It took Microstar Software less than two months to jump on the fast-rising Starcraft bandwagon after the Blizzard game was released last March. Shortly after Starcraft's release, Microstar Software had packaged a collection of Starcraft levels and missions using the Starcraft campaign editor and began selling it under the name Stellar Forces.

　　It just as easily could have named the add-on Stolen Forces, as Microstar was producing the mission pack contrary to the licensing agreement that came with the game. Yes, the campaign editor was available for gamers who bought the game, but Blizzard strictly prohibited anyone from building new missions for commercial use.Last May, shortly after Microstar began distributing the add-on, Blizzard hauled the company into court seeking to have the add-on yanked from shelves and seeking money damages from Microstar for violation of the licensing agreement.Today, an out of court settlement between Blizzard and Microstar will be made public. The settlement - which in effect gives Blizzard what it wanted from its lawsuit all along - Microstar will pull all remaining product from shelves and will pay “an undisclosed amount in settlement to Blizzard."Individual statements by both companies are to be released to news organizations and the gaming press later Monday morning. The settlement, which was hammered out between the two companies a little over a week ago, will also see Microstar destroy all remaining inventory of Stellar Force.For a company like Blizzard, a relatively small, almost boutique-sized developer/publisher, gamer's trust and public perception are key. Which is one of the reasons it releases code to gamers in the first place. Blizzard's reliance on its credibility with gamers is another reason why it views this sort of brand dilution as an act just short of war.“The reason we provide a campaign editor is to provide more value to the gamer,” Blizzard's vice president of business development Paul Sams told GameSpot News. The idea, Sams said is for gamers to build and trade homemade levels and missions over the Net “to have some fun.” Releasing code with the boxed game, as Blizzard has done with both Starcraft and Warcarft II, “extends the life of the product and makes it more of a fun experience,” according to Sams. And while the company has in the past entered into licensing agreements with outside companies - Aztech New Media has already released one Starcraft add-on and WizardWorks has one in development - it fiercely protects its right to choose whom and what it will allow outsiders to produce. “Our customers put us where we are today. We want to insure that they have a high-quality experience,” said Sams. “Gamers have a certain expectation. If the isn't managed or overseen by Blizzard it causes confusion.” Blizzard spokesperson Susan Wooley called the Microstar agreement “good for every game maker,” addressing the message she hopes the settlement sends to others who might consider unauthorized use of game code. Said Sams: “We wanted to make sure the developer was in the driver's seat - and to assure a certain level of quality product to our end users.”In related Blizzard news, Sams declined to comment on what sort of map or campaign editor might be released with Blizzard's upcoming title, Diablo II.