View source for Legend Entertainment

{{Short description|American video game developer}}
{{Distinguish|Legendo Entertainment}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Legend Entertainment Company
| logo = Legend Entertainment logo.png
| type = [[Subsidiary]]
| industry = [[Video game industry|Video games]]
| fate = [[Dissolution (law)|Dissolved]]
| founded = {{Start date and age|1989}}
| founders = {{Unbulleted list|[[Bob Bates]]|[[Mike Verdu]]}}
| defunct = January 16, 2004
| hq_location_city = [[Chantilly, Virginia]]
| hq_location_country = US
| key_people = {{Plainlist|
* Bob Bates ([[President (corporate title)|president]])<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0h_HwQEACAAJ|title=Game Design: The Art & Business of Creating Games|publisher=Prima Tech|year=2001|first=Bob|last=Bates|isbn=978-0761531654|access-date=August 22, 2021|page=xxv|archive-date=August 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826154046/https://books.google.com/books?id=0h_HwQEACAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Mike Verdu ([[CEO]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/10/15/legend-will-do-unreal-2|title=Legend Will Do Unreal 2|first=Jason|last=Bates|date=October 14, 1998|website=[[IGN]]|access-date=August 17, 2021|archive-date=August 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817182018/https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/10/15/legend-will-do-unreal-2|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Steve Meretzky]]
* [[Michael J. Lindner|Michael Lindner]]
}}
| parent = {{Unbulleted list|American Systems Corporation (1989–1992)|[[Atari, Inc. (1993–present)|Atari, Inc.]] (1999–2004)}}
| website = [https://web.archive.org/web/19961221152712/http://www.legendent.com/ legendent.com] (archived)
}}

'''Legend Entertainment Company''' was an American [[Video game developer|developer]] and [[Video game publisher|publisher]] of [[computer game]]s, best known for creating [[Adventure game|adventure]] titles throughout the 1990s. The company was founded by [[Bob Bates]] and [[Mike Verdu]], both veterans of the [[interactive fiction]] studio [[Infocom]] that shut down in 1989. Legend's first two games, ''[[Spellcasting 101: Sorcerers Get All the Girls]]'' and ''[[Timequest]],'' had strong sales that sustained the company. Legend also profited from negotiating [[license]]s to popular book series, allowing them to create notable game adaptations such as ''[[Companions of Xanth]]'' (based on ''[[Demons Don't Dream]]'' by [[Piers Anthony]]) and ''[[Gateway (video game)|Gateway]]'' (based on [[Gateway (novel)|the eponymous novel]] by [[Frederik Pohl]])''.'' Legend also earned a reputation for comedic adventures, with numerous awards for ''[[Eric the Unready]]'' in 1993. As the technology of the game industry changed, Legend continued to expand its [[game engine]] to take advantage of higher [[Video game graphics|graphical]] fidelity, [[Computer mouse|mouse]] support, and the increased media storage of the [[compact disc]].

These industry changes led to difficult competition by the mid-1990s, especially in the adventure game genre. Legend secured an investment from [[Publishing|book publishing]] company [[Random House]] and developed additional book adaptations, such as ''[[Death Gate]]'' and ''[[Shannara (video game)|Shannara]]'', as well as original titles such as ''[[Mission Critical (video game)|Mission Critical]]''. However, the company's expenses for graphics were rising without a similar increase in sales, causing Random House to exit the game industry. Legend found game publishers to take over marketing and distribution so it could focus its efforts exclusively on development. While the studio's adventure titles suffered in the changing marketplace, working with game publishers allowed Legend to experiment with more [[Action game|action]]-oriented titles such as ''[[Star Control 3]]''. In its final years, Legend fully pivoted to [[first-person shooter]]s thanks to a growing relationship with ''[[Unreal (video game series)|Unreal]]'' developer [[Tim Sweeney (game developer)|Tim Sweeney]] and an acquisition by publisher [[GT Interactive]]. The studio released [[The Wheel of Time (video game)|the 1999 game adaptation]] of [[The Wheel of Time|''The Wheel of Time'' book series]], designed using the [[Unreal Engine]] as a first-person action game. However, Legend's sales continued to dwindle, followed by the difficult development and commercial failure of ''[[Unreal II: The Awakening]]'' in 2003. The studio was shut down in January 2004, with staff moving to other game companies.

== History ==

=== Origins ===
{{Quote box
| quote = The business strategy at Legend was clear. ... We were going to make high-quality text adventures for the niche audience that had been abandoned by Infocom. We'd increase the accessibility of the games with great art and a menu-input system in the hope of drawing in a larger audience over time.
| source = [[Mike Verdu]], Legend co-founder<ref name=":1" />
| align = left
| width = 27em
}}

