Maybe I'm wrong, but wasn't the last new Blizzard IP...Starcraft? That's kinda scary...Not that I have a problem with different takes on the same relatively rich game worlds, it's just strange. #starcraftii
If history repeats itself --
they cancelled a Warcraft game in the 90s and the lead character from that game is now deep-rooted in warcraft lore. They're definitely trying for that with the assets from Ghost.
Perhaps the next decade will be kinder to Starcraft. Diablo will probably have to have a cancelled game before it gets there, probably in the 2020s. #starcraftii
@WhatTheFrag: I really don't think that Blizzard is using much material from Ghost in SC2. I think there was a book that detailed much of the Ghost story though.
I doubt there will be a future Diablo title that will follow in the footsteps of Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans and Starcraft: Ghost -- at least not one the public hears about. I remember an interview relating once that Blizzard has killed many, many projects at various developmental stages due to their strict quality requirements.
As for the two publicly canceled games, Starcraft: Ghost and Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans? The former was a victim of bad timing, Blizzard's inexperience with console development, and Blizzard's inability to develop a game in what is considered a sane time-frame to other developers. The latter can be chalked up to a dying adventure game genre, too strict a timeline, and poor outsourced work.
Anyway, I really don't see the Blizzard of now having the same problems as the Blizzard of yesteryear. I'm sure they will still start and stop projects and cancel things internally, but I'd put money on every game they announce from now on seeing a public release. #starcraftii
@Senpuu: Well they have plans for the character, a friend of mine was commisioned for some art a few year's back (it's not surfaced as yet) and it was related to the character. There's also a new game that they had been working on for about 2-3 years now, though I've no clue what's the status of that.
Of course they have loads of games that never made it off the dev shelf, it's natural in pretty much all types of production companies.
It was partly a joke, also partly a pattern. I don't think they made these games to cancel them, just victims of circumstance. If it fits then yeah we might see the same happen with Diablo. Also you really can't say, if they stick to the PC then yes there would be no problem but if they try a console venture they have to start pretty much at its inception considering their long dev cycles. It's too late at the moment for them to make one for the current generation which is why they said in an interview they aren't right now. Next generation if they get details early, perhaps. Still you can't say what will happen. #starcraftii
@WhatTheFrag: Well, I think I have to disagree about that. Most green-lighted projects are expected to make it to store shelves and to make a return on investments.
As far as canceling an announced game? I just don't think it can happen with a Diablo game at this point in Blizzard's life. I'm not claiming to know the future, but Blizzard has some amazing resources these days and knows how to budget and produce (albeit slowly). They also tend to listen well to fans and learn from mistakes (mechanic and business-wise). I'm just saying that they're not going to announce a high profile game and kill it before release, like the case would be for your example. There'd be rioting on the interwebs for sure! #starcraftii
@Senpuu: That really varies from project to project. A product can be in pre-production and greenlit but need not see the day of light. Unless you belong to the company you're not going to hear about it unless someone decides to speak up about it. It's quite common practice in like I said a 'production-based industry'.
Rioting on the interwebs is over-rated :). Honestly it's success rate is 50-50 or less, taking for example all the boycotts it works if they realize it's profitable .
@SwissArmyKnife: It's not improbable, they have had a starcraft MMO idea for a while, dunno how far it actually is or if it's been shelved.
@Johnny: Yeah I think I remember reading about that. They have wasted a lot of resources into that character and want something to come of it. #starcraftii
Warcraft ended innovation for the PC and has been slowly killing it ever since it came out. Only Warcraft itself has prospered. It is akin to a heroin dealer in all aspects. #starcraftii
@FillionSmythe: What's killing PC gaming is that developers insist on utilizing the very most extremely newest technology for every single game. There are very few gamers with the drive and the resources to keep up with the recommended specs. That's what forced me out of PC gaming, I just couldn't afford the upgrades anymore. #starcraftii
@codepage9: a 'save' that neither encourages additional software development nor drives hardware demands can hardly be considered a 'save' in any real sense of the word. sure, there are a lot of people playing WoW on the PC but it's not really doing anything to help the industry as a whole. #starcraftii
@TheMightyEthan: no, that IS PC gaming. it's like fasion. no one actually buys 500,000 shoes they see on a runway but vogue runs a photospread of them which inspires other designers to try similar themes and elements in their works and this cycle repeats itself over and over until, eventually, you've got a $30 pair of shoes you can pick up at payless that look reasonably stylish. without the original catalyist, the source of the original innovation, this process would never be possible.
no one needs to keep up with the most extremely newest technology but the fact that a small subset of the population choses to is what drives the innovations that keep mid range boards cheep and powerful (like the ones in consoles). i shudder to think what the GPU world would look like if the innovations where only made with each new console. i imagine it a dark and dismal place. #starcraftii
@tetracycloide: I'm not saying that no devs should require the newest of the new technology, because you're right. The problem is that most of the new games require it. If you don't keep up you're relegated to playing games that released years ago.
