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StarCraft II Arcade now free to play
Good news for Blizzard fans looking for more games to play -- the StarCraft II Arcade is now completely free. StarCraft II is not only well known for the game and tournament play, but also for its creative community. The game comes with a map editor that allows you to customize and craft your own creations, using Blizzard art assets and maps to put together whatever game your creative mind happens to dream up. These creations are all available as part of the StarCraft II Arcade, a massive index of player-created games. So what's in the Arcade? Everything from custom maps and missions to StarCraft-themed versions of popular games like Bejeweled and Pictionary. Full access to all games in the Arcade was previously limited only to those who purchased StarCraft II. With the launch of patch 2.1, all games in the Arcade have now been made available to anyone with a Battle.net account -- even games that previously required the Heart of the Swarm. To access the Arcade, simply download and install the free trial version of StarCraft II, no purchase necessary.
Blizzard Arcade now free, custom StarCraft 2 maps accessible to all
Budding game developers and the modding community just got a big boost: Blizzard has made access to The Arcade in StarCraft 2 completely free for everyone. That means that customs maps and modes developed for StarCraft 2 (as well as Blizzard's other games: Starjeweled, Auir Chef, and Left 2 Die) can now be accessed by anyone, not just the players who already own the game and use the platform regularly. Blizzard is basically giving the community the tools to build their own games and enlarging the pool of potential players -- all for no fee whatsoever. Check out the details in the videos below, then grab the starter edition and let your creative juices flow.
Blizzard offers deep discounts on World of Warcraft, StarCraft II
There's no need to wait until Black Friday if you were hoping to get a good deal on World of Warcraft or StarCraft II; Blizzard is currently offering both titles and their expansions at a deep discount. New players to WoW can grab the base game, with all expansions up until Mists of Pandaria, for only $4.99. To add MoP to the mix, plunk down another $9.99 for the standard edition or $29.99 for the digital deluxe edition (a savings of $30.00 on each). StarCraft II fans can save twenty bucks and scoop up Wings of Liberty for $19.99 and/or Heart of the Swarm for $19.99 or $39.99 (standard and deluxe editions, respectively). For those who already have the games but want to get friends involved, there is also an option to gift the purchase. However, to take advantage of the deals you might want to act fast -- there's no guarantee that the sale will last.
BlizzCon 2013 in photographs
BlizzCon might be over, but pictures last forever, or at least until something happens to our data center. Don't get any ideas. Hey, where are you going with that tornado?! Enjoy our view of the con! Massively's on the ground in Anaheim during the weekend of November 8th, bringing you all the best news from BlizzCon 2013. Whether you're anticipating World of Warcraft's and Diablo III's next expansions or reveals from Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm, we aim to have it covered!
Massively's BlizzCon 2013 liveblog: Opening ceremony and WoW presentation
BlizzCon 2013 is now underway, and we're expecting big news from the folks at Blizzard, like more details on the Diablo III Reaper of Souls expansion. There's also the first ever Innkeeper's Invitational for Hearthstone, the white-knuckle gameplay of the StarCraft 2 tournaments, and the Hollywood insanity of the upcoming World of Warcraft movie. Most MMO gamers, however, are anxiously waiting to hear about World of Warcraft's fifth expansion. Is it happening? Whom are we fighting? Where are we going? Are there any new classes and races? If you want to be among the first to know but didn't snag a ticket, real or virtual, then join us in the comments below as we blog about all the juiciest news -- live! And don't forget that the opening ceremonies are being streamed for free!
Can't wait for more Warcraft? Check out the Alliance and Horde StarCraft 2 mod
Have you been waiting for Warcraft 4? And waiting and waiting? Then you'll be glad to know that intrepid modder StevenLuo has brought Warcraft aesthetics to StarCraft 2 using the SC2 Editor. The finished product, WOW RTS: Alliance and Horde (or WAH for short), features 2 factions, 16 units, 18 heroes, and 3 maps -- Lost Temple (2V2), Crossroads (1V1), and Ashenvale (1V1) -- which you can play on with others or against the AI. Can't wait to get started? Launch the StarCraft 2 Arcade and search for WAH to bring up the maps. The initial download is 245MB, but once you have all the assets, the individual maps are pretty small. So what are you waiting for? Get Warcrafting!
The BlizzCon Artists' Stage wants your questions!
