It's Official! Starcraft 2 Announced by Blizzard

[WastelandDan]

While some will surely hail it as a new dawn in the age of RTS, and some will claim that it's heralding in the End of Days, Blizzard (http://www.blizzard.com/) has finally announced that their new product is Starcraft 2!

Blizzard Entertainment today unveiled StarCraft II, the sequel to its award-winning real-time strategy game StarCraft, at the 2007 Blizzard Worldwide Invitational event in Seoul, South Korea. The announcement took place inside the Olympic Gymnastics Arena, in front of thousands of attendees, who received a presentation that included a StarCraft II cinematic trailer and a gameplay demonstration by the development team.

Designed to be the ultimate competitive real-time strategy game, StarCraft II will feature the return of the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg races, overhauled and re-imagined with Blizzard’s signature approach to game balance. Each race will be further distinguished from the others, with several new units and new gameplay mechanics, as well as new abilities for some of the classic StarCraft units that will be making a reappearance in the game. StarCraft II will also feature a custom 3D-graphics engine with realistic physics and the ability to render several large, highly detailed units and massive armies on-screen simultaneously.

“With StarCraft II, we’ll be able to do everything we wanted to do with the original StarCraft and more,” stated Mike Morhaime, president and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We recognize that expectations are high following the long-running popularity of the original game, but we plan to meet those expectations and deliver an engaging, action-packed, competitive experience that StarCraft players and strategy gamers worldwide will enjoy.”

StarCraft II will include a unique single-player campaign, as well as fast-paced online play through an upgraded version of Blizzard’s renowned online gaming service, Battle.net. In addition, the game will come with a powerful, full-featured map editor that will put the same tools used by Blizzard’s designers into the hands of players.

Blizzard is developing StarCraft II for simultaneous release on the Windows and Macintosh PC platforms. Further information about the game, including details on the single-player, multiplayer, and map-editor features, as well as system requirements, pricing, and availability, will be announced in the months ahead. To learn more about StarCraft II, please visit the official website at www.starcraft2.com. (http://www.starcraft2.com./)

It's no Worlds of Starcraft, but it'll do! Thanks to IGN for the live updates!

[Gamefreaks]

I just peed a little

[Elo]

Screens look very meh.

http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/790/790131/starcraft-2-20070519000515560.jpg

[Sazime]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUXoekeDIW8

Woo!

[dotbomb]

This makes me happy.

[SymetriX]

Absolutely amazing screenshots!

Here are some more from IGN:

http://media.pc.ign.com/media/850/850126/imgs_2.html

[Adewade]

Does anyone have a link to a trailer that works? The youtube one up above cuts off 19 seconds in... and I'm not finding anything on google.

I want to see this game in motion!

[Sazime]

Does anyone have a link to a trailer that works? The youtube one up above cuts off 19 seconds in... and I'm not finding anything on google.

I want to see this game in motion!
I think the video is getting hammered. A buddy of mine is having trouble too...

[Disgustipated]

While some will surely hail it as a new dawn in the age of RTS, and some will claim that it's heralding in the End of Days, Blizzard (http://www.blizzard.com) has finally announced that their new product is Starcraft 2!

It's no Worlds of Starcraft, but it'll do! Thanks to IGN for the live updates!

Why the fuck would anyone want World of Starcraft right now?

SC2 is fine. I still haven't played SC1, though...

[Elo]

The trailer is just a saturated phone cam recording of a cgi sequence, no game footage. I'm sure blizzard will have a media package out tomorrow, they might wait till Monday though.

[Inglorion]

What the hell is this?! I was told PC gaming was dead. I feel ripped off.

[Grimmjow]

Why the fuck would anyone want World of Starcraft right now?

SC2 is fine. I still haven't played SC1, though...

because people LOVE the SC universe...plus it would PRINT MONEY!

edit: for Blizzard atleast

[Banacek]

I loved StarCraft for a long time, but those days are gone. Though I can't blame them for making SC2, it makes perfect sense. The only thing that seems stupid in this whole shebang is Nuke Cola. Unless it's made with Nuke from Robocop 2.

"I'm coming for you Cain."

[shnastybiznastic]

Why the fuck would anyone want World of Starcraft right now?
Not because it makes sense financially, but because it would flesh out the lore and fluff of the universe. Similar to what WoW did for the Warcraft Universe. I don't think I would have the time to invest in actually playing it on the same schedule as everyone else, but it would be really nice to see some of the interesting dynamics in the SC world played out.

[Qoz]

WOOOOW! That above screenshot is so cool!!

They could have made it a bit more next-gen looking, but I would much rather have steady FPS instead. Remember SC has alot of units, so situations will happen with ALOT of action going on. It would be a shame if you needed a Dual-Quadcore and SLI-setup to run it at mediocre speed.

It still looks really good! Damn I'm looking forward to this.

Any release date?
Or a link the HD version?

[kid cabelgo]

The thing that amazes me the most from those screenshots is how it looks EXACTLY like starcraft 1 with a 3D facelift.

I think I'm actually fine with that.

[Crono]

This is the best announcement of the year in my book.

[PopoWRX]

I wish it had deformable terrain+destructible environments but I guess thats asking for too much resources with the audience Blizzard wants to hook in.

[shnastybiznastic]

The thing that amazes me the most from those screenshots is how it looks EXACTLY like starcraft 1 with a 3D facelift.

I think I'm actually fine with that.
I would call it optimal.

I'm a little aprehensive about some of the stuff in the screenshots. Part of what made the first Starcraft seem like Australia in space were the environments. I don't know what to make of woman-outline-product and cola ads in game. It seems chronologically removed from the Starcraft I knew and loved.

[Fyd]

To finish the video just reload the page, push pause and wait to finish again.

[Inglorion]

sc2.avi (http://www.achelus.com/sc2.avi)

I like how they made the Terran guy in the trailer squat and bulbous -- like how things looked in the first game.

BTW, has anyone a translation of what was said on the monitor, and at the end there? Probably something akin to "Let's kick some [derogatory slang for enemy] ass".

[Suicidal ShiZuru]

So you guys thought it was gonna be an MMO? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Its about damn time they announced this...

[Pigeon]

got this off of curse-gaming.com:
Just minutes ago, at the Worldwide Invitational in Seoul South Korea, Blizzard Entertainment announced Starcraft 2. SC2 is going to be an RTS, with some of the old units using new abilities, as well as newly created units.

* Protoss can create force fields anywhere, and phase fields that teleport units to anywhere on the battlefield.
* Zerglings can mutate into incredibly powerful, moving bombs.
* New Protoss unit: Immortals; They have a special shield that activates when being powerfully attacked.
* New Protoss unit: Stalker; Is a quadroped type creature that has a blink ability.
* New Terran unit: Reapers; They can hop across uneven terrain using jump packs, and seem to be the counter to Immortals, with two pistols that don't activate the Immortal's shield.
* New Protoss unit: Colossus; Has dual laser weapons and very long legs, allowing them to traverse difficult terrain.
* New Protoss unit: Phoenix; Can charge weapons for multiple blasts, but once charge is used, ship is left inert for a short period.
* New Protoss unit: Warprey; Flying unit that does increasingly higher damage the longer its laser hits a target.
* New Protoss unit: Mothership; You can only have one of these at a time. It has abilities like Timebomb, which creates a field around it stopping enemy missles inside. When the field fades, the missles fall to the ground. Can also use Planet Cracker, which fires a beam from the mothership down to the ground. Can also create a Black Hole in places, which literally sucks ships into it, destroying them.

[theevilnarwhale]

I'm quite excited. In my pants.

[Abash Alarmist]

I am so fucking glad that it isn't some MMO garbage. It wouldn't make sense financially, all they would do is cannibalize their own market. Also, it wouldn't fit the universe. The only races that would even be able to play would be a small number of Protoss, and the Terrans. I doubt, in all seriousness, that they would be able to make it 'fun' to want to play a Zergling.

Anyways, I am just glad that it is coming. It looks a bit cartoony, as is the style of Blizzard, but I am soooo glad that it is finally coming. Yay.

[alexander|thegreatest]

I realize many people welcome the mildly updated graphics (to put it nicely), but this just looks too much like Starcraft 1 to get me excited.