Maybe that is the current definition of PC gaming, but that doesn't change the fact that that's what's killing it. #starcraftii
@TheMightyEthan: or, and heaven forbid i know, you play them on less than max settings. a PC that plays every game at the equivilant of 1080p and console settings simply doesn't cost that much more than a console costs. #starcraftii
I'm more interested to see if Blizzard has the balls to introduce something new which isn't of the mild variety. (walkers scaling cliffs? please). And more importantly, if the gaming press has the intestinal fortitude to call them out on it. Being a pessimist (I am a gamer after all) I'm preparing for disappointment on both fronts. #starcraftii
@LanciePants: Starcraft is a venerated franchise, and practically a sport in Korea. People would riot if you turned the game mechanics on its head. #starcraftii
@mcderek3000: After going hands on with the single player at Blizzcon, I can say with confidence that while the multiplayer remains mainly unchanged, they definitely have taken many creative liberties with single player missions. My most anticipated game of the CENTURY right here... #starcraftii
@LanciePants: Well the missions themselves are a totally different beast than the multiplayer. You will get old units returning that were omitted from multiplayer sessions, for balance reasons I was told. Firebats and Medics were available in one of the missions I played, for instance. The upgrade and mercenaries system was definitely an interesting twist. Some of the developers I chatted with also hinted that there would be more old units returning and even more interesting single player mechanics than what was on the show floor that evening. #starcraftii
This surprises NO one. Blizzard has been slow since LONG before World of Warcraft. That doesn't matter: As long as the game is good. Warcraft 3 took a llllong time to come out since 2. Starcraft similarly took a while. Nothing new at all. Blizzard games have the advantages of damn near being franchises though--I STILL fire up Starcraft from time to time and play just for giggles. People still play Diablo 2.
Also, it's amusing that Blizzard now can't be discussed without a bunch of people complaining about WoW the way most people do about their ex-girlfriends. Seriously: We get it. They wronged you. You thought you were the 'special' one, that suddenly it's 'casual' this and 'everyone should be able to experience content' that. It's okay man, there are other MMO's in the sea! And hey, I hear Aion is hot!#starcraftii
Whether you like Battle.net or not, you are going to have to use it. I highly recommend setting up a free email address to use as your login, though. Beloved did and is already getting spam from gold sellers and keylogger on this address which has never been used for anything else.
I'm still leaving it until the last minute. Given the recent problems for those that bit the bullet early and merged their accounts I feel better waiting. Once it's mandatory they'll be forced to keep right on top of those issues.
Wow a Penguin, woopie doo! It'll take more than that to win me over to transfer my account to battlenet. I haven't had a active account for over a year now, so unless I get free playing time then no thank you Bliz.
Only have the first WoW, no expansion and one character that's lvl 19 so NO BIG LOSS for me if I have to start over and buy a new account. Because by the time I'll get one is once they release the complete package with all the expansion for a REASONABLE price (which probably never in my life time).
@biggerx: I played the beta and I did own a account with higher lvl but for the life of me I can't figure out my user name and email that I used at the time. I think I used Excite email but I'm pretty sure that account is long and gone.
I'm just saying that it really should be a mandatory thing for WoW accounts to be integrated with Battlenet but a voluntary one and by doing that you'll get the penguin pet (which everyone will have :rolls eyes). By threatening that I'll loose my WoW account or can't play it if I don't. It doesn't fair well with me because then I'll be expected to do a another hassle in the future or lose my account again. Would I be upset because of this, well for this game not really but it's the principle of it and well because I didn't invest too much back into the game when I bought a new account. I know eventually someone will point out the stupid ToS clause. If it was something that was seamless like how STEAM did their upgrades then it wouldn't really matter but as a PC gamers with multiple accounts with multiple gaming log in, I do not feel that I need to create a new one for something I already did when I first created it.
Also calling me a scrub just because I'm not into WoW really shows your character as a person. I feel pity for you and hopefully you'll grow up in time.