Legend Entertainment was founded in 1989 by [[Bob Bates]] and [[Mike Verdu]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Loguidice|first1=Bill|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mKF5AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA385|title=Vintage Games: An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the Most Influential Games of All Time|last2=Barton|first2=Matt|year= 2012|publisher=[[CRC Press]]|isbn=978-1-136-13758-7|page=385|access-date=October 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027112258/https://books.google.com/books?id=mKF5AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA385|archive-date=October 27, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> The duo met in the 1980s working at [[Infocom]],<ref name=":1">{{cite magazine|last=Mason|first=Graeme|url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/retro-gamer/20180419/281646780718480|title=From the Archives: Legend Entertainment|date=April 2018|magazine=[[Retro Gamer]]|pages=64–71|access-date=March 7, 2021|archive-date=July 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723045708/https://www.pressreader.com/uk/retro-gamer/20180419/281646780718480|url-status=live|issn=1742-3155}}</ref> a critically acclaimed [[Video game developer|developer]] of [[adventure game]]s and [[interactive fiction]].<ref>{{bulleted list|{{cite web|last=Yee|first=Bernard|year=1996|title=Mission Critical Review|url=http://www.gamespot.com/adventure/missionc/reviews.html#gamespotreview|access-date=October 27, 2021|website=[[GameSpot]]|archive-date=February 6, 1997|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970206044908/http://www.gamespot.com/adventure/missionc/reviews.html#gamespotreview|url-status=live}}|{{cite web|last=Fogel|first=Stefanie|date=March 23, 2017|title=7 works of interactive fiction that every developer should study|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/7-works-of-interactive-fiction-that-every-developer-should-study|url-status=live|access-date=April 2, 2021|website=[[Gamasutra]]|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112015635/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/293930/7_works_of_interactive_fiction_that_every_developer_should_study.php}}|{{cite web|last=Musgrave|first=Shaun|date=June 22, 2017|title=Classic Reload – 'Lost Treasures of Infocom'|url=https://toucharcade.com/2017/06/22/classic-reload-lost-treasures-of-infocom/|url-status=live|access-date=April 2, 2021|website=[[TouchArcade]]|archive-date=April 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210402084455/https://toucharcade.com/2017/06/22/classic-reload-lost-treasures-of-infocom/}}|5={{cite magazine|last=Kelly|first=James Floyd|date=May 18, 2011|title=Returning to My Gaming Roots by Revisiting Infocom Text Adventures|url=https://www.wired.com/2011/05/returning-to-my-gaming-roots-by-revisiting-infocom-text-adventures/|url-status=live|access-date=April 2, 2021|magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|archive-date=January 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125020732/http://www.wired.com/2011/05/returning-to-my-gaming-roots-by-revisiting-infocom-text-adventures/}}|6={{cite web|last=Boudreau|first=Ian|date=March 24, 2018|title=There's a Zork reference in The Last Jedi because Rian Johnson is a nerd|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/star-wars-the-last-jedi-zork-reference|url-status=live|access-date=April 2, 2021|website=[[PCGamesN]]|archive-date=September 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921132953/https://www.pcgamesn.com/star-wars-the-last-jedi-zork-reference}}|7={{cite web|last=Bump|first=Philip|date=June 27, 2011|title=Revisiting 'Zork': What We Lost in the Transition to Visual Games|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/06/revisiting-zork-what-we-lost-in-the-transition-to-visual-games/241074/|url-status=live|access-date=April 2, 2021|website=[[The Atlantic]]|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111210837/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/06/revisiting-zork-what-we-lost-in-the-transition-to-visual-games/241074/}}|8={{cite web|last=Reimer|first=Jeremy|date=September 29, 2010|title=Looking back at the Infocom era: A review of Get Lamp|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2010/09/the-great-thing-about/|url-status=live|access-date=April 2, 2021|website=[[Ars Technica]]|archive-date=June 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210612071024/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2010/09/the-great-thing-about/}}|9={{cite web|last=Conditt|first=Jess|date=June 2, 2020|title=Indie history: How shareware helped build Epic Games|url=https://www.engadget.com/indie-video-games-publishing-epic-id-devolver-apogee-gathering-of-developers-150002664.html|url-status=live|access-date=April 2, 2021|website=[[Engadget]]|archive-date=March 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306150622/https://www.engadget.com/indie-video-games-publishing-epic-id-devolver-apogee-gathering-of-developers-150002664.html}}}}</ref> After the commercial success of the ''[[Zork]]'' series, [[Activision]] acquired Infocom in 1986.<ref name=":1" /> They closed the studio three years later due to rising costs, falling profits, and technical issues with [[MS-DOS]].<ref>{{citation|title=Inside the Industry: Infocom's West Coast Move Stirs Controversy|magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]]|page=10|date=September 1989|issn=0744-6667|oclc=8482876}}</ref> Bates decided to seek investment for a new game company, hoping to succeed where Infocom had declined. He told investors that the adventure genre was still viable, but it needed to evolve beyond just text.<ref name=":8">{{cite web|last=Jong|first=Philip|date=February 12, 2001|title=Interview: Bob Bates|url=http://www.adventurecollective.com/articles/interview-bobbates.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010301210732/http://www.adventurecollective.com/articles/interview-bobbates.htm|archive-date=March 1, 2001|access-date=September 29, 2020|website=Adventure Collective}}</ref> After securing funding from [[Arms industry|defense contractor]] American Systems Corporation, Legend Entertainment opened by the end of the year, choosing the name "Legend" for its connotations in storytelling.<ref name=":1" /> Through its lifetime, the studio operated out of [[Chantilly, Virginia]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Poole|first=Stephen|date=February 11, 2002|title=Unreal II Updated Preview|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/unreal-ii-updated-preview/1100-2846883/|url-status=live|access-date=August 17, 2021|website=[[GameSpot]]|archive-date=August 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817182020/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/unreal-ii-updated-preview/1100-2846883/}}</ref> the home of American Systems Corporation.<ref name=":9" />