I think they're targeting this game at a userbase that's very narrow in the US and Europe.

PS

Just read the featurelist from curse-gaming above. Yeah this sounds almost like an expansion pack.

[Inglorion]

I realize many people welcome the mildly updated graphics (to put it nicely), but this just looks too much like Starcraft 1 to get me excited.
This is the wrong place for trolling. Try Gamespot's forums.

[Darkmatter]

Screenshots are to colorful and cartoony for my taste but we don't know how close this is to the finnished look. Either way I'm excited. Hell, it could be some grey moving cubes on a flate plane and I'd probably still be excited if it had "Starcraft 2" on it. :)

[shnastybiznastic]

Just read the featurelist from curse-gaming above. Yeah this sounds almost like an expansion pack.
Actually, that sounds like any given difference between warcraft versions.

[Joestar]

Screens do look meh, but looks awesome in motion.

In-game video found here. (http://www.gamebrink.com/news/973-Starcraft_II_First_InGame_Video.html)

[Paranoia]

Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tyrant]

Yeeeeeeah! Hell yeah! Whooooo! Yes!

Now it'll probably be only 2 more years before the game's release!

[alexander|thegreatest]

Actually, that sounds like any given difference between warcraft versions.

Actually, Warcraft 3 had a brand-new Hero system and twice as many factions as Warcraft 2.

Also it's great how I'm "trolling" by saying anything other than "boner boner boner".

[Joestar]

Oh, it's so ON. (http://www.starcraft2.com/)

Dear God it looks awesome.

[Inglorion]

Screenshots are to colorful and cartoony for my taste but we don't know how close this is to the finnished look.
I think it's safe to say that it's pretty close to the final look -- else they wouldn't have showed the demo. They just said it wasn't the final thing so some rabid fans wouldn't go ape when Blizzard changes a few things around.

[Chameleo]

tycho was pretty sure it was going to be an MMO.

i'm glad it isn't.

but i bet we will see a starcraft MMO after SCII - in the same vein as WCIII --> Expansion --> WoW.

So expect to be playing a Starcraft MMO in 2012 or so.

[Joestar]

The site is up, with a look at the protoss section. Plus the trailers. What are you guys waiting for?

[Suicidal ShiZuru]

A Starcraft MMO would be freaking retarded... It would be some random ass hybrid of Tabula Rasa, WoW and fail.

[shnastybiznastic]

Actually, Warcraft 3 had a brand-new Hero system and twice as many factions as Warcraft 2.
A valid point. What then, under your criteria would make a game more of a sequel than an expansion?

Also it's great how I'm "trolling" by saying anything other than "boner boner boner".
I never said that, and I didn't mean to imply it.

[Hemalin]

No more Dragoons. :'(

[Yellowman]

Actually, Warcraft 3 had a brand-new Hero system and twice as many factions as Warcraft 2.

Also it's great how I'm "trolling" by saying anything other than "boner boner boner".

Yeah but the whole point was that nobody wants a hero system in Starcraft, just and incredibly balanced straight RTS. And hopefully that is what we are getting.

[alexander|thegreatest]

A valid point. What then, under your criteria would make a game more of a sequel than an expansion?

It's probably too early to say this with any confidence, but judging from those screenshots I'd say the gameplay experience will me mostly identical.
I do realize that's what the majority of people who still play Starcraft want. But as I said, I think those people are getting kinda rare outside of Korea.

It's certainly disappointing to me because I had very high expectations in terms of innovation.


I never said that, and I didn't mean to imply it.
Sorry, it wasn't directed at you.

[PopoWRX]

I can see why they didn't add another faction (Looking at you Xel'Naga), in that it would make it even more of a headache to balance then before.

After reading the site, the Immortals aren't really new units btw, just Dragoons with updated suits. :P

While I'm really happy SC2 was announced, I should of known it wasn't going to graphically awe me as it has been Blizzard's MO to target a wide range of computers.

[CapnAJ]

Hmm... is that what all the build up was about?! Oh well.

[shnastybiznastic]

It's probably too early to say this with any confidence, but judging from those screenshots I'd say the gameplay experience will me mostly identical.
I do realize that's what the majority of people who still play Starcraft want. But as I said, I think those people are getting kinda rare outside of Korea.

It's certainly disappointing to me because I had very high expectations in terms of innovation.
Well, one front Blizzard could innovate on would be interface. They seem to be implying in the FAQ on the official site that they will be innovating in scope also. It will be interesting to see what additional information they let slip over the next few months.

[Qoz]

Alexander:
They ARE innovating, but staying true to the concept.

What you are looking for is a different game than Starcraft. Your point about people being tired of SC is simply not true. SC is played alot - even outside Korea. I still love Starcraft, but I'm not playing it anymore because I miss the GUI enhancements made in WC3 and I need a proper B.Net matching system (like WC3 too). I think alot of people feel the same way, and when they introduce these features in SC2, a new singleplayer campaign and new units we will all buy it and ENJOY it!

Blizzard is innovating, but in the more subtle sense with GUI, design, gameplay, balance etc. WoW for example could be described as an EQ rip-off, but they polished the gameplay, design and features so everyone loved it. They will do the same with SC2 I hope. There is still a little concern regarding the game, because alot of ex-Blizzard actually made the original, but so far the screenshots look great.

[PopoWRX]

There is still a little concern regarding the game, because alot of ex-Blizzard actually made the original.

Yea, Steig Hedlund was the man who helmed the original Starcraft and he is off making Gods and Heroes.

Also several have gone off and make different studios and what not, so, it should be interesting where this Blizzard takes SC.

[Rirath]

Screens look very meh.

You sir are INSANE.

[Tricky Thumb]

I'm very happy that we're all getting a Starcraft 2, but don't forget there is still Blizzcon later this year and the fact that Blizzard is in the market to hire "Next-Gen MMO" members to its stable.

I really do expect the same triple-hit combo as WCIII, Frozen Throne and MMO.

Also, could any of you be any more bitchier about the concept of a Starcraft MMO? It really seems like a familar tune, oh wait, that's right. It's exactly the tune people were singing when Blizzard made WoW. Funny, that.

[Mr.Zip]

I can see why they didn't add another faction (Looking at you Xel'Naga), in that it would make it even more of a headache to balance then before.

I'd have to agree. StarCraft holds a very special place in my heart and I'm glad it remains a "true" rts but I'm surprised that another race wasn't introduced- whether it be a hybrid (think BroodWar bonus mission) or the Xel'Naga.

Regardless, I'm FREAKIN pumped! And I love the direction they went with the models. Now, how long do we have to wait?

[RMan]

I wish it had deformable terrain+destructible environments but I guess thats asking for too much resources with the audience Blizzard wants to hook in.
I'd imagine the not being fun part stopped them before the technical limitations.

The stuff looks really cool though, definitely one I'll be picking up.

[Ancalagon]

I think its a pity that Blizzard weren't willing to think outside the box a little for this one for fear of alienating its fans. They should have introduced a new race, instead the marketing for it focuses on it being a balanced RTS. That was what SC1 ended up being famous for, but initially it was just a good game, fun to play, involving storyline, good race dynamics. Now they seem to focus more on extending SC as a sport than on creating a new game that continues the epic story.

[Housemixer]

I'd have to agree. StarCraft holds a very special place in my heart and I'm glad it remains a "true" rts but I'm surprised that another race wasn't introduced- whether it be a hybrid (think BroodWar bonus mission) or the Xel'Naga.

Regardless, I'm FREAKIN pumped! And I love the direction they went with the models. Now, how long do we have to wait?

Perhaps there will be another race, I can't imagine they showed everything they have about SC2, they must have another ace up their sleeves.

[Inglorion]

Seeing a high-res version of the trailer was immensely cooler than the shabby YouTube thing. Duh?

Here's a mirror: http://rapidshare.com/files/32154215/StarCraft2CinematicTrailer_EnglishUS.avi

[DubiousQuality]

Am I the only person who thinks these shots are Mehtastic? All these years later and thats the best blizzard can come up with? Though then again I'm pretty meh about blizzard on the whole to begin with so that may be part of it. Most overrated dev house in the industry imo. It amazes me how they've done so well over the years on pretty much great cinematics and hype alone while the're games are usually pretty meh.

