Kotaku
It took a good day of calls and emails, but Blizzard just got back to us about the rumor floating around that Starcraft 2 will be announced next month during their World Wide Invitation in Seoul, South Korea.
According to a Korean website, StarCraft 2 is being developed in 3D with a new race and lots of changes for existing units. The site went on to say that additional details would be revealed during Blizzard's WWI on May 19th in Seoul.
When reached for comment today this was Blizzard's official response:
We do intend to announce a new product at the Worldwide Invitational next month in Korea, and we appreciate the enthusiasm and interest in getting an advance look at what that will be, but players will have to wait until May 19th to find out more. Also, we have a very strong connection with the characters and settings of StarCraft, and we do plan to revisit that universe at some point in the future, but we don't have anything new to announce in that regard at present.
So that's a yes on a StarCraft 2, eventually, and a yes to a product announcement next month. The only question now is are they one in the same.
Comments
wow, there is a lot of stuff I really dont care about.
Only took em 10 years, I can't wait!
I'm almost hoping this isn't true. If it is then I can kiss the next two years of my life and my weight-loss plans goodbye.
I hope it can wait until 2008.
Diablo 3
I only have 2 requests for StarCraft 2:
1 - Let me zoom the camera out. This was probably the most annoying thing about WarCraft 3.
2 - Never, ever, ever get rid of Use Map Settings. It's the only reason I still have StarCraft installed on my computer.
Otherwise, they can go ahead and fuck up the game just as much as they like. Turn it into an MMO, whatever. Just keep these 2 things and I will be a happy player.
Looks like Blizz is gonna need to get another giant money vault. I have to admit, i sucked at Starcraft, but I still found it the last RTS i actually really enjoyed, so I'm when they roll out the sweet sweet zerging action.
Finally...
The tag that was posted under is hilarious....
Well by the time this game comes out I should have a new computer by then.. I just hope they dont make it like WCIII. I hate the uber micro rts games.
Damn, was hoping for a Diablo 3. Oh well, guess I can finally get into Starcraft now lol.
OMFG, I can't wait for this. We have been waiting for years for something else besides WOW. Now its time to announce Diablo 3 or World of Starcraft/Diablo, then I would get so excited.
I need a wetnap, I just jizzed all over my cat. WOOPS!
Ive been waiting for this game now for a very very long time. I just hope its going to be good and all being 3-D.
Dam, I needa wetnap, I just came all over mt cat. WOOPS!
I, for one, welcome my new kotaku-comment approving-robot overlords.
SC2 not it am confirmed, diablo 3..NOT.
New product = WoW expansion.
usual blizzard business.Milking that cash cow!
I wouldn't be shocked if they popped out with a revamped Ghost.
It's going to be interesting what approach Blizzard takes here.
If they go "all new game, all new units, all new strategies" they're going to risk alienating everyone who's spent the last decade loving the game.
If they go "It's pretty much the same game plus all this new stuff" they're going to be called lazy for not being innovative, and it's going to take a lot of rebalance all this new stuff.
Still, pretty freakin' pumped for this one.
I hope it's StarCraft 2 and if it is, I hope they don't mess it up...
Oh who am I kidding!? It's going to be WarCraft 4, another WoW expansion, and Diablo 3... all of them.
Serve the hive.
World of Starcraft.
Or to make it like a WoW type deal.
[Some sort of word for World or something that starts with an S] of Starcraft.
Go SoS!
Well, in the post it did state that "We do intend to announce a new product at the Worldwide Invitational next month in Korea..." and
"we do plan to revisit that universe [of Starcraft] at some point in the future, but we don't have anything new to announce in that regard at present."
So for all we know a Diablo 3 could be announced at that World Wide Invitational in Korea.
BY TASSADAR! This had better be StarCraft 2!
It'll be the second wow expansion: "Now with more Murloc's!"
Seriously though, if it was StarCraft 2, they'd better continue the storyline where it ended in Brood Wars (The Queen of Blades in charge, kicking ass. The Protoss hiding out on their new homeplanet with the Dark Protoss. Raynor doing who knows what. And the Zerg-Protoss Hybrids from the secret, second-to-last mission.) And FMV's every three missions, like the original. Not this one at the start / one at the end BS.
OH YEAHHHH!
Guys, it's Starcraft 2. Don't let the marketing double speak through you off, that's a confirmation right there.
Honestly, I'd almost rather see a Starcraft 1.5. Exact same game, same balance, but with heavily updated graphics.
lono, if the game doesn't offer that, you'll likely see a homebrew mod that does :P.