The Artists' Stage will once again be making a showing at BlizzCon, featuring presentations and live demonstrations by many of Blizzard's master artists throughout both days of BlizzCon. This year, they are looking for your questions for the artists and participants featured on stage. Those of you interested in quizzing Blizzard's artists can submit your questions on the official BlizzCon forums. In addition to the request for questions, Blizzard has released a full schedule of events for the Artists' Stage. And for those that have found the Burdens of Shaohao miniseries a delight, Lead Story Developer Micky Neilson, Senior Art Editor Doug Gregory and Senior Illustrator Laurel Austin will be hosting The Making of The Burdens of Shaohao Friday evening at 6pm. For the full list of powerhouse artists that will be making appearances at the Artists' Stage, as well as the event schedule, check out the official BlizzCon website -- and don't forget to submit your questions while you're there!
Blizzcon virtual tickets on sale
Don't fret if you missed out on tickets for Blizzcon 2013, because it's the future(!) and you can still attend virtually. A virtual ticket, going for $40, grants access to streams of all the panels and events taking place at Anaheim on November 8 and 9, meaning you can watch every Diablo, Warcraft, and StarCraft announcement as they're made. You can watch replays of the streams too, just in case two days straight of convention footage isn't your cup of grog. When you finally make the virtual trek home, you'll be able to happily swing your virtual swag bag around, full of in-game goodies for StarCraft 2, World of Warcraft, Diablo 3, and Hearthstone.
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 hits funding goal
In the midst of all the excitement over patch 5.4's release, you could be forgiven if you've forgotten about StarCraft Universe, the Upheaval Arts fan project to create an MMO-type game for StarCraft II. The plot of the game revolves around an alternate ending to StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, where Kerrigan couldn't stop the hybrid's assault and the Protoss were defeated. StarCraft Universe tells the story of the aftermath. If that sounds intriguing to you, know that the project has hit its Kickstarter funding goal, so StarCraft Universe is on its way to fruition. For those of you who still want to contribute and earn some extra perks, there are a few hours remaining on the campaign, but don't delay, time is quickly running out. If you've been clamoring for a StarCraft-themed MMO, this is a project you'll definitely want to check out!
StarCraft Universe reaches its funding goal on Kickstarter
There are a lot of people who would very much like to see an MMO in the StarCraft universe. StarCraft Universe isn't quite the same thing, but it manages to turn StarCraft II into something very close to an MMO. And with just one day left to go on its Kickstarter project, it has hit its funding goal, ensuring that StarCraft II players can turn the real-time strategy game into a third-person MMO-style game at will. So how much does the mod actually contain? Eight classes, vehicle gameplay, customized models, a variety of boss encounters tuned for various difficulties, in-game strategy databases, a fully voiced plotline, and crafting mechanics. There are also single-player and multiplayer components for anyone who wants to experience the game solo, and the entire project can be experienced for free without a need to buy StarCraft II. If you're interested, there's still some time left to toss money into the Kickstarter and pick up a few extra rewards.
StarCraft II Art Tools Open Beta available
If you're a 3D artist looking for some new toys to get that creative streak going, Blizzard has just the thing for you. The StarCraft II Art Tools package is now in open beta, and includes plugins for 3DS Max, along with a ton of StarCraft II source art files, tutorials, and documentation to get you up and running. The art tools package isn't just a new toy from Blizzard -- it's the same tools that the StarCraft II development team used to create Heart of the Swarm. The tools package allows artistic players to create new models, textures, particle effects, animations, or pretty much any other 3D art asset that you can dream up for the StarCraft II engine. This is, however, a beta -- so there may be bugs with the program. However, Blizzard of course has an official feedback thread for users to leave bug reports and suggestions for improvement. To participate in the open beta, simply visit the announcement page, download the program in either 32-bit or 64-bit version, grab the documentation, and get to creating!
A fully realized Starcraft MMO is in the works, but it needs to be Kickstarted first
If you're a dedicated World of Warcraft player, you may have already spent a good deal of time wondering when developer Blizzard would give its StarCraft property the MMO treatment as well. StarCraft Universe is that MMO, but it's not being made by Blizzard; a group called Upheaval Arts is creating the game as a mod for StarCraft II, and if its Kickstarter campaign meets its goal, you'll be able to play it on your Mac (or Windows PC) early next year. StarCraft Universe takes the real-time strategy franchise and gives the player control of a single character, complete with class abilities, questing, leveling and all the other mechanics MMO players have come to expect. The campaign is roughly halfway to its US$80,000 goal amount, and has a further 20 days of fundraising left to go. If you're interested in the mod, but don't currently own StarCraft II, you'll be happy to hear that Universe can be played using the trial version of the game, which can be downloaded for free.