[Elysium]

No more Dragoons. :'(

Only they are now called the Immortals :)

This is the best gaming news I have heard all year. And the graphics are delicious even though they are guaranteed to change upon release - Warcraft 3 anyone?

[vash]

im pretty underwhlemed ^^ imo the rts genre is pretty dead, the only recent game that excited me longer than 1 or 2 weeks was company of heroes (or the wh 40k game from relic) because it was a new vatiation of a very old genre. im not overly excited for a starcraft 1 in 3d ^^

re-imagined with Blizzard’s signature approach to game balance
i just hope thats not the same approach as in wow :P

online play through an upgraded version of Blizzard’s renowned online gaming service, Battle.net.
i half excpect this to cost 10$/month :P

[PopoWRX]

Perhaps there will be another race, I can't imagine they showed everything they have about SC2, they must have another ace up their sleeves.

With the way they are stating it, it seems there will only be the three original races in SC.

I also have concerns about Blizzard catering a bit too much to the Korean crowd but they do still play Starcraft and its a national phenomena there so I guess its understandable.

[Sl1pstream]

I really hope they change enough of it. Starcraft isn't exactly noob friendly at the moment. If they release the exact same game with updated graphics, it'll just end up in frustration for a lot of new people.

[Qoz]

Thats why they need a good singleplayer campaign and a good matchmaking system on b.net.

[shnastybiznastic]

With the way they are stating it, it seems there will only be the three original races in SC.
I for one do not mind them sticking with three factions. Much more than that and the dynamics and balance become really computationally complex. In the past, three faction systems have shown themselves to be nuance filled and balanceable, I don't see what the big deal is with Blizzard not wanting to make the unit game any more complicated then it already is.

[Oddmaker]

haha the japs go crazy in that video! Gave me goose bumps tho! ;)

[bapenguin]

There is no way they would ever have made this an MMO right now...they would be competing with themselves which is just stupid.

Honestly I'm just meh about the whole thing, I was never a huge Starcraft fan. I'll be curious to see what Blizzard brings to the table.

[court12b]

All this criticism and doubt. Has blizzard EVER failed to bring a winner to the table? They are making Starcraft 2, and you will like it. (at least the vast majority will) there is a reason why this has been in gametab's top 10 stories all week long.

[Yellowman]

I think they have probably considered the skill disparity and have a plan for the online, a plan to keep the hardcore and the noobies seperate. Some sort of scaled ranking system maybe.

To be honest I think we should all be happy Blizzard are making a game at all and not just milking WoW.

[The_Darr]

This is the wrong place for trolling. Try Gamespot's forums.
this is one of the few sites that claims open-mindedness, yet anytime people disagree with the mainstream's opinion they are called "trolls". Yes, I know there ARE trollish comments, but that wasn't one of them. It DOES look cartooney and all the visible returning units look almost EXACTLY like their 2d counter-parts, which is why he(/she) isn't "blown away"--which is understandable.

I just hope they didn't dumb-down the gory aspects, though I know most of you don't care about such things.

The SP stories from the first game were really engaging, and that cinematic with the zerg on the space station literally got me interested in 3D animation and such.

I always enjoyed physics in RTS games...

[bean19]

There is no way they would ever have made this an MMO right now...they would be competing with themselves which is just stupid.

Honestly I'm just meh about the whole thing, I was never a huge Starcraft fan. I'll be curious to see what Blizzard brings to the table.

I think that this is a bit short-sighted. A Starcraft MMO would bring in new customers and it would have old WoW customers moving back and forth between the games instead of moving back and forth between WoW and Gods & Heroes, or Age of Conan, or Warhammer Online, etc.

I agree with you about feeling meh about the whole thing. I've never been an RTS fan, and I especially hate RTS games where many of your units have special skills that they'll ONLY use if you click on the skill specifically.

[Karmakin]

It's designed to be as clean and functional than they can make it IMO.

[vash]

I think they have probably considered the skill disparity and have a plan for the online, a plan to keep the hardcore and the noobies seperate. Some sort of scaled ranking system maybe.

To be honest I think we should all be happy Blizzard are making a game at all and not just milking WoW.

excuse me for quoting myself for emphasis ^^ milk added to the large tubs of milk from wow ^^


online play through an upgraded version of Blizzard’s renowned online gaming service, Battle.net.
i half excpect this to cost 10$/month :P

[bean19]

this is one of the few sites that claims open-mindedness, yet anytime people disagree with the mainstream's opinion they are called "trolls". Yes, I know there ARE trollish comments, but that wasn't one of them.

You may be right about it in this instance - I wasn't able to find the thread that Inglion was calling trolling, so I don't know - but I think you are wrong about people calling any dissenting opinion a troll.

Trolling in this thread would be "Starcraft 2 Sucks!!!" or the equivalent. Basically, saying it was awful without any reasons for that opinion. A more advanced form of trolling is to write fiction - check out some of Siraris's posts and state them as fact or to call people idiots for liking or disliking something.

I've read a few opinions in this thread that aren't trolling and I haven't seen a response that calls them a troll.

[The_Darr]

Oh, and I'm EXTREMELY excited to see if they can one-up the "Dawn of War" opening cinemtatic!

[bapenguin]

I think that this is a bit short-sighted. A Starcraft MMO would bring in new customers and it would have old WoW customers moving back and forth between the games instead of moving back and forth between WoW and Gods & Heroes, or Age of Conan, or Warhammer Online, etc.


I don't think it's short sighted at all. I'd say differently if WoW was a 5 year old MMORPG. But what is it now, 3? They would basically be more or less competing with themselves. And while this would only hold true to a small degree at a subscriber level, it would hold MORE true at the game functionality and features level. If the WoS would have XYZ and WoW would only have XY...what do you think the player base of WoW would be saying?

They would most definitely be competing with themselves on so many levels.

[The_Darr]

All I can say is if you have the time and money to spend on more than ONE MMO, you could definately use that time/money for something more productive...

Besides all that--why the hell would they add competition for their OWN MMO that is currently (and will be for at least 2-3 years to come) the most popular MMO out there? Sure, SOME people will throw that much time and money away, but not nearly as many as when WoW originally came out and has acquired since.

If they were to make a SC MMO, it would come out around the time people start getting tired of WoW.

[Mr.Zip]

And the graphics are delicious even though they are guaranteed to change upon release - Warcraft 3 anyone?

I remember the first StarCraft screens (orcs in space (http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d194/MrZip/popkorn-1138479996_i_2055.jpg)) but not the early WarCraft 3 models. Do you know where I can find them?

[Spigot]

FOR THE HORDE!

Very cool stuff. It has been a LONG time since I played Starcraft, but I do love it to death.

I just hope the singleplayer is as good as the previous Warcraft/Starcraft/Diablo singleplayer games were and that the focus isn't completely on the online portion.

[Pigeon]

this is one of the few sites that claims open-mindedness, yet anytime people disagree with the mainstream's opinion they are called "trolls". Yes, I know there ARE trollish comments, but that wasn't one of them. It DOES look cartooney and all the visible returning units look almost EXACTLY like their 2d counter-parts, which is why he(/she) isn't "blown away"--which is understandable.
I think a valid point about trolling could be made, when someone posts something negative in a game announcement as their very first post. That indicates a troll.

[Shadowstorm]

This game is going to kickass! I can't wait!

[Ancalagon]

I think a valid point about trolling could be made, when someone posts something negative in a game announcement as their very first post. That indicates a troll.

Why? Do they have to lie, and say "Great" when that isnt what they think?

If they say, "I dont like it and anyone who does is stupid" then thats trolling. Just saying you dont like something, no matter what popular opinion is, isnt.

[Darkmatter]

The more screenshots I look at the more I hope this isn't the final look... The buildings and larger machine units all look like brightly painted plastic toys. :( I'm sure the game will still be very fun to play, but the art style is just WAAAAY to bright and cartoony for how I see the Starcraft Universe (AKA DARK).

BTW I'm not talking about the fact that the graphics aren't super dooper melt your computer next-gen-tastic.

[Verocity]

Oh my wife will be happy to see this but not as much as I am! We spent quite a few nights playing SC before we were married. Guess I'll have to practice on my Dark Templar rush again.

