Rumor: Starcraft 2 possible, but Blizzard's hiding something
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Apr 26th 2007 at 1:30AM }
TeamLiquid has apparently translated a post from a Korean website which claims that "according to the game developers," Blizzard will announce Starcraft 2 at Blizzard's World Wide Invitational (WWI) to be held in South Korea. If you've paid any attention to Korea and Starcraft you'll know it's no joke over there. Our "hardcore" gets air quotes compared to Korea's hardcore, which should actually have just been written in all caps, bolded and italicized. Although we have absolutely no idea about the legitimacy of this Starcraft 2 information, we do know that there is a megaton announcement planned around May 19.Speaking with Joystiq, Blizzard wouldn't confirm Starcraft 2, but said they are planning on making a huge announcement at the WWI. Starcraft 2 had previously been hinted by Blizzard's VP of business development. Obviously announcing Starcraft 2 in Korea is only appropriate, as matches are held in stadiums, carried on television and are practically a national sport. This way, Blizzard can announce the next WoW expansion at min-E3 and then save the Diablo 3 announcement for BlizzCon. So if sometime around May 19 you suddenly feel a disturbance in the force and millions of people screaming, that's just South Korea imploding from the news that Starcraft 2 is coming.
[Via EvilAvatar]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
che @ Apr 26th 2007 1:41AM
They should just make May 19th a national holiday in Korea, as well as the day Starcraft 2 comes out.
ackmondual @ Apr 26th 2007 1:44AM
Now we're waiting a month for the announcement of whether or not SC2 will be the real McCoy or not. It sure beats waiting 6+ years or so for the final/beta version. What's the saying.... risk big and win or lose big? SC fans sure lost big when SC Ghost development ceased to exist while SC2 was just a pipe dream for the longest time.
If SC2 does come out, I wonder how many WoW players will jump ship and come back to the Universe that is Starcraft. It will be totally awesome just to see how the campaign storyline pan out. Hell, even if no game is in the works, I'd settle for a movie of the events (on DVD with FMV, movies, whatever)
Rubang B @ Apr 26th 2007 1:47AM
On May 19th, I'm loading a gun and pointing it somewhere. Not sure where yet. Could be a flaming watermelon. Could be my brains.
syco @ Apr 26th 2007 1:51AM
I would love a high quality, traditional RTS game. That would be extremely cool. Unfortunantly, knowing my luck, it will end up being an MMO or some weird RPG/RTS hybrid like Warcraft 3.
Leonidas @ Apr 26th 2007 1:55AM
My wet dream just came true.
Einhanderkiller @ Apr 26th 2007 1:58AM
Looks like I'll need to start rearranging my schedule to make room for 24 hours of Starcraft 2 everyday for the next billion years when it releases.
Daniel @ Apr 26th 2007 1:59AM
How about Starcraft DS? Diablo DS? WoW ports to console systems?
The possibilities are endless.
Why come out with something new, when you can just port existing games? :)
Though... I'd buy SC DS on launch day.
How about a new Blackthorne game? That'd be cool :)
Adam Sutherland @ Apr 26th 2007 2:01AM
Watch this end up being Starcraft: Ghost. Hah.
Sander @ Apr 26th 2007 2:20AM
Starcraft 2 is not coming out in the foreseeable future. Maybe 2010. The reasons for this are: Starcraft has reached cult status, is wholly dominant in Korea and is still selling like hotcakes there and around the world. This game is now a sport and it has many years left as such. Why would Blizzard risk killing all of that by announcing Starcraft 2? The game is not coming out anytime soon. If I were Blizzard, I would wait until Starcraft began to wane in popularity. Then, I would go to Korea, announce Starcraft 2, then not release it for years, milking the renewed interest in Starcraft that this announcement could only bring.
Regardless, Blizzard is not stupid. Announcing Starcraft 2: 2nd Quarter 2008 would be very, very stupid.
Sorry to dash everyone's hopes, but look at this logically.
wackychan @ Apr 26th 2007 2:29AM
Great news! This gives you WoW players about a month to take a bath, and maybe go outside and get some sun. That is before you have to put your diapers back on and sit in your computer chairs for another year or two.
Jake @ Apr 26th 2007 3:00AM
Sandler,
I'd say StarCraft isn't exactly still "selling like hotcakes" in Korea because I think every man, woman, and child already owns a copy or two.
