Blizzard Aquires Starcraft Ghost Developer

[bapenguin]

Blizzard announced today they have aquired Swingin' Ape Studios (http://www.blizzard.com/press/acquisition.shtml). Swingin' Ape Studios are currently developing Starcraft Ghost.As part of Blizzard Entertainment, Swingin' Ape Studios will establish the foundation for Blizzard's new console team and will continue development on StarCraft: Ghost™ in that role. Plans for future console games will be announced at a later date.

Steve Ranck, president and co-founder of Swingin' Ape Studios, expressed the team's excitement at joining the Blizzard family. "We've long admired the quality and attention to detail that Blizzard puts into each of its PC titles," said Ranck. "Our approach to game design is very similar, so we expect this to be a seamless transition for us."

[EL CABONG]

Starcraft-smarcraft I want Metal Arms 2

[siz]

How long has this game been in development? I remember seeing screenshots of it nearly 3 years ago. I know Ghost switched hands but weren't they able to leverage at least some of the previous content?

[Buddha Lotus]

Ugh.. *sigh*.. I this going to be Blizzards announcement at E3?

Its really really time for them to introduce something new..

Ghost and Wow are years old in developemnt .. Wow now released of course..

Nothing new announced in years

[Buddha Lotus]

Siz you are right...

I have often thought it will end up being vaporware. Those videos of it from last years E3 were HORRIBLE.

[Zanzibar]

Starcraft-smarcraft I want Metal Arms 2

Yeah, I REALLY enjoyed Metal Arms. If you can find it in the bargain bin, grab it. You won't regret it.

[Mondopest]

Wasnt blizzard reportedly hiring "talented folks" for what everyone assumed would be another Diablo game a few months ago?

[crashedout]

Did they buy them to force them to complete Ghost? Or to kill it?

[Abash Alarmist]

StarCraft 2....

[TrackZero]

What is this now, the 4th development team to work on this game? Where's my Starcraft 2? What is this crap!

[Rakael]

What is this now, the 4th development team to work on this game? Where's my Starcraft 2? What is this crap!

We are in full agreement.

[Finster]

Surreal.

This is like me dating a girl, I dump that girl and tell her she'd be better off dating my best friend. My best friend pisses me off, so I tell the girl to date my new best friend. Then, I kick my new best friend in the nuts, buy his car, his house, and take my girlfriend back.

Blizzard is now the first ever white-trash developer.

[if76]

I totally forgot this game existed. It sounded very ambitious when it was first announced so they have probably been working on scaling that back (a la Fable). I liked the idea of being one person in a full-scale war and I hope they stick with that concept even it if means porting it to the next generation.

[netcraazzy]

Blizzard's new forray into consoles seems to be heading into Diakatana territory here, lets hope the end result isn't nearly as lame.

[EL CABONG]

Three or was it four? ,years ago I was intreasted in Starcraft ghost now after playing 3 Splinter cells It is hard to care about any other stealth action game.

[kid cabelgo]

Hey, I know this sounds crazy, but what if they kept the strategy element in, so maybe you can be the ghost commander of an army. Hit a button and switch to strategy game mode for a bit and build bases and units, gather resources and all that jazz, then switch back to action mode and lead your newly created units into battle.

Am I the only one that misses the short lived genre, "Action-Strategy"? I thought everyone loved Battlezone.

[MosBen]

I'd like a C&C: Renegade, but done a bit better. A Battlezone clone wouldn't be too bad either.

[Heretic Machine]

I'm just gonna say that Blizzard is a monopoly... blah, blah, blah... Standard stuff.

[Crispy951]

i don't care what they decide to work on next just please make it anything...release SC:G and update WoW all you want blizzard, but please work on something fucking new for a change every idk 5 YEARS!

[vornskr]

you fellas bitch a hell of a lot considering you don't have a clue what Blizzard is actually working on. :p

Clearly one of the most popular dev companies in the world is just sitting their asses counting money right? ;p Shaddap already, they'll do what makes them the money, and in the past that means making great games over long periods of time.

