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Games Entertainment

Blizzard Announces New Starcraft Game 402

Posted by CowboyNeal from the rolling-forth-the-juggernaut-of-hype dept.
About a zillion readers wrote in to tell us about all the commotion over at the Blizzard site. Following a countdown, they've announced the latest Starcraft game, Starcraft: Ghost. Note that this game will be console-only, and the FAQ is very adamant that this is not a Starcraft 2.
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Blizzard Announces New Starcraft Game More

Blizzard Announces New Starcraft Game

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  • heres the FAQ in case the page is still hammered.. (Score:4, Informative)

    by kasek ( 514492 ) <<moc.liamg> <ta> <kesakc>> on Thursday September 19, 2002 @09:14PM (#4294206)
    Q: What is StarCraft: Ghost?
    A: StarCraft: Ghost is a tactical-action console game set in the StarCraft® universe.

    Q: How will StarCraft: Ghost be different from other tactical-action console games?
    A: StarCraft: Ghost will be different from other tactical-action games in many ways. Taking on the role of Nova, the game's elite Ghost operative hero, players will be able to:

    Utilize a Wide Range of Elite Ghost Abilities

    Outmaneuver your enemies at sonic speed
    Infiltrate bases and sneak past guards using the cloak ability
    Lock down vehicles and electronic devices to immobilize them
    Engage in both face-to-face firefights and planet-scale warfare

    Leverage the Resources of an Entire Army

    Call down massive Battlecruiser and Siege Tank strikes
    Take control of familiar StarCraft vehicles
    Wield a variety of familiar weapons, such as the Gauss Rifle and Perdition Flamethrower
    Join your allies in battle and do your part to ensure mission success

    Experience the World of StarCraft in 3D

    See the world of StarCraft on a personal level
    Visit familiar planetary settings
    Explore 3D environments designed for strategic interaction
    Use the camera to find unique strategic possibilities
    As Nova, players will be able to scale fences, hang from wires, climb poles and scale walls, and negotiate tightropes

    Unveil the Next Chapter in the StarCraft Saga

    Experience story-driven missions complete with multiple plot twists
    Play a crucial role in the rich StarCraft history
    Engage in combat with a variety of fully rendered units from the StarCraft universe, including the Terran, Zerg, and Protoss

    Q: Is this StarCraft II?
    A: No.

    Q: Will there be a StarCraft II? When?
    A: Although we have not made any announcements and do not have a development or release timeline, we do fully intend to revisit the world of StarCraft on PC at some point in the future.

    Q: Why is Blizzard Entertainment® entering the console arena?
    A: We began our early development efforts in console gaming, and we have always been excited about returning to this arena. Additionally, we've wanted to revisit the StarCraft universe for some time. With StarCraft: Ghost, we are able to do both. Also, due to the game's control interface and tactical-action nature, developing this title for the next-generation console systems makes the most sense. In addition to expanding StarCraft's rich storyline, the game gives players a chance to experience the sci-fi universe from an all-new perspective.

    Q: Does Blizzard plan to develop any other console games?
    A: While we have not made any announcements, we are considering future console development plans.

    Q: What is the relationship between Blizzard and Nihilistic Software, Inc.(TM)?
    A: Blizzard and Nihilistic are co-developing StarCraft: Ghost.

    Q: Why did Blizzard choose Nihilistic as a development partner?
    A: Nihilistic Software, Inc. is made up of a talented group of developers. We chose them because they share our vision and focus in developing games. Their team members have worked on several great titles, and we are very pleased to be expanding the StarCraft universe with them.

    Q: What is the relationship between Blizzard Entertainment and Capcom?
    A: Blizzard and Capcom are co-publishing StarCraft: Ghost in Japan.

    Q: Why did Blizzard choose Capcom as a publishing partner in Japan?
    A: Blizzard has a longstanding relationship with Capcom. We chose them as our publishing partner because we have a great deal of respect for the company and their products.

    Q: When will StarCraft: Ghost be released?
    A: We expect to ship StarCraft: Ghost in late 2003.

    Q: What rating do you expect for StarCraft: Ghost?
    A: We expect StarCraft: Ghost to receive a Teen rating from the ESRB.

    Q: On what platforms will StarCraft: Ghost be available?
    A: We are currently developing the game for multiple console systems. Further details regarding platform/country specifics will be released in the months ahead.

