The history of the company is GSC Game World

GSC Game World – This is the most popular domestic game developer, swimming in the rays of glory not only in the territory of the former USSR, but throughout the world, mainly thanks to projects as “S.T.A.L.TO.E.R “and” Cossacks “. The company was founded back in 1995 by Sergey Konstantinovich Grigorovich, who is still its head. It’s funny that the company’s name contains the abbreviation of the surname and initials Grigorovich – GSC (English. Grigorovich Sergiy Constantinovich). Later, Sergei Konstantinovich admits that the company came up with the name of the company long before its existence when it was a child.

Ukrainian Steve Jobs
Sergey Grigorovich – a man without whom, would not exist GSC
Grigorovich was born in 1978, the city of Kyiv. His father was a radio engineer, his mother was a journalist, but his brother also worked at the GSC and even independently led the creation of “Cossacks 2”. Since childhood, Grigorovich’s dream was not the development of games, how everyone might think, but wealth, as he himself claimed, from which we can conclude that he is first of all a businessman and only in the second – a game developer. Business selection, Sergei showed at school age when he brought the game from France and began to rent it to his classmates, thus earned his first money. But do not think that Sergey is only interested in business, because the desire to create computer games also appeared at school when he wrote the first programs in laboratory lessons in computer science.

From the sixth grade he began to trade in the market for computer games and various electronic goods, as former colleagues say, despite his young age, was distinguished by excessive self -confidence and impudence. At the age of 16, he founded GSC. After graduation, he entered the Kiev Polytechnic Institute, from where he was immediately expelled at the Winter Session due to employment with his project, later he entered the International Scientific and Technical Institute, to the specialty “Economics”, but he did not finish it, leaving his studies after the first semester, justifying this with the following words: “He must study until he finds himself in his life, then it’s even harmful”. Sergey Grigorovich is the owner of the awards: “Achievement of the whole life”, “Pride of the country-2008” as well as “Entrepreneur of the Year” and “Innovative ideas of business”, in addition, became the youngest millionaire in Ukraine.

“My father said that it is necessary to invest all my life all my life in his own name, so that then there was something to be proud of, and I called the company my initials” –

Sergey Konstantinovich Grigorovich
GSC Game World Director

Having created his company in 1995, Grigorovich becomes its general director, he later explains why the company bears his name: “My father said that it is necessary to invest all my life all my life in his own name, so that then there was something to be proud of, and I called the company my initials”. At first, the company was engaged in the localization of games, and their record was 26 localizations of games for a month. As Grigorovich claimed because of his young age and a certain style to dress from the “shirt-guy” category to get personnel to the team, as well as cooperate with publishers, since no one believed that such a young man could lead a large company.

At that time, about 15 people worked in the GSC, often no written agreements on employment were drawn up, everything was decided in words. Grigorovich knows how to inspire and motivate his people, he is characterized by a charismatic and impulsive manner of management, the last word is always behind him, from which comparisons with Steve Jobs are suggested, later about 160 employees will work in the company, and their wages will be on average 30 thousand dollars a year.

The start of the development of games
After an unsuccessful attempt to create a quest, in 1998 a non -profit game comes out – “Warcraft 2000: Nuclear Epidemic”, On the basis of its own engine, which then formed the basis of the “Cossacks”. The game was a remake of the legendary “Warcraft II” and in many ways exceeded the original. In 1999, Grigorovich introduced it at the exhibition to the creators of the original Warcraft in the hope of joint cooperation. The plans for the GSC creation of the third part of the Warcraft game series, but the Americans did not like that their developments were used without demand and cooperation did not take place, despite the fact that the Ukrainians had a more powerful engine for the game. In early 1999, the company lays out free download on the Internet “Warcraft 2000”, In parallel, working on graphics and models for the project “Doomcraft”, which after six months is closed. At the same time, development begins “Cossacks”.

