Line #45 Creator/WestwoodStudios


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/westwood.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:Finally, a studio that makes Westworld games...oh wait.]]
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4	Westwood Studios was an American video game developer based in Las Vegas. It was founded by Brett Sperry and Louis Castle in 1985 as Westwood Associates and was renamed Westwood Studios when it merged with Creator/VirginInteractive in 1992.
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6	After some years working successfully for other companies, Westwood expanded into designing its own games in-house, mainly role-playing, strategy and adventure games. In 1992, Westwood created the TropeCodifier for RealTimeStrategy with ''Videogame/DuneII''. The greatest hit and commercial success came in 1995 with the release of ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'', which set sales records and spawned a successful saga. It was followed by Monopoly CD-ROM, which was the first commercial game with Internet support and by the awarded ''VideoGame/{{Blade Runner\|1997}}'', a very expansive adaptation of the [[Film/BladeRunner film]].
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8	Westwood had around 6% of the PC game market in August 1998 when it was acquired by Creator/ElectronicArts for $122.5 million in cash. In response to EA's buyout, many long-time Westwood employees quit and left Westwood Studios. Because of this and the subsequent EA's heavy ExecutiveMeddling, games being developed by Westwood Studios at the time were rushed and left unfinished upon their release, namely ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSun''. All succeeding games developed by Westwood were also heavily subjected to increased control by Electronic Arts, with some of them being cancelled.
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10	Once an [[DuelingProducts equal rival]] of Creator/BlizzardEntertainment, Westwood was liquidated by EA after ''Videogame/CommandAndConquerRenegade'' failed to meet sales expectations, with all willing staff being assimilated into Creator/EALosAngeles. The last former Westwood employee quit working for Electronic Arts after the release of ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerGenerals'' in 2003. Some of them formed Petroglyph Games in April 2003, and Jet Set Games development studio in 2008, also based in Las Vegas.
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12	----
13	!! Games developed by Westwood Studios:
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15	* ''Mars Saga'' (1988)
16	* [[/index]]''TabletopGame/BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Inception'' (1988)[[index]]
17	** ''[=BattleTech=]: The Crescent Hawk's Revenge'' (1990)
18	* [[/index]]''Mines of Titan'' (1989), a {{remake}} of ''Mars Saga''[[index]]
19	* ''Circuit's Edge'' (1990), an adaptation of ''[[Literature/MaridAudran When Gravity Fails]]''.
20	* ''VideoGame/DragonStrike'' (1990)
21	* ''VideoGame/DungeonsAndDragonsWarriorsOfTheEternalSun'' (1992)
22	* ''VideoGame/EyeOfTheBeholder'' series (1990–1991)
23	* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfKyrandia'' series (1992–1994)
24	* [[/index]]''Dune'' series (1992–2001), based on the [[Film/Dune1984 1984 film]][[index]].
25	** ''Videogame/DuneII'' (1992) and its 1998 pseudo-remake ''Dune 2000''
26	** ''Videogame/EmperorBattleForDune'' (2001)
27	* ''VideoGame/LandsOfLore'' series (1993–1999)
28	* ''Videogame/TheLionKing'' (1994)
29	* ''Videogame/YoungMerlin'' (1994)
30	* Videogame/CommandAndConquer series (1995–2002)
31	** ''Videogame/CommandAndConquerTiberianDawn'' (1995)
32	** ''Videogame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert'' (1996)
33	** ''Videogame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSun'' (1999)
34	** ''Videogame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert2'' (2000)
35	** ''Videogame/CommandAndConquerRenegade'' (2002)
36	* ''TabletopGame/{{Monopoly}}'' (1995)
37	* ''VideoGame/BladeRunner1997'', a video game based on the [[Film/BladeRunner 1982 film]].
38	* ''Videogame/{{Nox}}'' (2000)
39	* ''VideoGame/PiratesTheLegendOfBlackKat'' (2002)
40	* ''VideoGame/EarthAndBeyond'' (2002)
41	[[/index]]
42
43	!! Associated tropes:
44	* {{Cutscene}}: A renowned use of this and a pioneer in the usage of the CD-ROM's possibilities. The videos were often produced and DirectedByCastMember Creator/JosephDKucan (Kane's actor).
45	* DuelingGames: The ''Command and Conquer'' series had a friendly rivalry with ''Warcraft'' and ''Starcraft''. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TknF4UODXCc I'm a Medieval Man]], a SongParody of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-nNchLkej0 Target]], was a product of it.
46	* ExecutiveMeddling: The programmers and games suffered from it after EA's buyout. The pulling of the plug came with the modest reception of ''C&C Renegade'', a CreatorKiller.
47	%%* FullMotionVideo: A company staple.
48	%%* GenrePopularizer: Of the RealTimeStrategy genre.
49	%%* GenreShift: ''C&C Renegade'', a FirstPersonShooter spin-off from the RTS saga. Disaster ensued.
50	%%* RecycledINSPACE
51	%%** ''Command & Conquer'' is ''Dune II'' '''not''' In Space!
52	%%** ''Red Alert'' is ''C&C'' [-versus STALIN!-]
53	%%* SpiritualSuccessor:
54	%%** The aforementioned studios Petroglyph Games and Jet Set Games.
55	%%** The ''C&C'' saga is this to ''Dune II''
56	%%* TropeCodifier: ''Dune II'' codified many of today's RTS gameplay conventions.
57	* VideoGame3DLeap: ''Emperor Battle for Dune'' in 2001. Its MediaNotes/GameEngine, Westwood 3D (aka SAGE) was evolved after Westwood's demise and used in subsequent C&C games and in ''LOTR: Videogame/TheBattleForMiddleEarth''.
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Context Creator / WestwoodStudios