Instead of World of Starcraft, it'll probably be Starcraft Galaxy. Now why does that sound so familiar...
I always wondered why Games Workshop never sued the hell out of Blizzard for intellectual property theft.
Ah well. I guess Blizzard will just end up getting richer from other people's good ideas.
I hope to god they won't have.. heavily 3D graphics.
I know most people don't agree with me, but I feel this is what ruined C&C and Warcraft. WC3 was good, but it wasn't just the same.
...not to mention the necros were gimped in WC3 :(
I'd like them to go the Supcom route and make the battlefields massive
Given how WoW no longer provides any fun for those unwilling to do the hardcore end-game raiding dance every week, here's hoping for StarCraft 2 so I have someplace else to spend my Blizzard funds. I've actually avoided playing Tiberium Wars simply because each time I try C & C I end up having to pull out StarCraft just to remind me how good an RTS can be with awesome game mechanics.
I liked both Warcraft 3 (too short) and C&C3 i'm enjoying the hell out of now.
Maybe not as much as C&C2 and Red Alert and the original Starcraft, and certainly not as much as Warcraft 2.
OMG i'm giddy with excitement about Starcraft 2... I want it now, honestly... I want it now SO bad that i'm gonna go home and re-install Starcraft and Brood Wars tonight. I can't stop thinking about it. LOL
I'll be pretty excited as long as it doesn't have anything to do with the Warcraft universe.
They could really shake things up and announce an entirely new game... who am I kidding?
I agree with the previous poster. I seriously doubt the announcement has anything to do with StarCraft or even Diablo.
No... Blizzard has a cash cow in WarCraft and is going to milk it dry to the point of ignoring and killing off any other title they have ever produced.
I honestly believe that Blizzard should just make it all official and change their name to WarCrafters... But that is just my opinion...
How about a new property? Is that so difficult?
Can't wait next month :P
Chess 2.0
I am extremely excited for this.
Another Diablo 2 expansion! >.> Or Diablo 3 :D
wow i think i just wet myself
I hope starcraft2 isnt cartoony
Oh. My. God.
Don't know how I feel about a new Starcraft though. The old one still plays really well. Who needs 3D?
I don't care if it's in 3D so long as UMS maps are still in it.
hm, World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade 2?
Awesome!
As long as it has UMS, anyway.
C'mon...this is a no brainer in what they are going to announce alongside STARCRAFT 2.
WORLD OF STARCRAFT!!!...HELLOO?? That was easy.
Please let it be a new starcraft, and please let it not be PC only.
@Nayl:
Coulda sued them twice.
Games Workshop and Blizzard both tried to sue each other for copyright infringement, but the cases were thrown out since the nessecary 10% difference was there.
If I remember correctly, Games Workshop tried to sue Blizzard over the likeness of either the Terran Marines to Space Marines, the likeness of the Zerg to the Tyranids, or the general likeness of Orcs and Goblins in Warcraft to the Orcs and Goblins of Warhammer.
Their case got thrown out though and rather famously - as revenge - Games Workshop created a new Mini for the Tyranid Range, the Ravener, which looks and operates suspiciously like a Hydralisk (especially in it's current incarnation).
I think Blizzard tried to sue Games Workshop for that but it was thrown out as well.
My personal opinion?
Blizzard should be giving daily rimjobs to Games Workshop for the universe and art style they more or less completely ripped off for two separate franchises.
Orcs and Space Marines are nothing new. It's like saying every fantasy novel with orcs in it ripped off the LOTR. It's silly.
Whatever it is, I am willing to bet cash-money that it will have a monthly subscription fee (and will be an MMO, or very similar to an MMO). Why?
Blizzard is making mountains of money off WoW right now. For 4 years, they have been raking it in in a way that is pretty much unprecedented in the video game industry. Why would they change that? Why would they go back to a traditionally priced game? They won't! Their executives wouldn't let them, even if they wanted to!
From what the PR person said, it doesn't sound like StarCraft 2. It sounded like she was trying to defuse the fanboys before they got their hopes up.
I bet that it's a new IP. Either that, or WoW2 (for PC & 360).
Man, if this is SC2, well, lets just say they had better do it right, otherwise we may see South Korea invade Irvine, CA, and leave it a smoking hole.
As much as I loved Starcraft, I'm hoping for an original game (HA!) or the return of the Lost Vikings. They've been lost too long.
Diablo 3 and I bet it's pay 2 play.
@leetdood: Good logic. I think I'm gonna go make a game and call it "Antonio Hawkins: Profesh Skatedude"... 'cause ya know, skateboarding games are nothing new. Clearly nothing scandalously awkward about that name.