Westwood Studios
Encyclopedia
Westwood Studios was a computer
and video game developer
, based in Las Vegas
, Nevada
. It was founded by Brett Sperry
and Louis Castle
in as Westwood Associates, and renamed to Westwood Studios when it merged with Virgin Interactive
in . The company was bought from Virgin Interactive by Electronic Arts
(EA) in , and closed by EA in .
Westwood is best known for developing real-time strategy
game series, adventure
and role-playing
genres. It received an entry to the Guinness book of records
, for selling more than 10 million copies of Command & Conquer worldwide. Electronic Arts continues to develop games based on Westwood's Command & Conquer series
. The last former Westwood employee quit working for Electronic Arts after the release of Command & Conquer: Generals
in 2003.
and Strategic Simulations, Inc.
(SSI), porting 8-bit
titles to 16-bit
systems like Commodore Amiga
and Atari ST
. Proceeds from contract work allowed the company to expand into designing its own games in-house. Their first original title was Mars Saga
, a game developed for Electronic Arts
and released in . They pioneered the genre of Real Time Strategy with the release of BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Revenge
, one of the more literal translations of the classic tabletop game BattleTech
. One of the company's first great successes was Eye of the Beholder (1990), a real-time role-playing video game
based on the Dungeons & Dragons
license, developed for SSI. Other publishers of early Westwood games included Infocom
and Disney
.
, and Lands of Lore. Westwood's greatest commercial success however came in with the release of the real-time strategy
game Command & Conquer. Building on the gameplay and interface ideas of Dune II, it added pre-rendered 3D graphics for gameplay sprites and video cinematics, an alternative pop/rock soundtrack with techno elements streamed from disk, and modem
play. Command & Conquer, Kyrandia, and Lands of Lore all spawned multiple sequels.
In August , Westwood was acquired by Electronic Arts
for $122.5 million in cash. At the time, Westwood had 5% to 6% of the PC game market. In response to EA's buyout, many long-time Westwood employees quit and left Westwood Studios. Because of this and EA's newly imposed demands, games being developed by Westwood Studios at the time were rushed and left unfinished upon their release, namely Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun
. All the subsequent games developed by Westwood were also heavily subjected to increased control by Electronic Arts, with some of them being cancelled
.
Along with Westwood, EA had also acquired Virgin Interactive
's development studio based in Irvine
, California
. It was managed by Westwood and became known as Westwood Pacific, and later EA Pacific. Westwood Pacific developed or co-developed games like Nox and the Command & Conquer: Red Alert
's sequel Red Alert 2
, which takes place in an alternate universe to that of the original title Command & Conquer. One of the last games released by Westwood, Command & Conquer: Renegade
(an action game, which mixed elements from first-person shooter
s and real-time strategy
games) failed to meet consumer expectations and commercial goals Electronic Arts had set for it. In March of , Westwood Studios (along with EA Pacific) was liquidated by EA, and all willing staff were assimilated into EA Los Angeles
. Their last video game was the MMORPG
Earth & Beyond
.
At the time of its liquidation, Westwood employed a third of the original Westwood Studios personnel, some of which formed Petroglyph Games in April , along with three of them (Brett Sperry, Adam Isgreen and Rade Stojsavljevic) forming Jet Set Games development studio
in , both based in Las Vegas
, Nevada
.
Personal computer game
A PC game, also known as a computer game, is a video game played on a personal computer, rather than on a video game console or arcade machine...
and video game developer
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
, based in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. It was founded by Brett Sperry
Brett Sperry
-Career:Sperry co-founded Westwood Studios with Louis Castle in 1985, when both were in their early 20s.Sperry has been credited with the roles of design, production, support and box and content...
and Louis Castle
Louis Castle
-Career:Castle co-founded Westwood Studios with Brett Sperry in 1985. Castle remained with Westwood when it was bought by Electronic Arts in 1998 and he was a vice president and General Manager of EA's Blueprint Studio...
in as Westwood Associates, and renamed to Westwood Studios when it merged with Virgin Interactive
Virgin Interactive
Virgin Interactive was a British video game publisher. It was formed as Virgin Games Ltd. in 1981. The company became much larger after purchasing the budget label, Mastertronic in 1987. It was part of the Virgin Group...
in . The company was bought from Virgin Interactive by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
(EA) in , and closed by EA in .
