Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/JoystiqThe Joystiq Podcast combines insightful commentary on the week's video game news and culture with several disembodied, often spooky, voices. Voices may or may not belong to Chris Grant, Ludwig Kietzmann, Joystiq.com editors, or their guests. Spookiness not guaranteed where prohibited, please check local laws. More information available at www.joystiq.comPodcast Rodeo for July 8: Ears of Warhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/08/podcast-rodeo-for-july-8-ears-of-war/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/08/podcast-rodeo-for-july-8-ears-of-war/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/08/podcast-rodeo-for-july-8-ears-of-war/#commentsFiled under:


Nope, there was no Rodeo last week, and with E3 just around the corner, we'd say next week isn't looking so great either. What do we learn? Enjoy every Podcast Rodeo, because you never know when it may go on another 8 month hiatus.

1UP Yours: After listening to the nearly hour-long conversation with Denis Dyack that makes up the second half of this week's 1UP Yours, we're still not sure if we could ever put as much energy into thinking about the morality of message boards as he has. But we do know that everyone who uses the internet should listen to the discussion.

BigCast: Why should you listen to this week's BigCast? Well, it opens with music from They Might Be Giants, the world's greatest band. It then goes on to feature Akela Talamasca who, by our best guess, is the most stylish man in the video game industry. For. Real.

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]]>podcastrodeo2008-07-08T12:45:00+00:00Counting Rupees: Korea bangshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/08/counting-rupees-korea-bangs/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/08/counting-rupees-korea-bangs/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/08/counting-rupees-korea-bangs/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Jeff Engel and Geoff Brooks contribute Counting Rupees, a column on the business behind gaming:


I've temporarily relocated to Seoul for the summer to work for a consumer electronics firm, so I thought I'd spend a little time detailing some of the differences in gaming culture here in South Korea, and the impact that infrastructure has on the gaming business. In short, there are two notable differences in the Korean gaming industry relative to the United States. First, PC games are significantly more popular than console games; and second, gaming is much more mainstream in Korean culture than it is even now in the States. These differences have created structural factors in the country that have profoundly shaped the nature of the industry from a business perspective.

Perhaps the most salient factor is cultural - there is, as far as I can tell, almost no stigma attached to gaming in the country (at the least, it's viewed as a mainstream activity). A number of Korean acquaintances have commented on the Korean fascination with the new and fashionable: when one co-worker went apartment-hunting with a real estate agent, the agent refused to show him any houses that had been previously occupied, on the assumption that they would be of little interest. And part of that fascination seems to be technological, indicating a possible cause of Koreans' embrace of gaming as a form of entertainment. Indeed, I've seen countless people using a DS or PSP on the subway... and my cheap, used cell phone has more free games on it than I've played on any phone since I began using them in the first place.

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]]>Counting-RupeesSeoulSouth-Korea2008-07-08T10:46:00+00:00Joystiq hands-on: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS2/PSP)http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/07/joystiq-hands-on-star-wars-the-force-unleashed-ps2-psp/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/07/joystiq-hands-on-star-wars-the-force-unleashed-ps2-psp/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/07/joystiq-hands-on-star-wars-the-force-unleashed-ps2-psp/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The PS2 and PSP versions of The Force Unleashed are close siblings, and I recently enjoyed playing nearly-finished editions of both. Each follows the same bounty-hunting apprentice story and settings as the 360/PS3 game, although specific level design occasionally differs. Unlike 360/PS3 game, the PSP version gets two-player duel-mode fights against a local gamer, and it also includes five "historical missions" pulled from the movies. The PS2 version includes the full camera control of the 360/PS3, but not those extras.

The PS2 and PSP games felt slightly scaled back from the 360/PS3, with fewer destructible objects or enemies in any one moment. But both maintained a fluid sense of battle, maintaining the visceral thrill of the Force powers. With the game's September 16 release, PS2 and PSP gamers will find a kinetic action title suited to their systems.
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]]>force-powersjedijoystiqfeatureslightsaberlucasartsps2pspstar-warsstar-wars-the-forcestar-wars-the-force-unleashedthe-forcethe-force-unleashed2008-07-07T14:00:00+00:00Joystiq hands-on: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (DS)http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/07/joystiq-hands-on-star-wars-the-force-unleashed-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/07/joystiq-hands-on-star-wars-the-force-unleashed-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/07/joystiq-hands-on-star-wars-the-force-unleashed-ds/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The DS version of The Force Unleashed tries to cram all of the light-saber-rage from the consoles into a handheld package. You'll be disappointed if you directly compare the two. I recently tried a late version of the DS game, and I didn't think enough of the system's strengths and weaknesses affected the design. The DS game gives a 3D perspective of the action on the top screen with adequate visuals, but the chunky graphics steal some of the excitement. And since the camera can't be repositioned, you'll be regularly attacked by people just off-screen. Worse, player attacks are issued by tapping on icons, causing hunting-and-pecking through battles.

