<s>
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
:	I-Application
Lord	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Clans	I-Application
is	O
a	O
cancelled	O
graphic	O
adventure	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Blizzard	O
Entertainment	O
and	O
Animation	O
Magic	O
from	O
1996	O
until	O
1998	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Set	O
in	O
the	O
Warcraft	B-Application
universe	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Warcraft	B-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Beyond	I-Application
the	I-Application
Dark	I-Application
Portal	I-Application
,	O
it	O
followed	O
the	O
orc	B-Language
character	O
Thrall	O
in	O
his	O
quest	O
to	O
reunite	O
his	O
race	O
,	O
then	O
living	O
on	O
reservations	O
and	O
in	O
slavery	O
following	O
its	O
defeat	O
by	O
the	O
human	O
Alliance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Assuming	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
Thrall	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
would	O
have	O
used	O
a	O
point-and-click	O
interface	O
to	O
explore	O
the	O
world	O
,	O
solve	O
puzzles	O
and	O
interact	O
with	O
characters	O
from	O
the	O
wider	O
Warcraft	B-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
was	O
conceived	O
in	O
late	O
1996	O
,	O
when	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
sister	O
company	O
Capitol	O
Multimedia	O
suggested	O
that	O
the	O
Warcraft	B-Application
license	O
might	O
be	O
suited	O
to	O
an	O
adventure	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
opted	O
for	O
a	O
conservative	O
design	O
approach	O
on	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
,	O
influenced	O
by	O
LucasArts	B-Application
adventure	I-Application
games	I-Application
such	O
as	O
The	B-Application
Dig	I-Application
and	O
Full	B-Application
Throttle	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unhappy	O
with	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
progress	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
delayed	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
past	O
its	O
original	O
release	O
date	O
of	O
late	O
1997	O
and	O
hired	O
game	O
designer	O
Steve	O
Meretzky	O
to	O
revise	O
the	O
project	O
in	O
February	O
1998	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
resulted	O
in	O
a	O
plan	O
to	O
edit	O
and	O
improve	O
the	O
game	O
with	O
minimal	O
changes	O
to	O
its	O
art	O
:	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
was	O
already	O
near	O
completion	O
,	O
and	O
deadline	O
and	O
budget	O
restrictions	O
prevented	O
a	O
major	O
redesign	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
received	O
significant	O
pre-release	O
attention	O
from	O
the	O
gaming	O
public	O
and	O
press	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
decision	O
to	O
cancel	O
it	O
was	O
met	O
with	O
fan	O
backlash	O
and	O
critical	O
disappointment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
cancellation	O
,	O
its	O
story	O
was	O
adapted	O
into	O
the	O
novel	O
Warcraft	B-Application
:	O
Lord	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Clans	I-Application
(	O
2001	O
)	O
by	O
Christie	O
Golden	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
the	O
basis	O
for	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
game	O
Warcraft	B-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
Reign	I-Application
of	I-Application
Chaos	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Elements	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
later	O
influenced	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
and	O
the	O
2016	O
film	O
Warcraft	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
2010s	O
,	O
leaked	O
gameplay	O
videos	O
of	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
were	O
posted	O
on	O
the	O
Internet	O
by	O
Russian	O
fans	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
:	I-Application
Lord	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Clans	I-Application
was	O
a	O
graphic	O
adventure	O
game	O
with	O
a	O
point-and-click	O
interface	O
,	O
which	O
the	O
player	O
would	O
have	O
used	O
to	O
navigate	O
the	O
world	O
,	O
collect	O
items	O
,	O
solve	O
puzzles	O
and	O
interact	O
with	O
non-player	O
characters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
Warcraft	B-Application
universe	O
two	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Warcraft	B-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Beyond	I-Application
the	I-Application
Dark	I-Application
Portal	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
that	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
human	O
Alliance	O
defeats	O