Initially, the studio recruited former colleagues from Infocom for their experience, including programmer Mark Poesch,<ref name=":1" /> and [[Steve Meretzky]] as an author and developer.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last=Cifaldi|first=Frank|date=October 31, 2005|title=Playing Catch-Up: Infocom's Steve Meretzky|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/97973/Playing_CatchUp_Infocoms_Steve_Meretzky.php|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714135250/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/97973/Playing_CatchUp_Infocoms_Steve_Meretzky.php|archive-date=July 14, 2018|access-date=September 30, 2020|website=[[Gamasutra]]}}</ref> Founder Bob Bates worked with Meretzky on the company's first games.<ref name=":1" /> Although they had experience developing an adventure [[game engine]] at Infocom, Legend hired an outside team to develop their new [[text parser]] in order to avoid [[Copyright infringement|infringing the copyright]] of their old Infocom engine.<ref name=":3">{{cite web|last=Böke|first=Ingmar|date=January 3, 2017|title=Bob Bates – Interview|url=https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/31062|access-date=December 3, 2020|website=[[Adventure Gamers]]|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111180120/https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/31062|url-status=live}}</ref> Legend's debut title was ''[[Spellcasting 101: Sorcerers Get All the Girls]],'' which expanded on Infocom's text-based adventures by adding graphics for each of the game's [[Level (video games)|rooms]].<ref name=":6" /> Meretzky described this as a "fusion of the depth and detail of Infocom games with a graphical presentation that would be more in keeping with what audiences circa 1990 demanded", which led to greater sales than their former studio had.<ref name=":0" /> Although Legend was worried that the game's raunchy humor might upset their investors in the defense industry, they were relieved that their investors were supportive.<ref name=":1" /> At the same time, Bates was developing ''[[Timequest]]'' with the goal of proving there was still a market for adventure games with intricate puzzles.<ref name=":3" /> Legend released ''Timequest'' the following year.<ref name=":2">{{cite magazine|last=Graeme|first=Mason|url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/retro-gamer/20180419/283218738748816|title=Legend Entertainment – Timeline|date=April 2018|magazine=[[Retro Gamer]]|page=66|access-date=March 7, 2021|archive-date=July 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723045650/https://www.pressreader.com/uk/retro-gamer/20180419/283218738748816|url-status=live|issn=1742-3155}}</ref> These first two games earned attention for continuing the legacy of Infocom and signaled a potential rebirth for the adventure game genre.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/Australian_Commodore_Amiga_Review_1991-09|title=Adventure Games – What's New and What's Coming|date=September 1991|magazine=The Australian Commodore & Amiga Review|page=69|access-date=March 7, 2021}}</ref>

Legend also benefitted from a strong relationship with traditional [[Publishing|book publishers]], securing licensing deals for their team's favorite authors while costs were still low.<ref name=":1" /> One of the first major licenses was [[Frederik Pohl]]'s [[science fiction]] novel ''[[Gateway (novel)|Gateway]]'', adapted into [[Gateway (video game)|a game of the same name]] using Legend's now-established adventure game engine.<ref name=":1" /> While all of Legend's games featured graphics, it was possible to turn off graphics for their first few games, and play them as if they were classic text adventures.<ref name=":6">{{cite book|last=Rouse|first=Richard III|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-YhFl6iAGw4C|title=Game Design: Theory and Practice|year= 2004|publisher=[[Jones & Bartlett Publishers]]|isbn=978-0-7637-9811-6|edition=2nd|pages=172–192|access-date=December 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723045650/https://books.google.com/books?id=-YhFl6iAGw4C|archive-date=July 23, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":11">{{Cite book|last=Montfort|first=Nick|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XiJFORKEm0oC|title=Twisty Little Passages: An Approach to Interactive Fiction|publisher=MIT Press|year=2005|isbn=978-0-262-63318-5|page=190|language=en|access-date=November 14, 2021|archive-date=May 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518132056/https://books.google.com/books?id=XiJFORKEm0oC|url-status=live}}</ref> By the end of 1992, Legend were able to buy back American Systems Corporation's stake in the company,<ref name=":9">{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_101|title=Inside the Industry – Legend Entertainment to Buy Back Unit|date=December 1992|magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]]|issue=101|page=116|access-date=December 13, 2020|issn=0744-6667|oclc=8482876}}</ref> and they were selling enough games to easily sustain themselves.<ref name=":1" />

=== Point-and-click adventures ===
In 1993, Legend released ''[[Gateway II: Homeworld|Gateway II]]'' as their last graphic adventure that could still be played in a text-only mode.<ref name=":11" /> The studio continued to expand their game engine, adapting to the popularity of the [[Computer mouse|mouse]] and the increased media storage of the [[compact disc]].<ref name=":3" /> The first project to take advantage of [[CD-ROM]] technology was ''[[Companions of Xanth]]'', which signaled Legend's shift from traditional text adventures to a point-and-click interface.<ref name=":2" /> Programmer [[Michael J. Lindner|Michael Lindner]] had gained valuable design experience from working on ''Gateway'', allowing him to create ''Companions of Xarth'' as a solo project.<ref name=":8" /> Based on the novel ''[[Demons Don't Dream]]'' by [[Piers Anthony]], the game was the first of several games built on the same graphic adventure engine.<ref name=":1" /> ''Companions of Xarth'' was released in 1993, followed by the release of ''[[Eric the Unready]]''.<ref name=":2" /> The latter game received several awards and nominations,<ref name=":4">{{cite web|date=January 10, 1997|title=Legend Entertainment Awards|url=http://www.legendent.com/trophies/trophies.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970110041620/http://www.legendent.com/trophies/trophies.html|archive-date=January 10, 1997|access-date=December 3, 2020|publisher=Legend Entertainment}}</ref><ref name="cgw199611best">{{cite magazine|date=November 1996|title=150 Best Games of All Time|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1996&pub=2&id=148|url-status=live|magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]]|pages=64–80|oclc=8482876|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408023915/http://cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1996&pub=2&id=148|archive-date=April 8, 2016|access-date=March 25, 2016|issn=0744-6667}}</ref> particularly ''[[Computer Gaming World]]''{{'}}s Adventure Game of the Year in 1993 (as a tie with ''[[Star Control II]]'').<ref name="cgw199310">{{cite magazine|date=October 1993|title=Computer Gaming World's Game of the Year Awards|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=111|url-status=live|magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]]|pages=70–74|oclc=8482876|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316201111/http://cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=111|archive-date=March 16, 2016|access-date=March 25, 2016|issn=0744-6667}}</ref> With the release of ''Companions of Xanth'' and ''Eric the Unready,'' Legend earned a reputation for comedic adventures.<ref name="wilson1994082">{{cite magazine|last=Wilson|first=Johnny L.|date=August 1994|title=The Toxic Humormonger|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=121|url-status=live|magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]]|pages=46–48|oclc=8482876|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102213537/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=121|archive-date=January 2, 2018|access-date=March 7, 2021|issn=0744-6667}}</ref> However, Legend's business also began to shift with rising production costs for [[Video game graphics|game graphics]].<ref name=":1" /> [[File:Steve Meretzky 2008.jpg|thumb|[[Steve Meretzky]], a veteran writer and designer from [[Infocom]] who contributed to Legend's reputation for adventure games|alt=An image of game designer Steve Meretzky]]
Around this time, Mark Poesch joined full-time as the director of [[research and development]].<ref name=":2" /> In 1994, Legend enabled Glen Dahlgren to release his first solo project as ''[[Death Gate]]'', an adaptation of [[Margaret Weis]] and [[Tracy Hickman]]'s fantasy book series ''[[The Death Gate Cycle]]''.<ref name=":2" /> That same year, Legend released ''[[Superhero League of Hoboken]]'', where writer Steve Meretzky updated his brand of comedy.<ref name=":2" /> The game was nominated for ''Computer Gaming World''{{'}}s 1994 "Role-Playing Game of the Year" award, praising Meretzky's comedic dialog and imagination.<ref name="cgwpremier1995">{{cite magazine|date=May 1995|title=The ''Computer Gaming World'' 1995 Premier Awards|issue=130|pages=35, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44|magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]]|issn=0744-6667|oclc=8482876}}</ref> However, the game sold fewer than 25,000 copies and became Meretzky's last title with Legend.<ref name=":6" />