Westwood is best known for developing real-time strategy
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
game series, adventure
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
and role-playing
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
genres. It received an entry to the Guinness book of records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
, for selling more than 10 million copies of Command & Conquer worldwide. Electronic Arts continues to develop games based on Westwood's Command & Conquer series
Command & Conquer
Command & Conquer, abbreviated to C&C and also known as Tiberian Dawn, is a 1995 real-time strategy computer game developed by Westwood Studios for MS-DOS and published by Virgin Interactive. It was the first of twelve games to date to be released under the Command & Conquer label, including a...
. The last former Westwood employee quit working for Electronic Arts after the release of Command & Conquer: Generals
Command & Conquer: Generals
Command & Conquer: Generals is a real-time strategy game in the Command & Conquer series. Generals utilizes SAGE...
in 2003.
Initial projects
The company's first projects consisted of contract work for companies like EpyxEpyx
Epyx, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. The company was founded as Automated Simulations by Jim Connelley and Jon Freeman, originally using Epyx as a brand name for action-oriented games before renaming the company to match in 1983...
and Strategic Simulations, Inc.
Strategic Simulations, Inc.
Strategic Simulations, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher with over 100 titles to its credit since its founding in 1979. It was especially noted for its numerous wargames, its official computer game adaptations of Dungeons & Dragons, and for the groundbreaking Panzer General...
(SSI), porting 8-bit
8-bit
The first widely adopted 8-bit microprocessor was the Intel 8080, being used in many hobbyist computers of the late 1970s and early 1980s, often running the CP/M operating system. The Zilog Z80 and the Motorola 6800 were also used in similar computers...
titles to 16-bit
16-bit
-16-bit architecture:The HP BPC, introduced in 1975, was the world's first 16-bit microprocessor. Prominent 16-bit processors include the PDP-11, Intel 8086, Intel 80286 and the WDC 65C816. The Intel 8088 was program-compatible with the Intel 8086, and was 16-bit in that its registers were 16...
systems like Commodore Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
and Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
. Proceeds from contract work allowed the company to expand into designing its own games in-house. Their first original title was Mars Saga
Mars Saga
Mars Saga is a computer role-playing game developed by Westwood Associates and published by Electronic Arts. It was released in 1988 for the Commodore 64/Commodore 128, Apple II and DOS.-Plot:...
, a game developed for Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
and released in . They pioneered the genre of Real Time Strategy with the release of BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Revenge
BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Revenge
BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Revenge is a real-time strategy game based in the FASA BattleTech universe. Developed by Westwood Studios for Mediagenic, and produced by Scott Berfield, it is a major milestone in the gaming industry in that the game serves as the prototype for what later became...
, one of the more literal translations of the classic tabletop game BattleTech
BattleTech
BattleTech is a wargaming and science fiction franchise launched by FASA Corporation in 1984, acquired by WizKids in 2000, and owned since 2003 by Topps. The series began with FASA's debut of the board game BattleTech by Jordan Weisman and L...
. One of the company's first great successes was Eye of the Beholder (1990), a real-time role-playing video game
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
based on the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
license, developed for SSI. Other publishers of early Westwood games included Infocom
Infocom
Infocom was a software company, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that produced numerous works of interactive fiction. They also produced one notable business application, a relational database called Cornerstone....
and Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
.
Westwood Studios
Well-known Westwood titles from the early 1990's include Dune II, The Legend of KyrandiaThe Legend of Kyrandia
The Legend of Kyrandia is a fantasy point-and-click adventure game trilogy with comedy elements, created by Westwood Studios, and released for DOS, Amiga, FM Towns and Apple Macintosh...
, and Lands of Lore. Westwood's greatest commercial success however came in with the release of the real-time strategy
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
game Command & Conquer. Building on the gameplay and interface ideas of Dune II, it added pre-rendered 3D graphics for gameplay sprites and video cinematics, an alternative pop/rock soundtrack with techno elements streamed from disk, and modem
Modem
A modem is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded to reproduce the original digital data...
play. Command & Conquer, Kyrandia, and Lands of Lore all spawned multiple sequels.
In August , Westwood was acquired by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
for $122.5 million in cash. At the time, Westwood had 5% to 6% of the PC game market. In response to EA's buyout, many long-time Westwood employees quit and left Westwood Studios. Because of this and EA's newly imposed demands, games being developed by Westwood Studios at the time were rushed and left unfinished upon their release, namely Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun
Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun
Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun is a real-time strategy video game developed by Westwood Studios and released in . The main storyline follows the second major war between the Global Defense Initiative of the United Nations, and the global terrorist organization known as the Brotherhood of Nod who...