the	O
orc	B-Language
Horde	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
then	O
split	O
between	O
Azeroth	O
—	O
the	O
human	O
plane	O
—	O
and	O
the	O
orc	B-Language
homeworld	O
of	O
Draenor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
,	O
the	O
defeated	O
orcs	B-Language
left	O
on	O
Azeroth	O
were	O
confined	O
to	O
reservations	O
and	O
reduced	O
to	O
slavery	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
assumed	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
Thrall	O
,	O
an	O
orc	B-Language
raised	O
from	O
infancy	O
as	O
a	O
slave	O
by	O
the	O
human	O
Lieutenant	O
Blackmoore	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
found	O
Thrall	O
on	O
a	O
battleground	O
during	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Warcraft	B-Application
:	I-Application
Orcs	I-Application
&	I-Application
Humans	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blackmoore	O
kept	O
Thrall	O
from	O
encountering	O
other	O
orcs	B-Language
throughout	O
his	O
early	O
life	O
,	O
and	O
sought	O
to	O
raise	O
him	O
as	O
a	O
pawn	O
to	O
rally	O
the	O
orcs	B-Language
as	O
his	O
personal	O
military	O
and	O
conquer	O
Azeroth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
response	O
to	O
Thrall	O
's	O
failure	O
to	O
execute	O
another	O
orc	B-Language
,	O
Blackmoore	O
would	O
have	O
sent	O
him	O
to	O
a	O
dungeon	O
cell	O
,	O
wherein	O
the	O
game	O
began	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
subsequently	O
explored	O
the	O
wartorn	O
Azeroth	O
to	O
learn	O
about	O
the	O
orcs	B-Language
 '	O
plight	O
and	O
history	O
,	O
which	O
would	O
have	O
led	O
to	O
the	O
discovery	O
that	O
Thrall	O
's	O
race	O
had	O
abandoned	O
its	O
traditional	O
shamanism	O
and	O
way	O
of	O
life	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
black	B-Application
magic	I-Application
and	O
demonic	O
power	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
shift	O
had	O
caused	O
the	O
orcs	B-Language
 '	O
evil	O
actions	O
in	O
Warcraft	B-Application
:	I-Application
Orcs	I-Application
&	I-Application
Humans	I-Application
and	O
Warcraft	B-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Tides	I-Application
of	I-Application
Darkness	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thrall	O
was	O
eventually	O
to	O
be	O
revealed	O
as	O
the	O
son	O
of	O
Durotan	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
led	O
the	O
orcs	B-Language
 '	O
Frost	O
Wolf	O
Clan	O
until	O
his	O
murder	O
by	O
the	O
orcs	B-Language
Rend	O
and	O
Maim	O
Blackhand	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
second	O
half	O
of	O
1996	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
Entertainment	O
's	O
Allen	O
Adham	O
stated	O
that	O
his	O
company	O
was	O
"	O
looking	O
into	O
the	O
possibilities	O
of	O
doing	O
more	O
with	O
the	O
orcs	B-Language
and	O
humans	O
,	O
which	O
includes	O
non-game	O
types	O
of	O
enterprises	O
,	O
but	O
there	O
's	O
nothing	O
in	O
the	O
works	O
at	O
the	O
moment.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
:	I-Application
Lord	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Clans	I-Application
was	O
ultimately	O
conceived	O
at	O
Blizzard	O
late	O
that	O
year	O
,	O
around	O
"	O
four	O
or	O
five	O
months	O
"	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Warcraft	B-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Beyond	I-Application
the	I-Application
Dark	I-Application
Portal	I-Application
in	O
May	O
1996	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
producer	O
Bill	O
Roper	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
's	O
inspiration	O
for	O
the	O
project	O
was	O
a	O
proposal	O
by	O
Capitol	O
Multimedia	O
,	O
a	O
subsidiary	O
of	O
Blizzard	O
parent	O
Davidson	O
&	O
Associates	O
,	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
Warcraft	B-Application
license	O
for	O
a	O
graphic	O
adventure	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
studio	O
had	O
previously	O
produced	O
titles	O
including	O
the	O
Magic	B-Application
Tales	I-Application
series	O
for	O
Davidson	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
Legend	O
of	O
Zelda	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
CD-i	O
game	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
Roper	O
compared	O
Capitol	O
's	O
pitch	O
to	O
seeing	O
Condor	O
's	O
original	O
proposal	O
for	O
Diablo	B-Application
,	O
and	O
called	O
it	O
a	O
"	O
very	O
natural	O
course	O
"	O
for	O
Blizzard	O
and	O
"	O
a	O
perfect	O
fit	O
for	O
who	O
we	O
are.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Chris	O
Metzen	O
,	O
writer	O
of	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
,	O
said	O
that	O
Blizzard	O