Adventure games were at their peak in the early 1990s, but the studio was facing difficult competition in the genre from [[Sierra On-Line]] and [[LucasArts]], who had larger budgets and greater sales.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /> By 1995, Legend attracted a major investment from book publisher [[Random House]],<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2" /> who created a new division called Random Soft to enter the [[multimedia]] software industry.<ref>{{cite web|date=June 22, 1995|title=Business Briefs|url=https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/BUSINESS-BRIEFS-3142864.php|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627030211/https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/BUSINESS-BRIEFS-3142864.php|archive-date=June 27, 2018|access-date=December 13, 2020|website=[[SFGate]]|issn=1932-8672|oclc=8812614}}</ref> At the time, this investment secured Legend from the rising competition due to the booming interest in CD-ROM-based games.<ref name=":1" /> Their relationship with Random House also encouraged them to work with more of their authors,<ref name=":3" /> leading to the 1995 release of ''[[Shannara (video game)|Shannara]]'' based on [[Shannara|the eponymous novels]] by [[Terry Brooks]].<ref name=":2" /> The same year, Legend released ''[[Mission Critical (video game)|Mission Critical]]'', which became notable for the role of [[Michael Dorn]], of ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' fame.<ref name=":2" /> These games were the studio's most graphically complex thus far, but sales were not enough to offset their rising development costs.<ref name=":1" /> Random House decided to abandon its ventures into interactive fiction and terminated their partnership with Legend.<ref name=":2" />

Both Legend founders described this period as a "blessing and a curse", gaining higher graphical fidelity and simplified development on a single compact disc, but slowly watching their costs rise until their games were no longer commercially sustainable.<ref name=":1" /> In hindsight, Bates lamented the loss of the text interface, which removed the "magic" of having players see that the game recognized and rewarded surprising inputs.<ref name=":3" /> Meretzky also felt the shift towards graphics made the games easier and less literary, as well as more expensive.<ref name=":6" />

=== Transformation and dissolution ===
[[File:Bob bates 2015 gdc (cropped).jpg|alt=An image of Bob Bates presenting at the 2015 Game Developers Conference|left|thumb|Co-founder [[Bob Bates]] presenting at the 2015 [[Game Developers Conference]]]]
In the late 1990s, Legend began seeking new partners to sustain the company, particularly [[Video game publisher|game publishers]].<ref name=":1" /> This led to new opportunities for Legend, working with publisher [[Take-Two Interactive]] for ''[[Callahan's Crosstime Saloon (video game)|Callahan's Crosstime Saloon]]'', and working with [[Accolade, Inc.|Accolade]] for ''[[Star Control 3]]''.<ref name=":5">{{cite web|last=Olafson|first=Peter|date=February 1, 2000|title=Legend Snags Unreal II|url=http://pcgamepro.com:80/news/news_unreal2.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000201033822/http://pcgamepro.com/news/news_unreal2.html|archive-date=February 1, 2000|access-date=September 28, 2020|website=[[PC GamePro]]}}</ref> The creators of the first two ''[[Star Control]]'' games had moved onto other projects,<ref>{{cite web|last=Nirvi|first=Niko|date=March 21, 2006|title=''Star Control'' – Kontrollin aikakirjat|language=fi|trans-title=''Star Control'' – Checking the records|url=https://www.pelit.fi/artikkelit/star-controlbrkontrollin-aikakirjat/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160726055705/http://www.pelit.fi/artikkelit/star-controlbrkontrollin-aikakirjat/|archive-date=July 26, 2016|access-date=April 30, 2020|website=[[Pelit]]}}</ref> so Accolade hired Legend to create the third game because of the team's enthusiasm for the series.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=McDonald|first=T. Liam|date=December 1995|title=Star Control 3 – Preview|url=https://archive.org/stream/UneditedPCGamer_marktrade/PC_Gamer_019u#page/n169/mode/2up|magazine=[[PC Gamer]]|volume=2|pages=166–175|access-date=October 20, 2020|number=12}}</ref> As Legend was beginning to explore opportunities outside the adventure game genre,<ref name=":1" /> ''Star Control 3'' combined aspects of adventure, [[Action game|action]], and [[Strategy video game|strategy games]].<ref name="GSrev">{{cite web|last=Soete|first=Tim|date=October 3, 1996|title=Star Control 3 Review|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/star-control-3-review/1900-2533188/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180108063738/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/star-control-3-review/1900-2533188/|archive-date=January 8, 2018|access-date=January 7, 2018|website=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref><ref name="HG101series">{{cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|date=September 11, 2018|title=Star Control 3|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/star-control-3/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223201938/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/star-control-3/|archive-date=February 23, 2020|access-date=April 30, 2020|website=[[Hardcore Gaming 101]]}}</ref> The 1996 release was considered a modest commercial success, surpassing 100,000 sales in its first two months of distribution.<ref>{{cite web|date=November 1996|title=Accolade Rebounds|url=http://www.pcgamer.com:80/news/news1125.html#0|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19971012045355/http://www.pcgamer.com/news/news1125.html#0|archive-date=October 12, 1997|access-date=October 20, 2020|website=[[PC Gamer]]}}</ref> Legend continued to report sales of 100,000–150,000 copies for their adventure games, at a time where the future of the adventure genre was in question.<ref>{{cite web|last=Costikyan|first=Greg|author-link=Greg Costikyan|date=October 21, 1998|title=The adventure continues|url=http://www.salon.com:80/21st/feature/1998/10/21feature.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000816182438/http://www.salon.com/21st/feature/1998/10/21feature.html|archive-date=August 16, 2000|access-date=February 25, 2020|website=[[Salon.com]]}}</ref> However, 1997 brought the commercial failure of ''Callahan's Crosstime Saloon,<ref>{{cite web|last=Robinson|first=Spider|author-link=Spider Robinson|date=December 7, 2000|title=An essay on the making of the CD, "''Belaboring the Obvious''"|url=http://www.spiderrobinson.com/obvious.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061114013104/http://www.spiderrobinson.com/obvious.html|archive-date=November 14, 2006|access-date=March 7, 2021|website=Spiderrobinson.com|via=(Self-Published)}}</ref>''<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Cobbett|first=Richard|date=November 23, 2019|title=Crapshoot: Callahan's Crosstime Saloon, the Planescape of puns|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/crap-shoot-callahans-crosstime-saloon/|url-status=live|access-date=July 8, 2021|magazine=[[PC Gamer]]|archive-date=July 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709190506/https://www.pcgamer.com/crap-shoot-callahans-crosstime-saloon/}}</ref> an adaptation of [[Spider Robinson]]'s [[Callahan's Crosstime Saloon|''Callahan'' book series]] that was poorly marketed by Take-Two.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cobbett|first=Richard|date=July 1, 2016|title=Have You Played... ''Callahan's Crosstime Saloon''?|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/07/01/have-you-played-callahans-crosstime-saloon/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160702013649/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/07/01/have-you-played-callahans-crosstime-saloon/|archive-date=July 2, 2016|website=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]]}}</ref> In 1998, Legend released [[John Saul's Blackstone Chronicles|a game adaptation]] of [[John Saul]]'s ''[[Blackstone Chronicles]]'', which ultimately became their final adventure game release.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|date=February 1, 2012|title=Blackstone Chronicles – Hardcore Gaming 101|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/blackstone-chronicles/|access-date=December 20, 2020|website=[[Hardcore Gaming 101]]|archive-date=July 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708170813/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/blackstone-chronicles/|url-status=live}}</ref>