[Ancalagon]

I remember the first StarCraft screens (orcs in space) but not the early WarCraft 3 models. Do you know where I can find them?

Oh. My. God. That is bad. Those early screens...

Considering how late into development blizzard revealed SC2, I dont think they can significantly change it without causing a backlash. or just wasting loads of time.

they could still add a new side, or change the story yet - none of that is concrete as far as we know.

but the look? thats there to stay.

[GiantAshSnake]

w0000t!!! This is awesome news!!!

[ArcaneInsane]

To those who say it isn't innovative:
I feel awkward saying this since I'm such a big blizzard fan, but Blizzard dosn't do highly innovative stuff. WoW in particular is just the end product of a formula that started with EQ. However, Blizzard takes things that are already present in the gaming realm and does them better then anyone else. Will SC2 be groundbreaking? I doubt it. Will it be fun? I'm certain of it.

Please spare me the obvious counter example of the Hero system. That really was innovative, and awesome IMO.

To those who question the new look:
It seeems like they're doing the same thing they did with WCIII. They've made it a bit more cartoony without losing too much of the feel, which will help everything maintain the same look when the innevitable SC MMO comes out. I agree with BA that they'll do SC2, X-pac, MMO. I welcome all three.

My understanding is that competition with oneself is less of an issue in the MMO world. Look up NCsoft and "Churn," people who understand the whole thing better than me can explain it.

[Shjinta]

Man, looks disappointing. Sorry but those graphics look insanely under par.

[Karmakin]

Blizzard doesn't do innovative.

Sorry. That's not their thing. What they do is they take pre-existing ideas and concepts, and they polish them until they shine so brightly that you need shades. This is what they're good at.

Unless you're living under a rock, you'd realize that SC2 is a game designed primarily for competitive play. Because of this, instead of flash-bang graphics, you're going to see functionality drive the look of the game. Myself, I prefer it this way.

But that's just me.

[carneconcarne]

moer like starcraft 1.5!

[pinkmonkey]

I was sooo holding out for Diablo 3.

I second that Blizzard doesn't do innovative, this is going to be Starcraft+ instead of a whole new actual 'game' that you haven't played & got entirely sick of years before.

I can give this one a miss i think, rts is just a wee bit too traditional for my tastes, the game needed to be a revolutionary overhaul in rts-themed type of gameplay, & what you got was this.

Ok for the fanboys i suppose, Korea will name the 19th of May a national holiday.
Not ok for those of us who were bored shitless of Starcraft:Broodwar a looong time ago.

Un-smiley face!!1101

[pinkmonkey]

ohyeah, & to all the people saying WoW was an innovation of EQ1; yeah, got bored of that too. Polishing-up & 'fine tuning' & quick-fixing to me is not enough of a innovation.
I want an entirely 'new' game!

[Yellowman]

OMFG I cannot believe how full of graphics whores this goddamn board is. Its an RTS, it doesn't have to look good. It's a Blizzard game, so it's going to take cartoony over realistic. You want graphics, go play C&C3, I hear its boring as fuck.

[Lister]

Why does blizzard have to be so boring! I mean, look at the in game screenshots. The farkin space ships just SIT there. WTF. I mean, back in the day I could understand. Slow processors, couldn't do the whole have the planes/ships flying around on the screen. But we have dual core and quad core machines. If I have a space ship, it should be friggin flying around, dodging anything ground troops fire at it! NOT JUST SIT THERE AND TAKE HITS! I'm sorry, if they could have brought this game up to the level that TA had (omg, ships that actually fly around while fighting!) I could get excited. But to treat air units IDENTICALLY to ground units is just unacceptable in 2007. So much for that...

[Phanto]

OMG... I'm starting to CUM MYSELF...

[Joestar]

OMFG I cannot believe how full of graphics whores this goddamn board is. Its an RTS, it doesn't have to look good. It's a Blizzard game, so it's going to take cartoony over realistic. You want graphics, go play C&C3, I hear its boring as fuck.

C&C3 is fun as hell. But, I'm disappointed in the starcraft graphics after they showed us that insanely good looking FMV trailer. All I'm asking, is for better looking textures, maybe some that actually looked a little bit dirtier, and with the pallete just a little bit subdued. The particles and lighting effects looks great though. :)

I remembered a lot of polls in this site about cutting off cutscenes from games since graphically, games have gone a long way since the first playstation and in-game models can hold its own well in a realtime cutscene. Starcraft 2 will have awesome FMVs. It's a given. I just hope that the textures in the game would at least look like in the FMV themselves.

For instance, this:

http://www.starcraft2.com/features/protoss/images/zealot-thumb1.jpg

Compared to this:

http://www.starcraft2.com/features/protoss/images/noflash-zealot.jpg

[Phanto]

OMFG I cannot believe how full of graphics whores this goddamn board is. Its an RTS, it doesn't have to look good. It's a Blizzard game, so it's going to take cartoony over realistic. You want graphics, go play C&C3, I hear its boring as fuck.

Remember that Blizzard made World of Warcraft the way it is so most people don't need it a "high end" system".

Anyway SC2 should have more a darker ambient & graphics unlike Warcraft III that is vivid, bright "cartoons".

[Exodus]

I can see why they went this route in terms of graphics. The fanbase that still plays starcraft mainly still do so because the game runs on any pos. If this still runs on any pos then then there's no "it won't even run on my rig" complaints.

$$$ and keeps everyone happy

whether the art will hold up and the animation are slicker than spit we'll have to see if blizzard still has the touch

[Phanto]

C&C3 is fun as hell. But, I'm disappointed in the starcraft graphics after they showed us that insanely good looking FMV trailer. All I'm asking, is for better looking textures, maybe some that actually looked a little bit dirtier, and with the pallete just a little bit subdued. The particles and lighting effects looks great though. :)

I remembered a lot of polls in this site about cutting off cutscenes from games since graphically, games have gone a long way since the first playstation and in-game models can hold its own well in a realtime cutscene. Starcraft 2 will have awesome FMVs. It's a given. I just hope that the textures in the game would at least look like in the FMV themselves.

For instance, this:

http://www.starcraft2.com/features/protoss/images/zealot-thumb1.jpg

Compared to this:

http://www.starcraft2.com/features/protoss/images/noflash-zealot.jpg

Remember the game still in early stages Knowing Blizzard me thinks we will have to wait about 3 years at least.

[lockwoodx]

Screenshots are to colorful and cartoony for my taste but we don't know how close this is to the finnished look. Either way I'm excited. Hell, it could be some grey moving cubes on a flate plane and I'd probably still be excited if it had "Starcraft 2" on it. :)


You know what I honestly think the screen shots looked cartoony too. If you read between the lines on thier web site they are not doing anything ground breaking here, just updated graphics with some new units thrown in.


Starcraft (http://www.blizzard.com/starcraft/)

Intense Real-Time Strategy

As the military leader for your species, you must gather the resources you need to train and expand your forces and lead them to victory. 30 unique missions will challenge you across three different campaigns as you control the fate of the galaxy.

Terran Protoss Zerg

Control any of three different species, each with unique units, technologies, attributes, and abilities.

Multiplayer games for up to 8 players over IPX Networks and Battle.net®, 4 players with Direct Cable Connection, and 2 players with Modem Connection.

Included Campaign Editor allows players to edit units and create their own campaigns.

StarCraft boasts award-winning advanced control features, such as waypoints and training queues, to provide enhanced gameplay. In addition to the intuitive interface, StarCraft has the superb graphics and outstanding sound and music that have come to be expected from Blizzard Entertainment.


Starcraft2 (http://www.starcraft2.com/)

Features:

Fast-paced, hard-hitting, tightly balanced competitive real-time strategy gameplay that recaptures and improves on the magic of the original game

Three completely distinct races: Protoss, Terran, and Zerg

New units and gameplay mechanics further distinguish each race

Groundbreaking single-player "story-mode" campaign

Vibrant new 3D-graphics engine with support for dazzling visual effects and massive unit and army sizes

Full multiplayer support, with new competitive features and matchmaking utilities available through Battle.net

Full map-making and scripting tools to give players incredible freedom in customizing and personalizing their gameplay experience



As you can see I dug up the game descriptions for both the origional and new Starcraft. I Don't see any difference between 1998 and 2008 IMO.

