<s>
Die	B-Application
by	I-Application
the	I-Application
Sword	I-Application
is	O
a	O
swordfighting	O
action-adventure	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Treyarch	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Tantrum	O
Entertainment	O
(	O
a	O
sub-brand	O
of	O
Interplay	O
Productions	O
)	O
on	O
March	O
27	O
,	O
1998	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Die	B-Application
by	I-Application
the	I-Application
Sword	I-Application
also	O
offered	O
deathmatch	O
and	O
cooperative	O
multiplayer	O
play	O
in	O
its	O
arena	O
mode	O
,	O
where	O
players	O
could	O
stage	O
fights	O
with	O
up	O
to	O
three	O
other	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
expansion	O
pack	O
Limb	O
from	O
Limb	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
December	O
31	O
,	O
1998	O
,	O
and	O
added	O
another	O
main	O
quest	O
for	O
the	O
single-player	O
campaign	O
,	O
enhanced	O
multiplayer	O
through	O
a	O
selection	O
of	O
significantly	O
more	O
creative	O
arenas	O
,	O
and	O
introduced	O
new	O
playable	O
characters	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Minotaur	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
spiritual	O
successor	O
to	O
Die	B-Application
by	I-Application
the	I-Application
Sword	I-Application
was	O
released	O
in	O
2000	O
exclusively	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
,	O
entitled	O
Draconus	B-Application
:	I-Application
Cult	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Wyrm	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
sword	O
arm	O
can	O
be	O
controlled	O
by	O
using	O
a	O
joystick	B-Device
,	O
the	O
numeric	B-Device
keypad	I-Device
,	O
or	O
a	O
mouse	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
keyboard	B-Device
,	O
to	O
perform	O
a	O
slashing	O
attack	O
with	O
the	O
default	O
key	O
combination	O
,	O
a	O
player	O
would	O
press	O
the	O
'	O
4	O
 '	O
and	O
'	O
6	O
 '	O
keys	O
on	O
the	O
numeric	B-Device
keypad	I-Device
in	O
succession	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alternatively	O
,	O
a	O
player	O
may	O
opt	O
to	O
directly	O
control	O
his	O
sword	O
arm	O
with	O
mouse	B-Device
movements	O
or	O
a	O
joystick	B-Device
to	O
gain	O
more	O
subtle	O
control	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
third	O
and	O
simpler	O
method	O
to	O
using	O
the	O
mouse	B-Device
or	O
keypad	O
(	O
as	O
the	O
mouse	B-Device
control	O
can	O
be	O
awkward	O
,	O
and	O
some	O
laptops	B-Device
do	O
n't	O
have	O
keypads	O
)	O
is	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
"	O
arcade	O
mode	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
uses	O
the	O
Y	O
,	O
U	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
keys	O
to	O
block	O
low	O
,	O
medium	O
,	O
and	O
high	O
,	O
respectively	O
,	O
and	O
H	O
,	O
J	O
,	O
and	O
K	O
keys	O
to	O
chop	O
,	O
slash	O
medium	O
,	O
and	O
slash	O
high	O
,	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Arena	O
mode	O
in	O
Die	B-Application
by	I-Application
the	I-Application
Sword	I-Application
consists	O
of	O
as	O
many	O
as	O
four	O
players	O
or	O
AI	B-Application
bots	O
fighting	O
in	O
an	O
enclosed	O
arena	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Project	O
lead	O
Peter	O
Akemann	O
cited	O
The	B-Device
Bilestoad	I-Device
as	O
a	O
major	O
inspiration	O
for	O
Die	B-Application
by	I-Application
the	I-Application
Sword	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instead	O
of	O
motion	B-Application
capture	I-Application
,	O
the	O
dominant	O
animation	O
technique	O
of	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
Die	O
by	O
the	O
Swords	O
animations	O
were	O
built	O
with	O
a	O
physics	O
engine	O
that	O
Akemann	O
created	O
over	O
five	O
years	O
of	O
post-graduate	O
and	O
doctoral	O
work	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Die	B-Application
by	I-Application
the	I-Application
Sword	I-Application
was	O
a	O
commercial	O
failure	O
,	O
with	O
sales	O
of	O
28,603	O
copies	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
by	O
April	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