was	O
also	O
growing	O
tired	O
of	O
the	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
genre	O
during	O
that	O
period	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
concept	O
appealed	O
to	O
the	O
team	O
in	O
part	O
because	O
it	O
allowed	O
greater	O
room	O
than	O
a	O
strategy	O
title	O
to	O
explore	O
Warcrafts	O
setting	O
,	O
much	O
of	O
which	O
was	O
contained	O
in	O
an	O
internal	O
series	O
bible	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
intended	O
to	O
create	O
the	O
story	O
foundation	O
upon	O
which	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
next	O
strategy	O
entry	O
,	O
Warcraft	B-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
would	O
build	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
envisioned	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
as	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
a	O
possible	O
series	O
of	O
story-based	O
Warcraft	B-Application
spin-offs	O
in	O
the	O
adventure	O
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
opted	O
for	O
a	O
purposely	O
conservative	O
approach	O
to	O
the	O
design	O
of	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
's	O
primary	O
reference	O
points	O
were	O
LucasArts	B-Application
adventure	I-Application
games	I-Application
,	O
particularly	O
the	O
1995	O
titles	O
The	B-Application
Dig	I-Application
and	O
Full	B-Application
Throttle	I-Application
,	O
although	O
without	O
the	O
latter	O
's	O
use	O
of	O
arcade-action	O
sequences	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2009	O
,	O
IGN	O
's	O
Travis	O
Fahs	O
summarized	O
that	O
the	O
team	O
designed	O
the	O
game	O
"	O
as	O
fans	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
sought	O
to	O
borrow	O
from	O
the	O
period	O
's	O
best	O
adventure	O
titles	O
in	O
the	O
way	O
that	O
Warcraft	B-Application
:	I-Application
Orcs	I-Application
&	I-Application
Humans	I-Application
had	O
borrowed	O
from	O
Dune	B-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Production	O
of	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
was	O
split	O
between	O
multiple	O
locations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
coordinated	O
with	O
Capitol	O
Multimedia	O
during	O
the	O
project	O
,	O
and	O
by	O
1998	O
the	O
South	O
Korean	O
animation	O
studio	O
Toon-Us-In	O
was	O
involved	O
in	O
producing	O
the	O
full	B-Application
motion	I-Application
video	I-Application
animated	O
cutscenes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Animation	O
Magic	O
also	O
offered	O
input	O
on	O
certain	O
game	O
design	O
decisions	O
,	O
although	O
Roper	O
noted	O
that	O
"	O
the	O
vast	O
majority	O
"	O
of	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
design	O
derived	O
from	O
Blizzard	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
writing	O
the	O
script	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
sought	O
to	O
humanize	O
and	O
deepen	O
the	O
portrayal	O
of	O
the	O
Orc	B-Language
race	O
,	O
whose	O
situation	O
in	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
Chris	O
Metzen	O
compared	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
real-world	O
American	O
Indians	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
hoped	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
story	O
accessible	O
and	O
interesting	O
to	O
both	O
Warcraft	B-Application
fans	O
and	O
newcomers	O
,	O
while	O
including	O
numerous	O
characters	O
from	O
the	O
strategy	O
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Metzen	O
likened	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
plot	O
to	O
the	O
films	O
Spartacus	O
,	O
Braveheart	B-Application
and	O
Dances	O
with	O
Wolves	O
,	O
and	O
described	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
as	O
a	O
hero	O
's	O
journey	O
,	O
in	O
reference	O
to	O
the	O
theories	O
of	O
Joseph	O
Campbell	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
script	O
was	O
not	O
written	O
for	O
particular	O
actors	O
,	O
and	O
its	O
initial	O
voice-recording	O
sessions	O
in	O
Boston	O
did	O
not	O
include	O
major	O
names	O
,	O
although	O
all	O
roles	O
were	O
portrayed	O
by	O
professional	O
union	O
members	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Roper	O
had	O
voiced	O
characters	O
in	O
Warcraft	B-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Tides	I-Application
of	I-Application
Darkness	I-Application
,	O
he	O
was	O
unable	O
to	O
contribute	O
new	O
lines	O
to	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
because	O
of	O
union	O
restrictions	O
,	O
as	O
he	O
was	O
not	O
a	O
member	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
circumvent	O
this	O
issue	O
,	O
lines	O
that	O
Roper	O