While the company still experienced sales growth each year, the adventure genre was being outsold by other genres.<ref name=":8" /> Legend shifted strategies with the rising popularity of the [[first-person shooter]]. Game developer [[Tim Sweeney (game developer)|Tim Sweeney]] was developing an engine that would eventually become the [[Unreal Engine]], and Legend designer Glen Dahlgren impressed Sweeney with a vision for ''[[The Wheel of Time (video game)|The Wheel of Time]]'' (based on [[The Wheel of Time|the book series]]).<ref name=":3" /> This led to a partnership with [[Epic Games]], which led Legend to be acquired by publisher [[GT Interactive]] in 1999, as the publisher had worked with both Legend and Epic.<ref>{{cite web|last=Morris|first=Chris|date=January 7, 1999|title=Microsoft buys MechWarrior developer|url=https://money.cnn.com/1999/01/07/life/fasa/|access-date=September 28, 2020|website=[[CNN Money]]|archive-date=October 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019002434/https://money.cnn.com/1999/01/07/life/fasa/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=August 17, 2000|title=GT Buys Legend|url=http://pc.ign.com:80/news/6292.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000817180002/http://pc.ign.com/news/6292.html|archive-date=August 17, 2000|access-date=December 13, 2020|website=[[IGN]]}}</ref> Legend released ''The Wheel of Time'' in 1999, a first-person action game that represented a major shift from their reputation for adventure games.<ref name=":2" /> The game enjoyed more critical than commercial success, overshadowed by other major titles in the first-person shooter genre.<ref>{{cite web|date=August 23, 2004|title=25 Most Underrated Games of All Time – Wheel of Time (PC)|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/september03/25underrated/index17.shtml|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070113181036/http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/september03/25underrated/index17.shtml|archive-date=January 13, 2007|access-date=July 15, 2007|website=[[GameSpy]]}}</ref> Bates lamented that "it was hard to watch as adventure games became less popular. But it was exciting to take our expertise in storytelling and puzzle design into a whole new genre."<ref name=":1" />

After a difficult year for parent company GT Interactive,<ref name=":1" /> they were acquired by French game company [[Infogrames]].<ref>{{cite news|author-link=Bloomberg News|date=November 16, 1999|title=Infogrames Gets Control of GT Interactive|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/16/business/infogrames-gets-control-of-gt-interactive.html|url-status=live|access-date=September 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219104545/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/16/business/infogrames-gets-control-of-gt-interactive.html|archive-date=December 19, 2013|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Legend co-founder Mike Verdu left the company in 2001, deciding he was not happy in the multi-national corporate environment.<ref name=":1" /> Although Bates had similar feelings, he continued with the company.<ref name=":3" /> Epic Games was impressed with Legend's work on ''The Wheel of Time''{{'}}s story and their skill with the Unreal Engine, and agreed to let Legend develop the sequel to ''[[Unreal (1998 video game)|Unreal]]''.<ref name=":5" /> Epic president [[Mark Rein (software executive)|Mark Rein]] announced that ''[[Unreal II: The Awakening|Unreal II]]'' was expected to be released in late 2000.<ref name=":5" /> However, the game's development was fraught with challenges, and the 2003 release was met with an underwhelming reception.<ref name=":2" />