StarCraft MMO invades Kickstarter for funding
A StarCraft 2 mod that turns the much-beloved sci-fi RTS into a World of Warcraft-like MMORPG has launched on Kickstarter. StarCraft Universe, previously known as World of StarCraft, will allow players to create a character and log in to an alternate-history StarCraft universe, where dark forces and Zerg/Protoss hybrids run amok. The Blizzard-blessed project seeks $80,000 in funding. This amount will allow mod creator Ryan Winzen and his team to not only construct additional pylons, but focus solely on creating the game, and subsequently release an open beta in early 2014. As expected, there are plenty of stretchgoals and nifty rewards, including a Zerg character class at $100,000 funding, which just sounds like all kinds of fun. The game's Kickstarter page has more info and your opportunity to toss some minerals and vespene gas that way if you believe in it.
The Queue: BlizzCon, daily quests, gnome heads, and more
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today. Let's go right to the questions! mikkelsdk asked: Considering Blizzard has a lot of things on the table currently (Heartstone, Blizzard All-Stars, Titan, Next WoW Expansion, Diablo 3 xpac and probably SC2 xpac) which of these aren't we going to hear about at Blizzcon? Titan is a given but have Blizzard talking about Heartstone, All-stars, WoW xpac, Diablo 3 xpac and SC2 xpac is kinda of a long shot.
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."
Blizzard WCS app acts as free guide to Starcraft 2 World Championships
If you're settling in to watch the Starcraft 2 World Championships from today's menu of live gaming, Blizzard has released the free Blizzard WCS app to help iOS users follow every aspect of the tournament. Blizzard WCS acts as a central hub for all eSports news pertaining to Starcraft 2. The app allows users to stream live matches, view recordings of previous battles and set reminders for upcoming games. Updates on individual players and teams as well as eSports news can be accessed through the app as well. Blizzard WCS is optimized for iPhone 5 and requires iOS 6.0 or later, but it does support models as far back as the iPhone 3 and 3rd generation iPod touch.
Age of Conan composer joins PlanetSide 2 and Starcraft II nominees for music award
Say what you will about the rest of the game, there's little argument that Age of Conan has impressive music. And now, soundtrack composer Knut Avenstroup Haugen joins the list of nominees for the Best Score in a Video Game at the 2013 Hollywood Music in Media Awards. His nomination comes for his work heard in AoC's latest content update, Dragon's Spine, which can be heard in the trailer. Other nominees include Jeff Broadbent (Planetside 2) and Russel Bower, Derek Duke, Glenn Stafford, and Neal Acree (Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm), nominated in January and March, respectively. The winner for best score will be selected at the HMMA ceremony at Hollywood's Fonda Theatre November 21st. Interested in listening to these impressive soundtracks for yourself? You'll find selections for both AoC and PS2 (and many more) in our own Jukebox Heroes feature.
Activision Blizzard makes up with the ESA
After taking its toys and going home in 2008, Activision Blizzard has kissed and made up with the Entertainment Software Association as announced in a press release this morning. The ESA is not only in charge of organizing E3 each year, but it's also seen as the political arm of the gaming industry. This, along with the joining of Tencent (owner of Riot Games, Epic Games, and the ZAM Network), brings the ESA's membership to 37 companies. Does this mean we'll see more of Blizzard's goodies at E3 while other large companies are skipping the industry expo? Could this be an act of desperation on the part of Activision Blizzard or the ESA? Let us know in the comments! [Source: ESA press release]
StarCraft 2 adds 'spawning' system (it's not as gross as it sounds)
Blizzard has instituted a spawning system in StarCraft 2, granting free access to gameplay features when moochers party up with players who have purchased the game. When you jump into multiplayer, you play the most current version of the game owned by at least one person in the party. If you have the Starter Edition and you're playing with someone who has purchased StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm, for instance, you'll both play Heart of the Swarm. The same goes for parties greater than two. Spawning is being rolled out globally today. Not all regions have access to it yet, but Blizzard assures us it's in progress.
