<s>
Decisive	B-Application
Battles	I-Application
of	I-Application
WWII	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Ardennes	I-Application
Offensive	I-Application
is	O
a	O
1997	O
computer	B-Application
wargame	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
Strategic	O
Studies	O
Group	O
(	O
SSG	O
)	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Strategic	O
Simulations	O
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Ardennes	B-Application
Offensive	I-Application
failed	O
commercially	O
,	O
but	O
was	O
critically	O
acclaimed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
became	O
the	O
first	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
Decisive	O
Battles	O
of	O
WWII	O
series	O
,	O
spawning	O
the	O
sequels	O
Decisive	B-Application
Battles	I-Application
of	I-Application
WWII	I-Application
:	I-Application
Korsun	I-Application
Pocket	I-Application
(	O
2003	O
)	O
and	O
Battles	B-Application
in	I-Application
Normandy	I-Application
(	O
2004	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Ardennes	B-Application
Offensive	I-Application
is	O
a	O
computer	B-Application
wargame	I-Application
that	O
recreates	O
the	O
Battle	B-Device
of	I-Device
the	I-Device
Bulge	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Ardennes	B-Application
Offensive	I-Application
was	O
initially	O
developed	O
under	O
the	O
name	O
The	O
Last	O
Blitzkrieg	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
title	O
was	O
changed	O
during	O
development	O
for	O
copyright	O
reasons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
1996	O
,	O
Computer	O
Games	O
Strategy	O
Plus	O
described	O
The	O
Last	O
Blitzkrieg	O
as	O
"	O
long	O
awaited	O
"	O
;	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
experienced	O
an	O
extended	O
development	O
period	O
by	O
that	O
time	O
,	O
which	O
the	O
team	O
attributed	O
to	O
its	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
code	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Last	O
Blitzkrieg	O
was	O
officially	O
announced	O
as	O
The	O
Ardennes	B-Application
Offensive	I-Application
in	O
March	O
1997	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
start	O
of	O
a	O
new	O
deal	O
between	O
developer	O
Strategic	O
Studies	O
Group	O
(	O
SSG	O
)	O
and	O
publisher	O
Strategic	O
Simulations	O
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Ardennes	B-Application
Offensive	I-Application
was	O
released	O
on	O
June	O
9	O
,	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Ardennes	B-Application
Offensive	I-Application
was	O
commercially	O
unsuccessful	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Robert	O
Mayer	O
of	O
Computer	O
Games	O
Strategy	O
Plus	O
wrote	O
in	O
1999	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
received	O
acclaim	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
"	O
regarded	O
by	O
hardcore	O
wargamers	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
finest	O
operational	O
level	O
computer	B-Application
wargames	I-Application
ever	O
made	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
portrayal	O
of	O
the	O
Battle	B-Device
of	I-Device
the	I-Device
Bulge	I-Device
was	O
praised	O
by	O
critics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Ardennes	B-Application
Offensive	I-Application
was	O
initially	O
planned	O
as	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
a	O
new	O
Decisive	O
Battles	O
of	O
WWII	O
series	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
set	O
to	O
be	O
followed	O
by	O
a	O
game	O
about	O
the	O
Korsun	O
Pocket	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Plans	O
for	O
a	O
Korsun	O
Pocket	O
title	O
had	O
existed	O
as	O
early	O
as	O
1996	O
,	O
when	O
The	O
Ardennes	B-Application
Offensive	I-Application
was	O
known	O
as	O
The	O
Last	O
Blitzkrieg	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
poor	O
sales	O
of	O
The	O
Ardennes	B-Application
Offensive	I-Application
led	O
Strategic	O
Simulations	O
to	O
abandon	O
plans	O
to	O
publish	O
the	O
sequel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
Strategic	O
Studies	O
Group	O
(	O
SSG	O
)	O
chose	O
to	O
recycle	O
the	O
work	O
it	O
had	O
done	O
on	O
the	O
sequel	O
in	O
an	O
updated	O
re-release	O
of	O
The	O
Ardennes	B-Application
Offensive	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
launched	O
online	O
as	O
freeware	B-License
in	O
December	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Wargamer	O
,	O
The	O
Ardennes	B-Application
Offensive	I-Application
"	O
gained	O
a	O
rabid	O
following	O
"	O
in	O
the	O
years	O
following	O
its	O
release	O
as	O
freeware	B-License
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
wargame	B-Application
genre	O
was	O
transitioning	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
to	O
a	O
digital	O
distribution	O
model	O
,	O
which	O
created	O
an	O
opening	O
for	O
Korsun	O
Pocket	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
revealed	O
under	O
the	O
name	O
Decisive	B-Application
Battles	I-Application
of	I-Application
WWII	I-Application
:	I-Application
Korsun	I-Application
Pocket	I-Application
in	O
May	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
followed	O
by	O
Battles	B-Application
in	I-Application
Normandy	I-Application
.	O
</s>