Since The Force Unleashed is about going nuts with explosive superpowers, that sense of excitement got lost by scaling everything down to fit the DS. A wireless, four-player, local battle mode might make it a fun game to play with friends, but I wasn't able to test that feature. I hope the final game will grow on me after its September 16 release. But the time I had with this portable edition left me cautious.
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]]>dsforceforce-powersjedijoystiqfeatureslucasartsportablestar-warsstar-wars-the-forcestar-wars-the-force-unleashedthe-forcethe-force-unleashed2008-07-07T13:00:00+00:00Joystiq hands-on: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Wii)http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/07/joystiq-hands-on-star-wars-the-force-unleashed-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/07/joystiq-hands-on-star-wars-the-force-unleashed-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/07/joystiq-hands-on-star-wars-the-force-unleashed-wii/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

For good and bad -- or should I say light and dark -- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for Wii is clearly a Wii game. Side-by-side with the PS3 and 360 versions, the Wii graphics disappoint, and the complexity and frequency of enemies feels scaled back. But the Wii motion controls are regularly interesting, mapping many of the game's controls into gestures. The simplest ones feel great, like punching the Nunchuk forward to do the Force-push.

After recently playing late-development versions of all four game editions--360/PS3, Wii, DS, and PS2/PSP--I think the Wii game holds up as well as any of them. I had fun throwing enemies, shooting them with lightning, and hitting them with the lightsaber. And while the Wii holds its own, I'm mildly concerned that the final game could be repetitious, just cutting down waves of attackers. Hopefully the many different attacks, and Wii-specific two-player duel mode, will keep the game interesting.
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]]>dark-sideforce-powersforce-unleashedgesturejedijoystiqfeatureslight-saberlightsaberlucasartsstar-warsstar-wars-the-forcestar-wars-the-force-unleashedthe-force-unleashedwagglewii2008-07-07T12:00:00+00:00X3F Week in Review: June 27, 2008 - July 3, 2008http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/03/x3f-week-in-review-june-27-2008-july-3-2008/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/03/x3f-week-in-review-june-27-2008-july-3-2008/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/03/x3f-week-in-review-june-27-2008-july-3-2008/#commentsFiled under: ,


Well kids, it seems like everyone is holding their cards close to their collective chests as we begin the final run up to E3. That doesn't mean we don't have a few interesting news bits to share though. For one, the Xbox 360 Mega Man 9 evidence continues to pile up, despite Capcom's claims to the contrary. Gears of War 2 news also continues to dribble out, and we're more than happy to relate it to you. Find these stories and more below.

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]]>week-in-reviewweekly-recap2008-07-03T19:30:00+00:00New Games This Month: July 2008http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/02/new-games-this-month-july-2008/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/02/new-games-this-month-july-2008/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/02/new-games-this-month-july-2008/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


We don't know any way to put this gingerly, so we're just going to come right out with it: July isn't going to be a great month for games. Sure, there are a few (read: very few) exceptions, but for the most part, we hope you didn't burn through all of June's surprise riches already.

But far be it from us to rain on your July, see the cream of the crop and decide for yourself.

New Games This Month: July 2008







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]]>new-games-monthly2008-07-02T11:57:00+00:00The Political Game: NY video game bill barks, doesn't bitehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/the-political-game-ny-video-game-bill-barks-doesn-t-bite/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/the-political-game-ny-video-game-bill-barks-doesn-t-bite/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/the-political-game-ny-video-game-bill-barks-doesn-t-bite/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:



The video game world was buzzing last week following the New York legislature's passage of a video game statute. In voting overwhelmingly for the bill, New York became the first state to pass a video game law since June, 2006 when lawmakers in Oklahoma, Louisiana and Minnesota all sent restrictive game legislation to their respective governors for signature. The video game industry opposed all of those laws, of course, on constitutional grounds. Since Gov. David Paterson is expected to sign the New York bill into law, there's a natural assumption that the industry will also drag the Empire State into federal court.

But maybe not.

While earlier state laws placed content-based restrictions on video game sales, New York's proposed statute does no such thing. It is largely symbolic, perhaps designed to persuade voters that legislators are doing something to address that familiar cultural whipping boy, video game violence.

So, how impotent is the New York law?

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]]>New-YorkThePoliticalGame2008-06-30T12:59:00+00:00WWI08: Lore and art in Diablo 3http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/wwi08-lore-and-art-in-diablo-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/wwi08-lore-and-art-in-diablo-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/wwi08-lore-and-art-in-diablo-3/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

At Blizzard's recent Worldwide Invitational, Diablo 3's World Designer Leonard Boyarsky and Art Director Brian Morrisroe got on stage in front of a crowd hungry for details on Blizzard's latest project to talk about combining art and lore to expand the world give the player a deeper and more engaging experience. Diablo is a unique fantasy universe in that instead of having Dwarves and Elves, it has Angels and Demons. The game's setting makes it a dark fantasy environment that the previous games had only scratched the surface of.
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]]>blizzardblizzard-entertainmentdiablodiablo-3joystiqfeaturesparisworldwide-invitationalwwiwwi082008-06-30T07:00:00+00:00WWI08: Diablo 3 design fundamentalshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/wwi08-diablo-3-design-fundamentals/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/wwi08-diablo-3-design-fundamentals/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/wwi08-diablo-3-design-fundamentals/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