    Q: Will there be a PC and Mac version?
    A: No. StarCraft: Ghost is only being developed for console systems.

    Q: How many copies of StarCraft have been sold?
    A: To date, the StarCraft franchise has shipped over 6 million copies.

    • Re:heres the FAQ in case the page is still hammere (Score:5, Insightful)

      by nachoman ( 87476 ) on Thursday September 19, 2002 @09:34PM (#4294346)
      "We began our early development efforts in console gaming, and we have always been excited about returning to this arena. Additionally, we've wanted to revisit the StarCraft universe for some time. With StarCraft: Ghost, we are able to do both."

      Translation: We wanted to use Blizzard's name and a great game title to enter into the console market.

      I'm not meaning to flame here... But it looks like that to me. It could turn out to be a great game. However I do question how much it will be starcraft and how much it will be star_based_game_set_in_space_with_aliens_and_human _ghost_character.

      If It's good (which I do hope. I've always supported Blizzard), I guess I'll have to buy a console.
      • One thing that many PC gamers tend to not realize is that a Console game will almost always make more money then a PC game. Even a mostly crappy console game sells more copies then some of the best PC games.

        If you take that into account, there is no reason not to do a Console game. And at least they are doing this the right way. Unless I am severly mistaken, the console ports of Warcraft 2, Diablo, and Starcraft have all sucked.

        END COMMUNICATION
      • From the looks of releases such as the ign review, it really does look like it's real Starcraft. The characters and vehicles are all from Starcraft, haivng all the Starcraft abilities (eg. Yamoto and seige tank strikes, vulture bikes). Also, the personalities and for the most part voices look like they are straight out of the original.

        Taking just the Ghost herself, her abilities inclue ALL the ghost's abilities from the game including lock-down, the shotgun, and the ability to call in a primed nuclear strike. Yes, she has more abilities/weapons, but without these the options and tactics would severely limited.

        Add to this the history of the Starcraft universe, and what looks to be an appropriate story tying in the large-scale battle background, I don't see how much more Starcraft you can get.

        I personally don't really do console games, but this looks about as promising as it gets at this stage.

        Looks to me like they've done a good job so far.

        Noims.
      • Or maybe you're forgetting Rock'n'Roll Racing [gamefaqs.com], done by our good friends at Blizzard a decade ago.

        How about The Lost Vikings [gamefaqs.com]?

        Blizzard was doing console gaming long before they were a big PC name.

        "Rock N' Roll Racing may very well be my favorite racing game of all time.
        Created in 1993 by Silicon and Synapse (the guys who also made Lost Vikings
        1 & 2 for the SNES, and who turned out to be Blizzard Entertainment, makers
        of Warcraft I, II, & III, Diablo I & II, and Starcraft for PC),        "

        Console gaming has always been the arena of true gaming, and will always be so because a dedicated machine engineered to game will always have greater market penetration than a general purpose machine which can play games.
      • We wanted to use Blizzard's name and a great game title to enter into the console market.

        I'm not super excited about this title, but if you knew anything about the last generation of consoles you would know that Warcraft II and Diablo came out on a number of platforms, including the PSOne. This is not Blizzard's first console game at all.
    • I've posted the FAQ, Press Release and as many of the screenshots as I could grab on my site. It'll be faster than Blizzard's for the moment ; )

      Check it out [hardcoregamers.com]

    • Uh, how can you have a FAQ when :

      a) They just made the announcement an hour or two ago.
      b) The site is so hammered you can't find out what they hell they announced, let alone frequently ask questions about it.

      I knew Blizzard was high on themselves, but jeez...

  • and heres the press release.... (Score:3, Informative)

    by kasek ( 514492 ) <<moc.liamg> <ta> <kesakc>> on Thursday September 19, 2002 @09:17PM (#4294226)
    Blizzard Entertainment® Announces StarCraft: Ghost(TM)

    Blizzard unveils plans to bring the legendary franchise to console gamers

    MAKUHARI, Japan - September 20, 2002 - During a press conference today at the Tokyo Game Show, Blizzard Entertainment®, a studio of the games division of Vivendi Universal Publishing, unveiled StarCraft: Ghost(TM), a tactical-action console game set in Blizzard's epic StarCraft® universe. StarCraft: Ghost is currently under development and is scheduled for a worldwide release on multiple console systems. The game will be co-published by Capcom and Blizzard Entertainment in Japan; further announcements regarding platform/country specifics will be announced in the months to come.

