Gaming News In 1999, this sci-fi video game took a real trip into space and the copy is still at Blizzard
This game is the first to orbit the Earth thanks to the passion of an astronaut who combined his passion for the stars with that of video games.
It's an unusual story to tell: Former NASA astronaut Daniel Barry took a copy of StarCraft into space with him on his mission to the International Space Station in 1999. Barry's path to becoming an astronaut began in his childhood, driven by a fascination with flying and a desire to explore the unknown. And despite the discouragement of a school counselor who told him that he “not smart enough, not athletic enough, or not good-looking enough.” Barry insisted on becoming an astronaut. He did not interpret the advisor's words as a personal attack, but rather as an attempt to “naive young man” to avoid disappointment. Barry's determination ultimately led to his acceptance into the astronaut program after 14 years of applications. Barry's passion went beyond space exploration. He also enjoyed playing games, especially those that were easy to learn but difficult to master, such as Go and StarCraft.. The game has also become a way for Barry to stay in touch with his family during his frequent travels. He played it with his son for years and felt it brought them closer together.
Although the StarCraft disc was not played during the mission, it was more of a family decision to take the game with us on the trip. Barry and his family enjoyed both the single player and multiplayer modes of StarCraft, sometimes playing cooperatively and sometimes competitively. He favored the Protoss race, while his son often used the Terrans. Barry also noted the game's ability to promote intellectual development, watching his son's strategies become more complex over time.
Barry also believes that video games can be a great way to strengthen family bonds, and that StarCraft is an intellectual game that teaches deep thinking and strategy, not just quick hand movements. He remarked: “It's not about teaching them to multiply two numbers; It's about teaching them to want to multiply two numbers so they can solve a puzzle they need to solve. And damn, StarCraft does it beautifully. Not true? It's an intellectual game.”
The copy was proudly displayed at Blizzard
Years later, Barry visited Blizzard headquarters and donated the space travel copy of StarCraft to the museum. He will share how impressed he was with the passion and artistry of the Blizzard team and that he even saw a parallel between the dedication of NASA employees and that of game developers at Blizzard, noting that both are deeply invested in their work were.
