Stardock turns 20: Very very humble beginnings

In October 2013, Stardock will be turning 20 (incorporation date). The first software product we made was…Galactic Civilizations. 

I began working on it in early 1992 while in college and it went into public beta at the start of 1993.  It was “published” by a guy going by “Advanced Idea Machines” who also designed, ahem, the box.

2013-08-30 11.34.52

Galactic Civilizations for OS/2 box (we had nothing to do with this..box)

I was going through my stuff today and found a shrink wrapped copy of Galactic Civilizations for OS/2.  This has to be about the worst retail box I have ever seen  in my life. But there it is.

A couple years later, Stardock made a sequel for OS/2 (Galactic Civilizations 2).  This time, we designed the box ourselves using Corel Draw. Mind you, we still didn’t really have any resident artists.  My long-time friend who I met during Orientation at college, Bill Zalenski, designed the GalCiv aliens.

2013-08-30 11.42.16

Galactic Civilizations 2 for OS/2 box

 

Of course now, boxes are starting to become rare. In the digital age, why would you put a computer game inside a piece of dead tree? But I kind of miss game boxes.

82,558 views 24 replies
Reply #1 Top

Happy B-day SD!

Reply #2 Top

Happy Birthday, Stardock! Brad, you've managed to build my favorite game developer! I love your games! 

LH is a classic and I'm so glad you stuck with it. 

Can we have the loot DLC now, please? :)

Reply #3 Top

Websites are the new boxes.

Front

Back

 

I'm also a fan of wallpapers.

Reply #4 Top

The best thing about the original box are the squares around some of the images where the background didn't quite match.

Reply #5 Top

Cool post, had no idea. I wish I had that kind of vision, kudos on making a career for yourselves and some life consuming, spare time[yeah right, full time} activity  for us, Stardock is awesome, thanks.Happy upcoming B-day.

Reply #6 Top

Congratulations :grin: ...and Happy Birthday.

 

Reply #7 Top

Happy birthday Stardock! And showing that box, daring... very daring! Brilliant spaceship. Reminds me of A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.  :grin:

Reply #8 Top

:beer:

Reply #9 Top


Dude.  There is a Spanish Galleon in spaaaaaaaaaaaace on that box

Reply #10 Top

Happy Birthday Stardock and Team

Reply #11 Top

Happy Day Of Birth, Stardock!

Reply #12 Top

Happy Birthday Stardock :beer:

Reply #13 Top

I think if you looked at any/all of the boxes by anyone way back when they'd look like crap too....;)

Happy BD, SD....;)

 

Reply #14 Top

happy b-day to you.my pc would not look as cool without you.congrats. :beer: :cylon: :inlove:

Reply #15 Top

Congratulations. I may not agrees with all your decisions, business or otherwise, but I do hope you guys continue to do well for many years to come.

Reply #17 Top

Happy Birthday Stardock for sure!  :beer: :thumbsup:

Gee, and to think back to 1993, I was 43 years old, and finishing up my college degree at that time!  :w00t:

Reply #18 Top

Happy B-Day SD. That box is pretty lame,  but most of the concepts are there. Scary looking greeen dude, with a pirate ship + satellites = awesome.

And I guess I just want to say I'm really glad you guys stuck with E:WOM. I really do think FE:LH will be a true classic. 

 

 

Reply #19 Top

Happy Birthday Stardock :beer:

Reply #20 Top

So is the space surfboard cutting the Hubble Telescope off of that Spanish Galleon, or...

At least he noticed both words in "Galactic Civilizations" have a letter 'A' in the center. I see what he did there.

Happy Birthday S-Dock!  

 

Reply #21 Top

Nifty.  Now, where is my GalCiv 3 announcement?

 

Reply #22 Top

It's coming soon to a Galactic Steam Downlink near you, for the low price of 10 bc. ;)

Reply #23 Top

Who here remembers the King's Quest/Leisure Suit Larry boxed set that had about 50 5.25 floppys you had to install... The good old days lol.

 

Reply #24 Top

Quoting SpankTheMonkey, reply 23

Who here remembers the King's Quest/Leisure Suit Larry boxed set that had about 50 5.25 floppys you had to install... The good old days lol.

 

I played the precursor to LLL back on an Apple 2. :) My dad labeled it "Apple Porn".

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