StarCraft (1998)
Year First Appeared
1998
Creator
Chris Metzen, James Phinney
StarCraft (1998) is a real-time strategy game by Blizzard Entertainment set in the 25th‑century Koprulu Sector. It features three asymmetric factions, the Terrans, Zerg, and Protoss, battling across story‑driven campaigns and multiplayer matches.
Importance in Internet Culture
By integrating Battle.net directly into the client, StarCraft helped normalize built‑in online matchmaking, persistent identities, and ranked ladders for PC games in the late 1990s. Its Korean pro scene, backed by dedicated TV channels, sponsors, and governing bodies, made competitive gaming a mainstream, network‑ed spectacle.
Interesting Fact
At E3 1996, an early StarCraft build was derided as “Warcraft in space” (or “Orcs in space”), prompting Blizzard to reboot development and refocus on three radically distinct races, a pivot documented by Blizzard veteran Patrick Wyatt.