[Joestar]

I'd still buy the game though, even though Blizzard just went Windwaker on our asses, the game will still be fun :)

(No. I don't hate windwaker, but admit it, the first screens were somewhat of a disappointment after that first Gamecube trailer. The game turned out awesome though, and this is what I'm hoping SC2 will be.)

[RUSKULL]

I don't know what you people were expecting. When was the last time you people saw Warcraft 3 or even WoW?

[lockwoodx]

I don't know what you people were expecting. When was the last time you people saw Warcraft 3 or even WoW?


I was hoping for new IP. I'm still pleased with Starcraft2 tho, I just hope it accually looks and plays 10 years more advanced than the first one.

[Kamalot]

Am I the only one that is disappointed with this news? The entire RTS genre feels played out.

[Majster Wichajster]

You people are too next-gen with your graphics.

[Majster Wichajster]

Am I the only one that is disappointed with this news? The entire RTS genre feels played out.

Just like the WW2 FPS genre.

[Inglorion]

The more screenshots I look at the more I hope this isn't the final look... The buildings and larger machine units all look like brightly painted plastic toys. :( I'm sure the game will still be very fun to play, but the art style is just WAAAAY to bright and cartoony for how I see the Starcraft Universe (AKA DARK).
Everything Blizzard has ever done has been bright and big. Why should they deviate from their own trademark all of a sudden? Try C&C3 if you want something gritty and dark-looking.

[saulob]

All this criticism and doubt. Has blizzard EVER failed to bring a winner to the table? (...)

Er... Starcraft Ghost ?

[Exodus]

Am I the only one that is disappointed with this news? The entire RTS genre feels played out.

Perhaps to you.
Evidently everyone there at the wwi event think very differently.

[Yellowman]

Just like the WW2 FPS genre.


Or the futuristic sci-fi FPS. Geez, we bin doing that one since Doom ffs.

[Qoz]

They need to cut down on polys and textures to make the game smooth when many units are onscreen. It is 3D so it will be easier to supply the game with more detailed textures, so people with an über computer can enjoy it. But this is mainly for multiplayer gaming. People are playing CS in really low resolution to have max framerate .. to me the graphics are really not a problem, but they need to run smooth.

I hope they have (or will add) more detailed textures as an option. It would have been nice to have more detail options (higher res) in SC1.

[Snipee]

Finally!!!!!!!!!!! Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[lockwoodx]

Er... Starcraft Ghost ?

In blizzard's defense unlike other companies *cough sony cough*, blizzard will accually delay or prevent thier products from hitting the market if they even have a remote chance of failure. Starcraft Ghost needs to come out before it can fail, period.

[Sloth]

this should be the only news posted all day

[NeuroMan42]

While some will surely hail it as a new dawn in the age of RTSWHOA... I would go that far. I love the SC universe and yes it SC2 looks amazing, but it is simply SC1 with better graphics. Nothing extrodinary, nothing stunning, NOTHING we have not seen before in many many RTS games. Will I buy it when released yes... do I see this as a "new dawn" in RTS games... fricking no. :)
The entire RTS genre feels played out.Yes... and has been for years.

[Typical_Michael]

So, To Be Released sometime around 2012?

The computer I havent even bought yet will be obsolete!

/kid

Im excited anyway. omgz3rg rush.

Graphics dont always make the game. I want fun. I would sacrifice sub-par in game graphics for really nice cutscenes, anyway.

[DjinniMan]

On the one hand, I consider Starcraft to be the best game of all time, and would gladly pay the $50 for a 3d straight remake with a better interface. We are getting that, plus more units, etc. so I am very pleased with this news.

However... What made SC1 great to me was that there were three sides that played totally differently, and yet they were still perfectly balanced to each other. Having said that, I was really expecting a 4th race to be added to the mix. I can see how that might be difficult to do, considering the bar is so high, but still, I will be disappointed if there is no 4th race.

Great news though!

[TrackZero]

Finally. Thank you Blizzard.

[copasetic]

Awesome. Check out this screenshot:
http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/788/788627/starcraft-2-IN1_1179566607.jpg
What is this docking bay on the side of the cliff there? Is that a ship coming out of it? Could there be a system of underground bases and production facilities? That would be pretty innovative thing for the RTS genre as there hasn't been much vertical development in terms of gameplay. Most games have air units and some have those which burrow. But where are my flying fortresses that produce paratroopers and cluster bombs? Where are my underground bunkers that will let me unleash a flank attack on my unsuspecting opponent? Where are my underground cities? I can't think of any game that has really approached the concept since Outpost, and, while being a great game, it came out about ten years ago.

ps. If you don't like the screens, check out the video that was linked in the first page of comments. I found myself tearing up a little at the end, which is both a little more gay and nerdy than I usually try and go for.

[TheDancinMan]

Well, I'm definently not shocked by the news, considering all the rumors and all that have been going around for months before this. I guess that's why I'm a tad dissappointed. I expected something a little crazier, an announcement with a lil more "oomph" as it were. Still, neato.

[Goronmon]

This is the wrong place for trolling. Try Gamespot's forums.Alright, this is a huge pet peeve so what the fuck. This is probably the biggest troll post in this thread, way to bring it down, man. How about you take your own advice and find your own place to piss people off.

Also, could any of you be any more bitchier about the concept of a Starcraft MMO? It really seems like a familar tune, oh wait, that's right. It's exactly the tune people were singing when Blizzard made WoW. Funny, that.Haha, I noticed the same thing. People whined endlessly about how Blizzard had no experience with MMOs, how the market was saturated, how no one would buy it, etc...

Yeah, we all know how poorly WoW is doing.

It isn't too early to announe a new MMO, maybe too early to release, but not too announce. If World of Starcraft was announced today, it would be 1-2 years at least before the game was released at the earliest. Can anyone actually see there being no room for a WoW replacement with 1-2 years.

I don't think it's short sighted at all. I'd say differently if WoW was a 5 year old MMORPG. But what is it now, 3?See above.

Anyways, I have a hard time getting into RTS games. The only onces I played for any length was Age of Empires and, of course, Total Annihilation. That said, it'll be interesting how Starcraft 2 working out, considering the original's bias towards the hardcore gamers.

[saulob]

Ok people, for those who want the video on YouTube.

Artwork Trailer:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=EkhktHsjrRc

Cinematic Trailer:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=iPL4CCfuc1I

[thesilentdeath]

I'm definitely looking forward to this since lord knows how much time I spent on the original Starcraft, hell even my screenname comes from playing it online. That being said I hope the game can run on my computer.

[Wyrm]

Keep in mind, though the game looks to be fairly far along in development, they can still add or take out anything they want before release. We may well see a new race.

So, in the awesome department, this rates a perfect 10. I'm really happy that one of my favorite games of all time is getting a sequel.

But in the innovation department, I was honestly hoping that Blizzard would blow us all away with an announcement of an entirely new IP, and even blaze the trail in a new genre. I'm pretty disappointed that they're sticking to something they know and not taking a bigger chance.

That being said, if the matchmaking is anything like Warcraft III, this game could very well cause me to lose my social life in its entirety.

[The Bashar]

I wonder how this will stack up in terms of gameplay, presentation, and control when compared to the titans of the RTS battlefield right now. You have Dawn of War and Company of Heroes which have similar gameplay to SC, but have made innovations in the genre to improve the gameplay. Looks like Blizzard is trying to do what C&C3 did, feed off of people's nostalgia for the game even though it plays too much like the original (which isn't necessarily a bad thing).

[Wyrm]

Er... Starcraft Ghost ?

But that never actually amounted to anything. They knew it sucked and they canned it.

Blizzard is, hands down, the best game company on the planet. They know how to make a game, they know how to market a game, and they know that their name means lots of these = $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[51|RandoM]

In before the Starcraft 1.5 comments. :p

No new races? No advancement of RTS gameplay?

Come on Blizzard, with the mad money from WoW you can afford to advance a genre now and then instead of padding your franchises with MotS.

I'm sure there is dancing in the streets of Korea, but I'm going to go back to playing next generation RTS in games like CoH and Warhammer.

[Wyrm]

In before the Starcraft 1.5 comments. :p

No new races? No advancement of RTS gameplay?

