PC: Starcraft 2 Unveiled

[Boofhead]

STARCRAFT? II UNVEILED

Blizzard Entertainment? announces highly anticipated sequel at 2007 Worldwide Invitational event in South Korea

SEOUL, South Korea – May 19, 2007 – Blizzard Entertainment? today unveiled StarCraft? II, the sequel to its award-winning real-time strategy game StarCraft, at the 2007 Blizzard Worldwide Invitational event in Seoul, South Korea. The announcement took place inside the Olympic Gymnastics Arena, in front of thousands of attendees, who received a presentation that included a StarCraft II cinematic trailer and a gameplay demonstration by the development team.

Designed to be the ultimate competitive real-time strategy game, StarCraft II will feature the return of the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg races, overhauled and re-imagined with Blizzard's signature approach to game balance. Each race will be further distinguished from the others, with several new units and new gameplay mechanics, as well as new abilities for some of the classic StarCraft units that will be making a reappearance in the game. StarCraft II will also feature a custom 3D-graphics engine with realistic physics and the ability to render several large, highly detailed units and massive armies on-screen simultaneously.

"With StarCraft II, we'll be able to do everything we wanted to do with the original StarCraft and more," stated Mike Morhaime, president and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "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."

StarCraft II will include a unique single-player campaign, as well as fast-paced online play through an upgraded version of Blizzard's renowned online gaming service, Battle.net?. In addition, the game will come with a powerful, full-featured map editor that will put the same tools used by Blizzard's designers into the hands of players.

Blizzard is developing StarCraft II for simultaneous release on the Windows? and Macintosh? PC platforms. Further information about the game, including details on the single-player, multiplayer, and map-editor features, as well as system requirements, pricing, and availability, will be announced in the months ahead. To learn more about StarCraft II, please visit the official website at www.starcraft2.com.

About the StarCraft Series
Since its debut in 1998, the original StarCraft has won unprecedented critical acclaim and has remained a staple of tournament gaming worldwide. The game's expansion set, StarCraft: Brood War, also released in 1998, is still considered by many to be one of the best add-on products ever created. To date, the series has sold more than 9.5 million copies worldwide.* StarCraft's gritty sci-fi universe has also spawned numerous complementary products, including several novels and action figures, as well as a pen-and-paper role-playing game.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft? and the Warcraft?, StarCraft?, and Diablo? series, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Vivendi Games, is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry's most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard's track record includes ten #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company's online-gaming service, Battle.net, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active users. In South Korea, Blizzard is regarded as having played a major role in bringing about the birth of professional gamers and game broadcasting. Furthermore, its games are acknowledged as one of the key drivers behind the popularization of South Korea's PC game room business.

*Based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.

[DIEHARD]

Starcraft is still my fav game of all time, I still play it online as go thousands of others world wide.

I am surprised they aren't doing a subscription based game to maximise profit, but a real time strategy game is taking a pure approach and I am very happy about it.

http://www.starcraft2.com/

Been a lot of rumours and hoaxes about SC2 for so long, good to see this might actually happen.

This game looks AMAZING.

[DIEHARD]

I find it hard to believe they'll only have the three original races.

I don't care what they say, that would defy their traditional strategies.

War2 had new races and elements such as a navy.
War3 had a new race in the Undead and countless other races and allies.
War3 Frozen Throne had Blood Elves and Naga.
Starcraft Brood War had Dark Templar and the Earth based humans.

Also remember the Zerg / Protoss hybrids....will they come into play?

[Boofhead]

Started playing SC1 again... I'm hooked once again, although this - I'm getting smashed by pros who never stopped playing lol...

Yeah, not sure how they are going to bring the Protoss/Zerg hybrid into the game. Possibly just spare units that will be used in the campaign, doubt it would become a separate race though.

[Steve]

I might get this, always enjoyed Starcraft, though haven't played in ages.

[DIEHARD]

I think the hybrids will be part of a new race, the Xel'Naga who shaped the Protoss and created the Zerg searching for the ultimate life form, they have been licking their wounds for thousands of years and are back.

I was one of those who never stopped playing starcraft on bnet since it released....best game ever.

I prefer the Original over Brood Wars though.

[DIEHARD]

Any Starcraft fans want to start playing some games on Battle.net?

[Boofhead]

Battlenet Username: Robina.

Can't play at the moment but definitely up for it another time

[DIEHARD]

I've been playing hardcore on the US WEST server.

Anyone wanting to play, let me know. I could use a good ally.

I mainly play protoss and I'm pretty tough to beat, even 2 or 3 against 1.

But it is more fun to play terran but also a lot harder. Terran are my favourite race.

The toughest race to play but also the most dangerous in trained hands.

[DIEHARD]

I hear Steve just bought Starcraft.

Come on patch it and let's play!

[Hoppy2007Dragons]

i have a copy of starcraft laying aorund the house somewhere if i can find it and get some freetime i would love to join in the fun.

[Boofhead]

Someone should totally give me their Brood War CD Key if they arent using it!

[DIEHARD]

I haven't stopped playing Starcraft regularly in 10 years. I'm on the US WEST server.

If I had a swear code I'd give it to ya, you can buy the game ultra cheap though now.

[Boofhead]

Two days to go!