    In StarCraft: Ghost, players take the role of Nova, a lethal Ghost operative skillfully trained in the arts of espionage and tactical combat. Twenty years of ruthless physical conditioning and techno-psychological instruction have made Nova a being of terrifying potential. With the help of a determined group of allies, players follow a series of story-driven missions, engaging in a deadly mix of planetary battles and dangerous solo operations. To complete their mission objectives, players must execute intelligent tactical decisions while mastering an advanced arsenal of sophisticated weaponry.

    "We're very excited about returning to the StarCraft series," stated Mike Morhaime, Blizzard Entertainment president and co-founder. "Our roots are based in console gaming, and we look forward to developing this universe for the next-generation console systems."

    Key features in StarCraft: Ghost include:
    Revolutionary new style of gameplay featuring enhanced physical and psionic abilities
    Hostile Environment Suit designed to magnify strength, agility, and speed
    Over-the-top special effects offer stunning visuals and unparalleled tactical realism
    Immersive 3D environments showcase rich textures and highly stylized character models
    Unique Calldown abilities allow players to target large-scale attacks from the ground
    A deeply evolving storyline set in Blizzard's gritty sci-fi StarCraft universe

    As the story unravels, players find themselves traversing uncharted terrain and battling adversaries never before seen by followers of the series. Bold 3D graphics give players a new, in-depth perspective on familiar planets and former battlefields from the legendary universe. A dynamic 3rd-person camera view displays dramatic lighting, startling detail, and a blend of realistic and fantastical design. Co-developed by Blizzard Entertainment and Nihilistic Software, Inc.(TM), StarCraft: Ghost is scheduled for release in late 2003. Since its debut in 1998, the #1-selling StarCraft series* has won industry acclaim and has shattered sales records worldwide with over six million copies shipped. Blizzard continued the series with the critically acclaimed StarCraft: Brood War(TM), which won multiple Expansion Pack of the Year awards and is still considered by many critics to be one of the best add-on products to date. Best known for blockbuster hits including the Warcraft®, StarCraft,and Diablo® series, Blizzard Entertainment (www.blizzard.com), a studio of the games division of Vivendi Universal Publishing, is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating many of the industry's most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard's track record includes seven #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company's free Internet gaming service Battle.net® reigns as the largest in the world, with millions of active users.

  • What week is this? (Score:3, Funny)

    by fo0bar ( 261207 ) on Thursday September 19, 2002 @09:17PM (#4294227)
    I forget, do we like or despise Blizzard this week?
  • Well, I'd say this should be the nail in the coffin. The site was basically unusable about 30 minutes ago and they had to shut down the forums completely. I'm guessing this story making the front page of slashdot isn't going to help too much. oh well, Ghost doesn't sound that great anyway, a metalgear-like game from Blizzard?

  • can't wait... (Score:5, Funny)

    by ashot ( 599110 ) <ashot@noSpAm.molsoft.com> on Thursday September 19, 2002 @09:18PM (#4294234) Homepage
    I'll make sure to tell my grandkids..

  • Screenshots (Score:5, Informative)

    by MagPulse ( 316 ) on Thursday September 19, 2002 @09:18PM (#4294237)
    Screenshots [shacknews.com] and the press release [shacknews.com] are attached to the story at Shacknews.com [shacknews.com].
  • Sounds a lot like Command & Conquer: Renegade to me.

    I just hope they do a better job with the storyline. God, that sucked. A few missions in and suddenly... what? I'm done already?!? LAME!

    Even Unreal Tournament had a better story arc, and that's really saying something.

  • Release Date (Score:3, Funny)

    by Disevidence ( 576586 ) on Thursday September 19, 2002 @09:22PM (#4294265) Homepage Journal
    "Starcraft Ghost will be out late 2003"

    So we can expect it sometime in 2006.

  • Bleh (Score:3, Interesting)

    by dswensen ( 252552 ) on Thursday September 19, 2002 @09:23PM (#4294277) Homepage
    A couple years ago or so, when many were heralding the imminent doom of PC games when the next-generation consoles (X-Box, PS2, Gamecube) came out, I sneered and jeered along with the rest of them. PC games, affected at all by these upstart consoles? Ha-ha, ho-ho, it is to laugh!

