View Full Version : StarCraft 2 Delayed Until 2010
Mondopest
08-05-2009, 01:39 PM
GamingShogun (http://www.gamingshogun.com/Article/4975/Blizzard_Announces_StarCraft_2_Delayed_Until_2010. html) reports that Activision|Blizzard has announced it is pushing back the release of its upcoming StarCraft 2 (http://www.starcraft2.com/) to the first-half of 2010 due to financial reasons. The announcement, came in the form of a financial report (http://investor.activision.com/secfiling.cfm?filingID=1104659-09-47364) released to investors today.
From the report:
'As we prepare for next year, we have moved the expected release dates for two games, Activision Publishing’s Singularity and Blizzard Entertainment’s StarCraft ® II , into 2010. However, we are increasing our calendar year earnings-per-share GAAP outlook and reaffirming our calendar year earnings-per-share non-GAAP outlook and still expect to deliver record non-GAAP operating margins...'
Well, we knew this was probably going to happen - but does Blizzard really need a better financial year? I thought the money they were raking in from WoW was fine.
Mondopest
08-05-2009, 01:48 PM
Also, just to update, the original post I reference has updated the news to include that Blizzard has reported the delay due to BattleNET development issues, not financial ones as I had originally read it to mean.
Original Post Update:
*UPDATE (1:40pm PDT) - We have just received word from Blizzard claiming that a large reason for this delay was that their new BattleNET service would not be ready for StarCraft 2's previous release date and needed more development time.
Zander
08-05-2009, 02:37 PM
Bummer.
I guess this is one part of Blizzard that hasn't changed much eh?
Methos
08-05-2009, 02:39 PM
Anyone REALLY think this was coming out this year? Raise your hands. They've always said there would be a 4-6 month BETA test all about balancing the races. It's August. But will the release window between Wings of Liberty and the next installment be smaller? If all this extra development time is for Battle.Net, it shouldn't affect the other two right?
Whatever. I was Diablo 3 in 1920 res. WITH color! Goth freaks.....
Jotoco
08-05-2009, 02:39 PM
No news here.
Let's see how much their stock prices fall tomorrow.
TeeCakes
08-05-2009, 03:39 PM
Gives me more time to improve my rig.
2009 - A Meh Year For Gaming
keelu
08-05-2009, 03:42 PM
Link to the announcement from battle.net forum:
http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=19110062236&sid=3000
From all the video's and commentaries on battles, the game itself looks done.
Maybe if battle.net causes enough delays they can actually release all 3 at once.
Ulysses
08-05-2009, 03:51 PM
Man, I am SO disappointed.
Major Dan
08-05-2009, 03:54 PM
This is good news if you ask me. And no, Blizzard doesn't need to make more money, but they need to continue making good games ;-)
ldi222
08-05-2009, 04:05 PM
This reminds me of how much longer Half Life 2 was delayed due to the development of Steam.
apollyonbob
08-05-2009, 04:13 PM
This is good news if you ask me. And no, Blizzard doesn't need to make more money, but they need to continue making good games ;-)
That's an incredibly fascinating statement. It sums up the cognitive dissonance of so many gamers so perfectly I just have to ask:
You know they can't do the latter without doing the former, right? They can't spend millions without first making millions - you grok that, yeah?
I mean, I assume you do, but my point is made in the asking, so I had to ask.
saulob
08-05-2009, 04:17 PM
WTF! Blizzard financial problems?
No way!
It's Actvision fault. DAMNIT
PopoWRX
08-05-2009, 04:44 PM
Yea, after not seeing the Beta in June or July, I was prepared to not see SC2 until 2010 haha.
modeps
08-05-2009, 05:13 PM
Is anyone really surprised?
Jotoco
08-05-2009, 05:28 PM
Actually I'm surprised it still is seeing a 1st semester of 2010 release, instead of a 2nd semester or even 2011.
Jotoco, this is only the *first* delay.
sgtslappy
08-05-2009, 05:48 PM
Not surprising, but nooooooooo.
Jotoco
08-05-2009, 05:53 PM
Jotoco, this is only the *first* delay.
Sorry, sometimes I forget third time is the charm.
so, 1st semester of 2011 then? Right around the first delay of diablo III?
You know they can't do the latter without doing the former, right? They can't spend millions without first making millions - you grok that, yeah?
Umm, sure they can. There are these things called loans. I'm not sure why you were being so condescending while ignoring one of the primary sources for all funding. Publishers and venture capitalists loan money to development studios all the time in exchange for rights and/or royalties.
It certainly helps to acquire loans if you have a history of profitability, but very few studios are funded from their company's personal coffers.
Tintivilo
08-05-2009, 06:37 PM
maybe they are going to add local LAN multiplayer into it ;)
brandonjclark
08-05-2009, 07:15 PM
maybe they are going to add local LAN multiplayer into it ;)
Hah, that was my first wishful thought!
Is it possible that Blizz wasn't BNet to be the new STEAM? Maybe.... Just maybe they're putting a lot of resources and time into it to become a new, competing digital download service to rival Valve's behemoth.
Also, if they continue to push the date back (I'm not surprised they did) then when the time comes for it to actually be released it's going to look horribly dated. Hell, it already does.
Bacarat
08-05-2009, 09:58 PM
http://www.johnlund.com/images/10286401090.jpg
SUCKERS!
Zetsuei
08-05-2009, 10:05 PM
Blizzard has yet to run out of Gold Bricks to wipe their asses with, so they're going to wait a while until the supply runs low - that's when they'll drop SCII.
Vacatakarat
08-06-2009, 12:38 AM
It'll take Blizzard another year to put LAN back in.
If it is just BattleNET holding it up I wonder what they'll do with the extra year. Just start working on the second one and third bits of the game?
PopoWRX
08-06-2009, 03:49 AM
If it is just BattleNET holding it up I wonder what they'll do with the extra year. Just start working on the second one and third bits of the game?
A good question because they still need to beta test it. I guess story/art guys can start fleshing it out if the units are finalized.
BLACKOXYGEN
08-07-2009, 03:44 AM
Also, just to update, the original post I reference has updated the news to include that Blizzard has reported the delay due to BattleNET development issues, not financial ones as I had originally read it to mean.
Original Post Update:
Ok that sounds better. I rotfl at the statement blizzard with finincial issues!
Hennecke
08-07-2009, 04:13 AM
there is this think called wold of warcraft.... blizzard makes more money pr. month than ubisoft and ea does in a year... they can't have run out of funds
Major Dan
08-07-2009, 10:49 AM
That's an incredibly fascinating statement. It sums up the cognitive dissonance of so many gamers so perfectly I just have to ask:
You know they can't do the latter without doing the former, right? They can't spend millions without first making millions - you grok that, yeah?
I mean, I assume you do, but my point is made in the asking, so I had to ask.
IN the beginning of Blizzard, they had no money. They had to borrow money to start their gaming making company. But also in the beginning, they made good games, which allowed them to get more money and make even bigger good games. Good games sell, good game get gamers respect and thus begets good money. Now Blizzard is in the position of basically unlimited money but they still need to make good games or people will not buy them.
Also how much money does any one corporation/person really need. Just because you can make X amount of money, does it really mean you have too? I think you can look at our current financial mess and figure that one out?
PS. Sorry it took sooo long to reply kind of busy with Halo 3 and watching Bleach episodes and trying to buy plane tickets to a wedding yesterday.
vBulletin® v3.8.4, Copyright ©2000-2012, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.