You are right about one thing though, they're not going to announce StarCraft 2 now and then release it a couple years from now. They're going to announce it now and release it in a few months. I wouldn't doubt if this game has been in development for a long time under the radar. Some of the guys over at 1up have seemed pretty confident here recently that we'll see a StarCraft 2 on shelves by the end of this year. I'm sure they know something that we don't that makes them feel this way.
wako @ Apr 26th 2007 3:11AM
Either way, Ill be happy as long as the new project for Blizzard has nothing to do with Warcraft
Shawn D @ Apr 26th 2007 3:16AM
Well, I think this is something that we knew all along, it was just a question of when. If this materializes, this will be my number 1 game to look forward to, hands down. Crysis what???
Talking about a success,I don't think Blizzard knows how to loose money.
donnie @ Apr 26th 2007 3:55AM
Starcraft = Best RTS game EVER. And im not Korean.
RJ @ Apr 26th 2007 5:05AM
I'm hoping it's something Starcraft related. In WoW, just a little west of Mana Forge Coruu in Netherstorm, there is a small floating island with a piece of Draenei tech on it that has four randomly blinking letters, N O V A. Which is either one of two things, either a hint or Blizzard being really evil about the whole cancelling of Starcraft: Ghost.
I circled it on this map.
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/3199/neatherstormni0.jpg
I hope it's Starcraft 2, I really do. I love WoW, and the whole Warcraft universe, but the cliffhanger in Brood War has been driving me nuts for years.
NoHitHair @ Apr 26th 2007 5:26AM
South Korea has some of the most incredible Starcraft gameplay I've ever witnessed. Their tournaments are jaw-dropping.
It's very possible that if forced to choose, I might choose Starcraft as my favorite game of all time. The hundreds of hours I poured into SC have yet to be matched (except possibly multiplayer Perfect Dark).
That said, I find it both really unfortunate and unlikely that a Starcraft 2 would be released anytime in the foreseeable future. I'm hard pressed to think of another game where if the sequel turned out poor it may actually incite a riot.
http://blog.myspace.com/nohithair
Rubang B @ Apr 26th 2007 7:32AM
Blizzard doesn't make bad games. If they had a good StarCraft 2 ready 7 years ago, we would be playing it. But they know that they need to make the greatest game the world will ever know, AGAIN. If they make a game that's less than perfect, they cancel it, like StarCraft: Ghost and WarCraft Adventures. They've probably made StarCraft 2 a thousand times by now, and they just keep starting over from scratch and making it better. They probably dump their infinite dollars from WoW into this evil plan. They have to. Because if SC 2 isn't perfect, the universe will explode, starting with South Korea.
Topher @ Apr 26th 2007 7:48AM
World of Starcraft!!!!
Jack of No Trades @ Apr 26th 2007 8:00AM
They better keep it RTS. I don't want another WoW.
But anyways, if Starcraft2 comes out I promise you I will upgrade my PC.
nithron @ Apr 26th 2007 8:05AM
IT'S NOT JUST WARCRAFT IN SPACE!
Noshino @ Apr 27th 2007 8:31AM
There hasn't been any other game which has been such a success as SC, with only one game and a single expansion it was enough to gather more ppl than any other game I have ever seen.
Like mentioned before, SC has become a cult, and not a single person that has played SC before will be able to stay away from it (I do because I lost my CD's T__T)
"Blizzard doesn't make bad games"
WoW?
"7. How about Starcraft DS? Diablo DS? WoW ports to console systems?
The possibilities are endless.
Why come out with something new, when you can just port existing games? :)"
Sorry, first, DS wouldn't be able to handle it (HAHAHA), second, even if it did, the amount of time ppl would spend on the game would be so insane that you'll find ppl with hook-like hands, so yah, SC is a good game that doesn't belong to the DS :]
Ignatius @ Apr 26th 2007 8:13AM
If they announce StarCraft 2, Blizzard will regain my respect.
Blazur @ Apr 26th 2007 8:34AM
Oh man I just got giddy reading this!
Muu @ Apr 26th 2007 8:37AM
If all of South Korea's playing StarCraft still, then they could make a killing by making StarCraft2 subscription based. I'm sure they've realized how easy it is to rake cash in after WoW...
shaoron @ Apr 26th 2007 9:18AM
well they better make a starcraft 2 or the CnC series will kick their butts!
if it IS starcraft... i just have to wonder... are they going to add a 4th race? hmmmm....
