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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."
Starcraft Universe MMO mod testable through October 30th
You may remember StarCraft Universe, the fan-made MMO mod that received an official Blizzard blessing earlier this year. Development on the project is moving right along, and the mod team has left fans with a nifty present as it gets ready to head to BlizzCon. StarCraft Universe PvP is playable as of today via Battle.net, but you'd better hurry because the fun only lasts through October 30th. At that point, the game will be taken down "for further polishing since technically it isn't even ready for an open beta." The playable portion features an arena called the Encephalon Grid, and testers will start at level 30 (fully geared). Every class is available, and players may also be able to unlock additional abilities by winning enough matches. Check out the full press blurb on the mod's official website, and get a load of the PvP video after the cut.
Starcraft Universe alpha gameplay video released
What if the year's most noteworthy MMO release wasn't a mega-budget corporate themepark but a crazy-detailed mod produced by a tiny team of fans? A lot of gamers out there would love to see a StarCraft-flavored MMORPG, and modder Ryan Winzen is in the process of making that dream a reality with StarCraft Universe, a total conversion for Blizzard's StarCraft II that turns the strategy title into a full-blown massively multiplayer experience. Eurogamer has published a four-minute video of the mod in action, and viewers will get a good look at the alpha-state UI, combat, and a glimpse of character creation before the clip is done. As to the legalities involved, we reported earlier this year on Winzen's amicable accord with Blizzard, and though the gaming giant invoked its right to block the distribution of videos promoting the mod, it allowed development on the project to continue.
Blizzard plays nice with World of StarCraft modder
Gaming giant Blizzard Entertainment has officially weighed in on the World of StarCraft controversy, and the verdict is something of a happy ending for fans of the MMO-flavored mod and its mastermind Ryan Winzen. Gamasutra reports that Winzen has been invited to meet the StarCraft II development team, and his hard work won't be for naught despite the removal of his YouTube preview videos. "It was never our intention to stop development on the mod or discourage the community from expressing their creativity through the StarCraft II editor. As always, we actively encourage development of custom maps and mods for StarCraft II, as we've done with our strategy games in the past," Blizzard said in a prepared statement. The company went on to explain that issuing a take-down order for the offending videos is part of its standard procedure when dealing with fan mods and possible copyright infringement and that it is "looking forward to seeing development of the mod continue," according to Gamasutra.
World of StarCraft modder offered interview by Riot Games
Despite World of StarCraft mod creator Ryan Winzen having videos of his work removed from YouTube after Blizzard requested as much, the ingenious gentleman was offered a job by League of Legends developer Riot Games this past week. Pixelated Geek picked up on the back and forth in its own comment section between Winzen and a Riot Games employee identified as "epak", in which the Riot Games employee said, "Ryan, I'd like to speak with you about potentially working for Riotgames (League of Legends). You can contact me directly at [redacted] since I think you're awesome." The interview offer was confirmed by Riot Games design director "Zileas" on the developer's forums, where he notes, "I shot him [Ryan] an email recently asking if he was interested in exploring an opportunity here. As to what comes of that, who knows -- that depends on the mutual fit and his own goals." Mr. Winzen, for his part, is ecstatic. " I've waited my whole life for something like this. I feel like I'm in a dream man ... been up for 36 hours straight with all this craziness going on ... How did this even happen?" If you'll excuse us ... we've just ... there's something in our eye.
