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Happy (belated) 10th birthday to StarCraft
We know better than to upset StarCraft's Queen of Blades, the femme fatale Sarah Kerrigan, so we brought delicious and moist cake to apologize for celebrating the game's 10th birthday a day late. Blizzard posted a little note yesterday that on March 31, 1998, it gave birth to a little RTS called StarCraft ... and Korea would never be the same again.Blizzard states that StarCraft has sold 9.5 million copies since release and admits a considerable amount of those sales occurred in South Korea, where the game continues to "enjoy unprecedented levels of popularity." Back in '98, StarCraft was revolutionary for introducing three distinct races, solid multiplayer supported by Blizzard's Battle.net and a variety of other things we pretty much now take for granted. StarCraft II is expected whenever Blizzard gets around to releasing it -- yup, that's the best way to put it.
Blizzard's Worldwide Invitational invades Paris this June
Tickets for the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational convention and tournament being held in Paris, France, will go on sale this Thursday The event will be at the Porte de Versailles Exposition Centre on June 28 and 29, with tickets costing €70 / £55 ($110). Attendees will get hands-on time with WoW expansion Wrath of the Lich King and StarCraft II.The tournament will have $100,000 in prizes, but all we really care about is the big announcement. Blizzard has a habit of revealing big things at its special events, as it did at last year's invitational in Korea when it announced StarCraft II. Then again, Blizzard could just make us sad Pandaren by neglecting to reveal anything at all.[Via WoW Insider]
Korea Times: Starcraft 2 'expected' this year, LOTRO coming to Korea
When using the words "Korea" and "StarCraft" in the same sentence, it's no time to make jokes. So, when The Korea Times says Starcraft II is "expected to begin service this year," we wonder if it knows something the rest of us don't. The idea of StarCraft II coming out this year is possible, but Blizzard hasn't given the slightest indication for us to assume such a thing. We're glad The Korea Times thinks Starcraft II is on its way (and we hope its right!), but if there's anything we've learned its that Blizzard uses BlizzCon or its World Wide Invitational later in the year for big announcements.The Korea Times' actual story isn't about a Starcraft II release, but about foreign titles cutting into the "long-run popularity of locally made games." The piece says Lord of the Rings Online plans to start in Korea this year and games like World of Warcraft and Hellgate:London are already incredibly popular. It's interesting to note -- although completely logical given the way StarCraft is played in Korea -- that The Korea Times treats Starcraft II as more of an MMO than a single-player game with multiplayer component.[Thanks Akela]
Is the Beta Key for Starcraft II or WotLK?
BlizzCon 2007 attendees received a card when they got their goody bags. This card was separate from the bag and we were all told not to lose it because we weren't getting another one. The card contains the code for the Murloc Suit and a Beta Key for "Future Blizzard Title".No indication was given during the con as to what the Beta Key was for. And now Morgal has asked for an answer on the forums. Nethaera responds:Undetermined as of yet.Assumptions were made before the leaks about the expansion that the key would definitely be for Starcraft II, but now with parts of Wrath of the Lich King already playable, perhaps the Beta Key is for the expansion?There's a small hope in my heart for the unannounced Diablo 3, but that's just silly. Do you think that Blizzard has actually not decided which game the key is for? Which game would you like to beta test?
Mike's final BlizzCon impressions
Well, these aren't really final, of course, as we're going to be discussing and responding to what we saw at BlizzCon all the way up until Wrath of the Lich King releases. But BlizzCon was definitely a crazy experience, so each of us WoW Insider staffers there are going to write up our own personal impressions for you, both about what we saw and what we didn't see there. And please share yours in the comments below.Most Enjoyable: I really enjoyed the L70ETC concert, actually-- I wasn't quite sure what they would be, but in terms of the live entertainment, Samwise and his band were the best thing going. Yelling "for the Horde" and booing Rogues (who "do it from behind," of course) was great fun. In terms of the events, all the Blizzard guys were entertaining, but Jeff Kaplan was my favorite-- every event he showed up at, he really proved he'd been reading the forums and knew what players were interested in. The Molten Core (as designed by you and 8,999,999 others) was terrific, and while Metzen definitely has a clue, too ("im the lich king lol" is an instant classic), Kaplan was on top of his game all weekend. Oh, and of course the WoW Insider meetup was a big highlight as well-- every single reader I met was awesome.Least Enjoyable: Waiting in line for passes on Thursday evening was really the only waiting I did all weekend. It was horribly designed-- there were about 30 lines split up by last name, but those lines all got mixed up, and you couldn't see where one started, so you had to cut across lines if you were in the wrong one. They were also mind-numbingly slow, so that definitely could have been done better. Also, we said Jay Mohr was a strange choice, and we were right-- while he did as good a job as he could (he was funnier than I expected), his time on stage alone was mostly just awkward, as the forum trolls ripped him apart. Next time, let's get a comedian who's at least played Warcraft, rather than just seen the South Park episode.What I was most excited about and most disappointed about at BlizzCon after the jump...
