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Blizzard's cancelled 'StarCraft: Ghost' leaks in playable form
Blizzard's cancelled StarCraft: Ghost has been the stuff of gaming legend. It was supposed to mark Blizzard's big leap into 3D action games, but it never came to pass -- delays, changing developers and evolving game platforms led the studio to put the game on "indefinite hold." Now, however, gamers appear to be getting a first-hand look at what they've missed. YouTube users Leers Meneses, Delso Bezerra and others say they've obtained a playable build of Ghost for the original Xbox through a leaked developer kit. It's unsurprisingly broken (the first two missions don't work properly, Meneses said), but appears to have been well into development -- you can fend off Zerg and engage in Metal Gear Solid-style chats.
Blizzard debuts new products at San Diego Comic-Con
Blizzard's Chris Metzen graced the floors of the San Diego Comic-Con today to talk Blizzard licensing partners and show off some awesome new merchandise coming this year featuring Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo wares. Diablo merchandies looks to include knee-high Diablo socks, a Diablo face belt, new shirts, and two hoodies modeled after Diablo's demon hunter class and the angel Tyrael. StarCraft's line is expanding with new shirts, a first look at the MegaBloks Viking, a leather wallet, and StarCraft: Ghost: Spectres, which has been confirmed by Metzen to be a novelization of StarCraft: Ghost, the game that was and then never was. Warcraft's wares continue along a familiar path with a slew of new T-shirts as well as what appears to be a beverage called the Forsaken Elixir of Undead ... I really have no idea, since it's most likely a joke slide. Metzen also previewed the covers for the forthcoming original graphic novels Horde and Alliance, coming out later this year. [Thanks, Kotaku, for the tip and images.]
BlizzCon 2009: StarCraft Ghost lives on (in spirit)
During the StarCraft 2 gameplay panel at BlizzCon, Dustin Browder spent much of the time talking abut the upcoming map editor that ships with SC2. If he's to be believed, it's the most powerful piece of software on the planet. Which might be a slight exaggeration. Those developers all have bias running in their veins.However, we were fairly impressed when they showed us that the editor allows first-person game creation. What?! Yes, that even includes details as far down as UI manipulation and an inventory system. That's a lot more than you'd expect from a simple "map editor." One employee-created game was an FPS featuring a very familiar, bouncing-ponytailed Ghost that was created in just a few days.Blizzard officially put StarCraft: Ghost on indefinite hold back in 2006, and they've been telling us here that it's still the case. Although some enterprising modder/mapper out there might just want create their own version.
Blizzard files trademark for "Cataclysm"
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/Blizzard_files_trademark_for_Cataclysm'; Is "Cataclysm" the name of Blizzard's next-gen MMO? This Tumblr blogger has uncovered trademark applications filed by Blizzard in the fields of computer games, paper-based products, and online entertainment services. Those trademarks are on the USPTO's website, and we can confirm that Rod A. Rigole has been employed by Blizzard as legal counsel previously, so these trademark applications, all filed late last week on June 26th, are all real.Of course, that doesn't confirm that we're actually talking about the next-gen MMO, or that Blizzard is planning on releasing a game called "Cataclysm" at all (StarCraft: Ghost was also trademarked, and we all know what came out of that). It could be another WoW expansion (though you'd think that WoW would be in there somewhere if that was the case), or it could be a completely separate game. Not that we know of one, but Blizzard certainly is working on all kinds of projects that we haven't yet heard about officially.So. "Cataclysm." Trademark Blizzard Entertainment. Keep an eye out for it at BlizzCon this year.Thanks, Ryan!Update: We noticed the domain wowcataclysm.com expired on June 26th, 2009. The domain was previously held and parked out in Australia. June 26th is the same day the trademark was filed with the US Patent & Trademark Office. The domain is also now held by GoDaddy, who we know handles Blizzard domains. That's just a little too much coincidence for us to stay quiet about. It's entirely possible Blizzard just acquired the domain name.
StarCraft: Ghost concept art surfaces, game hasn't
StarCraft: Ghost was originally poised to be a direct competitor to the Splinter Cell and Metal Gear franchises, with similar action and stealth gameplay. Set four years after the events of StarCraft: The Brood War, it was once a hotly anticipated title for Blizzard fans. Yet, the game has eluded retail shelves after years of delays and swapped hands.A gaggle of concept art is now available online of what once was Sam Fisher and Solid Snake's worst nightmare... a girl! For a little back story on the StarCraft: Ghost insanity, here is your daily history lesson: 2002 - StarCraft: Ghost is announced (at TGS), under the development eye of Nihilistic Software (of Conan fame) 2004 - Numerous delays forced Nihilistic to cede development duties to Swingin' Ape Studios (makers of Metal Arms: Glitch in the System) 2005 - A GameCube version of SG is officially canned and Blizzard decides to hold off on further development to assess the upcoming generation of consoles Mid 2006 - StarCraft: Ghost is put on 'indefinite hold' by Blizzard, who has since moved on to StarCraft 2 development Late 2006 - StarCraft Ghost: Nova was released in bookstores setting up the back story for the (now likely) vaporware title 2008 - Blizzard does not include Ghost in a presentation at D.I.C.E. referencing canceled games; Blizzard claims it was never officially canceled 2009 - Yeah, the game still doesn't exist
The Daily Grind: Blizzard's next MMO?
