There are many real-time strategy games, and some of them are really good. But what was actually the first title that can be assigned to the genre? Let’s take a look into the past.
Age of Empires, Command & Conquer, or Warcraft are some of the most well-known representatives of real-time strategy. Their successors are among the best games in the genre today. However, the origins go back much further. So the question arises, what was actually the first true real-time strategy game? Come along, let’s take a journey into the gray prehistory of video games.
Experiments in real-time …
Where do the origins of the genre lie? First experiments took place as early as the 1970s. Invasion from 1972 was a mix of board game and video game and already contained early real-time elements. However, not much of that remains today.
Especially in the early 80s, a number of titles appeared that contained the first approaches of real-time strategy games. They were called Utopia, Modem Wars, or Nato Commander and experimented with various approaches. Of course, these games were technically very limited.
… led to a milestone in the genre
What was the first true RTS? Herzog Zwei is regarded as the first true real-time strategy game. It is a Japanese game from 1989 that oddly carries a German title. Of all the games from that time, it resembles the later representatives of the genre the most and contained elements that were groundbreaking.
In Herzog Zwei, you control a mech that is maneuvered across the battlefield. However, there are also ground troops that the player must tactically maneuver to ultimately destroy the enemy base.
As is typical, you can give commands to the units, lead them into battle, and must manage various resources. Herzog Zwei was already quite similar to today’s known real-time strategy games. The game revolutionized the genre and can now be played in a slightly enhanced form on the Nintendo Switch (via Nintendo Shop).
Another game brought the breakthrough
Was Herzog Zwei a success? Unfortunately not. However, the game influenced subsequent titles and served as inspiration. Just three years later, Dune II from Westwood was released, a game that made the genre more known and introduced the now established controls in such games. Additionally, it was based on the eponymous book series and the film by David Lynch, which, by the way, was not the first attempt to bring the desert planet to the screen.
The term “Real-Time Strategy” along with the abbreviation “RTS” also comes from this time, namely from Westwood co-founder Brett W. Sperry, who used it in connection with his Dune II (via gamespot.com)
Subsequent games like Command & Conquer or Warcraft brought further popularity, so that the genre experienced its great boom especially in the 90s. A few years later, 3D graphics would again open up new perspectives and tactical possibilities. But that’s a story for another time. You can find more trivia facts about video games and entertainment on MeinMMO.