''Unreal II'' would be Legend's final game, by which point GT Interactive had been rebranded as Infogrames, Inc., and later [[Atari, Inc. (1993–present)|Atari, Inc.]]<ref name=":1" /> Legend pitched a few ideas to their parent company, conversing with Atari's offices in New York and Infogrames's in France.<ref name=":1" /> However, none of Legend's ideas fit with the company's corporate strategy.<ref name=":3" /> After shipping the ''[[eXpanded MultiPlayer|Unreal II: eXpanded MultiPlayer]]'' expansion, Atari shut down Legend Entertainment on January 16, 2004.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{cite web|last=Fahey|first=Rob|date=January 19, 2004|title=End of a Legend as Atari shuts studio|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/end-of-a-legend-as-atari-shuts-studio|url-status=live|access-date=July 8, 2021|website=[[GamesIndustry.biz]]|archive-date=July 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708155139/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/end-of-a-legend-as-atari-shuts-studio}}</ref> Many of the former Legend staff went on to have successful careers elsewhere in the industry.<ref name=":3" /> Bob Bates became the [[chief creative officer]] for [[Zynga]], Glen Dahlgren became one of the lead designers on ''[[Star Trek Online]]'', and Mark Poesch became a developer at [[AOL]] and [[Accenture]].<ref name=":10">{{cite magazine|last=Mason|first=Graeme|date=April 2018|title=Legend Entertainment – Where Are They Now?|url=https://archive.org/details/RetroGamerUKAugust2018|magazine=[[Retro Gamer]]|issue=180|pages=64–69|access-date=March 7, 2021|issn=1742-3155}}</ref> Mike Verdu became an executive producer at [[Electronic Arts]],<ref name=":10" /> before becoming a vice president at [[Facebook]] and later [[Netflix]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Wilde|first=Tyler|date=July 14, 2021|title=Netflix Getting Into Game Development|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/netflix-getting-into-game-development/|url-status=live|access-date=August 17, 2021|magazine=[[PC Gamer]]|archive-date=August 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817182021/https://www.pcgamer.com/netflix-getting-into-game-development/}}</ref>