With Jeff Kaplan moving on to the new Blizzard MMORPG, and recent news coming out that Blizzard will indeed be hosting a BlizzCon again this year, it's time for a bit of fun. What fun would that be? Guessing what Blizzard may choose to do for their new MMO, of course! We've heard StarCraft (otherwise why put all that backstory into SC2?) re-imagining StarCraft: Ghost (they did put a bunch of money into it) and even ideas as far-flung as The Lost Vikings (world a bit small, maybe?). Of course, since we're just taking wild guesses, the sky is the limit! What do you think we'll see as the next MMO from Blizzard - and do you think we'll hear about it at BlizzCon this year?[Edited to correct name]
Blizzard orchestral soundtrack CD available in November
Australian-based Eminence Symphony Orchestra is releasing a two-disc compilation of Blizzard Entertainment's best known symphonic pieces. The album, called Echoes of War, covers music from the Diablo, StarCraft and WarCraft universes -- sorry, Lost Vikings fans.The box set, which features 90 minutes of music, will cost $30 and release in mid-November. There's also an orange Legendary Edition with an extra DVD, featuring a making-of featurette and other dross supporting material for $50. Good peons will find the CD's full track list after the break. Zug-zug.[Thanks, Jayson; Via OSV]
Ten innovation lessons from Blizzard
The OC Register (Blizzard's HQ -- I'm pretty sure that's where it's at, as they're not exactly open with their location info -- is located right down near them in Southern California) has a blog post up featuring 11 "innovation lessons" other companies can learn from the folks behind World of Warcraft. While the lessons aren't exactly innovative themselves (I think there are lots of companies that do this stuff, and none of them have a ten million player game), the post does provide a good look inside Blizzard's process and the thinking behind what they do.Blizzard is pretty stubbornly committed to quality -- not only do they notoriously release things "when they're done," but if something doesn't work they apparently are happy to trash it completely (see Starcraft: Ghost). It is amusing, too, that Rob Pardo says he and Frank Pearce are trying to make "great entertainment projects, not perfect ones." WoW has its bugs, sure, but when you look at Blizzard's catalog: Diablo, Starcraft, Warcraft, you have to wonder what a "perfect" game looks like in Pardo's mind. Those are about as perfect as they come.And they "eat their own dog food," too: J. Allen Brack apparently spends four hours a night (up to 15 hours a week) playing the game on his own time at home. Seems like it would be tough for other companies to pull these strategies into their own plan (Blizzard really releases one-of-a-kind products), but as consumers, it's neat to get another look into the way they work.[Via Slashdot]
Starcraft Ghost not technically cancelled
When a list of canceled Blizzard titles emerged at this year's DICE, MTV's Stephen Totilo noticed one game conspicuously absent: Starcraft Ghost, which we probably all assumed was dead. But Blizzard co-founder Frank Pearce told MTV "It never was technically canceled. It's just a focus thing for us right now." ... Umm, confirmed?Yes, we've heard rumblings about a Ghost rebirth before, but so far absolutely nothing has come of it. That leaves us with one question: If a game almost assuredly isn't coming out in your lifetime, isn't it pretty much canceled anyway?
Rumor: Starcraft Ghost to be or not to be on PS3?
You haven't forgotten about Blizzard's Starcraft: Ghost, have you? If you have, take a refresher course on it then get back to us. Blizzard ostensibly cancelled the project a few years back when it was nearly through production for the PS2, Xbox, and GameCube. No real reasoning behind it, but we've got a theory. They needed the resources to beef up World of Crackcraft as well as pound away at Starcraft 2.Why do we come to this conclusion? Because Blizzard's Rob Pardo said so himself. About cancelling projects, he said "We're just willing to cancel the products that fail ... Our most recent one was Starcraft Ghost. With that game we were very stubborn. I still believe in that game and the characters but we were not able to execute at the level we wanted to...Rather than work on that we had to focus on our other games. We're hoping one day to return to it." What this means to us is once Starcraft 2 is out into gamers hands, they might come back to make Ghost a PS3, 360, and PC title. Or work on Diablo 3. Either way.
Blizzard still holding out hope for Starcraft Ghost?
Well, even if Blizzard as a whole doesn't, Rob Pardo certainly seems to. At the Hollywood & Games Summit, when asked about canceling projects, Pardo responded with his thoughts on Blizzard's ill-fated Starcraft Ghost:Our most recent one was Starcraft Ghost. With that game we were very stubborn. I still believe in that game and the characters but we were not able to execute at the level we wanted to...Rather than work on that we had to focus on our other games. We're hoping one day to return to it.So March 2006's indefinite postponement of development on the project may not mean cancellation -- perhaps they're just saving the best for last.
