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StarCraft 2 to be split into a trilogy
Author: Joe MartinPublished: 14th October 2008
Blizzard has now announced plans to split StarCraft 2 into three standalone games, each focusing on one campaign.
The decision, which was made at the very end of last year according to StarCraft 2, will mean that the games should be released later, but more regularly. The series will be titled Terrans: Wings of Liberty, Zerg: Heart of the Swarm, and Protoss: Legacy of the Void.
According to Blizzard the decision to release the game in this way was something that had nothing to do with the Activision merger which and was more to do with the fact that, if Blizzard hoped to release StarCraft 2 as a single game then more and more cuts were going to be needed.
Terrans: Wings of Liberty will be the first game in the series to be released, with Blizzard saying that it could be a year or more between each title. Bear in mind that that's in Blizzard Time however - in normal time that could translate into decades.
Blizzard has promised that each game will be utterly standalone and will include around 26-30 singleplayer missions. Each game will also have a standalone multiplayer element and will also have unique units and multiplayer expansions. The release date for the game is still a vague 'next year'.
Does the split into three sound good to you, or would you have preferred to have a single, larger release? A benefit for better gameplay or simply more money grabbing by Blizzard? Let us know what you think in the forums.
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Comments (53)Stats: 0.086 seconds
Cant say im pleased by this move, as you just KNOW they will make you pay for each campaign :( :(
"Each new single player campaign will come with upgrades and changes to the multiplayer."
http://www.kotaku.com.au/games/2008/10/11/starcraft_ii_lead_producer_on_the_split_single_player_campaign-2.html
And I have a feeling that they will simply do the same after 3 years with the expansion packs. So you will have to wait 6 years before you get the full game. This means one thing: "We did not finish the game yet, and we want to cash in as soon as possible."
Unless they sell teh 3 trilogy, and if you want to play Multilayer, you need to to buy a fourth one.
Zerg: Heart of the Swarm, 39.99
Protoss: Legacy of the Void, 39.99
... enjoy the price gouging. I guess this is what happens when you can't turn Starcraft into a monthly subscription style game -- just charge them *per race* and make them wait up to 2 years to get to play it all.
Sorry, not gonna buy. And then companies ponder "Why do you crazy people pirate our games?!".
Jasio, is that pricing drawn from somewhere or are you spewing babble? I'd personally have thought that they'd price them alot lower.
peace
fatman
Not that I would buy them if I had complete multiplayer. Of course, the two expansions will doubtless have unique units so anyone who doesn't buy them would either be unable to play with people who have the expansion or would just receive free superfluous anuses any time they tried to play someone with the expansion.
If this happens, I will have no choice but to not to play SC2...as well as THQ / Relic release of Dawn of war 2 is right around the corner (which I was buying both anyway)..but it pushes me to favor them over Blizzard in what I call the top two companies for RTS.
It dissapoints me a bit that Blizzard split up, but I know it will still be a quality product ..
Either way, if it's going to take 6 years to get the full campaign, then you know what, screw it. I'm not going to bother buying it nor even playing it.
By the time the final campaign is released, the game's engine will be heavily outdated.
screw it. i'll play diablo 2 instead.
You can pre-order Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty for $49.99 at GameStop and EB-Games.
As far as the other packs? Blizzard made it clear that *each* campaign will have about the same number of missions (25-30).
So give me a good reason as to *why* they should charge $10 or $20 for the other games? Seriously folks. Stop living in "La La Land". This is Blizzard, the King of Gouging -- if WoW is any indicator -- then Starcraft II and its expansions will undoubtedly be priced at close-to/full retail price which is usually $50 here. How about WoW's expansions? They weren't $10 or $20... they weren't full size games on their own either, and yet that didn't stop Blizzard selling it at close to full retail price of a stand-alone game.
Spewing babble? Wake up boy. The dream is over.
Yeap, that's true. The argument by most users is against the pricing scheme -- not the content of the game. I'm sure the title will be excellent, as there haven't been any Blizzard titles that have disappointed.
Making Battle.net paid... that's something new to me. But I wouldn't be surprised really. Blizzard continues to make great titles -- they've just realized that they can demand exuberant amounts of money for their level of "quality".
Good to see some full length single player action going on, it would have been easy for them just to focus on the multiplayer.
they're just trying to give you the full story with out cut downs. It just seems like each story is an expansion. You will get access to all the races for multi player just you will only get 1 campaign at a time with more units as each campaign rolls out.
and if bnet becomes subscription, it'll be simple people will move onto khali or similar programs which was why bnet was created.
the only thing that bugs me about this is with every expansion blizzard makes everything you did previously was zilch screwed nada zero
On the plus side though this means that maybe the first game will be released earlier than anticipated (so by any other company's standards... only a few months late). If Diablo III manages somehow to get released before Starcraft 2: 1 I'm going to be upset.
I am more worried with the "monetization" of battle.net:
http://www.cinemablend.com/games/BlizzCon-08-New-Battle-Net-Will-Have-Fees-12751.html
That just might happen: http://www.battleforums.com/newscomments.php?id=28
Pay once, pay twice and pay again.
I'm still a little vexed that blizzard decided to go this route as I did enjoy the race campains. I just hope this really delivers.
You and George Lucas should get together and talk about Star Wars Episode 1, 2 and 3. I hear that was a "good concept" too...
Allow me to demonstrate:
http://www.vgcats.com/comics/images/050531.jpg
I guess I want Diablo 3 more, anyway.
So they are gonna rush up the multiplayer balance to fit the release date with the completion of the terran campain so they can get the game out and stop people losing interest - Probably leaving Zerg half finished & Protoss woefully unbalanced - Then, forget about it for another decade or two and release a half-arsed Zerg/Protoss fix/campaign once people have stopped paying for the privalige of playing the game online that they already paid for and are expected to pay for another two times! *breathe*
This makes me REALLY mad...SC1 is my favorite game of all time, when they said they were doing SC2 I nealy fainted with excitement - all they had to do was make SC1 with better graphics, overhaul the interface and units & add/replace some new units (which up to now is what they have done, and it looks REALLY good)- EVERYONE (nearly) would have been happy with that, REALLY, if I have to buy the game 3 times to get all the multiplayer units and for them to have the balance just right (& 3 campaigns I will only play once) I am gonna be mad...take a leaf out of COD4's book - single player campign great, but short, to the point, played it once, now I cannot stop playing online, really I'm addicted - that's where they will sell copies, not through campigns, through addictive multiplayer action (& no-ones gonna play if they have to pay MORE to go online & the two non-focus races are unbalanced/crap)- I can't help but feel they are neglecting that to add the single player...
...I am very very very cross.
* rant over *
I like the idea 30 + single player missiions per disk
for what is basically pocket money to some kids these days
if you cant aford £30 a year what are you doing in pc gaming
as this isnt the place for you
please leave now
Door that way >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
my interest in starcraft 2 wasn't that high to begin with. now i know i'll not bother. i'm still looking forward to diablo 3 though... until they (probably) mess that up as well, urgh.
:? Er thanks...lol...ok, so i ranted a bit when I found out they were splitting it...
I have plenty of money for buying games (and probably many other titles I'll wanna buy than SCII) I just don't see why I should buy the same game 3 times to get all the multiplayer stuff, which is primarily what I am interested in...so please don't just flame me like some kid just coz I vented my opinion a bit, I never said the single player was bad, I played, loved it, but I wouldn't play it twice. Maybe they should also release the multiplayer game as a download at a reduced price so those who like the MP can play it without having to pay £90! Seeing as how we are probably gonna be expected to pay for online play too...
;)