Cossacks: European wars
The first game brought the company serious success
In 2001 “GSC Game World” releases a real -time strategy called “Cossacks: European wars” – The first game, which brought the company success, and soon recognition around the world. The project had three types of game: campaigns, single missions, missions on random maps. In the company’s regime, it was allowed to play for 4 different countries participating in various historical events, the story was provided for the choice: England, France, Russia and Ukraine. During the development of the game, the developers were primarily based on the creation of something native Ukrainian. Grigorovich at that time was only 19 years old and he wanted to create something patriotic, for this reason “Cossacks” were published in Ukrainian, and the company even demanded that the Russian version be published in Ukraine, but in the end the Russian version was sold better, and Grigorovich himself recognized the mistakes of youth, they say such an act was not professional.

The success of the game was also influenced by its name, because it turned out that the word “Cossacks” in Europe is the same brand as the word for us – samurai. Cossacks, primarily the Don ones, they remembered well from the time of Napoleon.

Later, two additions will come to the game, the first – “Cossacks: the last argument of kings”, where two more countries will be added compared to the original – Bavaria and Denmark, And also 5 new story campaigns, and in 2002 the second addition called – will be released – “Cossacks: again war”, In which two new countries will include in comparison with the original, namely Hungary and Switzerland, thus, there will already be 20 playable countries in the game.

Venom. Codename: Outbreak
In the same 2001, “Venom. https://tombola-casino.co.uk/ Codename: Outbreak “ – Computer game in the genre of the first -person shooter. The events of the game take place in 2034, when the Earth almost died from a collision with a comet and hundreds of meteorites, which fell to the surface with fiery rain, carrying death and destruction. Together with meteorites, disputes of a foreign life form were brought to Earth, which in earthly conditions quickly developed. From the cocoons that appeared here and there, creatures attack people and, when successful, parasitizing on them, with a successful attempt. The first victims are scientists who studied extraterrestrial rocks and organisms, as well as guards of the scientific base and visiting mobile groups. The player’s task is to collect as much information about what happened, to save the surviving scientists and stop the spread of infection. The project did not turn out to be commercially successful, but in many respects helped to form the concept of the future masterpiece of the studio – “WITH.T.A.L.TO.E.R.”. There is an opinion that the engine of this game formed the basis of a stalker.

The conquest of America
How the Cossacks of the United States conquered

Also in 2002, together with the already mentioned addition to “Cossacks”, A game called “Conquest of America” is released – these are all the same Cossacks, but only the actions of the game take place in America. Events that unfolded in “Conquering America” affect several centuries, starting with the expedition of Christopher Columbus to the war for independence. The game had 12 nations, 6 types of resources we have extracted, as well as 6 plot campaigns for different countries, which with the release of additions “Conquest of America: In search of Eldorado” It became 8. The game received good reviews from gaming publications, on average its ball was 7 out of 10 possible, many believed that this is the best of released strategies by the company GSC At that time.

Exit “Hover Ace” And “Firestarter”

In 2003, the company releases two games, racing arcade “Hover Ace” And 3D-CTION “Firestarter”.

“Hover Ace” – This is an arcade combat race with action elements, racing competitions took place on various planets, even according to Mars could be driven, rivals were allowed to be destroyed from different guns attached to the vehicle. The game had 16 racing tracks, 6 gaming modes and a huge number of different guns. The project was warmly accepted, but there was not enough stars from the sky, it is certainly not a masterpiece, but only suitable entertainment for a couple of evenings, and now such a graphics are completely laughter.

About the same words, we can say about “Firestarter”. The plot of the game took place in 2010, where a virtual reality car called Firestarter amazes the virus, from which its roof is going and it becomes especially dangerous, and the player, in turn, was supposed to survive in this virtual reality. The gameplay came down to the fact that the protagonist was at a closed level, while fighting off the crowds of enemies. In general, no one was waiting for the game, how imperceptibly it came and left, it is unlikely that someone will remember her about her.