had	O
voiced	O
in	O
previous	O
Warcraft	B-Application
games	O
were	O
inserted	O
into	O
certain	O
scenes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Blizzard	O
used	O
rapid	O
iterative	O
design	O
techniques	O
to	O
develop	O
its	O
games	O
,	O
the	O
distance	O
between	O
the	O
teams	O
creating	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
slowed	O
down	O
production	O
and	O
made	O
the	O
iteration	O
process	O
more	O
challenging	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
2D	O
animation	O
style	O
of	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
was	O
chosen	O
to	O
maintain	O
visual	O
consistency	O
with	O
the	O
Warcraft	B-Application
strategy	O
games	O
,	O
a	O
major	O
concern	O
of	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
in	O
contrast	O
to	O
the	O
pre-rendered	O
3D	O
graphics	O
featured	O
in	O
certain	O
other	O
games	O
of	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
including	O
Warcraft	B-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Tides	I-Application
of	I-Application
Darkness	I-Application
,	O
whose	O
2D	O
artwork	O
had	O
been	O
drawn	O
overtop	O
pre-rendered	O
3D	O
models	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
it	O
was	O
announced	O
in	O
March	O
1997	O
,	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
was	O
slated	O
to	O
include	O
above	O
40,000	O
individual	O
animation	O
frames	O
,	O
70	O
characters	O
and	O
60	O
areas	O
for	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
visit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
was	O
initially	O
set	O
for	O
a	O
1997	O
holiday	O
shopping	O
season	O
release	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
95	I-Application
and	O
Mac	B-Application
OS	I-Application
,	O
and	O
was	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
second	O
title	O
planned	O
for	O
that	O
year	O
,	O
alongside	O
StarCraft	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Neilson	O
,	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
was	O
growing	O
close	O
to	O
completion	O
around	O
August	O
1997	O
,	O
but	O
Blizzard	O
was	O
unsatisfied	O
with	O
the	O
results	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
saw	O
StarCraft	B-Application
,	O
which	O
had	O
just	O
undergone	O
a	O
redesign	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
higher-quality	O
project	O
at	O
that	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Late	O
in	O
August	O
,	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
US	O
reported	O
that	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
had	O
been	O
delayed	O
until	O
"	O
the	O
first	O
half	O
"	O
of	O
the	O
following	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Combined	O
with	O
the	O
delay	O
of	O
StarCraft	B-Application
,	O
the	O
setbacks	O
to	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
were	O
troubling	O
to	O
Blizzard	O
,	O
as	O
they	O
resulted	O
in	O
no	O
flagship	O
titles	O
being	O
launched	O
in	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hoping	O
to	O
bring	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
up	O
to	O
company	O
standards	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
Entertainment	O
contracted	O
adventure	O
game	O
designer	O
Steve	O
Meretzky	O
as	O
a	O
consultant	O
in	O
early	O
1998	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meretzky	O
had	O
created	O
Infocom	O
titles	O
such	O
as	O
The	B-Application
Hitchhiker	I-Application
's	I-Application
Guide	I-Application
to	I-Application
the	I-Application
Galaxy	I-Application
and	O
Planetfall	B-Application
,	O
and	O
had	O
recently	O
released	O
The	B-Application
Space	I-Application
Bar	I-Application
with	O
Boffo	O
Games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
the	O
time	O
Meretzky	O
was	O
hired	O
,	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
had	O
reached	O
the	O
alpha	O
stage	O
and	O
was	O
almost	O
finished	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Voice	O
recording	O
and	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
visuals	O
were	O
complete	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
could	O
be	O
played	O
from	O
beginning	O
to	O
end	O
,	O
albeit	O
with	O
software	B-Error_Name
bugs	I-Error_Name
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meretzky	O
spent	O
a	O
week	O
at	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
Irvine	O
headquarters	O
in	O
mid-February	O
1998	O
,	O
during	O
the	O
final	O
crunch	O
period	O
for	O
StarCraft	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
goal	O
of	O
his	O
visit	O
was	O
to	O
review	O
the	O
entirety	O
of	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
in	O
