It also more or more or less invented the concept of modern esports after runaway success in South Korea turned it into something akin to a national sport. StarCraft's influence went beyond actual gameplay, however. It was the same basic formula that the company extended in StarCraft 2, which is still going strong. The Zerg focused on speed and numbers, the Protoss on fewer, stronger units and the Terran on flexibility.
The key was building three races that played totally different without any one gaining an advantage over the others.
It didn't invent many of the RTS conventions that it showcased, but the balanced conflict between Terran, Zerg and Protoss came to define the genre for years to come.
StarCraft could well be considered one of the most influential games of all time.