    Now comes Starcraft Ghost, and I'm no longer laughing. Sure, they may turn it out for the PC at some point (maybe), but it's obvious the console gamers are now getting first pick at Blizzard's new titles. And this isn't some new Mario title or kart-racing game that I couldn't give a tinker's damn about -- this is Starcraft. That's a big deal.

    Not that it will be a selling point for me -- unfortunately, the disposable income to keep up with the technology curve on both the console and PC front is not a luxury I have right now. And so I find myself reacting to the release of a new Starcraft title not with the excitement and joy that I'd hoped, but with mixed disappointment and dread. Gee, thanks, Blizzard.

    • Re:Bleh (Score:3, Funny)

      by autocracy ( 192714 )
      *Fires up WarCraft III on his laptop*

      Yeah, you're right - it's all gone to the consoles. Nothing left for us PC people anymore - even Blizzard has dumped us in abandon. Alright, back to the latest edition of WarCraft.

      • Oh, touche, another Blizzard title exists for the PC -- my airtight argument undone! Curses!

        Yeah, I have Warcraft 3, I like Warcraft 3 -- yet, I am more interested in Starcraft than I am in Warcraft, and so I am disappointed that the next Starcraft game is not available for the PC (yet). That's all I was saying.

        I never said there was nothing left for PC owners. Obviously that's not the case.

    • Re:Bleh (Score:2, Interesting)

      by shut_up_man ( 450725 )
      I'm not sure Starcraft Ghost is a first-tier title though, it sounds more like a bit of an experiment. I feels like Blizzard are licensing the Starcraft brand, and getting Nihilistic to do all the work. I won't be buying a console system just for this game, unlike if it was... Warcraft 3. Or Starcraft 2.

    • Re: not what I got out of it (Score:5, Insightful)

      by King_TJ ( 85913 ) on Friday September 20, 2002 @12:32AM (#4295153) Journal
      Actually, the insistence that this isn't "Starcraft 2" should be a strong clue that PC gamers aren't really missing out on "the next big thing" from Blizzard. This sounds much more like a completely different game, trying to cash in on the popularity of the Starcraft name.

      If you were laughing before at the suggestion that the PC game market would dry up with the new generation of consoles, keep on laughing. Unreal Tournament 2003 will be out for the PC before XBox or PS2 has it. Starcraft 2 is still slated to be on the PC first, from every indication they've given.
      • I hope you're right. And that is a good point -- if they are continuing the Starcraft license, there may be hope for a SC2 on the PC at some point in the future.

        And yes, I am definitely looking forward to UT 2003 on the PC. (I can't understand how anyone can play a FPS on a console. I've tried it, and it's just alien to me.)
    • unfortunately, the disposable income to keep up with the technology curve on both the console and PC front is not a luxury I have right now.. Yes, it is. If you skip gaming on your PC, then your PC will last your 2 more years before obsoletion - possibly even more. Consoles are relatively cheap. If you do the math, you will find that gaming on console and computing on PC is a cheaper solution than gaming and computing on PC.

  • A zillion readers?? (Score:4, Funny)

    by Kappelmeister ( 464986 ) on Thursday September 19, 2002 @09:23PM (#4294280)
    About a zillion readers wrote in to tell us

    Whoa! Karma inflation!

    I knew I should have gotten in on the ground level. Tomorrow my Excellent is going to be Can't Buy A Stick of Gum No More (mostly affected by moderation done to your comments)

  • zerg (Score:5, Funny)

    by StandardDeviant ( 122674 ) on Thursday September 19, 2002 @09:27PM (#4294301) Homepage Journal
    so in this case if the site gets terminally slashdotted, is it a zerg rush?

  • Which console? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Fractal Law ( 122229 )
    Both the FAQ and the press release fail to mention which console Starcraft:Ghost is being developed for.

    Does anyone have any further information?

    Nothing, not even a Blizzard game, will compell me to buy an XBox.