detail	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
help	O
the	O
team	O
improve	O
the	O
game	O
with	O
minimal	O
changes	O
to	O
the	O
art	O
and	O
story	O
already	O
created	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Discussing	O
Meretzky	O
's	O
involvement	O
publicly	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
Susan	O
Wooley	O
of	O
Blizzard	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
company	O
"	O
wanted	O
to	O
make	O
sure	O
we	O
were	O
n't	O
getting	O
too	O
close	O
"	O
to	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meretzky	O
proceeded	O
to	O
work	O
10	O
-	O
to	O
14-hour	O
days	O
alongside	O
the	O
team	O
,	O
and	O
collaborated	O
with	O
Roper	O
and	O
Chris	O
Metzen	O
on	O
a	O
revised	O
plan	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
including	O
dialogue	O
and	O
gameplay	O
additions	O
and	O
a	O
total	O
overhaul	O
of	O
the	O
user	B-Application
interface	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
His	O
time	O
on	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
ultimately	O
totaled	O
around	O
two	O
weeks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meretzky	O
also	O
signed	O
Roper	O
's	O
copy	O
of	O
Superhero	B-Application
League	I-Application
of	I-Application
Hoboken	I-Application
during	O
the	O
period	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2016	O
,	O
Meretzky	O
stated	O
that	O
even	O
the	O
planned	O
revisions	O
to	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
would	O
have	O
resulted	O
in	O
an	O
average	O
adventure	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
he	O
enjoyed	O
the	O
title	O
's	O
story	O
and	O
voice	O
acting	O
,	O
and	O
its	O
core	O
idea	O
of	O
rendering	O
the	O
Warcraft	B-Application
universe	O
in	O
finer	O
and	O
more	O
intimate	O
detail	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
conclusion	O
of	O
Steve	O
Meretzky	O
's	O
work	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
continued	O
to	O
develop	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
for	O
roughly	O
three	O
months	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
team	O
prepared	O
a	O
software	O
build	O
for	O
the	O
1998	O
Electronic	O
Entertainment	O
Expo	O
(	O
E3	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
"	O
Strike	O
Team	O
"	O
overseeing	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
convened	O
to	O
assess	O
the	O
project	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
this	O
time	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
in	O
direct	O
competition	O
with	O
the	O
visually	O
superior	O
The	B-Application
Curse	I-Application
of	I-Application
Monkey	I-Application
Island	I-Application
,	O
and	O
LucasArts	O
had	O
begun	O
to	O
show	O
off	O
its	O
upcoming	O
3D	O
adventure	O
Grim	B-Application
Fandango	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
appeared	O
technologically	O
dated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2001	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
Mike	O
Morhaime	O
placed	O
internal	O
estimates	O
at	O
9	O
–	O
12	O
months	O
of	O
added	O
development	O
time	O
before	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
would	O
have	O
been	O
brought	O
to	O
standard	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
of	O
the	O
review	O
,	O
the	O
"	O
Strike	O
Team	O
"	O
opted	O
to	O
end	O
development	O
of	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
,	O
which	O
Roper	O
called	O
the	O
"	O
best	O
 [ option ] 	O
for	O
our	O
brand	O
and	O
the	O
WarCraft	B-Application
license.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
the	O
decision	O
arrived	O
just	O
before	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
scheduled	O
appearance	O
at	O
E3	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
designated	O
booth	O
space	O
was	O
replaced	O
with	O
kiosks	O
for	O
StarCraft	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
22	O
,	O
1998	O
,	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
was	O
publicly	O
cancelled	O
,	O
after	O
roughly	O
18	O
months	O
of	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
GameSpot	O
's	O
Ron	O
Dulin	O
and	O
Curt	O
Feldman	O
called	O
this	O
event	O
"	O
the	O
beginning	O
of	O
a	O
trend	O
"	O
at	O
the	O
developer	O
,	O
citing	O
its	O
1996	O
cancellation	O
of	O
Pax	B-Application
Imperia	I-Application
2	I-Application
for	O
failing	O
to	O
meet	O
internal	O
quality	O
standards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
retrospect	O
,	O
Roper	O
considered	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
conservative	O
design	O
plan	O
for	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
to	O
be	O
its	O