Come on Blizzard, with the mad money from WoW you can afford to advance a genre now and then instead of padding your franchises with MotS.

I'm sure there is dancing in the streets of Korea, but I'm going to go back to playing next generation RTS in games like CoH and Warhammer.

Warhammer is not "next-gen". In fact, neither is CoH. Both of them do things that other games did, and yes, they do those things better, but they are not "innovative". I doubt Starcraft II will be particularly innovative either, but I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss a company that has never actually made a bad game.

[51|RandoM]

Warhammer is not "next-gen". In fact, neither is CoH. Both of them do things that other games did, and yes, they do those things better, but they are not "innovative". I doubt Starcraft II will be particularly innovative either, but I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss a company that has never actually made a bad game.

We'll just have to disagree. Warhammer and CoH advance the RTS genre.

I'm not saying SC2 is a bad game for fuck's sake, unwad your panties. I'm saying that if any company in PC gaming can afford to innovate, it is Blizzard. They could make 50 games that suck ass and fail miserably and they'd still be wiping their ass with $100 bills from WoW.

You're happy with polished 1.0 RTS gameplay for SC2, just like hordes of people are happy with polished 1.0 MMORPG for WoW. Personally, I'm bored with both sets of game mechanics and am looking for fresh new approaches to both genres.

[Rogue_hunter]

did anyone notice that the Terran Marines are carrying shields? or fire their rifles by thrusting forward? it looks like the basic infantry from Warcraft 3 are standing in for the Marines at the moment.

the cartoony style may have worked for Warcraft 3, but Starcraft was grittier.

it pains me to say, but Starcraft 2 has the potential for massive disappointment when compared to newer RTS's. Even Command and Conquer 3 has been taking hits because it's more of the same, and that was supposed to be the game that brought back RTS gaming...

[Elo]

I've been looking at all the in game media I can get my hands on and I stand my my original statement. The game just looks meh. I strongly dislike the art direction they're going with. I'm sure it'll be an amazing game, probably more so than the original, but I don't think it is insane for me to be disappointed by the lack of vision in their visual aesthetic.

[NACIONAL]

You are a lot of pedants and graphic hypocrites.....

Starcraft was never about graphics it was about great FUN and an excellent historyline... I don't care if it isn't innovative.. when i saw the zerling rush in 3D I was sold.

[Crono]

I am glad these whiners are all bitching, moaning and complaining now. I won't have to deal with them when I'm on B.net climbing the ladder. GG noobs.

I just hope StarCraft 2 allows me to run the game in a higher resolution than 640 x 480 :p :p :p

[Adam Blue]

Warhammer is not "next-gen". In fact, neither is CoH. Both of them do things that other games did, and yes, they do those things better, but they are not "innovative". I doubt Starcraft II will be particularly innovative either, but I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss a company that has never actually made a bad game.

CoH sure is innovative.

[Drinking_Buddy]

C&C3 is fun as hell. But, I'm disappointed in the starcraft graphics after they showed us that insanely good looking FMV trailer. All I'm asking, is for better looking textures, maybe some that actually looked a little bit dirtier, and with the pallete just a little bit subdued. The particles and lighting effects looks great though. :)

I remembered a lot of polls in this site about cutting off cutscenes from games since graphically, games have gone a long way since the first playstation and in-game models can hold its own well in a realtime cutscene. Starcraft 2 will have awesome FMVs. It's a given. I just hope that the textures in the game would at least look like in the FMV themselves.

For instance, this:

http://www.starcraft2.com/features/protoss/images/zealot-thumb1.jpg

Compared to this:

http://www.starcraft2.com/features/protoss/images/noflash-zealot.jpg

If you look at the other Protoss units, the Zealot is the only one that lakes quality compared to the concept art. This may because the Zealot/Marine/Zergling is going to be so small compared to the other units there quality is reduced.

[reimomo]

Am I the only one that is disappointed with this news? The entire RTS genre feels played out.

Graphics upgrade for existing RTS. Yippie.

I'm sure some people will love playing it, but after warhammer40k and company of heroes I realized I would never get into RTS games.

[Ghostbear]

I, for one, am very excited. If i recall correctly Starcraft wasn't exactly the bastion of high end graphics when it came out, what it was however was fun. and to address the "innovation" dispute, we know next to nothing, how you can extrapolate whether they are or not is either silly, or you can see the future. I'm going with the former, how about we just see what comes out and then decide if it was the same old thing or something that took the genre a step forward. Even if it is the same thing, but shinier i will buy, and enjoy it, but i will be even happier if there are all kinds of new things for me to try in the game

[Liquidize105]

Nobody on Evil Avatar should be surprised by this announcement.

At a glance, there's a lot of stuff that I don't like, such as the siege tank (WTH is that squarish thing?). But this is still beta, gotta let it run its course first.

If i recall correctly Starcraft wasn't exactly the bastion of high end graphics when it came out, what it was however was fun.

SC was very high end on the 2D graphics bar. The genre as a whole took a dive with the introduction of 3D. Hopefully after so many years of 3D we can transfer the fluidity of 2D mechanics into the the 3rd dimension.

[51|RandoM]

Yeah, for all we know they've implemented morale, effective suppression fire, cover/terrain bonuses, infantry field fortifications, and much more, we just haven't seen it yet and they're not talking about it.

Sign me up if/when they do.

[DeathtollWRX]

Our dreams have come true. It looks like my long forgotten thread on why PC gaming is slowly going away is now defunct. Starcraft has a special place in my heart. In my Army days it kept me sane. Starcraft also brought together old friends and was the sole game we would play during heavy lanning sessions. What a great boon to gamers everywhere.

[Sloth]

I don't think a new race would make for a better game. Much like in MMOs just adding a new class doesn't make the game better if the current classes already cover what you need.

[Talon-]

To people complaining about graphics:

a) You should know that RTS' look much better in action than in screenshots. Watch the in-game videos on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8K3l7deURU) or on www.starcraft2.com tomorrow and you'll be fine with it.

b) RTS' are never about graphics for a couple of reasons. First of all, you really don't give a shit about cutting edge graphics when there are hundreds of units rushing across the screen. If you had cutting edge graphics, you're asking for a lag fest. Second of all, you're not going to be looking at each unit in a zoomed in mode. Ever.

To those people complaining about it being exactly the same game:

They haven't announced everything yet and you haven't played it. Quit you're bitching. If you've watched the in-game videos, they describe a game where there's even more specialized countering. The Toss already seem to have at least 7 new units (Immortal, Stalker, Phase Prisms, Mothership, Colossus, Phoenix, and Warp Ray), and the demo demonstrated a Terran unit specialized for countering the Immortals. After the Terran unit took out the Immortals, they used Stalkers (which seem to be new Dragoons that have a 'blink' (read: teleporting) ability). Blizzard does a great job with RTS'. Did they steal ideas from Warhammer or whatever? It seems pretty obvious, but I really don't care. They have made, in my mind, some of the best games I've ever played. Apparently a couple dozen million people agree.

[jeffbax]

Anyone complaining about graphics can eat a healthy serving of my balls. Seriously, Supreme Commander anyone?

Blizzard games run well and look awesome (art > tech) for all the computers that run them, and thats IMO the best philosophy for such a big name game.

This is the best announcement all year.

[Inglorion]

I like how Blizzard slips certain things from one of their universes to the other, like how the Town Portal Scroll (I believe it's called) was implemented into WC3 after the first Diablo; the teleportation the Stalker uses is called "Blink" -- like the Warder ability in WC3.

[Inglorion]

Anyone complaining about graphics can eat a healthy serving of my balls. Seriously, Supreme Commander anyone?

Blizzard games run well and look awesome (art > tech) for all the computers that run them, and thats IMO the best philosophy for such a big name game.
Yup. Blizzard are kings of solid gameplay; the PC game counterpart to the Nintendo studios (Intelligent Systems, AlphaDream ...) Other PC game developers have a lot to learn from them; especially the CRPG-developers.

[bean19]

I don't think it's short sighted at all. I'd say differently if WoW was a 5 year old MMORPG. But what is it now, 3? They would basically be more or less competing with themselves. And while this would only hold true to a small degree at a subscriber level, it would hold MORE true at the game functionality and features level. If the WoS would have XYZ and WoW would only have XY...what do you think the player base of WoW would be saying?

