places (such as difficult to abbreviation maze) have remembered.
After four years, westwood finally took out the "Dadi Legend II - Destinating God" of many RPG fans, this game has also become a turning point of Westwood, but this The turning point is a bitter.
"Excellence" is probably the realm of every industry should work hard, except for computer games - it is destined to be a "regret-art", hardware level such as explosive rapid development, do not give any gamers a voluntary . If you get fit, forgive perfection, if you drag again, "Destinating God" is a living forward. This game dragged for four years, the graphics engine changed again, and changed a "four unlike". "Really 3D", full of mosaic, make the hope of hope extremely bad. As for the plot, it is even more strange. This time I have to play a well-known hero, but the son of the girlfriend of the murdered witch - Luke. The mother's evil blood made him nature, there were some magic, and rationally made him eager to justice, so that his one fell in a painful state, thereby deducting a complete set of stories.
We have to admit that its creativity is very excellent and unexpected. If you add a deduction, there is hope to be a leader of the new generation of RPG trends, you can have a big and meaningless capacity (four CDs), bad images plus The chaotic plot is arranged to ruin this rare idea. It can be seen that Westwood's plan is very hoping to join humanity and anti-traditional factors in the game, but always drive is not too good, there is no game with the protagonist of "wicked" without a "underground city guardian" In response to the matter.
As for the three generations, finally came out of the shadow of the second-generation failed, but the theme of "Land Legend" itself has almost no appeal to the player, in the "Bai's Gate", "radiation" RPG classic shadow, No splashes of a wave.
Ideal silence
After the blow of "Destinarian God", Westwood slowly went down. During this time, in addition to the previously mentioned works, only two games were launched, one is a fearless chariot that produced last year, a tank combat game, the response is not very big.
Knox (NOX), 2000
Since the birth of Blizzard, it seems that it has become a water fire, almost every game will be "right", such as NOX, which is obviously developed for Diablo II. NOx's quality is really good, it is a comparative alternative ARPG, which is more features. It is also the most characterful piece of Westwood's most successful work, but it is not enough to shake Diablo in the eyes of players. Are playing D2, NOX is more cool.
Ideal ... recovery
Westwood is slowly disappearing from the player's sight, who is it? do not know. I am more concerned about when it will recover and usher in the second dawn. Anyway, time is a real referee, as our players who gradually "grow" in the WESTWOOD excellent works, no one wants or willing to have the sacred church in their minds, in order to collapse, And Westwood itself, also slowly accumulating the power of recovery in a difficult situation, where is the road? The same no one can answer this question, the overall overall development direction of the game industry, although the contour gradually clear, the details of the details have always been difficult to solve the mystery of the Swinx's mystery, which is unpredictable. There is no normal victory, more is frustful passengers, and suddenly falling suddenly fall. WESTWOOD can last for 15 years without falling, own its own truth, although the latter half seems to have a silence, the company's operational performance itself is not necessarily better than those of the big red purple, the big brother "is informed, and many works make players After disappointment, it will still make many people's hearts, this is a tenacious Westwood, which is unprepared at Westwood, is also the eternal Westwood in our heart. ----------------------------------------------