New Starcraft II screens make us go, 'What's that?'
Hey, BlizzCon isn't just about the wrath of a Lich King and the World of Warcraft -- let's get some StarCraft pron in here too. Blizzard has released new Starcraft II screens and there's plenty of stuff we're wondering and asking, "What's that?" Hopefully some of our people at BlizzCon can get more details. Check out the new screens in the gallery below. We're definitely digging the new Terran Viking ... Starcraft meets Robotech.%Gallery-3311%
Xfire and WoW Insider, live from the BlizzCon floor
Our BlizzCon coverage continues all this week-- we're sending our staff out to Anaheim (I'll be out there on Tuesday laying all the groundwork), culminating in the second BlizzCon event on Friday and Saturday. So whether you're going or not, stay tuned to WoW Insider all week for breaking news, liveblogging events, and pictures, video, and tons of coverage from Blizzard's big get-together.And don't forget that all of our coverage is being co-presented with Xfire. In addition to their BlizzCon info page, they've also set up a special "blizzcon2007" account, and both Xfire and WoW Insider staff members will be blogging there during the event. Also, if you have an Xfire account, be sure to add "blizzcon2007" to your Friends-- that way, you'll be able to get invites to Xfire chats later this week coming directly from the BlizzCon exhibit hall. And if you don't have an Xfire account, then get one for free!So this is it. It's time to hear about Zul'Aman and the next expansion. It's time to see Starcraft II playable and in action. And maybe it's time to hear about that third game Blizzard is working on? At BlizzCon, you never know. Stay tuned to both WoW Insider and Xfire to find out.
Rumor: Northrend could be next World of Warcraft expansion
Before we proceed, please take this with a brick of salt -- ready? Let's go. WoW Insider received information from an anonymous tipster that the Video Games Live orchestra will be performing three pieces called "Northrend 1, 2,and 3" at next week's BlizzCon. WoW Insider dug deeper and found the track names do not appear on Warcraft II, Warcraft III, World of Warcraft or the Burning Crusade soundtracks. This could mean the continent of Northrend will finally come into play in the next expansion and gamers will be able to take on Warcraft III's anti-hero/villain (depending on your perspective), the fallen Prince Arthas, who now sits on The Frozen Throne.World of Warcraft has left two major sections of Warcraft III's story open, one of which, if the information is solid, will hopefully be tied up in a battle with Arthas. The other being the glowing pink sparkly bubble protecting the city of Dalaran, which has taunted WoW players for over two years. Then again, Blizzard can take its sweet time, it's not like they're hurting for players, and introduce The Emerald Dream or take on the expansive ocean in the next expansion. BlizzCon starts next weekend and Joystiq, along with WoW Insider, will be there covering it to let you know about the latest from Blizzard's franchises.
BlizzCon schedule leaked
Blizzard has, inexplicably, been keeping the schedule for BlizzCon under wraps. We at WoW Insider have been frantically planning coverage here, and yet we haven't heard a peep from Blizzard about what to expect during the show. But now WorldofWar has posted what seems to be a leaked schedule for the event (no word on how they obtained it), and we'll finally have some idea of how the days are laid out. Here's what to expect if you're headed to BlizzCon: World of Warcraft and Starcraft II open gaming WoW, Warcraft III, and Starcraft tournaments An opening ceremony (where they'll announce a new game or expansion?) Panels on WoW classes, dungeons and raids, professions and items, and PvP A Starcraft II gameplay demo More panels on Warcraft Art, Blizzard Sound/Music, Careers in Gaming, Cinematics, Starcraft II Lore and Art, WoW UI mods, the TCG, and the Expanded Universe (likely the Warcraft novels) And the convention will wrap up with a big concert from L70ETC and Video Games Live hosted by Jay Mohr.Sounds like a full few days! Of course there will also be an exhibit hall open the whole time, but we haven't heard much of what will be in there (don't forget that Xfire will be there, as well as Upper Deck and all the TCG folks, and of course the WoW Insider party will be before the convention starts on Thursday night). Stay tuned for more details as we get them. Under a week left!
Blizzard: Our new, secret project is "totally awesome"
It's not World of Warcraft, it's not Starcraft II, but it is, according to Blizzard, totally awesome, and it's in super-secret development by a super-secret sect of the company called Team 3. It was during a conversation about workforce with Gamasutra when Frank Pearce, senior vice president of product development for Blizzard, semi-spilled the proverbial beans. After mentioning the 40-person Team 3, Pearce would only add "Team 3 is working on something really awesome. I can't give you any hints, but it's totally awesome."Oh, no hints? Too bad that we've already cracked the case. With Blizzcon just around the bend, hopefully we'll find out if our hunch holds water. What's your theory?