@MikeRox: I'm not in the UK, I'm in the US. I might wait until the next expansion comes out and if it's still reasonably priced I'll get it. It's just that I'm not into MMOs like I was use to and I can't sit playing hours on end either, I must be getting old :p.
@Neko_Tech:
So you're complaining that you need to do a 5 minute registration process (for free I might add) if you ever want to go back to your crummy account. Just to note you won't lose it but simply won't be able to play til you merge.
Seriously big whoop, a quick signup is hardly a hassle.
@Covertghost:
@Odin:
Who cares if it's free, would you want HIV/AIDS if I offer it to you for free?
The Battlenet 2 was a optional thing before now it's mandatory. I don't care that it takes 1min or 5min to set up the account for something that I've already registered for. To set up another account that I have to keep track of just so Acti/Bliz makes sure that I don't sell my account (I don't but that's beside the point).
I'd be laughing my ass off if Battlenet 2 falls apart and they end up dropping it and revert to the old system.
I don't care for BN2, I'm not saying it isn't good and I'm sure it'll add many services that people will like. But I don't see why people like me who don't care to have the extra (mostly social networking) have to create a account again on something that already works. Why can't they have both is beyond me? I mean would it hurt you the gamers if it were a optional choice?
@Neko_Tech: "To set up another account that I have to keep track of..."
The point that you may be missing is that this does not give you one more account to manage, as it is simply replacing one you've already got. And if you ever plan to buy any Blizzard games in the future, it actually reduces the number of different accounts for you to juggle, by consolidating them into a single one.
@jesterspawn: I know if you have other Blizzard games it'll be easy to keep track of like how STEAM does it. Fine I got the idea (I never said it didn't, I just have WoW) but it seams that most of you replying back are just going with the flow. I'm not trying to get oh they should stop it, NO I never said that at all. It's great that they're doing something that might benefit most gamers but I don't see why that it has to be mandatory. Also note that I KNEW what Valve was doing with STEAM when they first started going all digital on how it may be great on how one account does all but yet severely limiting your rights as a gamer and consumer.
@pressstart: I never said I thought highly of myself. I'm just stating out that WE should have a CHOICE. If you haven't noticed that overall companies these days don't give us choices anymore.
@rageofthemage: After a good rest and coming back to read that made me LOL. Don't say that I don't have a sense of humor and I do understand both side of the coin but most have forgotten to look at it both sides and what it means to us as a consumer and as a gamer. People are just going along with Blizz just because most people think they can do no wrong (like STEAM).
I'm not afraid of change, but come one the new Battlenet2 only support 3 (4 if you count the new MMO they've been working on) games and that doesn't sound like it's worth it using a single account integration for. If they (Blizz) actually had more games and if somehow it uses not only Blizz games but Activision then I may see the point.
@To all the rest: I'm not trying to STOP Blizz at all but I was just speaking out my mind but apparently most of you readers take it way to personally. I know I have a choice to follow or not and most likely I wouldn't because it's not for me but I did not state that YOU and EVERYONE should do the same.
Here's my a point, let's say you have a WoW account and Diablo 3/Starcraft 2 also tied in (when released) and you have multiple computers. You bring one of your friend over and they want to try out D3 or SC2 since they're not into MMO. You let them try it and while you let them play, you wanted to play WoW, well since it's tied to your account only one of you can play those games. Yes I know that may not happen to a lot of you but for people who have siblings or significant others it will be a hindrance.
My only complaint about Battle.Net is the forced e-mail address as the username. I prefer actual usernames over e-mail addresses, in case I don't use a service for a while. Much easier to just type "bob42" or whatever then tons of old e-mail addresses trying to remember what one it was.
@drakino: I don't know about you but it's always easier for me to remember an actual email address rather than a username that I might have tweaked if the site I was using already had it taken...
At first I was going to be mad about ActiBlizzion forcing me to join their evil battle.net conspiracy. Then I saw that there was a FAQ, and all was fixed.
I wouldn't rule it out but it will take a lot longer than five years, and some major demographic changes will have to take place. More 'casual' titles which are so hated by the hardcore, more games which are not all about the combat, more games which appeal to female audiences without insulting their taste and intelligence.
Even if that criteria is met, it seems far more likely to me that games will join film and television as part of the popular entertainment bedrock. Most people enjoy TV and most people enjoy movies, and most people don't really bother to keep score beyond that. I suspect that in the future, most people will regard video games in the same way.
I also wouldn't be surprised if it gets harder to tell games and shows apart from one another in the future. We may start to see pick-your-own adventure shows that require simple button presses and dialogue choices once every 15 minutes or so.