greatest	O
mistake	O
,	O
and	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
the	O
only	O
thing	O
I	O
would	O
have	O
changed	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
felt	O
that	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
lack	O
of	O
forward	O
thinking	O
on	O
the	O
project	O
left	O
it	O
outpaced	O
by	O
more	O
ambitious	O
games	O
like	O
Grim	B-Application
Fandango	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
announcement	O
of	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
came	O
as	O
a	O
surprise	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
industry	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
Colin	O
Williamson	O
of	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
US	O
,	O
whose	O
own	O
publication	O
had	O
initially	O
been	O
skeptical	O
of	O
Blizzard	O
Entertainment	O
's	O
ability	O
to	O
develop	O
a	O
graphic	O
adventure	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
cover	O
story	O
for	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
USs	O
June	O
1997	O
issue	O
,	O
and	O
appeared	O
at	O
E3	O
1997	O
in	O
CUC	O
Software	O
's	O
display	O
within	O
the	O
Inforum	O
center	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
press	O
highlighted	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
"	O
beautiful	O
cel-based	O
animation	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Disneyesque	O
graphics	O
,	O
smooth	O
scrolling	O
environments	O
,	O
and	O
rich	O
story	O
and	O
humor.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
Todd	O
Vaughn	O
of	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
US	O
and	O
Cindy	O
Yans	O
of	O
Computer	O
Games	O
Strategy	O
Plus	O
both	O
wrote	O
that	O
high-quality	O
"	O
traditional	O
adventures	O
"	O
were	O
growing	O
rare	O
,	O
while	O
CNET	O
Gamecenter	O
's	O
Jeffrey	O
Adam	O
Young	O
found	O
that	O
the	O
genre	O
had	O
been	O
flooded	O
by	O
"	O
duds	O
"	O
such	O
as	O
Timelapse	B-Application
,	O
Normality	B-Application
and	O
Broken	B-Application
Sword	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Shadow	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Templars	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
a	O
similar	O
decline	O
had	O
been	O
noted	O
among	O
computer	O
role-playing	O
games	O
before	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
Diablo	B-Application
,	O
which	O
had	O
become	O
a	O
mainstream	O
hit	O
in	O
that	O
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Discussing	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
in	O
this	O
context	O
,	O
Bill	O
Roper	O
argued	O
that	O
"	O
everyone	O
claimed	O
RPGs	O
were	O
dead	O
,	O
but	O
they	O
were	O
dead	O
only	O
because	O
developers	O
were	O
n't	O
doing	O
enough	O
with	O
them	O
,	O
and	O
people	O
got	O
bored	O
and	O
moved	O
on	O
to	O
something	O
else.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Vaughn	O
,	O
Young	O
and	O
Yans	O
all	O
cited	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
as	O
a	O
game	O
that	O
could	O
re-energize	O
the	O
graphic	O
adventure	O
genre	O
,	O
and	O
Yans	O
remarked	O
in	O
August	O
1997	O
that	O
Blizzard	O
had	O
considered	O
and	O
dismissed	O
the	O
theory	O
that	O
the	O
field	O
was	O
in	O
decline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
at	O
the	O
May	O
1998	O
Computer	O
Game	O
Developers	O
Conference	O
,	O
Steve	O
Meretzky	O
likewise	O
called	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
a	O
"	O
particularly	O
encouraging	O
sign	O
"	O
for	O
the	O
genre	O
,	O
given	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
track	O
record	O
of	O
commercial	O
success	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
cancellation	O
of	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
was	O
met	O
with	O
widespread	O
disappointment	O
from	O
players	O
,	O
to	O
a	O
degree	O
that	O
Blizzard	O
Entertainment	O
did	O
not	O
anticipate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
that	O
time	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
believed	O
that	O
the	O
audience	O
for	O
adventure	O
games	O
had	O
shrunk	O
;	O
citing	O
poor	O
sales	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Curse	I-Application
of	I-Application
Monkey	I-Application
Island	I-Application
,	O
Mike	O
Morhaime	O
later	O
noted	O
that	O
adventures	O
with	O
2D	O
graphics	O
had	O
been	O
"	O
aging	O
fast	O
"	O
as	O
a	O
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
considered	O
the	O
blowback	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
strong	O
vote	O
of	O
confidence	O
in	O
the	O
Warcraft	B-Application
license	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
cancellation	O
