<s>
Balance	B-Application
of	I-Application
Power	I-Application
is	O
a	O
strategy	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
of	O
geopolitics	O
during	O
the	O
Cold	B-Application
War	I-Application
,	O
created	O
by	O
Chris	O
Crawford	O
and	O
published	O
in	O
1985	O
on	O
the	O
Macintosh	B-Device
by	O
Mindscape	O
,	O
followed	O
by	O
ports	O
to	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
platforms	O
over	O
the	O
next	O
two	O
years	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
goal	O
is	O
to	O
improve	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
country	O
's	O
standing	O
in	O
the	O
world	O
relative	O
to	O
the	O
other	O
superpower	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
can	O
choose	O
to	O
respond	O
to	O
these	O
events	O
in	O
various	O
ways	O
,	O
which	O
may	O
prompt	O
a	O
response	O
from	O
the	O
other	O
superpower	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
creates	O
brinkmanship	O
situations	O
between	O
the	O
two	O
nations	O
,	O
potentially	O
escalating	O
to	O
a	O
nuclear	B-Application
war	I-Application
,	O
which	O
ends	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Crawford	O
was	O
already	O
well-known	O
,	O
especially	O
for	O
Eastern	B-Application
Front	I-Application
(	O
1941	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
His	O
1984	O
announcement	O
that	O
he	O
was	O
moving	O
to	O
the	O
Macintosh	B-Device
platform	O
to	O
work	O
on	O
a	O
new	O
concept	O
generated	O
considerable	O
interest	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Balance	B-Application
of	I-Application
Power	I-Application
was	O
successful	O
on	O
the	O
Mac	O
,	O
and	O
combined	O
with	O
ports	O
it	O
ultimately	O
sold	O
over	O
a	O
quarter	O
million	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
may	O
choose	O
to	O
be	O
either	O
the	O
President	O
of	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
or	O
the	O
General	O
Secretary	O
of	O
the	O
Communist	O
Party	O
of	O
the	O
Soviet	O
Union	O
,	O
and	O
must	O
lead	O
the	O
chosen	O
superpower	B-Application
for	O
eight	O
years	O
,	O
seeking	O
to	O
maximize	O
"	O
prestige	O
"	O
and	O
avoiding	O
a	O
nuclear	B-Application
war	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Responses	O
may	O
range	O
from	O
no	O
action	O
to	O
diplomatic	O
notes	O
to	O
the	O
other	O
superpower	B-Application
,	O
to	O
military	O
maneuvers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
core	O
mechanic	O
is	O
similar	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
Bruce	O
Ketchledge	O
's	O
1983	O
game	O
Geopolitique	B-Application
1990	I-Application
,	O
published	O
by	O
SSI	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Balance	B-Application
of	I-Application
Power	I-Application
,	O
such	O
a	O
war	O
ends	O
the	O
game	O
instantly	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
following	O
message	O
:	O
"	O
You	O
have	O
ignited	O
a(n accidental )	O
nuclear	B-Application
war	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
His	O
smash	O
hit	O
Eastern	B-Application
Front	I-Application
(	O
1941	O
)	O
made	O
him	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
few	O
game	O
authors	O
known	O
by	O
name	O
,	O
and	O
helped	O
ensure	O
later	O
releases	O
were	O
also	O
successful	O
to	O
a	O
degree	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
considering	O
a	O
sequel	O
to	O
Eastern	B-Application
Front	I-Application
or	O
a	O
political	O
game	O
about	O
the	O
Inca	B-Application
empire	O
,	O
he	O
eventually	O
decided	O
to	O
write	O
a	O
cold	B-Application
war	I-Application
"	O
game	O
about	O
peace	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Considering	O
the	O
Atari	O
platform	O
a	O
lost	O
cause	O
,	O
Crawford	O
began	O
looking	O
at	O
the	O
new	O
16-bit	B-Device
platforms	O
that	O
were	O
just	O
coming	O
to	O
market	O
;	O
he	O
dismissed	O
the	O
IBM	B-Device
PC	I-Device
as	O
too	O
crude	O
,	O
the	O
Amiga	B-Device
as	O
likely	O
to	O
fail	O
for	O
business	O
reasons	O
,	O
and	O
thus	O
chose	O
the	O
Macintosh	B-Device
as	O
the	O
platform	O
to	O
develop	O
on	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
time	O
this	O
was	O
a	O
non-trivial	O
decision	O
,	O
as	O
there	O
were	O
no	O
development	O
tools	O
;	O
programmers	O
had	O
to	O
buy	O
an	O
Apple	B-Device
Lisa	I-Device
to	O
write	O
code	O
for	O
the	O
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Crawford	O
had	O
difficulty	O
in	O
finding	O
a	O
publisher	O
for	O
Balance	B-Application
of	I-Application
Power	I-Application
,	O
due	O
in	O
no	O
small	O
part	O
to	O
the	O
lingering	O
effects	O
of	O
the	O
1983	O
crash	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
September	O
and	O
was	O
an	O
immediate	O
sensation	O
given	O