== Games ==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+ {{sronly|List of games developed by Legend Entertainment}}
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Genre
! scope="col" | Publisher
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Awards and nominations
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Abbr|Ref(s).|Reference(s)}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" | 1990
| rowspan="2" | ''[[Spellcasting 101: Sorcerers Get All the Girls]]''
| rowspan="2" | [[Interactive fiction]]
| rowspan="2" | Legend Entertainment
| [[Consumer Electronics Show]] Software Showcase Award
| {{centered|<ref name=":4" />}}
|-
| ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' {{endash}} Adventure Game of the Year (Runner-up)
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|date=November 1991|title=Games of the Year|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_88.pdf|url-status=live|issue=88|page=58|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054532/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_88.pdf|archive-date=March 4, 2016|access-date=December 7, 2020|magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]]|issn=0744-6667|oclc=8482876}}</ref>}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="3" | 1991
| rowspan="3" | ''[[Timequest]]''
| rowspan="3" | [[Interactive fiction]]
| rowspan="3" | Legend Entertainment
| ''[[Game Players]]'' {{endash}} PC Excellence Award
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/GPPCEVol5No2|title=Game Players Annual PC Game Awards 1991|date=March 1992|magazine=[[Game Players]]|volume=5|issue=2|page=37|access-date=December 13, 2020|issn=1087-2779|oclc=34042091}}</ref>}}
|-
| ''QuestBusters'' {{endash}} Best Illustrated Text Adventure
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|date=February 1992|title=Best Quests of '91|url=https://archive.org/details/questbusters-v9n02|magazine=QuestBusters: The Adventurer's Journal|volume=9|issue=2|page=2|access-date=March 7, 2021}}</ref>}}
|-
| ''[[Games (magazine)|Games]]'' {{endash}} Top 100 Games of the Year Award
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|date=December 1991|title=The Games 100|magazine=[[Games (magazine)|Games]]|publisher=Games Publications|volume=15|issue=106|pages=49–58|issn=0199-9788|editor1-last=Hochberg|editor1-first=Burt|editor-link1=Burt Hochberg}}</ref>}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="3" | 1992
| ''[[Spellcasting 201: The Sorcerer's Appliance]]''
| [[Interactive fiction]]
| Legend Entertainment
| ''Games'' {{endash}} Top 100 Games of the Year Award
| {{centered|<ref name="BG1992">{{cite magazine|date=December 1992|title=The Games 100|magazine=[[Games (magazine)|Games]]|publisher=Games Publications|volume=16|issue=112|issn=0199-9788|editor1-first=Burt|editor-link1=Burt Hochberg|editor1-last=Hochberg}}</ref>}}
|-
| ''[[Gateway (video game)|Gateway]]''
| [[Interactive fiction]]
| Legend Entertainment
| ''Games'' {{endash}} Top 100 Games of the Year Award
| {{centered|<ref name="BG1992" />}}
|-
| ''[[Spellcasting 301: Spring Break]]''
| [[Interactive fiction]]
| Legend Entertainment
|
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Ellsworth|first=Gregg|date=December 1992|title=''Spellcasting 301: Spring Break''|magazine=[[Computer Games Strategy Plus]]|issue=25|pages=52, 55}}</ref>}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="11" | 1993
| rowspan="9" | ''[[Eric the Unready]]''
| rowspan="9" | [[Interactive fiction]]
| rowspan="9" | Legend Entertainment
| ''Computer Gaming World'' {{endash}} Adventure Game of the Year
| {{centered|<ref name="cgw199310" />}}
|-
| ''[[Compute!]]'' Choice Award {{endash}} Fantasy Adventure Game of the Year Finalist
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|date=December 1993|title=Compute Choice Awards|url=https://archive.org/details/1993-12-compute-magazine|magazine=[[Compute!]]|issue=159|page=26|access-date=March 7, 2021|issn=0194-357X}}</ref>}}
|-
| ''[[Computer Game Review]]'' {{endash}} Golden Triad Award
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Honeywell|first=Steve|title=Eric the Unready Review|magazine=[[Computer Game Review]]|volume=2|issue=7|date=February 1993}}</ref>}}
|-
| ''Games'' {{endash}} Top 100 Games of the Year Award
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|date=December 1993|editor1-last=Hochberg|editor1-first=Burt|title=The Games 100|magazine=[[Games (magazine)|Games]]|publisher=Games Publications|volume=17|issue=118|issn=0199-9788|editor-link1=Burt Hochberg}}</ref>}}
|-
| ''[[Strategy Plus]]'' {{endash}} Adventure Game of the Year Finalist
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|date=January 1994|title=The Best of 1993...|magazine=[[Computer Games Strategy Plus]]|issue=38}}</ref>}}
|-
| ''Game Bytes'' {{endash}} Adventure Game of the Year Finalist
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Erickson|first=Ross|date=April 29, 1994|title=1993 Game Bytes Games of the Year|url=https://www.dosgames.com/catrun.php?cat=gbytes16&run=GAMEBYTE.EXE|magazine=Game Bytes|issue=16|access-date=March 7, 2021|archive-date=February 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228103225/https://www.dosgames.com/catrun.php?cat=gbytes16&run=GAMEBYTE.EXE|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
|-
| ''Computer Gaming World'' {{endash}} 9th Funniest Computer Game of All Time
| {{centered|<ref name="cgw199611best" />}}
|-
| ''Computer Gaming World'' {{endash}} 11th Most Memorable Game Hero of All Time
| {{centered|<ref name="cgw199611best" />}}
|-
| ''Computer Gaming World'' {{endash}} 7th Most Rewarding Ending of All Time
| {{centered|<ref name="cgw199611best" />}}
|-
| ''[[Gateway II: Homeworld]]''
| [[Interactive fiction]]
| Legend Entertainment
|
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Schuytema|first=Paul C.|date=November 1993|title=Heechee Phone Home|pages=18, 20|magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]]|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=112|url-status=live|access-date=March 28, 2016|archive-date=April 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402224119/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=112|issn=0744-6667|oclc=8482876}}</ref>}}
|-
| ''[[Companions of Xanth]]''
| [[Graphic adventure]]
| Legend Entertainment
|
| {{centered|<ref name="wilson1994082" />}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="9" | 1994
| rowspan="5" | ''[[Death Gate]]''
| rowspan="5" | [[Graphic Adventure|Graphic adventure]]
| rowspan="5" | Legend Entertainment
| ''Strategy Plus'' {{endash}} Animated Adventure Game of the Year Award Finalist
| {{centered|<ref name="cgsp3">{{cite magazine|date=January 1995|title=Strategy Plus Best of 1994|magazine=[[Computer Games Strategy Plus]]|issue=50}}</ref>}}
|-
| ''Computer Game Review'' {{endash}} Golden Triad Award
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Honeywell|first=Steve|title=Death Gate|magazine=[[Computer Game Review]]|volume=4|issue=5|date=December 1994}}</ref>}}
|-
| ''Interactive Gaming'' {{endash}} Editor's Choice Award
| {{centered|<ref name=":4" />}}
|-
| ''Computer Gaming World'' Premier Awards {{endash}} Best Adventure Game Finalist
| {{centered|<ref name="cgwpremier1995" />}}
|-
| ''Games'' {{endash}} Top 100 Electronic Games of the Year Award
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|date=December 1995|editor1-last=Hochberg|editor1-first=Burt|title=The Games 100|magazine=[[Games (magazine)|Games]]|publisher=Games Publications|volume=19|issue=130|issn=0199-9788|editor-link1=Burt Hochberg}}</ref>}}
|-
| rowspan="4" | ''[[Superhero League of Hoboken]]''
| rowspan="4" | [[Graphic Adventure|Graphic adventure]]
| rowspan="4" | Legend Entertainment
| ''Strategy Plus'' {{endash}} Multi-character RPG of the Year Award Finalist
| {{centered|<ref name="cgsp3" />}}
|-
| ''Computer Game Review'' {{endash}} Golden Triad Award
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Honeywell|first=Steve|title=Super Hero League of Hoboken Review|magazine=[[Computer Game Review]]|volume=4|issue=2|date=September 1994}}</ref>}}
|-
| ''Games'' {{endash}} Top 100 Games of the Year Award
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|date=December 1994|title=The Games 100|magazine=[[Games (magazine)|Games]]|publisher=Games Publications|volume=18|issue=124|issn=0199-9788|editor1-first=Burt|editor-link1=Burt Hochberg|editor1-last=Hochberg}}</ref>}}
