Westwood Studios
History
Westwood Studios was an American video game developer, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was founded by Brett Sperry and Louis Castle in 1985 as Westwood Associates and was renamed Westwood Studios when it merged with Virgin Games in 1992. The company was bought by EA in 1998, and was eventually closed in 2003.
Westwood is best known for developing real-time strategy, adventure, and role-playing genres in the video game industry. It was listed in Guinness Book of World Records for selling more than 10 million copies of Command & Conquer worldwide.
Founding and early years (1985-1992)
Westwood Studios was founded by video game developers Brett Sperry and Louis Castle in 1985. The company was initially called Westwood Associates, and its first office was located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The studio's early years were marked by a focus on creating games for various platforms, including the Amiga, Apple II, and Commodore 64.
The company's first major success came with the release of Eye of the Beholder, a role-playing game published by SSI in 1991. This game established Westwood as a leading developer of role-playing games and set the stage for future successes.
Merger with Virgin Games and creation of Command & Conquer (1992-1998)
In 1992, Westwood merged with Virgin Games to form Westwood Studios. This merger allowed Westwood to expand its resources and reach a larger audience. During this period, Westwood developed some of its most successful and influential games, including the Command & Conquer series.
Command & Conquer, released in 1995, was a real-time strategy game that became a major hit. The game's success led to the creation of several sequels and spin-offs, establishing Command & Conquer as one of the most popular video game franchises of the 1990s.
Acquisition by Electronic Arts and closure (1998-2003)
In 1998, Westwood Studios was acquired by Electronic Arts, a major video game publisher. Following the acquisition, Westwood continued to produce games under the EA umbrella, including several new entries in the Command & Conquer series.
However, in 2003, EA announced that it would be closing Westwood Studios. The closure was met with disappointment from fans of Westwood's games, and many former Westwood employees went on to form new game development studios, such as Petroglyph Games and Trion Worlds.
Legacy
Despite its closure, Westwood Studios has left a lasting impact on the video game industry. The studio's innovative approach to game design, particularly in the realm of real-time strategy games, has influenced countless other developers. Additionally, many of Westwood's games, particularly the Command & Conquer series, continue to be played and celebrated by gamers around the world.