that	O
the	O
world	O
was	O
then	O
at	O
the	O
height	O
of	O
the	O
Cold	B-Application
War	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
an	O
immediate	O
hit	O
on	O
the	O
initial	O
Macintosh	B-Device
and	O
Apple	B-Device
II	I-Device
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
release	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
1.0	I-Application
in	O
1986	O
made	O
it	O
a	O
multiplatform	O
best	O
seller	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
were	O
followed	O
by	O
versions	O
on	O
the	O
Atari	B-Device
ST	I-Device
(	O
1987	O
)	O
and	O
Amiga	B-Device
,	O
among	O
others	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1986	O
,	O
Crawford	O
published	O
a	O
book	O
,	O
also	O
called	O
Balance	B-Application
of	I-Application
Power	I-Application
,	O
which	O
details	O
the	O
internals	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
great	O
depth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Around	O
2013	O
,	O
Crawford	O
released	O
source	O
code	O
of	O
several	O
of	O
his	O
games	O
into	O
the	O
public	O
domain	O
,	O
including	O
Balance	B-Application
of	I-Application
Power	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
stated	O
that	O
Balance	B-Application
of	I-Application
Power	I-Application
"	O
stands	O
in	O
a	O
prestigious	O
circle	O
:	O
that	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
innovative	O
computer	O
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
1992	O
survey	O
in	O
the	O
magazine	O
of	O
wargames	O
with	O
modern	O
settings	O
gave	O
the	O
game	O
four	O
stars	O
out	O
of	O
five	O
,	O
a	O
1994	O
survey	O
gave	O
it	O
three	O
stars	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
1996	O
the	O
magazine	O
listed	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
Game	B-Application
Over	I-Application
scene	O
as	O
#11	O
on	O
its	O
list	O
of	O
"	O
the	O
15	O
best	O
ways	O
to	O
die	O
in	O
computer	O
gaming	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dragon	O
recommended	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
called	O
it	O
a	O
"	O
superb	O
game	O
of	O
global	O
strategy	B-Application
that	O
goes	O
beyond	O
other	O
games	O
,	O
wherein	O
thoughtful	O
,	O
calculated	O
geopolitics	O
could	O
prevent	O
a	O
worldwide	O
nuclear	B-Application
war	I-Application
!	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
BYTE	B-Application
praised	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
1986	O
,	O
describing	O
the	O
Mac	O
version	O
as	O
"	O
the	O
best	O
game	O
I	O
had	O
ever	O
seen	O
on	O
any	O
computer	O
...	O
by	O
all	O
means	O
,	O
get	O
the	O
program	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Info	O
gave	O
the	O
Amiga	B-Device
version	O
four-plus	O
stars	O
out	O
of	O
five	O
,	O
approving	O
of	O
the	O
complex	O
gameplay	O
with	O
a	O
good	O
user	O
interface	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
complaining	O
of	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
sound	O
from	O
the	O
"	O
obvious	O
Macintosh	B-Device
influence	O
"	O
,	O
the	O
magazine	O
concluded	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
"	O
An	O
excellent	O
game	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bob	O
Ewald	O
reviewed	O
Balance	B-Application
of	I-Application
Power	I-Application
in	O
Space	O
Gamer/Fantasy	O
Gamer	O
No	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
magazine	O
included	O
Balance	B-Application
of	I-Application
Power	I-Application
in	O
its	O
list	O
of	O
"	O
Our	O
Favorite	O
Games	O
"	O
,	O
calling	O
it	O
"	O
an	O
impressive	O
recreation	O
of	O
the	O
world	O
's	O
geopolitical	O
landscape	O
...	O
call	O
one	O
too	O
many	O
bluffs	O
and	O
you	O
'll	O
see	O
the	O
chilling	O
message	O
You	O
have	O
ignited	O
a	O
nuclear	B-Application
war	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
And	O
if	O
you	O
do	O
n't	O
play	O
that	O
way	O
,	O
why	O
,	O
he	O
'll	O
stop	O
the	O
game	O
with	O
a	O
nasty	O
remark	O
about	O
how	O
the	O
world	O
was	O
just	O
destroyed	O
by	O
nuclear	B-Application
war	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
added	O
that	O
since	O
no	O
nuclear	B-Application
war	I-Application
had	O
been	O
fought	O
Crawford	O
could	O
not	O
know	O
what	O
would	O
cause	O
one	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
there	O
are	O
a	O
lot	O
of	O
experts	O
who	O
claim	O
that	O
the	O
Soviets	O
seem	O
to	O
behave	O
a	O
lot	O
nicer	O
when	O
we	O
stand	O
up	O
to	O
them	O
than	O
when	O
we	O
disarm	O
"	O
,	O
but	O
that	O
"[Crawford]	O
is	O
so	O
sure	O
he	O
's	O
right	O
that	O
Balance	B-Application
of	I-Application
Power	I-Application
is	O
n't	O
a	O
game	O
,	O
it	O
's	O
propaganda	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
