<s>
Far	B-Application
Gate	I-Application
is	O
a	O
video	O
game	O
released	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Super	B-Application
X	I-Application
Studios	I-Application
(	O
formerly	O
Thrushwave	O
Technology	O
)	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Microïds	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Under	O
the	O
title	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Rift	I-Application
,	O
an	O
early	O
version	O
of	O
Far	B-Application
Gate	I-Application
was	O
the	O
winner	O
of	O
the	O
Audience	O
Choice	O
Award	O
at	O
the	O
2000	O
Independent	O
Games	O
Festival	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Far	B-Application
Gate	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
in	O
the	O
year	O
2104	O
AD	O
where	O
Earth	O
has	O
been	O
left	O
an	O
apocalyptic	O
ruin	O
following	O
a	O
devastating	O
World	O
War	O
III	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
many	O
other	O
real	O
time	O
strategy	O
games	O
,	O
Far	B-Application
Gate	I-Application
does	O
not	O
make	O
use	O
of	O
a	O
technology	O
tree	O
to	O
determine	O
which	O
units	O
a	O
player	O
may	O
build	O
,	O
but	O
instead	O
makes	O
new	O
units	O
available	O
based	O
on	O
which	O
mission	O
of	O
the	O
storyline	O
the	O
player	O
has	O
reached	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
can	O
also	O
be	O
played	O
in	O
a	O
competitive	O
multiplayer	O
mode	O
over	O
the	O
internet	O
,	O
supporting	O
2-4	O
players	O
,	O
with	O
matchmaking	O
provided	O
by	O
the	O
GameSpy	O
and	O
Mplayer	B-Application
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
campaign	O
editor	O
was	O
included	O
in	O
Far	B-Application
Gate	I-Application
,	O
allowing	O
players	O
to	O
create	O
and	O
script	O
their	O
own	O
missions	O
and	O
campaigns	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Far	B-Application
Gate	I-Application
began	O
life	O
in	O
1999	O
under	O
the	O
title	O
The	B-Application
Rift	I-Application
,	O
developed	O
by	O
a	O
four-man	O
team	O
at	O
Thrushwave	O
Technology	O
headed	O
by	O
James	O
Thrush	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Rift	I-Application
was	O
notable	O
for	O
its	O
large	O
space-based	O
battlefields	O
,	O
where	O
solar	O
systems	O
remained	O
in	O
motion	O
as	O
battles	O
progressed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Rift	I-Application
won	O
the	O
Audience	O
Choice	O
Award	O
at	O
the	O
2000	O
Independent	O
Games	O
Festival	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Subsequently	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
renamed	O
Far	B-Application
Gate	I-Application
and	O
developed	O
for	O
full	O
retail	O
release	O
with	O
Microids	O
attached	O
as	O
a	O
publisher	O
(	O
Microids	O
having	O
been	O
attracted	O
to	O
the	O
project	O
by	O
its	O
IGF	O
success	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
September	O
2000	O
Thrushwave	O
Technology	O
changed	O
its	O
name	O
to	O
Super	B-Application
X	I-Application
Studios	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Super	B-Application
X	I-Application
Studios	I-Application
developed	O
an	O
entirely	O
new	O
game	O
engine	O
for	O
Far	B-Application
Gate	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
Far	B-Application
Gate	I-Application
was	O
released	O
,	O
this	O
engine	O
code	O
was	O
refined	O
and	O
rebranded	O
as	O
the	O
Super	O
X	O
Engine	O
,	O
and	O
used	O
in	O
other	O
games	O
by	O
Super	B-Application
X	I-Application
Studios	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
retail	O
version	O
of	O
Far	B-Application
Gate	I-Application
was	O
scheduled	O
for	O
release	O
for	O
PC	O
on	O
September	O
11	O
,	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
free	O
playable	O
demo	O
was	O
also	O
made	O
available	O
for	O
download	O
from	O
the	O
site	O
of	O
developer	O
Super	B-Application
X	I-Application
Studios	I-Application
,	O
which	O
featured	O
two	O
single	O
player	O
missions	O
and	O
a	O
self-running	O
demo	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Early	O
builds	O
of	O
Far	B-Application
Gate	I-Application
met	O
with	O
general	O
excitement	O
and	O
anticipation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
pre-release	O
version	O
of	O
Far	B-Application
Gate	I-Application
(	O
then	O
titled	O
The	B-Application
Rift	I-Application
)	O
won	O
the	O
Audience	O
Choice	O
Award	O
at	O
the	O
2000	O
Independent	O
Games	O
Festival	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
final	O
release	O
version	O
of	O
Far	B-Application
Gate	I-Application
received	O
mixed	O
reviews	O
by	O
critics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
fully	O
three-dimensional	O
real	O
time	O
strategy	O
games	O
,	O
Far	B-Application
Gate	I-Application
was	O
often	O
compared	O
to	O
its	O
contemporary	O
,	O
Homeworld	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
development	O
there	O
was	O
some	O
speculation	O
that	O
Far	B-Application
Gate	I-Application
(	O
then	O
The	B-Application
Rift	I-Application
)	O
would	O
beat	O
Homeworld	B-Application
to	O
retail	O
and	O
thereby	O
be	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
of	O
its	O
kind	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
Homeworld	B-Application
ended	O
up	O
being	O
released	O
a	O
full	O
two	O
years	O
ahead	O
of	O
Far	B-Application
Gate	I-Application
,	O
on	O
September	O
28	O
,	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
end	O
many	O
critics	O
felt	O
that	O
Far	B-Application
Gate	I-Application
compared	O
poorly	O
to	O
Homeworld	B-Application
and	O
did	O
not	O
live	O
up	O
to	O
the	O
standard	O
that	O
Homeworld	B-Application
had	O
established	O
for	O
the	O
new	O
subgenre	O
of	O
3D	O
space-based	O
real	O
time	O
strategy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gaming	O
news	O
site	O
IGN	O
described	O
Far	B-Application
Gate	I-Application
 '	O
as	O
"	O
a	O
kind	O
of	O
wanna-be	O
Homeworld	B-Application
"	O
and	O
"	O
Homeworld	B-Application
Light	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