Cossacks II: Napoleonic wars

Continuation of the most patriotic game
Further in 2005, the studio releases the continuation to the already cultural game “Cossacks”, called “Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars”. We had to go through the most famous battles of the era of the Napoleonic warrior, which in general can be understood from the name of the game. The Cossacks became larger and moved towards realism, several thousand units fought on the map, such an element as the fighting spirit appeared, if it was low, then your detachment could leave the battlefield in a panic, we also had to choose one of the actually existing generals and try to subjugate the whole of Europe. The schedule and some gameplay features, for example, not all resources could be mined on their own, they were supplied automatically after certain supplies were seized by all resources.

The schedule and some gameplay features, for example, not all resources could be mined on their own, they were supplied automatically after certain supplies were seized by all resources.

Not all old players liked such changes, as a result of which the game received mixed reviews, although it was mainly highly appreciated by game publications that emphasized that the game is good, but still controversial. A year later, the addition of Cossacks II came out. Battle for Europe “where, according to tradition, several new companies and nations were included, for which it was allowed to play.

Heroes of destroyed empires
Unsuccessful revenge

In October 2006, company GSC releases its fantasy strategy “Heroes of destroyed empires”, What takes a kind of revenge from the story of 7 years ago, when Blizzard refused to cooperate with the Ukrainian company. It will be fair to say that this correspondence duel did not end in favor of Ukrainians, because to the level “Warcraft 3”, The project was mildly not overwhelmed, and there was even average quality. The game was a mixture of RPG (role -playing playing) and strategies, and the plot spoke about the confrontation between the forest people – the deceased inhabitants of the island of Atland, and the underground legions of the undead. The main character was a young elf named Elkhan, who was intended to become a key figure in this conflict. Given all the shortcomings and a clear competitive inability, the game failed, by the way it was originally planned to create, as many as three parts of this project, but most likely we will never see again. In addition, the project became unprofitable due to huge costs. For example, one of five videos cost in $ 250 thousand. – More expensive than minutes of the film “Lord of the Rings”.

And what would happen if the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded again?
In truth, the failure of the previous game is not so important, because after a year of March 20, 2007, a cult game will be released, which will make a brand GSC recognizable throughout the world, and the company itself will take an accounting niche among the best world developers. This, of course, is about “S.T.A.L.TO.E.P.: Shadow of Chernobyl “. The first steps to the appearance of the Stalker were taken back in 2000, when two programmers Oles Shishkovtsov and Alexander Maksimchuk were hired GSC After demonstrating its engine to the head of the company, later the engine will receive the name X-Ray. In early 2001, the development of the game began, it was given the working name “Oblivion Lost”. Initially, the game was not at all about Chernobyl, the initial concept was the journey of a group of researchers through various worlds with the help of portals.GSC presented their project at the Cannes exhibition Millia, at that time one single level was ready, called “Pyramid”, But the game was criticized and it was called secondary, in connection with which it was decided to change the concept to avoid what kind of comparisons and accusations. And now inspired by the novel by the Brothers Strugatsky “The Picnic on the side of the road” and the film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky “Stalker” decided to create a game of disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, and the game changed the name to “WITH.T.A.L.TO.E.R.: Oblivion Lost “. Having received the necessary permissions from the state, the developers of four people went to the alienation zone, where they made videos and photographs, which were then included in the game. By September 2002 GSC Game World send their achievements on “S.T.A.L.TO.E.P.: Oblivion Lost “ to the game exhibition in London, where the game produces a real splash among the press and players. Since the Stalker, almost from the very beginning of its development, interested players around the world and the press, there were no problems with the search for the publisher, the publishers themselves were lined up in a huge line for the rights to publish this project, as a result, ThQ was chosen as the publisher. The release of the game was scheduled for the fall of 2004, but due to various faults, she was released in 2007, replacing her name once again to the final “S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl “

