In March 1996, Blizzard acquired Blizzard North, a concentrated team of developers specializing in high-quality entertainment products for computer and home console systems. Located in San Mateo, Calif., Blizzard North strives to push gaming technology to the next level. The Blizzard research and development group is comprised of more than 150 designers, producers, programmers, artists, and sound engineers. Each member of the Blizzard staff is a true game enthusiast, which provides the company invaluable insight to creating products for the gaming industry.
Most recently, the company released Warcraft® III: Reign of Chaos™, the highly anticipated sequel to the company's number-one selling Warcraft series. Selling over a million copies in its first week of release, Warcraft III has been called "the fastest selling PC game ever"* and has won several accolades since the game shipped to retail outlets in July of 2002.
The original Warcraft®: Orcs and Humans™ was touted as one of the best strategy games of 1994; and the game's epic sequel, Warcraft® II: Tides of Darkness™, has won many accolades including Game of the Year and Best Multiplayer Game. Increasing the depth of the Warcraft universe, World of Warcraft® is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game set in the familiar lands of Azeroth. The game is currently in development and the beta is currently slated to begin later in 2003.
In 2001, Blizzard released Diablo® II: Lord of Destruction™, the expansion set for 2000's record-setting bestseller Diablo II. Selling over a million copies in its first month of release, Lord of Destruction has been called "the definitive add-on,"* and was one of the biggest sellers of 2001. The original Diablo®, which released in January 1997, debuted at number one in the United States and was named Game of the Year.
StarCraft®, which released in March 1998, was the company's third number-one selling game and was named the best-selling game of 1998 by PC Data. The game's expansion set, StarCraft®: Brood War™ was widely acclaimed and was named best expansion of 1998. T he recent announcement of StarCraft: Ghost™ further expands the StarCraft storyline, and takes Blizzard back to its console roots. The game offers an in-depth perspective on familiar planets and former battlefields from the legendary universe. Also, as the story unravels, players find themselves traversing uncharted terrain and battling adversaries never before seen by followers of the series. Currently under development for the Xbox, Gamecube and Playstation 2, StarCraft: Ghost is currently slated for release later in 2003.
Prior to the release of Warcraft, Blizzard served as a third-party developer creating entertainment software for a variety of platforms including DOS, Macintosh, Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo. Some of the company's best-known titles include Rock 'n Roll Racing, The Lost Vikings, Blackthorne, and The Death and Return of Superman.
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