of	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
,	O
fans	O
Philipp	O
Schneider	O
and	O
Christian	O
Giegerich	O
created	O
an	O
online	B-Application
petition	I-Application
to	O
support	O
the	O
project	O
's	O
revival	O
,	O
which	O
garnered	O
1,737	O
signatures	O
by	O
August	O
1998	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
Jeff	O
Green	O
of	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
wrote	O
that	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
cancellation	O
"	O
hit	O
 [ him ] 	O
hard	O
"	O
and	O
was	O
his	O
"	O
Bummer	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Conversely	O
,	O
Steve	O
Meretzky	O
said	O
in	O
2016	O
that	O
the	O
cancellation	O
"	O
made	O
me	O
sad	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
"	O
,	O
but	O
that	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
relatively	O
low	O
quality	O
meant	O
that	O
Blizzard	O
had	O
taken	O
the	O
best	O
route	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Around	O
two	O
months	O
after	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
was	O
canceled	O
,	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
ten	O
Blizzard	O
employees	O
quit	O
the	O
company	O
to	O
form	O
a	O
new	O
studio	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Among	O
them	O
was	O
James	O
Phinney	O
,	O
a	O
key	O
figure	O
on	O
StarCraft	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
he	O
noted	O
that	O
"	O
for	O
some	O
the	O
cancellation	O
of	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
was	O
the	O
final	O
straw.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
development	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
Entertainment	O
publicly	O
clarified	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
revisit	O
the	O
Warcraft	B-Application
universe	O
in	O
the	O
future	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
1999	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
announced	O
an	O
impending	O
agreement	O
with	O
an	O
unnamed	O
publisher	O
to	O
release	O
three	O
Warcraft	B-Application
novels	O
,	O
alongside	O
novelizations	O
of	O
StarCraft	B-Application
and	O
Diablo	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Early	O
in	O
the	O
development	O
process	O
for	O
the	O
Warcraft	B-Application
book	O
trilogy	O
,	O
Bill	O
Roper	O
hinted	O
that	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
story	O
could	O
reappear	O
in	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
novels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
resulted	O
in	O
Warcraft	B-Application
:	O
Lord	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Clans	I-Application
in	O
October	O
2001	O
,	O
written	O
by	O
Christie	O
Golden	O
and	O
intended	O
to	O
set	O
the	O
stage	O
for	O
Warcraft	B-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Receiving	O
the	O
assignment	O
after	O
its	O
first	O
author	O
had	O
failed	O
to	O
finish	O
it	O
,	O
Golden	O
was	O
given	O
a	O
six-week	O
deadline	O
for	O
Lord	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Clans	I-Application
,	O
based	O
on	O
a	O
modified	O
version	O
of	O
Metzen	O
's	O
original	O
plot	O
outline	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
proceeded	O
to	O
write	O
several	O
other	O
novels	O
for	O
Blizzard	O
because	O
of	O
her	O
enjoyment	O
of	O
this	O
project	O
,	O
among	O
them	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
:	O
Arthas	O
:	O
Rise	O
of	O
the	O
Lich	O
King	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
first	O
New	O
York	O
Times	O
Best	O
Seller	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
1998	O
,	O
Roper	O
confirmed	O
that	O
Blizzard	O
planned	O
to	O
complete	O
the	O
animated	O
cutscenes	O
for	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
,	O
as	O
they	O
could	O
help	O
Blizzard	O
sell	O
film	O
and	O
television	O
studios	O
on	O
the	O
idea	O
of	O
adapting	O
the	O
property	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
this	O
plan	O
was	O
shelved	O
,	O
the	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
story	O
proceeded	O
to	O
inspire	O
much	O
of	O
the	O
later	O
Warcraft	B-Application
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
first	O
announced	O
in	O
early	O
1997	O
,	O
speculation	O
arose	O
that	O
Blizzard	O
planned	O
to	O
follow	O
it	O
with	O
the	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
game	O
Warcraft	B-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
which	O
the	O
company	O
confirmed	O
a	O
few	O
months	O
later	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Intended	O
from	O
the	O
start	O
to	O
build	O
upon	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
,	O