    • Re:Which console? (Score:3, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      "Q: On what platforms will StarCraft: Ghost be available? A: We are currently developing the game for multiple console systems. Further details regarding platform/country specifics will be released in the months ahead.
      Q: Will there be a PC and Mac version? A: No. StarCraft: Ghost is only being developed for console systems. "

      Looking at the sales of consoles in Japan makes it pretty clear there is a PS2 version. The PS2 is outselling the GameCube 4:1 and outselling the xbox 20:1 (Most weeks the obsolete PS1 outsells the Xbox!) according to the magic box [the-magicbox.com] Actually the PS2 has more consoles sold in each market (Japan, US, Europe) than its combined compeditors do worldwide! Nintendo or MS would have to be doing some big behind the scene deals to keep it off the PS2.

      Nihilistic (which just hired their 18th employee according to their webpage) only has PC experience. My guess is they're making a GameCube and Xfx-box version and having another company port it to the PS2. Development for the GC is almost as nice as Xbox development (My opinion, I've worked with both systems). Development on both systems in parallel is quite possible. The PS2 is a real pain to work with, a small studio like this won't have the resources for all three consoles IMHO. Heck I don't know if they could pull off a quality PS2 exclusive version that looks like other company's 2nd and 3rd gen products. Unless most of those 18 guys are programmers, or they've got one super programmer without a life outside of work.

      And cube.ign.com [ign.com] covered the story in their GameCube and Xbox previews section, not in their PS2 section.

  • Starcraft: Ghost (Score:3, Funny)

    by sielwolf ( 246764 ) on Thursday September 19, 2002 @09:33PM (#4294345) Homepage Journal
    Sounds all very... Metal Gear Solid. Hmmm. I've never been a big fan of Starcraft (but most RTS's don't put wind in my sail).

    And now Blizzard is going to go from their gold standard (the RTS) into unfriendly waters (the Tactical Sim)? Of course they can never go long with this dialogue:

    Ghost: "The truck have started to move!"
    Templar: "I feel asleep!"
  • So is it just another third person game on the market like Star Fox Adventures will be? (Another game which has changed format) I suppose it has the world advantage and probally a good story line. I'm not sure that's gona be enough to get the better of the other games in the same market.
  • Starcraft stands out in my mind as having an entertaining single-player mode -- IMO, none of the Warcrafts (or the other clones) had that, so I hope it's something that they continue in this game. The missions made sense in terms of one another, but didn't get too distracted away from the basic gameplay.

    I also liked the cinematics (esp. those in Broodwar); I felt combination of events and score worked really well together.

    So, let's hope we have another winner here -- I need something to play when I'm on a long flight (and as such deprived of a good broadband connection).

  • Starcraft 2 (Score:4, Informative)

    by Vireo ( 190514 ) on Thursday September 19, 2002 @09:36PM (#4294357)
    Nevertheless, Starcraft2.com [starcraft2.com] is up.

    • [root@mike pts/1 root]# whois starcraft2.com
      *snip*
      Domain Name: STARCRAFT2.COM

      Created on..............: Fri, Sep 24, 1999
      Expires on..............: Wed, Sep 24, 2003

      Blizzard's had this name for over two years. That's pretty standard practice, to grab domains you think you might use.

  • Nobody should really be surprised by this... (Score:5, Informative)

    by Akardam ( 186995 ) on Thursday September 19, 2002 @09:39PM (#4294373)
    Blizzard origionally was a console company. What is now known as Blizzard was once Silicon & Synapse. One of their more popular games was Rock & Roll Racing, which, if memory serves, was produced for Nintendo. There have been rumors of them returning to their console roots someday, and with everybody and their brother making consoles these days, it's not surprising that they'd want to "re-expand" into that lucrative market.

    As for me, I'm not excited really, because I'm not a console gamer, and because Blizzard's handling of the BNETD situation left a bad taste in my mouth. But, they do have a rep for making good games, so I guess we'll see how well they do on this one.
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • To see if this xbox "emulator" [caustik.com] is really viable.

    OK, emulator is maybe the wrong word, I guess it's really an implimentation of the xbox libs (XTLs) under win32; ala what WINE is for Linux and the Win 16/32 enviroment.

    The author did mention that he intends to make cxbx open source in the future. OK, there's the info, is it viable?
    • Not very likely. Xbox games are often statically linked to their libraries for performance. If the emulator doesn't model the hardware at a very low level, most games won't run.