still	O
criticizing	O
geopolitical	O
"	O
absurdities	O
"	O
such	O
as	O
forcing	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
to	O
passively	O
accept	O
Soviet	O
troops	O
in	O
Syria	O
(	O
contrary	O
to	O
what	O
happened	O
during	O
the	O
Yom	O
Kippur	O
War	O
)	O
and	O
advisors	O
in	O
Mexico	O
or	O
start	O
nuclear	B-Application
war	I-Application
,	O
Card	O
now	O
concluded	O
that	O
such	O
outcomes	O
probably	O
reflected	O
computer	O
limitations	O
rather	O
than	O
Crawford	O
's	O
political	O
views	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
advised	O
players	O
to	O
pretend	O
that	O
Balance	B-Application
of	I-Application
Power	I-Application
was	O
set	O
on	O
an	O
alien	O
planet	O
"	O
astonishingly	O
similar	O
"	O
to	O
Earth	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
play	O
solely	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
assumptions	O
about	O
the	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Chuck	O
Moss	O
disagreed	O
with	O
Card	O
's	O
revised	O
view	O
,	O
describing	O
Balance	B-Application
of	I-Application
Power	I-Application
in	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
in	O
1992	O
as	O
"reflect[ing]	O
extreme	O
bias	O
on	O
the	O
part	O
of	O
 [ its ] 	O
designers	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
called	O
it	O
a	O
"	O
pacific	O
treatise	O
...	O
nuclear	B-Application
war	I-Application
erupted	O
if	O
the	O
U.S.	O
so	O
much	O
as	O
sent	O
five	O
million	O
dollars	O
to	O
Panama	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
ranked	O
it	O
as	O
the	O
78th	O
best	O
game	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
,	O
calling	O
it	O
"	O
a	O
wonderful	O
game	O
of	O
political	O
intrigue	O
that	O
felt	O
just	O
like	O
the	O
Cold	B-Application
War	I-Application
and	O
did	O
n't	O
require	O
the	O
detail	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
President	I-Application
or	O
CyberJudas.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
and	O
some	O
disagree	O
with	O
the	O
politics	O
,	O
the	O
AI	O
in	O
Balance	B-Application
of	I-Application
Power	I-Application
,	O
combined	O
with	O
its	O
unique	O
play	O
style	O
,	O
make	O
it	O
a	O
classic.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
Balance	B-Application
of	I-Application
Power	I-Application
,	O
Crawford	O
began	O
work	O
on	O
an	O
entirely	O
new	O
game	O
,	O
Trust	B-Operating_System
&	I-Operating_System
Betrayal	I-Operating_System
:	I-Operating_System
The	I-Operating_System
Legacy	I-Operating_System
of	I-Operating_System
Siboot	I-Operating_System
,	O
released	O
in	O
1987	O
and	O
selling	O
only	O
a	O
few	O
thousand	O
copies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mindscape	O
was	O
disappointed	O
,	O
and	O
pressured	O
Crawford	O
to	O
do	O
a	O
follow-up	O
to	O
Balance	B-Application
of	I-Application
Power	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
company	O
pressed	O
him	O
hard	O
on	O
it	O
,	O
and	O
Crawford	O
felt	O
that	O
he	O
"	O
owed	O
them	O
one	O
"	O
after	O
publishing	O
Siboot	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
sequel	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1989	O
as	O
Balance	B-Application
of	I-Application
Power	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
1990	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
on	O
the	O
Apple	B-Device
IIGS	I-Device
,	O
Windows	O
,	O
Macintosh	B-Device
,	O
Amiga	B-Device
and	O
Atari	B-Device
ST	I-Device
.	O
Crawford	O
does	O
not	O
consider	O
it	O
a	O
proper	O
sequel	O
,	O
saying	O
he	O
was	O
simply	O
"	O
tidying	O
up	O
,	O
adding	O
some	O
bells	O
and	O
whistles.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Balance	B-Application
of	I-Application
Power	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
1990	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
adds	O
more	O
countries	O
,	O
advisors	O
,	O
to	O
help	O
the	O
player	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
"	O
multi-polar	O
"	O
level	O
that	O
allows	O
countries	O
to	O
generate	O
events	O
of	O
their	O
own	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
declaring	O
war	O
on	O
other	O
countries	O
)	O
and	O
a	O
2-player	O
hotseat	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
demo	O
,	O
Crawford	O
used	O
Storytron	O
to	O
build	O
Balance	B-Application
of	I-Application
Power	I-Application
:	O
21st	O
Century	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Balance	B-Application
of	I-Application
Power	I-Application
has	O
been	O
the	O
basis	O
for	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
play	O
by	O
mail	O
versions	O
,	O
manually	O
run	O
and	O
based	O
on	O
moves	O
posted	O
in	O
internet	B-Application
forum	I-Application
systems	O
.	O
</s>