StarCraft II playable at BlizzCon
For Aiur! If you missed out getting your tickets to BlizzCon, this news will probably be even more disappointing. Blizzard informs us that StarCraft II will be playable at the Aug. 3-4 BlizzCon event being held at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. Demo stations will be set up at the convention and attendees will even be able to experience multiplayer battles.Now, Blizzard is notoriously slow and anal about their games. Does this demo mean that StarCraft II is further along than we thought? Let's just keep calm and say no for now. It's always safer to do that with Blizzard. Attendees of E3 2005 got to play StarCraft: Ghost ... and look what happened to that. Yup, it's better for StarCraft fans attending BlizzCon to think of this as a bonus, but it's nice to dream the game is further along than anybody guessed.
New Starcraft II details from PC Gamer
The cover story of the latest PC Gamer is all about Starcraft II. The feature highlights the development process and decision-making and shows an ample amount of Protoss units, including old-hats such as the Reavers, Templars and Archons. Other tidbits: Hero units will not be as important or require as much management as they did in Warcraft III. The current plan is to keep the unit cap at 200. In terms of unit higlighting, the development team is testing the option to let you select an unlimited of units at the same time. Blizzard consulted with top competitive SC and WCIII players from Korea for the balance and design process. The ideal SCII match will last less than 20 minutes. No decisions have been made as to minimum system requirements, but Blizzard has always made games for a wide range of computers. The team did note that a Shader Model 2.0-compatible graphics card will be required. (That's GeForce FX, Radeon 9000 or better, PC Gamer reports.) Everything we've previously seen or read, the feature stressed, is subject to change. Here's hoping we get some more information (or hands-on time) at this year's BlizzCon. The latest PC Gamer is on newsstands now.%Gallery-3311%[Thanks, Einhanderkiller]
Podcast Rodeo for May 27: From ear to eternity
So, if you're traveling this weekend, you've probably already left. But if not, we've got some audio to make the time go by a little quicker. Or, if you're listening to the smooth, mellow, honey-dipped tones of the Joystiq Podcast -- a little sexier.CAG Cast: For the first time, Cheapy D and Wombat are totally live on their newest podcast, where they play Name that Videogame Tune and even take a few calls. Well, they're not live when you listen to it, but they were live when they recorded it. That's not to say they're not still alive, because we're pretty sure they are. But, we guess it's possible that they're not. So, you know, listen while you can.
Hidden images in Starcraft II trailer
From the "We Can't Believe This Didn't Come From Korea" file, a group of eagle-eyed Hungarian gamers have spotted a couple of hidden pictures in the Starcraft II trailer released last weekend. The two images, which we'd bet are Blizzard staffers, can be found by freezing the video (HD version here) at 0:02 and 0:12 and then shuttling through frames.The first (seen above) is a large group enjoying some libations, the second (after the jump) looks like it might be lead designer Dustin Browder and some other dude. It's a fun easter egg, we're just a little sad that Korea was too busy picking up the pieces of the megaton-shattered nation to notice it for themselves. [Via N4G.com]
You think you're excited about Starcraft II?
We know that the announcement of Starcraft II has all but caused the internet to explode, and we admit to being totally stoked enough by that intro trailer to describe ourselves as "totally stoked" in a public forum. But can you imagine what it must be like in Korea? Seriously, can you imagine? It would be like people in the United States finding out that there was a sequel to American Idol that would also power their cars. We thought on this Starcraft Saturday it might be helpful to remind you how it looks when an entire culture hovers near the brink of insanity and is subsequently pushed off.Watch the above video, those are 10,000 people waiting for the announcement of the game. Watch this feature. If you can get past the extremely energetic host, you can see an American guy wishing that he had been born and raised in Korea so he could be a "rock star" ... of Starcraft. Read this blog to get 1UP's James Mielke's first-hand account of the madness. Our question to you: Do you pine for a culture like that of Korea, or are you happy losing you mind in the privacy of your own home?Watch -- Blizzard Worldwide Invitational: Gaming in KoreaRead -- BWI Live Blog From Seoul, South Korea
Blizzard announces Starcraft II, Korea implodes with joy
It all lead up to this: StarCraft II. After months of speculation Blizzard announced today at their World Wide Invitational in Korea that their next big project is StarCraft II for PC.Blizzard president Mike Morhaime says, "With StarCraft II, we'll be able to do everything we wanted to do with the original StarCraft and more ... 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." Meanwhile, IGN's man in Korea, Charles Onyett says, "SC2 looks, at least visually, strikingly similar to SC1 - both in unit and map designs." This has been Blizzard's longest gap between releases. Blizzard had a consistent two-year release schedule (not including expansion packs) since 1994 with the original WarCraft. That streak was broken in 2006 when StarCraft: Ghost was killed indefinitely postponed. Although no release date has been given for StarCraft II, hopefully gamers won't have to worry about another installment of the series being "postponed."%Gallery-3311%[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