  • Next up: (Score:5, Funny)

    by sulli ( 195030 ) on Thursday September 19, 2002 @09:55PM (#4294450) Journal
    Starcraft: Ghost: Coast to Coast

  • Looks good (Score:3, Interesting)

    by NeoSkandranon ( 515696 ) on Thursday September 19, 2002 @09:58PM (#4294466)
    But blizzard will be missing out on my (and i would guess many others') business by making this console only. I do not have the money to burn to buy a game-only system for one game. I have to question the intelligence of a PC game maker totally ditching it's biggest supporters (*gasp* the PC gamer market)

    • Re:Looks good (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Babbster ( 107076 )
      And I have to question the intelligence of a PC gamer who sees the development of ONE console game as "totally ditching it's [sic] biggest supporters."

      I would have to question as well the intelligence of a PC "gamer" who doesn't own and appreciate at least one of the current consoles (for me, it's all three plus the PC), but that's another topic entirely.

      Blizzard doesn't seem to be abandoning anyone to my eyes. They are developing a game in an entirely different genre from its PC-based predecessor and intending to use it to generate interest and sales in a market they were not previously competing in. That just sounds like smart business to me. I might understand all of the anti-Blizzard sentiment on this IF the new Starcraft-based game was going to be the RTS sequel to the originl and coming exclusively to consoles, but it isn't.

      If they announce Diablo III, Warcraft IV and/or Starcraft II (sequels in the spirit of the originals) as console exclusives, THEN I would start to worry (and maybe even piss and moan). Until then, take a pill and go back to Warcraft III.

  • ... does it mean I can finally play a major commercial title over my 2400bps Telnet session, just like I played NetHack 1.0 in the ole days?
  • Tactical Espionage with a plot that makes sense!

  • Console (Score:5, Funny)

    by zapfie ( 560589 ) on Thursday September 19, 2002 @10:14PM (#4294542)
    Note that this game will be console-only

    Sweet! I always wanted a text-only version of Starcraft on my Linux box.. hm.. I wonder if it will play anything like nethack..

  • You know you've been using computers for too long (Score:5, Funny)

    by da cog ( 531643 ) on Thursday September 19, 2002 @10:24PM (#4294582)
    when you see "Console Only" and think "COOL! Finally, ASCII art is making a come back!"
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • this isn't the first Starcraft for a console - they put one out for Nintendo64 before [gamefaqs.com]

    that was just a port though
  • Man, I think I must have been using Linux for too long, I read that title as that the game is being released for the "Console", I had visions of little ascii space ships on the screen.
  • I mean, really... I have never seen one single game with like "Hey this looks like my friend's mom" women in them. and they are always lightly dressed and no matter how advanced the the physics engine is, they *always* malfunctions on the chest department...

    Actually I had a friend whose mom looked like a chick in a game... but see -- that's the wrong way around.

    For once, man... somebody make a game with realistic people in them, huh?

    I mean, after all they did such a wonderful job modelling the zerg after the cockroach under my stove and such....

  • Remember bnetd? (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Windcatcher ( 566458 )
    It doesn't matter. After what they pulled, they're dead to me. I'm through with Blizzard.

    And I've never even USED bnetd. That's how upset what they did makes me.

    • It's kind of funny that something happened which is pissing you off enough to stop you from playing a game and dealing with a company, and, in contrast, I don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about.

      It's a big world out there.

  • I won't buy... (Score:3, Troll)

    by Eric Damron ( 553630 ) on Thursday September 19, 2002 @11:37PM (#4294910)
    Maybe when they stop trying to kill the bnetd project I'll consider buying from them again.

    I can't help it. I just have a hard time giving my money to a company that is trying to kill a great open source project by using the DMCA.

    So until they stop what they're doing to the bnetd group, I say fuck 'em!
    • The insane amount of shit I've taken from other people when I tell them about why I'm not buying (or playing) Blizzard products is just insane. Hold the line, we are not their goddamned slaves...


      In my book, Blizzard is no better than the Scientologists, in that both breed cults of ill-manner folk, and then get their dander up when anyone dissents.
      -ChaoticCoyote

  • fleh (Score:2)

    by glwtta ( 532858 )
    one of those concepts that sounds really cool, for about 15 minutes... oh and console only (I won't be surprised if we hear that it's going to be on one console only, fairly soon)

    that and WC3 is beginning to suck only two days after I bought it... not a good Blizzard week all around.

