Overview
Think bigger. Cavedog Entertainment emerged from Humongous Entertainment as its “mature” division, immediately challenging RTS conventions. While Blizzard and Westwood refined micro-management, Chris Taylor’s team pursued macro-scale warfare—hundreds of units, streaming economies, 3D terrain. Total Annihilation rivalled StarCraft technically and commercially. GT Interactive’s bankruptcy killed Cavedog before they could follow up.
Fast facts
- Founded: 1995.
- Parent: Humongous Entertainment/GT Interactive.
- Location: Bothell, Washington.
- Closed: 2000.
Key releases
| Title |
Year |
Achievement |
| Total Annihilation |
1997 |
Scale RTS |
| TA: Core Contingency |
1998 |
Expansion |
| TA: Battle Tactics |
1998 |
Expansion |
| TA: Kingdoms |
1999 |
Fantasy spin-off |
Technical innovations
| Feature |
Implementation |
| 3D terrain |
Height advantage |
| Physics projectiles |
Trajectory calculation |
| Streaming economy |
Continuous flow |
| Unit counts |
500+ simultaneous |
Design philosophy
| Principle |
Expression |
| Scale warfare |
Hundreds of units |
| Economic flow |
Continuous resources |
| Unit diversity |
Extensive rosters |
| Mod support |
Community content |
Collapse
| Event |
Impact |
| GT Interactive troubles |
Parent company failure |
| Infogrames acquisition |
Corporate restructuring |
| Studio closure |
2000 |
| Staff dispersal |
Industry-wide |
Legacy projects
| Successor |
Developer |
Connection |
| Supreme Commander |
Gas Powered Games |
Chris Taylor |
| Planetary Annihilation |
Uber Entertainment |
TA veterans |
| Beyond All Reason |
Community |
Open-source |
See also