10/27/09
10/27/09
10/27/09
they cancelled a Warcraft game in the 90s and the lead character from that game is now deep-rooted in warcraft lore. They're definitely trying for that with the assets from Ghost.
Perhaps the next decade will be kinder to Starcraft. Diablo will probably have to have a cancelled game before it gets there, probably in the 2020s. #starcraftii
10/27/09
I doubt there will be a future Diablo title that will follow in the footsteps of Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans and Starcraft: Ghost -- at least not one the public hears about. I remember an interview relating once that Blizzard has killed many, many projects at various developmental stages due to their strict quality requirements.
As for the two publicly canceled games, Starcraft: Ghost and Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans? The former was a victim of bad timing, Blizzard's inexperience with console development, and Blizzard's inability to develop a game in what is considered a sane time-frame to other developers. The latter can be chalked up to a dying adventure game genre, too strict a timeline, and poor outsourced work.
Anyway, I really don't see the Blizzard of now having the same problems as the Blizzard of yesteryear. I'm sure they will still start and stop projects and cancel things internally, but I'd put money on every game they announce from now on seeing a public release. #starcraftii
10/27/09
Of course they have loads of games that never made it off the dev shelf, it's natural in pretty much all types of production companies.
It was partly a joke, also partly a pattern. I don't think they made these games to cancel them, just victims of circumstance. If it fits then yeah we might see the same happen with Diablo. Also you really can't say, if they stick to the PC then yes there would be no problem but if they try a console venture they have to start pretty much at its inception considering their long dev cycles. It's too late at the moment for them to make one for the current generation which is why they said in an interview they aren't right now. Next generation if they get details early, perhaps. Still you can't say what will happen. #starcraftii
10/27/09
As far as canceling an announced game? I just don't think it can happen with a Diablo game at this point in Blizzard's life. I'm not claiming to know the future, but Blizzard has some amazing resources these days and knows how to budget and produce (albeit slowly). They also tend to listen well to fans and learn from mistakes (mechanic and business-wise). I'm just saying that they're not going to announce a high profile game and kill it before release, like the case would be for your example. There'd be rioting on the interwebs for sure! #starcraftii
10/28/09
Rioting on the interwebs is over-rated :). Honestly it's success rate is 50-50 or less, taking for example all the boycotts it works if they realize it's profitable .
@SwissArmyKnife: It's not improbable, they have had a starcraft MMO idea for a while, dunno how far it actually is or if it's been shelved.
@Johnny: Yeah I think I remember reading about that. They have wasted a lot of resources into that character and want something to come of it. #starcraftii
10/27/09
10/27/09
10/27/09
10/27/09
10/27/09
no one needs to keep up with the most extremely newest technology but the fact that a small subset of the population choses to is what drives the innovations that keep mid range boards cheep and powerful (like the ones in consoles). i shudder to think what the GPU world would look like if the innovations where only made with each new console. i imagine it a dark and dismal place. #starcraftii
10/27/09
Maybe that is the current definition of PC gaming, but that doesn't change the fact that that's what's killing it. #starcraftii
10/27/09
10/27/09
10/27/09
10/27/09
10/27/09
10/27/09
10/27/09
...From this sentence I can only surmise you've never met a Korean, and that you totally just made that up off the top of your head. #starcraftii
10/27/09
10/27/09
10/27/09
Alright then, rock on! Anything specific which comes to mind? #starcraftii
10/27/09
10/27/09
Also, it's amusing that Blizzard now can't be discussed without a bunch of people complaining about WoW the way most people do about their ex-girlfriends. Seriously: We get it. They wronged you. You thought you were the 'special' one, that suddenly it's 'casual' this and 'everyone should be able to experience content' that. It's okay man, there are other MMO's in the sea! And hey, I hear Aion is hot! #starcraftii
10/27/09
10/27/09
10/14/09
In other words, Battle.net is not secure.
10/14/09
10/14/09
Only have the first WoW, no expansion and one character that's lvl 19 so NO BIG LOSS for me if I have to start over and buy a new account. Because by the time I'll get one is once they release the complete package with all the expansion for a REASONABLE price (which probably never in my life time).