They would most definitely be competing with themselves on so many levels.

What I don't think you are seeing though, is that WoW is about to have this same problem with Gods & Heroes, Age of Conan, and Warhammer Online. These guys aren't copying WoW, but they are using WoW as their standard for excellence. WoW lives in a genre without any real competition yet. It's like playing football against 10 year olds. Now, I don't think that any of the 3 titles I listed are going to beat WoW, but they are going to bring their A-game. It will be more like the Varsity (WoW) vs. the Junior Varsity (G&H, AoC, WAR).

Plus, you know how long it took Blizzard to develop WoW. Even if they have the game ready for alpha-testing, I wouldn't expect it out for 2 more years - about when WoW is 5 years old. They should really try to come out with a new property every 5 years if they want to remain the industry leader.

Finally, my last point is that there are people out there who simply are not at all interested in playing in a fantasy setting, but who would be interested in playing a sci-fi MMO. They would not only be preserving their existing market; they'd be growing it.

[Darkmatter]

Everything Blizzard has ever done has been bright and big. Why should they deviate from their own trademark all of a sudden? Try C&C3 if you want something gritty and dark-looking.

The original SC wasn't nearly as cartoony as SC2 looks now.

[Kamalot]

The more I think of this, the more I am REALLY disappointed by it. I would have thought that Blizzard, the company that makes more than $65,000,000.00 every month off of WOW subscriptions, would have struck out to do something really innovative, unique and original. They have the deep-pockets. They have the time. They have the talent.

And all we get is a new coat of paint on a ten-year-old game?

Anyone can make an RTS. I was expecting Blizzard to do something so special, that only Blizzard could do it.

[Tel Prydain]

Along with Dragon Age, this is almost enough to make me want a new PC.

[GrinR]

*yawn *

[Inglorion]

Along with Dragon Age, this is almost enough to make me want a new PC.
Neither will likely be the type of game you'd need a high-end computer at the time of release. Rejoice. :)

[Hemalin]

Yeah, for all we know they've implemented morale, effective suppression fire, cover/terrain bonuses, infantry field fortifications, and much more, we just haven't seen it yet and they're not talking about it.

Sign me up if/when they do.
The original Starcraft had cover/terrrain bonuses so this game will most likely have them. The rest of the stuff we will have to see.

[DubiousQuality]

The more I think of this, the more I am REALLY disappointed by it. I would have thought that Blizzard, the company that makes more than $65,000,000.00 every month off of WOW subscriptions, would have struck out to do something really innovative, unique and original. They have the deep-pockets. They have the time. They have the talent.

And all we get is a new coat of paint on a ten-year-old game?

Anyone can make an RTS. I was expecting Blizzard to do something so special, that only Blizzard could do it.

QFT 100% Just once I figured blizzard may go all balls out. Instead we get a title that pretty much looks like a game from the late 90"s with a few current gen shaders and thats about it.

Sure make the arguement of being able to run on any pos rig but c'mon now. You'd think after all these years that just ONCE blizzard would make a GOOD looking game to go along with the kick ass cinematics they've always had for those of us not still running PII's with an ati rage pros ffs.

[Ancalagon]

Heck, most people should have 2.0 GHz + cpus by now, and cards of the 7300 standard or more. seeing as this is a demo, most likely the demo was run at max res with max detail on a sufficiently powerful computer, but I reckon a pc like that mentioned above shouldnt have too much trouble running it at sort of lowest settings - 640x480, low texture detail. it wont be pretty but it will run.

[Spigot]

Well, I think it looks just fine. I haven't seen any of the videos, so I'm not sure how it looks in motion, but the screenies look rather nice.

[F3nyx]

SC was very high end on the 2D graphics bar. The genre as a whole took a dive with the introduction of 3D. Hopefully after so many years of 3D we can transfer the fluidity of 2D mechanics into the the 3rd dimension.:confused: Total Annihilation was 3D, and it predated Starcraft by 6 months. I don't think anybody would claim it wasn't "fluid."

Well, I think it looks just fine. I haven't seen any of the videos, so I'm not sure how it looks in motion, but the screenies look rather nice.It looks even better in motion. I agree with a lot of the complaints so far, but it's beyond me how anybody could think it's less than gorgeous.

[Wyrm]

Even though I'm disappointed that it's not a new IP, I'll still waste away in front of it. My thought has always been that Starcraft and Warcraft are in the same universe, occurring simultaneously on separate planets. So, technically, the two universes could collide... That would have been fucking SWEET.

[vallor]

Awesome. Check out this screenshot:
I can't think of any game that has really approached the concept since Outpost, and, while being a great game, it came out about ten years ago.


I hope you're joking about that Outpost comment or you were thinking about a different game than the one that I bought. Outpost was the shitty-ist piece of shitty shit ever released. It was the first example (that I can think of) of a game shipping when the company new good and well it wasn't ready to ship.

Until 2 patches you couldn't even build many of the structures. I specifically remember that they stopped supporting the game before they patched in the ability for the player to build an entire monorail structure.

I blame Outpost for the fall of Serria and I don't believe it should ever be held up as an example of anything good.

EDIT: Oh yeah, about SC2. I'll give it an optimistic "Meh". They should call it Starcraft "Evolved" to make it clear it is barely an incremental update, they should also package Starcraft "Retro" in the box for those of us who wore out our disks 4 years ago.

Graphically I don't think SC needed 3D (neither did WC3 or HOMM3+), but that seems to be the standard these days so... I guess I'm old school that way. I still love the backgrounds, I know I'm going to love the cutscenes, and I expect to adore the storyline.

Too bad they can't really "mix" things up gameplay wise without impacting their Korean cash cow. I'd like to see a real next gen (gameplay wise) version of Starcraft that incorporates some of the innovations other modern RTS games have (the Area of Influance concept from Rise of Nations, for example, maybe some of the "Home City" goodies from Age of Empires 3).

[Nimos]

The more I think of this, the more I am REALLY disappointed by it. I would have thought that Blizzard, the company that makes more than $65,000,000.00 every month off of WOW subscriptions, would have struck out to do something really innovative, unique and original. They have the deep-pockets. They have the time. They have the talent.

And all we get is a new coat of paint on a ten-year-old game?

Anyone can make an RTS. I was expecting Blizzard to do something so special, that only Blizzard could do it.

WTF are you talking about ? It's an RTS ! what kind of awesome innovations are you expecting from a RTS game ? Was Warcraft 3 innovative ? how about C&C3 ? was the original StarCraft innovative ? The answer is NO ! The only innovative RTS after Dune2 was Homeworld .

[Kamalot]

WTF are you talking about ? It's an RTS ! what kind of awesome innovations are you expecting from a RTS game ? Was Warcraft 3 innovative ? how about C&C3 ? was the original StarCraft innovative ? The answer is NO ! The only innovative RTS after Dune2 was Homeworld .
My point was, it does not have to be an RTS.

Warcraft is an RTS, yet World of Warcraft managed to be something completely different. I was personally expecting a massively multiplayer game in which you can conduct RTS battles. Imagine your commander reaping the benefits of a victory to fight again, with better resources in the next battle. A persistent RTS game, where you are a hero.

Yes, there is very little room for something completely different in the RTS Genre at this point. It is played out. That's why I was expecting something different and new.

[Incidence]

I'm not surprised or upset about this. It's Blizzard, they will put out a solid, polished and perfectly balanced RTS that will use its minimal polygons to create wonderful visuals and it will do all of this without a trace of innovation. I'll even go so far as to say that they will produce a great online portion that will be populated exclusively by burly men who will proceed to fuck me in the ass should I ever go online.

I understand all this and I know that I will still buy this as soon as it comes out, I might even buy the collectors edition and, dare I say it, I might even say "Wo0t" as I walk away from the register.

This game isn't for people like me, it is for the type of people that treat their RTS's as a second or even first job. I am buying it for the story, the cutscenes and a solid RTS experience, even if I get my butt kicked on easy mode.