Warcraft	B-Application
III	I-Application
ultimately	O
continued	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
Thrall	O
,	O
and	O
takes	O
place	O
after	O
his	O
reunification	O
of	O
the	O
Horde	O
and	O
defeat	O
of	O
its	O
human	O
captors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thrall	O
and	O
his	O
father	O
Durotan	O
,	O
also	O
created	O
for	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
,	O
played	O
major	O
parts	O
in	O
the	O
massively	B-Protocol
multiplayer	I-Protocol
online	I-Protocol
role-playing	I-Protocol
game	I-Protocol
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
and	O
the	O
2016	O
film	O
Warcraft	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wes	O
Fenlon	O
of	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
US	O
wrote	O
in	O
2016	O
,	O
"	O
Few	O
canceled	O
games	O
can	O
claim	O
to	O
have	O
as	O
much	O
impact	O
as	O
Lord	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Clans	I-Application
,	O
and	O
in	O
the	O
end	O
it	O
seems	O
like	O
Thrall	O
was	O
more	O
valuable	O
than	O
the	O
game	O
itself.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2017	O
,	O
Alex	O
Cachinero-Gorman	O
wrote	O
that	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
"spawn[ed]	O
wistful	O
retrospectives	O
every	O
few	O
years	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
That	O
's	O
what	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
is.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
cancellation	O
of	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
is	O
often	O
cited	O
as	O
an	O
example	O
of	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
"	O
willingness	O
to	O
cancel	O
a	O
game	O
late	O
in	O
development	O
to	O
protect	O
the	O
quality	O
of	O
their	O
brand	O
"	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
Cachinero-Gorman	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
among	O
a	O
years-long	O
string	O
of	O
cancellations	O
at	O
Blizzard	O
,	O
including	O
Pax	B-Application
Imperia	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
Shattered	O
Nations	O
,	O
Crixa	O
,	O
Nomad	O
and	O
Starcraft	B-Device
:	I-Device
Ghost	I-Device
,	O
alongside	O
the	O
Titan	B-Protocol
project	O
canceled	O
in	O
2014	O
after	O
roughly	O
seven	O
years	O
 '	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Calling	O
this	O
trend	O
the	O
key	O
to	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
success	O
in	O
2016	O
,	O
Kat	O
Bailey	O
of	O
USgamer	O
regarded	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
cancellation	O
a	O
wise	O
choice	O
for	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
brand	O
,	O
as	O
otherwise	O
"	O
it	O
might	O
still	O
be	O
an	O
object	O
of	O
ridicule	O
today.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Russian	O
fan	O
under	O
the	O
pseudonym	O
"	O
MAN-Biker	O
"	O
leaked	O
gameplay	O
footage	O
of	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
via	O
a	O
YouTube	B-General_Concept
video	I-General_Concept
in	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
US	O
,	O
he	O
had	O
received	O
his	O
copy	O
from	O
a	O
Russian	O
game	O
developer	O
in	O
the	O
late	O
2000s	O
,	O
although	O
this	O
developer	O
had	O
not	O
personally	O
worked	O
on	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
complete	O
,	O
playable	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
,	O
including	O
its	O
cutscenes	O
,	O
was	O
leaked	O
online	O
by	O
a	O
Russian	O
Blizzard	O
fan	O
with	O
the	O
screen	O
name	O
"	O
reidor	O
"	O
on	O
September	O
9	O
,	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewing	O
the	O
leaked	O
version	O
,	O
Fenlon	O
called	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
"	O
a	O
conventional	O
,	O
borderline	O
dull	O
point-and-click	O
adventure	O
"	O
that	O
fails	O
to	O
capitalize	O
on	O
its	O
roots	O
in	O
the	O
Warcraft	B-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
both	O
writers	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
visuals	O
,	O
particularly	O
in	O
comparison	O
to	O
Animation	O
Magic	O
's	O
efforts	O
on	O
Link	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Faces	I-Application
of	I-Application
Evil	I-Application
and	I-Application
Zelda	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Wand	I-Application
of	I-Application
Gamelon	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
he	O
broke	O
with	O
Cobbett	O
and	O
Fenlon	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
overall	O
quality	O
:	O
in	O
his	O
view	O
,	O
Warcraft	B-Application
Adventures	I-Application
is	O
"	O
far	O
from	O
boring	O
"	O
and	O
possibly	O
"	O
the	O
most	O
polished	O
game	O
ever	O
to	O
be	O
canceled.	O
"	O
</s>