. All the subsequent games developed by Westwood were also heavily subjected to increased control by Electronic Arts, with some of them being cancelled
Cancelled Command & Conquer games
Over the years several video games in the Command & Conquer franchise began development, but were eventually cancelled. Command & Conquer: Renegade 2 and Command & Conquer: Continuum were both in development by Westwood Studios before being cancelled due to Electronic Arts' purchase of Westwood...
.
Along with Westwood, EA had also acquired Virgin Interactive
Virgin Interactive
Virgin Interactive was a British video game publisher. It was formed as Virgin Games Ltd. in 1981. The company became much larger after purchasing the budget label, Mastertronic in 1987. It was part of the Virgin Group...
's development studio based in Irvine
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It was managed by Westwood and became known as Westwood Pacific, and later EA Pacific. Westwood Pacific developed or co-developed games like Nox and the Command & Conquer: Red Alert
Command & Conquer: Red Alert
Command & Conquer: Red Alert is a real-time strategy computer game of the Command & Conquer franchise, produced by Westwood Studios and released by Virgin Interactive in...
's sequel Red Alert 2
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 is a 2.5D real-time strategy computer game by Westwood Studios, which was released for Microsoft Windows on October 23, 2000 as the follow-up to Command & Conquer: Red Alert. Set in the early 1970s, Red Alert 2 supposedly picks up at the conclusion of the Allied...
, which takes place in an alternate universe to that of the original title Command & Conquer. One of the last games released by Westwood, Command & Conquer: Renegade
Command & Conquer: Renegade
Command & Conquer: Renegade is a first and third person shooter video game developed by Westwood Studios and is part of the Command & Conquer series. It is the only C&C game that uses the first person view...
(an action game, which mixed elements from first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
s and real-time strategy
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
games) failed to meet consumer expectations and commercial goals Electronic Arts had set for it. In March of , Westwood Studios (along with EA Pacific) was liquidated by EA, and all willing staff were assimilated into EA Los Angeles
EA Los Angeles
EA Los Angeles is a video game developer founded originally in 1995 as DreamWorks Interactive LLC, a subsidiary of DreamWorks SKG....
. Their last video game was the MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
Earth & Beyond
Earth & Beyond
Earth & Beyond was a science fiction massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Westwood Studios and published by Electronic Arts . The game was released on September 24, 2002 in the United States. EA shut down Earth & Beyond on September 22, 2004...
.
At the time of its liquidation, Westwood employed a third of the original Westwood Studios personnel, some of which formed Petroglyph Games in April , along with three of them (Brett Sperry, Adam Isgreen and Rade Stojsavljevic) forming Jet Set Games development studio
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
in , both based in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
.
Selected games developed by Westwood
- BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's InceptionBattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's InceptionBattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Inception is a turn-based adventure/RPG game released in 1988 by Westwood Studios and based on the BattleTech franchise...
(1988) - BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's RevengeBattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's RevengeBattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Revenge is a real-time strategy game based in the FASA BattleTech universe. Developed by Westwood Studios for Mediagenic, and produced by Scott Berfield, it is a major milestone in the gaming industry in that the game serves as the prototype for what later became...
(1990) - Blade Runner (1997, computer gamePersonal computer gameA PC game, also known as a computer game, is a video game played on a personal computer, rather than on a video game console or arcade machine...
film adaptationFilm adaptationFilm adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
) - Circuit's EdgeCircuit's EdgeCircuit's Edge is a computer game developed by Westwood Studios and released by Infocom in 1989. It was based on George Alec Effinger's 1987 novel When Gravity Fails...
(1990, adaptation of George Alec EffingerGeorge Alec EffingerGeorge Alec Effinger was an American science fiction author, born in 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio.-Writing career:...
's novel When Gravity FailsWhen Gravity FailsWhen Gravity Fails is a cyberpunk science fiction novel by George Alec Effinger published in 1986. It was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1987 and the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1988...
