Editing Legend Entertainment (section)

== 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>