SOC @ Apr 26th 2007 9:52AM
Starcraft: The Boardgame is due out Sept. 2007 for all you Off the Grid players
http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/starcraft.html
Jonathan Tran @ Apr 26th 2007 10:09AM
In terms of fees, it could be "free" in the US and pay to play in Korea. That's how Guild Wars and some other games work...
Anyway, if this announcement is Diablo 3 or SC2 or SC:Ghost, I will be happy as pie. The only IPs I don't want to see is more Warcraft or The Lost Vikings.
The only great RTS to come out since Starcraft was Homeworld 1&2, so it will be a pleasant surprise to see SC2. That said PLEASE DONT HAVE AIR UNITS STACK, it makes NO SENSE and LOOKS DUMB. Also, please have at least SOME air units do attack runs. What kind of plane just sits there while ground units shoot it down???
Elijah @ Apr 26th 2007 11:25AM
Other historical events on May 19th:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_19
Boonie @ Apr 26th 2007 10:33AM
Diablo 3's in development.
It just happens to be called Hellgate:London.
Same team, same gameplay, same monsters, different setting. And like the other Diablos, from the looks of things it's made of pure awesome.
Chubbs @ Apr 26th 2007 11:17AM
@24:
In the article, they did mention something about a new 4th race...
BTW, I so found this article first :D.
arklink @ Apr 26th 2007 1:44PM
I'm hoping for Starcraft 2 not World of Starcraft.
(or maybe it could be both, with some mix. but I know I want something that can be played on local networks, and offline. I don;y want to have to pay 60.00 to buy a game then pay a monthly fee to use any of it.)
Yourself @ Apr 26th 2007 2:51PM
If they make this like WCIII... I'm going to be furious. I liked that game a lot but it's NOT Starcraft and Starcraft should NOT be like it.
Collision891 @ Apr 26th 2007 5:41PM
@ 27
The difference is that Hellgate: London, is first-person, seems to be at least half-shooter, and requires a monthly fee for the good online portion.
I'm looking forward more to Guild Wars 2 now than Hellgate London, and I didn't even like Guild Wars really.
Bring on the Diablo 3.
Danny @ Apr 26th 2007 6:31PM
Starcraft is probably the most overrated game ever. It's like someone invented donuts, then someone else invented them again a year later, putting some cheese on top for originality. Then they're like, look at my cheesy donut and everybody goes yay for ten years. I don't understand.
Leonidas @ Apr 26th 2007 7:21PM
Cheesy donuts would be so amazing....
Rubang B @ Apr 26th 2007 7:31PM
Holy crap give this man a trophy! 3 cheers for cheesy donuts!
Wasn't there a rumor years ago that the 4th race would be the mysterious and sudden return of the Xel'Naga?
ackmondual @ Apr 26th 2007 8:25PM
@ #33
""Starcraft is probably the most overrated game ever. It's like someone invented donuts, then someone else invented them again a year later, putting some cheese on top for originality. Then they're like, look at my cheesy donut and everybody goes yay for ten years. I don't understand.""
funny how u mention it that way. I feel that way Krispy Kreme donuts. It's amazing how an overrated donut like their glazed variety can generate such a cult. Well, I also feel way about the entire Warcraft series
w @ Apr 27th 2007 1:41AM
WOW..SC2??!! This game if its guna come out is guna be a BIG deal. 12 years after the release of original sc, ppl are still playing it. sc2 is guna be awesome
J @ Apr 27th 2007 2:58AM
If starcraft2 sucks korea will wage war on blizzard. haha
Coyote @ Apr 27th 2007 10:53AM
Sadly the actual gameplay for SC2 was already released several years ago, see here:
http://www.relic.com/product/dawnofwar/
I would like to see the SC story line advanced tho.
Deekman @ Apr 27th 2007 3:50PM
Unless this news is about "The Lost Vikings 3" I couldn't care less about anything Blizzard is making.
Alex06 @ Apr 27th 2007 11:12PM
SC2? Wow, first Earth 2160 in 2006. Now C&C3 in 2007, and SC2 in 2008. IT'S THE CLASSICAL RTS COMEBACK!