|-
| ''Computer Gaming World'' {{endash}} Role-Playing Game of the Year Finalist
| {{centered|<ref name="cgwpremier1995" />}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="8" | 1995
| ''[[Shannara (game)|Shannara]]''
| [[Graphic Adventure|Graphic adventure]]
| Legend Entertainment
|
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Yans|first=Cindy|date=March 1996|title=''Shannara''|url=http://www.cdmag.com:80/adventure_vault/shannara/page1.html|url-status=dead|magazine=[[Computer Games Strategy Plus]]|issue=64|page=72|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19971007222848/http://www.cdmag.com/adventure_vault/shannara/page1.html|archive-date=October 7, 1997}}</ref>}}
|-
| rowspan="7" | ''[[Mission Critical (video game)|Mission Critical]]''
| rowspan="7" | [[Graphic Adventure|Graphic adventure]]
| rowspan="7" | Legend Entertainment
| ''Computer Game Review'' {{endash}} Golden Triad Award
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Honeywell|first=Steve|title=Mission Critical Review|magazine=[[Computer Game Review]]|volume=4|issue=9|date=April 1995}}</ref>}}
|-
| ''[[Byte (magazine)|Byte]]'' {{endash}} Game of the Year Award
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Pournelle|first=Jerry|url=http://www.byte.com/art/9604/sec14/art1.htm|title=The Fragrant and the Foul – User's Choice Awards|date=April 1996|magazine=[[Byte (magazine)|Byte]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961220030055/http://www.byte.com/art/9604/sec14/art1.htm|archive-date=December 20, 1996}}</ref>}}
|-
| ''Strategy Plus'' {{endash}} Adventure Game of the Year Finalist
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|title=1995 Game of the Year Awards|date=February 1996|magazine=[[Computer Games Strategy Plus]]|issue=65}}</ref>}}
|-
| ''Computer Game Review'' {{endash}} Adventure Game of the Year
| {{centered|<ref name="cgr19954">{{cite magazine|date=April 1996|title=''CGR''{{'}}s Year in Review|url=http://www.nuke.com:80/cgr/features/9604/yir1995.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961018151714/http://www.nuke.com/cgr/features/9604/yir1995.htm|archive-date=October 18, 1996|access-date=April 5, 2020|magazine=[[Computer Game Review]]}}</ref>}}
|-
| ''Computer Game Review'' {{endash}} Best Graphics of the Year Award
| {{centered|<ref name="cgr19954" />}}
|-
| ''Computer Game Review'' {{endash}} Best Introduction of the Year Award
| {{centered|<ref name="cgr19954" />}}
|-
| ''Computer Gaming World'' {{endash}} Computer Gaming Choice Award
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Cirulis|first=Martin|date=May 1996|title=The Savior Syndrome: Despite Cliches, Legend Scores a Critical Sci-Fi Hit|url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_142|magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]]|issue=142|page=120|access-date=March 7, 2021|issn=0744-6667|oclc=8482876}}</ref>}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1996
| ''[[Star Control 3]]''
| [[Action-adventure game|Action-adventure]]
| [[Accolade, Inc.|Accolade]]
| [[Game Developers Conference]] {{endash}} Best Story, Script or Writing Finalist
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite web|date=April 15, 1997|title=And the Nominees Are...|url=http://www.next-generation.com:80/news/041597e.chtml|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970605172050/http://www.next-generation.com/news/041597e.chtml|archive-date=June 5, 1997|access-date=October 20, 2020|website=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issn=1078-9693}}</ref>}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1997
| ''[[Callahan's Crosstime Saloon (video game)|Callahan's Crosstime Saloon]]''
| [[Graphic Adventure|Graphic adventure]]
| [[Take-Two Interactive]]
|
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Morgana|date=May 31, 1997|title=''Callahan's Crosstime Saloon''|url=http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/002/039/callahans_saloon_review.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041106020314/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/002/039/callahans_saloon_review.html|archive-date=November 6, 2004|access-date=March 7, 2021|magazine=[[Computer Games Strategy Plus]]}}</ref>}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1998
| ''[[John Saul's Blackstone Chronicles]]''
| [[Graphic Adventure|Graphic adventure]]
| [[Mindscape (company)|Mindscape]]
| ''Computer Gaming World'' {{endash}} Best Adventure Game Finalist
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite magazine|date=April 1999|title=''Computer Gaming World''{{'}}s 1999 Premier Awards;''CGW'' Presents the Best Games of 1998|issue=177|pages=90, 93, 96–105|magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]]|issn=0744-6667|oclc=8482876}}</ref>}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" | 1999
| ''[[Unreal (1998 video game)|Unreal Mission Pack I: Return to Na Pali]]''
| [[First-person shooter]]
| [[GT Interactive]]
|
| {{centered|<ref name=":7">{{cite web|last=Prekurat|first=Maciej|date=April 20, 2019|title=Unreal II: The Awakening – Hardcore Gaming 101|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/unreal-ii-the-awakening/|access-date=December 20, 2020|website=[[Hardcore Gaming 101]]|archive-date=January 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121015533/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/unreal-ii-the-awakening/|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
|-
| {{Sort|Wheel of Time|''[[The Wheel of Time (video game)|The Wheel of Time]]''}}
| [[First-person shooter]]
| [[GT Interactive]]
| ''[[GameSpy]]'' {{endash}} 10th Most Underrated Game of All Time
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite web|date=August 23, 2004|title=25 most underrated games of all time|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/september03/25underrated/index17.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070113181036/http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/september03/25underrated/index17.shtml|archive-date=January 13, 2007|access-date=July 15, 2007|website=[[GameSpy]]}}</ref>}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="3" | 2003
| ''[[Unreal II: The Awakening]]''
| [[First-person shooter]]
| [[Atari, Inc. (1993–present)|Infogrames]]
|
| {{centered|<ref name=":7" />}}
|-
| ''[[Unreal II: eXpanded MultiPlayer]]
| [[First-person shooter]]
| [[Atari, Inc. (1993–present)|Atari]]
|
| {{centered|<ref name=":7" />}}
|-
| ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (video game)|Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines]]''
| [[First-person shooter]]
| [[Atari, Inc. (1993–present)|Atari]]
|
| {{centered|<ref>{{cite web|last=Shoemaker|first=Brad|date=August 26, 2003|title=Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Updated Impressions|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/terminator-3-rise-of-the-machines-updated-impressions/1100-6073816/|access-date=December 2, 2019|website=[[GameSpot]]|archive-date=July 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723045651/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/terminator-3-rise-of-the-machines-updated-impressions/1100-6073816/|url-status=live}}</ref>{{efn|Co-development support for [[Black Ops Entertainment]], worked on weapon models and effects}}}}
|}

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961221152712/http://www.legendent.com/|title=Official website|date=December 21, 1996}}
* {{MobyGames company|legend-entertainment-company}}

{{Legend Entertainment}}
{{Infocom games}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|Company|Video games}}

[[Category:1989 establishments in Virginia]]
[[Category:2004 disestablishments in Virginia]]
[[Category:American companies disestablished in 2004]]
[[Category:American companies established in 1989]]
[[Category:Atari]]
[[Category:Companies based in Fairfax County, Virginia]]
[[Category:Defunct companies based in Virginia]]
[[Category:Defunct video game companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Infocom]]
[[Category:Video game companies disestablished in 2004]]
[[Category:Video game companies established in 1989]]
[[Category:Video game development companies]]