) - Command & Conquer series (1995–2002, up to Command & Conquer: Yuri's RevengeCommand & Conquer: Yuri's RevengeIn Command and Conquer: Yuri's Revenge, the true story starts off assuming the Allies won in Red Alert 2. The plot is based around Yuri, the former head of the Soviet Psychic Corps, coming out of hiding to take over the world by using his Psychic Dominators...
and Command & Conquer: RenegadeCommand & Conquer: RenegadeCommand & Conquer: Renegade is a first and third person shooter video game developed by Westwood Studios and is part of the Command & Conquer series. It is the only C&C game that uses the first person view...
) - DragonStrike (1990)
- Dune series (1992, 1998, 2001, based on David LynchDavid LynchDavid Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
's 1984 movie DuneDune (film)Dune is a 1984 science fiction film written and directed by David Lynch, based on the 1965 Frank Herbert novel of the same name. The film stars Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides, and includes an ensemble of well-known American and European actors in supporting roles. It was filmed at the Churubusco...
) - Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal SunDungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal SunDungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun is a console role-playing game developed for the Sega Mega Drive by Westwood Associates in 1992. It is based on the Dungeons & Dragons game rules, and uses the D&D Hollow World campaign setting.-Gameplay:The player controls a party of four player...
(1992) - Earth & BeyondEarth & BeyondEarth & Beyond was a science fiction massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Westwood Studios and published by Electronic Arts . The game was released on September 24, 2002 in the United States. EA shut down Earth & Beyond on September 22, 2004...
(2002) - Eye of the Beholder series (1990, 1991, minus Assault on Myth Drannor)
- Lands of Lore series (1993–1999)
- The Legend of KyrandiaThe Legend of KyrandiaThe Legend of Kyrandia is a fantasy point-and-click adventure game trilogy with comedy elements, created by Westwood Studios, and released for DOS, Amiga, FM Towns and Apple Macintosh...
series (1992, 1993, 1994) - The Lion KingThe Lion King (video game)The Lion King is a video game based on Disney's popular animated film. The title was published by Virgin Interactive in 1994, and was released on SNES, NES, Game Boy, PC, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Amiga, Master System and Game Gear. The NES and Master System versions of the game were never released...
(1994) - MonopolyMonopoly (video game)There have been more than a dozen video game adaptations of Parker Brothers' highly successful board game Monopoly.The first of the adaptations were released in 1985 with the release of Monopoly for the BBC Micro, Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum. Over the years, Monopoly has been released for...
(1995) - Nox (2000)
- Pirates: The Legend of Black KatPirates: The Legend of Black KatPirates: The Legend of Black Kat is an action-adventure video game developed by Westwood Studios and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox...
(2002) - Resident EvilResident Evil (video game)Resident Evil, known as in Japan, is a survival horror video game by Capcom. The first installment in the Resident Evil series, it was originally released in 1996 for the PlayStation and was subsequently ported to the Sega Saturn and PC. In 2002, a remake of the game was released for the Nintendo...
(1996, WindowsMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
port, uncredited) - Young MerlinYoung MerlinYoung Merlin is a video game for the Super Nintendo released in 1994. The game follows a young Merlin as he enlists the help of the Lady of the Lake to help him defeat the evil Shadow King. It was developed by Westwood Studios, and Frank Klepacki composed its score....
(1994)
See also
- Brett SperryBrett Sperry-Career:Sperry co-founded Westwood Studios with Louis Castle in 1985, when both were in their early 20s.Sperry has been credited with the roles of design, production, support and box and content...
- Louis CastleLouis Castle-Career:Castle co-founded Westwood Studios with Brett Sperry in 1985. Castle remained with Westwood when it was bought by Electronic Arts in 1998 and he was a vice president and General Manager of EA's Blueprint Studio...
- Frank KlepackiFrank KlepackiFrank Klepacki is an American musician, video game music composer and sound director best known for his work on the Command & Conquer series. Having learned to play drums as a child, he joined Westwood Studios as a composer when he was only 17 years old...
- Joseph Kucan
- Dune series
- Command & Conquer seriesCommand & ConquerCommand & Conquer, abbreviated to C&C and also known as Tiberian Dawn, is a 1995 real-time strategy computer game developed by Westwood Studios for MS-DOS and published by Virgin Interactive. It was the first of twelve games to date to be released under the Command & Conquer label, including a...
- Petroglyph
External links
- A brief history of Westwood Studios at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...
- Petroglyph's Website
- Jet Set Games' Website