10/14/09
10/14/09
I'm just saying that it really should be a mandatory thing for WoW accounts to be integrated with Battlenet but a voluntary one and by doing that you'll get the penguin pet (which everyone will have :rolls eyes). By threatening that I'll loose my WoW account or can't play it if I don't. It doesn't fair well with me because then I'll be expected to do a another hassle in the future or lose my account again. Would I be upset because of this, well for this game not really but it's the principle of it and well because I didn't invest too much back into the game when I bought a new account. I know eventually someone will point out the stupid ToS clause. If it was something that was seamless like how STEAM did their upgrades then it wouldn't really matter but as a PC gamers with multiple accounts with multiple gaming log in, I do not feel that I need to create a new one for something I already did when I first created it.
Also calling me a scrub just because I'm not into WoW really shows your character as a person. I feel pity for you and hopefully you'll grow up in time.
@MikeRox: I'm not in the UK, I'm in the US. I might wait until the next expansion comes out and if it's still reasonably priced I'll get it. It's just that I'm not into MMOs like I was use to and I can't sit playing hours on end either, I must be getting old :p.
10/14/09
10/14/09
So you're complaining that you need to do a 5 minute registration process (for free I might add) if you ever want to go back to your crummy account. Just to note you won't lose it but simply won't be able to play til you merge.
Seriously big whoop, a quick signup is hardly a hassle.
10/14/09
@Odin:
Who cares if it's free, would you want HIV/AIDS if I offer it to you for free?
The Battlenet 2 was a optional thing before now it's mandatory. I don't care that it takes 1min or 5min to set up the account for something that I've already registered for. To set up another account that I have to keep track of just so Acti/Bliz makes sure that I don't sell my account (I don't but that's beside the point).
I'd be laughing my ass off if Battlenet 2 falls apart and they end up dropping it and revert to the old system.
I don't care for BN2, I'm not saying it isn't good and I'm sure it'll add many services that people will like. But I don't see why people like me who don't care to have the extra (mostly social networking) have to create a account again on something that already works. Why can't they have both is beyond me? I mean would it hurt you the gamers if it were a optional choice?
10/14/09
The point that you may be missing is that this does not give you one more account to manage, as it is simply replacing one you've already got. And if you ever plan to buy any Blizzard games in the future, it actually reduces the number of different accounts for you to juggle, by consolidating them into a single one.
10/14/09
@pressstart: I never said I thought highly of myself. I'm just stating out that WE should have a CHOICE. If you haven't noticed that overall companies these days don't give us choices anymore.
@rageofthemage: After a good rest and coming back to read that made me LOL. Don't say that I don't have a sense of humor and I do understand both side of the coin but most have forgotten to look at it both sides and what it means to us as a consumer and as a gamer. People are just going along with Blizz just because most people think they can do no wrong (like STEAM).
I'm not afraid of change, but come one the new Battlenet2 only support 3 (4 if you count the new MMO they've been working on) games and that doesn't sound like it's worth it using a single account integration for. If they (Blizz) actually had more games and if somehow it uses not only Blizz games but Activision then I may see the point.
@To all the rest: I'm not trying to STOP Blizz at all but I was just speaking out my mind but apparently most of you readers take it way to personally. I know I have a choice to follow or not and most likely I wouldn't because it's not for me but I did not state that YOU and EVERYONE should do the same.
Here's my a point, let's say you have a WoW account and Diablo 3/Starcraft 2 also tied in (when released) and you have multiple computers. You bring one of your friend over and they want to try out D3 or SC2 since they're not into MMO. You let them try it and while you let them play, you wanted to play WoW, well since it's tied to your account only one of you can play those games. Yes I know that may not happen to a lot of you but for people who have siblings or significant others it will be a hindrance.
10/13/09
10/13/09
10/13/09
10/13/09
10/13/09
To clarify, I approve of Kadin's comment.
10/13/09
10/13/09
10/13/09
10/13/09
10/14/09
10/13/09
It's good to see that Blizzard is confident enough for a full fledged switcheroo to battle.net.
But would it be weird to see battle.net turn into steam? Include games other than ones developed by Blizzard?
10/13/09
10/13/09
Competition isn't a bad thing.
I was able to register all the cd keys for all the blizzard games I have and they let you download the game files from the website which was cool.
09/01/09
Even if that criteria is met, it seems far more likely to me that games will join film and television as part of the popular entertainment bedrock. Most people enjoy TV and most people enjoy movies, and most people don't really bother to keep score beyond that. I suspect that in the future, most people will regard video games in the same way.
I also wouldn't be surprised if it gets harder to tell games and shows apart from one another in the future. We may start to see pick-your-own adventure shows that require simple button presses and dialogue choices once every 15 minutes or so.