I was hoping this thread would have some additional news but all it turned out to be was 2 pages of complaining like you're owed something. jesus christ.

[Abash Alarmist]

Its actually only the second development team...

I still want StarCraft 2.....

[Thin_J]

Its actually only the second development team...

I still want StarCraft 2.....

I thought it was third, but you may very well be right. I didn't follow it that closely.

On the other hand, I think Swingin Ape could definitely turn SC:Ghost into a really great game. Metal Arms was awesome.

[dr_qwandry]

C&C Renagade? Shudder
maybe they are planning to make it for next gen systems? A La Duke Nukem Forever

[T-Dub]

I'm just gonna say that Blizzard is a monopoly... blah, blah, blah... Standard stuff.
A monopoly on what? Good games? That makes no sense.

I agree with what Vornsk (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/member.php?u=85) said about all this bitching. You guys act like you are surprised that blizzard is being picky about this game. Since when has that been a bad thing? Personally I wish that HL2 had a slightly longer dev cycle as it's clearly lacking (*cough* cheats *cough*). Now that the game is released there is no way they can fix the architectural problem that creats the massive amounts of cheats that exist for their games.

So, get off blizzard's back, take a deep breath, and wait for the glory that will be Starcraft Ghost. Yes I fell in love with the game when I first saw it 2 years ago at E3, yes I'm disappointed that it's taking so long. I am also, however, very relieved that they took control away from the first developer who was going to make the game less stealth and more action (DUMB!). It also heartens me to hear that they like this dev team enough to give them the Blizzard name.

[Oblivion]

this might be blizzard's own pet Duke Nukem Forever! how cute!

[dark_inchworm]

It amazes me how much baseless criticism this game gets. Not to say you're all whining pointlessly, but wow...

I'm looking forward to it though. With as long of a development cycle as it's had, and coming from Blizzard, I'd wager it'll do pretty well.. and if it prompted them to make their first studio buyout in nine or ten years (Blizzard North was previously known as Condor, FYI), then it must be coming along splendidly. Just trying to be optimistic :)

I gotta wonder, though: When will they announce something new, when will they start a new franchise, what will happen to the Metal Arms series (Blizz property?), and where's Starcraft 2?

[Rommel]

This game has been a bit of an embarressment for Blizzard, which actually seems to care about it's image and reputation. It was announced so long ago, was taken away from a company, was accidentally announced for next gen systems before backpedaling away the announcement and now the new company was purchased.

[Blue]

Surreal.

This is like me dating a girl, I dump that girl and tell her she'd be better off dating my best friend. My best friend pisses me off, so I tell the girl to date my new best friend. Then, I kick my new best friend in the nuts, buy his car, his house, and take my girlfriend back.

Blizzard is now the first ever white-trash developer.

/wipes tear

That's gold man. Pure gold. I'm now going to use that and claim it's my own amongst my friends, as you haven't copywritten it. Gold.

[mister_slim]

/wipes tear

That's gold man. Pure gold. I'm now going to use that and claim it's my own amongst my friends, as you haven't copywritten it. Gold.
You have been foiled by America's wonderful opt-out copyright system. Hah!

So, is this Blizzard Ape now? Or Blizzard Gorilla? And when is Metal Arms: Ghost In The System coming out anyway?

[Buddha Lotus]

It amazes me how much baseless criticism this game gets. Not to say you're all whining pointlessly, but wow...

I'm looking forward to it though. With as long of a development cycle as it's had, and coming from Blizzard, I'd wager it'll do pretty well.. and if it prompted them to make their first studio buyout in nine or ten years (Blizzard North was previously known as Condor, FYI), then it must be coming along splendidly. Just trying to be optimistic :)

I gotta wonder, though: When will they announce something new, when will they start a new franchise, what will happen to the Metal Arms series (Blizz property?), and where's Starcraft 2?

It isnt baseless if you saw last years E3 videos