    Just registering my disgust on the internet.

  • Anyone remember the X-Com first-person shooter? It basically had nothing in common gameplay-wise with the highly successful X-Com games; it was just an FPS in vaguely the same setting taking advantage of the X-Com name. It was not very successful.

    My tentative prediction is that Starcraft: Ghost will fare similarly.

  • Why it wasn't Starcraft 2 (Score:4, Insightful)

    by EvlG ( 24576 ) on Friday September 20, 2002 @02:24AM (#4295465)
    Come on guys, it's not that hard.

    Warcraft 3 is the fastest selling PC game of all time. It continues to top the charts since its release. In fact, this week is the first time it wasn't #1.

    With those kinds of numbers, its obvious Blizzard will do an expansion for it - its easy money!

    Now imagine they announced Starcraft 2 would be out next year. That would cannibalize sales of Warcraft 3, and kill any opportunity of an expansion. Everyone would be waiting for Starcraft 2 instead.

    This is why they didn't announce Starcraft 2 today. In fact, the PR guys confirmed several days ago that Starcraft 2 isn't even in development - they are focused on making as much as they can from Warcraft 3 right now.

    Who knows what will come after the Warcraft III expansion - something with Diablo? Something new? But I don't think we will see Starcraft 2 for at least 3 years.
  • I wrote a bunch about it in my journal [slashdot.org]. Basically, its started off as a countdown timer on the blizzard site without any background (started at 10hours, I recall).
    Each hour, during odd times, the clock flashed green for a second. People took down the time, noticed all numbers were between 0-25. They translated it to letters, then turned it around, and it made words that terran ghosts said when you clicked on them in starcraft ("Somebody call for an exterminator", etc...).
    Each hour, the picture got more in focus.
    Eventually, people started understanding that it had something to do with starcraft, so it moved to StarCraft2.com [starcraft2.com].

    Now, everyone started looking at the 'fading in' picture, and trying to determine what it would be (there were two popular ideas, one was kerrigan, queen of the zerg, the other was a protoss-zerg hybrid).

    Eventually, the time came up, found out it was a console shooter, and a million fans turned livid with the disappointment that SC2 still isn't even a thought at blizzard (yeah, they say they are gonna revisit it, but they've said that for YEARS).

    It really puzzels me that Blizzard is putting it off. StarCraft is STILL one of the most popular online RTS's. Its not like they are still making money on SC anymore.
    Why not just make a second one off the WC3 engine???

  • somethingawful.com (Score:3, Funny)

    by naChoZ ( 61273 ) on Friday September 20, 2002 @08:57AM (#4296426) Homepage Journal
    Does anyone follow this site?

    They poked fun at Blizzard a few months ago. [somethingawful.com]

    Excerpt:

    Warcraft I: Play as humans fighting the Orcs, or fight as Orcs playing the humans, or as a human playing the humans playing the Orcs fighting the humans. Either way it will just end up with you building a really long highway until your serial connection gets yanked out by your college roommate's ugly girlfriend.
    Diablo I: Point and click your way through a world full of monsters... monsters that want to KILL YOU but you must KILL THEM FIRST! Although your character's strength, intelligence, and dexterity stats will increase based on the number of times you repeatedly smash the left mouse button, you will personally experience a decrease in your own strength, intelligence, and hygiene stats based on the number of hours you play.
    Starcraft: It's not at all like Warcraft in space! It's something different! For example, can you perform peon rushes in Warcraft? Yeah, that's what I thought! Also there are no trees or lumber to harvest in space because that would just be silly. Make sure you have a lot of Space Supply Barns because the only way to colonize small square sections of the galaxy is by constructing countless Space Supply Barns. In addition to playing as humans, you can either choose to play as the Zerg (gross aliens) or the Protoss (Egyptian poop-shaped guys who somehow launched themselves into space).
    Warcraft II: This game is completely different from Warcraft I, except in the regard that it is exactly the same (without the road-building part). I think maybe the trees and goldmines look more realistic, but I don't remember. Oh, and there are turtle submarines.
    Diablo II: Point and click your way through a world full of NEW monsters... NEW monsters that want to KILL YOU but you must KILL THEM FIRST! There are also a bunch of new character classes such as the Amazon, Barbarian, Necromancer, Neuromancer, Hamstermancer, and Haberdasher.

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