[Pigeon]

Heck, most people should have 2.0 GHz + cpus by now, and cards of the 7300 standard or more. seeing as this is a demo, most likely the demo was run at max res with max detail on a sufficiently powerful computer, but I reckon a pc like that mentioned above shouldnt have too much trouble running it at sort of lowest settings - 640x480, low texture detail. it wont be pretty but it will run.
So you're volunteering to buy me a new pc? I'm still 1.4GHz :P

[bryan]

Has anyone else checked out the absolutely gobsmackingly cool limited edition statue? God I want one.

[swirlee]

I don’t post often, but tonight I felt I had to defend the second installment of one of my favorite game franchises of all time. I am beyond excited for this game. It looks amazing and we all know how well balanced and fun the original one is and I am sure this one will be no exception.

I am a working member of the game development community and from a game artist’s standpoint you buzz killers don’t have a clue what you are talking about in terms of graphics. The original starcraft was highly stylized so why should the second be any different? Do you want it to be photorealistic? That would be horrible and too much of a departure from the original. Some have complained about the res of the characters being low. You can’t have an rts with extremely high res characters. The average PC just couldn’t handle it. The reason really isn’t polycount or texture resolution in this instance. It’s all the game elements you do not see that inhibit games in this genre. You have hundreds of characters on screen and relatively low res environments. BUT! Each character has an IK(inverse kinematics) system that is used the animate the characters and procedurally blend between different animation cycles depending on what the character is doing. Add all the geometry, textures and effects on top of that and you have a very hardware intensive game. And like a few of you have pointed out blizzard doesn’t try to stay on the absolute bleeding edge of in-game graphics technology. Who cares! Leave that to Crytek. Instead they want as many people to have the opportunity to run their game on varied hardware. If you don’t believe a word I am saying, I have proof.




Visit CGTalk (http://www.cgsociety.org/) sometime. A community for 2d and 3d graphics professional and the novice alike. I am sure some of you know this site well or have accidentally stumbled upon it while browsing for game related content. I would invite you guys to see what other professional game artists and cgtalk frequenters who actually know what they are talking about in terms real-time and pre-rendered graphics are saying about the cinematics and in-game graphics. Hopefully this will shut you poo poo crybabies up.


Link (http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?threadid=497852&utm_medium=plugblock&utm_source=cgtalk) to what the industry is saying about the game and cinematics.

Nary a negative comment in sight. Wanna know why? Because they know what went into the creation process and appreciate the work. Also you might find it interesting that a few actual blizzard game artists have posted info about some of the cinematic creation process and a few easter eggs within the cinematic have also been revealed there. Maybe if you guys spent less time complaining about the game it would have been spotted by readers here.

If some of you guys feel so passionate about criticizing video games then why not put your money where your mouth is and learn something about artwork of this nature. I assure you that your appreciation for almost every game will go way way up.

[F3nyx]

^^^^^ No need for the money-where-your-mouth-is comments. One doesn't need any understanding of CG to appreciate that this looks incredible so far. I think some people are just mixing up "the overall style is too colorful for my tastes" with "Blizzard fucked up on graphics."

[Stormwatcher]

People are fucking retarded, SC2 has EXACTLY the same artstyle as SC1, only 3D. I've just replayed SC1 for a few hours, and watched all the SC2 gameplay videos. It's freaking identical. And I think it looks awesome.

Anyway, if blizzard made any major changes to SC2's gameplay, in relation to 1, South Korea would have nuked Blizz's headquarters to oblivion. They HAD to keep it simple :)


Seriously, though, anyone expecting revolutionary changes to SC2 doesn't know much about Blizz.

[51|RandoM]

Seriously, though, anyone expecting revolutionary changes to SC2 doesn't know much about Blizz.

Things change. Last year you could've said the same thing about Nintendo...

Let the Koreans play SC1, they're not the market who needs the next version, obviously.

[The Ligand]

Not that anyone will believe me, but after watching the cinematic trailer, I realized that this was one of the videogames I sang on. We've done Blizzard stuff before (most recently the burning crusade expansion) but when we did this music (which I didn't think was that great) it was labelled obscurely and there was no reference to Blizzard. I guess they were being secretive.

[WileE.Coyte]

If there is one game that I'm truly a fanboy of it's Star Craft. The long wait is almost over for me. It does seem a bit too cartoony though. If it can be played with 8-10 full standing armies multiplayer stylized, balanced and no lag I'll be more than happy.

[cp#]

Things change. Last year you could've said the same thing about Nintendo...

Let the Koreans play SC1, they're not the market who needs the next version, obviously.

You must not have watched the videos. Koreans gasping and screaming in unison. They are every bit as excited as I am

[Inglorion]

The Ligand: Elaborate, please. It sounds interesting.

[Kamalot]

I don’t post often, but tonight I felt I had to defend the second installment of one of my favorite game franchises of all time. I am beyond excited for this game. It looks amazing and we all know how well balanced and fun the original one is and I am sure this one will be no exception.

I am a working member of the game development community and from a game artist’s standpoint you buzz killers don’t have a clue what you are talking about in terms of graphics. The original starcraft was highly stylized so why should the second be any different? Do you want it to be photorealistic? That would be horrible and too much of a departure from the original. Some have complained about the res of the characters being low. You can’t have an rts with extremely high res characters. The average PC just couldn’t handle it. The reason really isn’t polycount or texture resolution in this instance. It’s all the game elements you do not see that inhibit games in this genre. You have hundreds of characters on screen and relatively low res environments. BUT! Each character has an IK(inverse kinematics) system that is used the animate the characters and procedurally blend between different animation cycles depending on what the character is doing. Add all the geometry, textures and effects on top of that and you have a very hardware intensive game. And like a few of you have pointed out blizzard doesn’t try to stay on the absolute bleeding edge of in-game graphics technology. Who cares! Leave that to Crytek. Instead they want as many people to have the opportunity to run their game on varied hardware. If you don’t believe a word I am saying, I have proof.




Visit CGTalk (http://www.cgsociety.org/) sometime. A community for 2d and 3d graphics professional and the novice alike. I am sure some of you know this site well or have accidentally stumbled upon it while browsing for game related content. I would invite you guys to see what other professional game artists and cgtalk frequenters who actually know what they are talking about in terms real-time and pre-rendered graphics are saying about the cinematics and in-game graphics. Hopefully this will shut you poo poo crybabies up.


Link (http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?threadid=497852&utm_medium=plugblock&utm_source=cgtalk) to what the industry is saying about the game and cinematics.

Nary a negative comment in sight. Wanna know why? Because they know what went into the creation process and appreciate the work. Also you might find it interesting that a few actual blizzard game artists have posted info about some of the cinematic creation process and a few easter eggs within the cinematic have also been revealed there. Maybe if you guys spent less time complaining about the game it would have been spotted by readers here.

If some of you guys feel so passionate about criticizing video games then why not put your money where your mouth is and learn something about artwork of this nature. I assure you that your appreciation for almost every game will go way way up.
I appreciate your post, but you'll find a number of people have complaints about the game that aren't related to how the game looks. Artowrk aside, my expectations are that Blizzard would really wow us and create something so huge that it could only have come from Blizzard. Instead, we got a fresh coat of paint and some tweaks to a 10 year old game. On top of that, some believe Starcraft is so close to perfection. If Starcraft is so good, leave it alone and make something new.

[Butters66]

Hmm... is that what all the build up was about?! Oh well.

I know this is troll bait, but I have a good comment just waiting to be used:

I wonder if after Jessica Alba were to give you a blow job you would just reply,

"Meh. Is that what all type hype was about?"

Seriously weak.

Of course, that is just a fantasy. The rest of us will enjoy playing SC2 when it comes out.

[NACIONAL]

I appreciate your post, but you'll find a number of people have complaints about the game that aren't related to how the game looks. Artowrk aside, my expectations are that Blizzard would really wow us and create something so huge that it could only have come from Blizzard.

We still don't know everything abou the game. I have found that Blizzard trully shines is in the details and in the almost perfect gameplay.

[StarCraft PWNs]

On this I stand with swirlee
starcraft is my favorite game of all time (see my username)
and i would have been willing to pay $100 for a SC2 that was just SC in 3D
i do feel that the graphics should be darker but that is not really that important to the overall game play
almost all of these coments are about graphics and i feel that you ppl who keep bitching should just stfu and not buy the game while the rest of us will have a great time playing SC2 on Battle.net and the SP game...