On the way to its release, the game lost many initial developments and ideas, half of the players ceased to believe that the Stalker will come out, and the other half simply stopped waiting for him. The plot of the game takes place in a fictional universe, where on June 10, 2006 a second explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was heard as a result of which various mutants and anomalies filled the area, and in search of treasures, stalkers are chatting in the zone – people who are illegal in the territory who are exploring the zone for their own profit will be shown in the territory. We had to play for the nameless stalker, nicknamed “Tainted”, which, after the car crashes from lightning, lost memory. He received his nickname from the merchant who saved him, due to the fact that there was a tattoo on his hand- “WITH.T.A.L.TO.E.P.”. Further, the main character had to travel through a large and dangerous world, performing various tasks and learning the main secrets. For artificial intelligence in the game, a unique system called A-Life was responsible. The uniqueness of the system was that the world really lived its life, and did not wait for the player to throw out some event in his eyes, the groups of stalkers fought among themselves, defended the camps from wild animals, died and traveled, all this happened without the participation of the player himself. The game was completely transcendental and realism at all, playing it all seemed like this was actually happening. Resting around the fire, we could listen to songs for the guitar, jokes and just all kinds of news and bikes from other stalkers, and the Russian mat contributed to the creation of a special atmosphere in the game. It was simply pleasant to travel around the world, without completing any tasks, adventures, it would not have been possible to avoid, on the way the bandits could attack, or we would have come to the rescue of a stalker who, in a panic on the radio, would pray to anyone from any misfortune.

In general, it ceased to be important, someone was waiting for “S.T.A.L.TO.E.R.” Or not, it was an incredible success, everyone played about it, even those who have seen anything except Tetris heard about the project. For March 24, 2007, project “WITH.T.A.L.K.E.R.” He occupied the eighth position in a chart of sales for various platforms, and the first among the Games for RS. A year – February 12, 2008 – information was provided about the circulation of the game in 950 thousand copies in the CIS and 700 thousand in the west. In 2008, the game will receive an addition called “S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clean sky “ in which there will be a large number of errors, from which it will receive a flurry of criticism. In 2009, another addition will be released –“S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat “. Both additions were huge, it was easily possible to confuse them with an independent game. According to experts, sales of all parts WITH.T.A.L.TO.E.P amounted to about 4.5 million copies. On August 13, 2010, GSC Game World officially announces the start of project development “S.T.A.L.K.E.P. 2 “, The output of which was planned for 2012, but the game never saw the light.

The king is dead, long live the king!

December 9, 2011 Ukrainian Information Internet Agency “Ukranews” published a message that Sergey Grigorovich, the founder and owner of the GSC Game World, decided to close the company. The development has also stopped “S.T.A.L.TO.E.R. 2 “, later information appeared that the rights to “WITH.T.A.L.TO.E.P. 2 “ sold Bethesda, but then refuted this information. Nobody knows exactly why the company was closed, the former said that due to problems with the authorities, the latter because of Grigorovich’s discontent “stalker 2”, and the others assured everyone that Grigorovich was simply tired and left, there wasn’t enough only versions about aliens. But all this does not matter, because GSC At the end of 2014, it opened again, the resumption of work turned out to be as unexpected and mysterious as the closure of the company 3 years ago. Having resumed the work, Grigorovich claims that no one was closing, we simply did not make the game, he said.

Cossacks 3
Return to the dashing 90s

The very idea of ​​creating in 2016 the game of the RTS strategy genre is controversial. At the moment, it is an almost deceased and uninteresting game genre. RTS is a rather warm memory, a relic of the past, pleasant and presented in childhood a lot of played watches behind my mother’s computer, but still almost went into the depths of our subconscious. With such words, the released September 20, 2016 should be characterized “Cossacks 3”. Is it a good game? Undoubtedly! Is it worth buying? No!

How so? If the game is good, then why not buy it? The whole problem is in digit “3” – Belating on the cover of the game. Three – with all its appearance is trying to prove to the gamers that they play in “Continuation of the Cossacks”. But no, lies! They just rolled out “Remaster” the first part of the Cossacks, and technically not perfect. A bunch of bugs migrated straight from the first part of the game, so even in the same form as in 2001. Of the real innovations, only new plot companies can be called.

Bottom line: everything seems to be fine, but the feeling that the developers tried to deceive the players does not leave. No one would have a complaint to the game called “Cossacks: Remastered “, But here “Cossacks 3” – This is a completely different matter.

On this I am completing my story, about the company GSC – one of the best world developers and clearly the best in the post -Soviet space.