TA, CNC, EARTH, SC! They're all back! It's the good ol' times again! :'D
It's so beautiful! And I thought Earth 2160 got topped in my fav RTSes by SupCom which was topped by CNC3 which is about to be topped by SC2.
Xehtophris @ May 1st 2007 7:56AM
want a spoiler? the new race their going to add is the Xel'Naga.
Xehtophris @ May 1st 2007 7:55AM
and the terran can now make somekind of cyborg-mutalisks..
Moe @ May 3rd 2007 12:36AM
I forsee a stand-alone DotA client, development has as such ensued over the last few years.
Quite honestly, I am more than certain if Blizzard took on development of DotA alongside Icefrog would be quite a lucrative move on their part. I am more than certain a further developed form of DotA would soon after turn into a classic taken down the ages as a smash hit. The desire to play this map alraedy has brought a large ammount of revenue I imagine to blizzard, and quite honestly the map is taking the world in full as the next CS standard used at lan parties and lan cafes.
I as reading a article about it the other day, it really is quite ridiculous watching the numbers move about as sporadically as they have been of recent. One can conclude that more players find themselves playing out a leaver-ridden public DotA game on all edges of the earth over upping their micro skills in the normal melee/ladder form of WC:III.
I' mean this obviously was a joke post, but I really would support full development of the map into a solid and real game to be bought and sold to consumers on the PC platform.
Think about it, what does DotA offer the common player? Its a ballanced team-based game, which features character customization and in a sense IMO is purely skill based in both a reaction/strategic/analytic sense. Its the perfect game to spend your days in wait for future titles: Age of Conan, WAR, etc (for most hardcore pvp addicts that is).
Moe @ May 3rd 2007 12:36AM
I forsee a stand-alone DotA client, development has as such ensued over the last few years.
Quite honestly, I am more than certain if Blizzard took on development of DotA alongside Icefrog would be quite a lucrative move on their part. I am more than certain a further developed form of DotA would soon after turn into a classic taken down the ages as a smash hit. The desire to play this map alraedy has brought a large ammount of revenue I imagine to blizzard, and quite honestly the map is taking the world in full as the next CS standard used at lan parties and lan cafes.
I as reading a article about it the other day, it really is quite ridiculous watching the numbers move about as sporadically as they have been of recent. One can conclude that more players find themselves playing out a leaver-ridden public DotA game on all edges of the earth over upping their micro skills in the normal melee/ladder form of WC:III.
I' mean this obviously was a joke post, but I really would support full development of the map into a solid and real game to be bought and sold to consumers on the PC platform.
Think about it, what does DotA offer the common player? Its a ballanced team-based game, which features character customization and in a sense IMO is purely skill based in both a reaction/strategic/analytic sense. Its the perfect game to spend your days in wait for future titles: Age of Conan, WAR, etc (for most hardcore pvp addicts that is).
Moe @ May 4th 2007 12:24AM
Sorry for the double post, and the above was a joke. Either way this should be either SC2, small very miniscule chance it could be Diablo 3 as well.
blue @ May 5th 2007 7:41PM
um why are people saying the new race will be xel naga??? that was a louzy rumor from ages ago the new starcraft will be called 'Revenge of the Xel Naga' i dont think so as the story from starcraft expansion, in the bonus level where zeratul chases duran, he finds hybrids of zerg and protoss, WHICH IS NOT XEL NAGA!! the new race would be the hybrid and i reckon in SC2 expansion they would add xelnaga then
Protoss @ May 17th 2007 6:07PM
hey i say if sc2,d3 suck we should force blizzard to edit it until it can never be challenged as the greatest game ever and d3 and sc2 sounds freaking awesome i would have to stick with my homies on sc2 and go protoss but on d3 i might stay pally/barb or if they come out with new char ill experiment alot until i have all chars of every type sorc,necro,pally,barb,zon,sin, dru and the new char(s) and see which i prefer who knows but either way all will fear my army of 99s!!!! if these games blow i say"DOWN WITH BLIZZARD UP WITH (new company) DOWN WITH BLIZZARD............REPEATS FOR 2 YEARS.
PaiN @ May 17th 2007 7:36PM
ok everyone drop your cocks and pay attention. their going to announce that WoW is being ported to consoles. if they were even developing SC2 there would be img's and what not. god know's that developers give up inforemation easier that $2 hookers...