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StarCraft Universe Kickstarter ends at nearly $85,000
For those who haven't been keeping up with it, it might be hard to wrap your brain around StarCraft Universe. It's a StarCraft MMO that's actually a mod of StarCraft 2. Oh, and it's not being made by Blizzard ... but it has been sanctioned by Blizzard. And it just raked in almost $85,000 on Kickstarter. The Kickstarter, started by Upheaval Arts last month, concluded yesterday, pulling in $84,918 from 1,753 backers – putting it just over its $80,000 goal. Now that funding has been achieved, the plan is to release the game through Battle.net as a series of custom games for StarCraft 2. The open beta for the first chapter is slated to begin in late 2013 or early 2014. StarCraft Universe will be playable using the free StarCraft 2: Starter Edition, meaning you won't have to harvest any minerals to try it out.
StarCraft Universe appeals to Kickstarter audience for help
Remember StarCraft Universe, the fan-made mod that turned the RTS into an MMO? The project is still going strong after two years, but its development team is in dire need of funds to push it over the hill and into open beta testing. The solution? Kickstarter, of course. Upheaval Arts hopes to raise $80,000 or more to finish the first act of the game and get it into public testing. Currently there are two races in the game (Terran and Protoss), although with stretch goals the Zerg are a possibility. The team has some respectable names attached to the project, including Composer David Orr and voice actors Danielle McRae and Eric Dieter. StarCraft Universe will require Battle.net to play and will be completely free to all. If you're concerned about Blizzard finally lowering the boom on this mod, well, don't. The team says that it's gotten the studio's approval: "While Blizzard is not directly affiliated with this project's production, we do communicate with them to submit bug reports and make technical requests. They have given their blessing/permission for us to launch this Kickstarter, and they are supporting our efforts by featuring SCU as an arcade highlight."