At the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational in Paris, Blizzard designers took to the stage to talk about the design goals and fundamentals behind their upcoming title, Diablo III. Jay Wilson, lead designer on the title, presented a rundown of the design philosophy behind the game, covering its origins, the game's approchability, and the design team's "better gameplay, less carpal tunnel" approach.
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]]>battle-netbattle.netblizzardblizzard-entertainmentdiablodiablo-3jay-wilsonjoystiqfeaturesworldwide-invitationalwwiwwi082008-06-30T01:00:00+00:00News from the Starcraft II panel at the Blizzard Invitationalhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/28/news-from-the-starcraft-ii-panel-at-the-blizzard-invitational/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/28/news-from-the-starcraft-ii-panel-at-the-blizzard-invitational/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/28/news-from-the-starcraft-ii-panel-at-the-blizzard-invitational/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Amid all the hype for Diablo 3, you may have missed hearing about the StarCraft II developer panel helmed by Blizzard's Rob Pardo at this weekend's Worldwide Invitational in Paris. Joystiq was there to catch all the details on the latest build of the game. See what team Blizzard had to say about the newfound power of the Zerg Queen, the upgraded Protoss Mothership and the reason behind de-emphasizing heroic classes. All this after the jump.
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]]>blizzardcreepoverlordrob-pardostarcraft-2starcraft-iistarcraft2starcraftiiworldwide-inviationalwwi08zergzerg-banelingzerg-corruptorzerg-queen2008-06-28T17:00:00+00:00Diablo 3 information overloadhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/28/diablo-3-information-overload/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/28/diablo-3-information-overload/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/28/diablo-3-information-overload/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

After several days of conjecture, an evolving series of load screens, and more fanboy arguments than you can shake a mouse at, word has finally come down from on high that the newest Blizzard property will be Diablo III. With the announcement this morning, Blizzard has thrown open the floodgates with screen shots, concept art, video and more. If you're wondering about what this upcoming title has in store, check out coverage from around the network and beyond, or wander through the eye-candy goodness of the galleries!
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]]>battle-netblizzarddiablo-3diablo-iiirpgsingle-playerwwi-20082008-06-28T11:00:00+00:00Scared Stiff: Why should we care about Resident Evil 5?http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/28/scared-stiff-why-should-we-care-about-resident-evil-5/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/28/scared-stiff-why-should-we-care-about-resident-evil-5/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/28/scared-stiff-why-should-we-care-about-resident-evil-5/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Okay, it's confession time. This article series, as much as we hope you've enjoyed it, was originally set out to only discuss those titles of the survival horror persuasion that have been cemented into the 2008 release calendar. However, there is an ordnance that says something to the effect that you can't talk about survival horror games without devoting some face time to Capcom's seminal Resident Evil franchise. Or at least there should be. And while a date for when we can expect to continue slaughtering zombies -- or some derivative thereof -- hasn't been announced, we fully expected Resident Evil 5 to ship sometime in 2009.

That said, we nonetheless felt the game would make an appropriate end cap on our week long look at the genre Capcom helped not only create, but perfect, so we ended our week by speaking with producer Jun Takeuchi, and asked him why we should care about Resident Evil 5.
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]]>capcomjoystiqfeaturesre5resident-evilresidentevilscared-stiff2008-06-28T08:00:00+00:00X3F Week in Review: June 20. 2008 - July 26, 2008http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/27/x3f-week-in-review-june-20-2008-july-26-2008/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/27/x3f-week-in-review-june-20-2008-july-26-2008/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/27/x3f-week-in-review-june-20-2008-july-26-2008/#commentsFiled under: ,


Another busy week at X3F. We've got a new XBLA in Brief (try Ticket to Ride, seriously), new Points>Life and new ... news. We've got everything. Gears of War 2, Halo Wars, Fable 2, you name it. We also got a chance to check out Deer Hunter Tournament and Smash Court Tennis 3. Browse the links below and slake your Xbox 360 thirst. That's right, slake it.

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]]>week-in-reviewweekly-recap2008-06-27T02:01:00+00:00Off the Grid Special: Game Design 101http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/off-the-grid-special-game-design-101/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/off-the-grid-special-game-design-101/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/off-the-grid-special-game-design-101/#commentsFiled under: ,


Every other week Scott Jon Siegel contributes Off the Grid, a column about card games, board games, and everything else non-digital.

For nearly two years now, Off the Grid has introduced (and reintroduced) Joystiq's readers to some of the best board and card games on the market. The relationship between our modern video games and their non-digital counterparts is very clear-cut. As Gamelab CEO Eric Zimmerman puts it: "a game is a game is a game."

So for those readers who aspire to create games of their own, it should come as no surprise that non-digital games are a great starting place for honing the craft of game design. With no programming skills required, non-digital game design is an easy way to begin thinking creatively about interaction, without the complicated prerequisities of digital game development.

The best leaping-off point for non-digital game design is with the tools. Most gamers probably already have some fantastic equipment in their closets. So let's look at the basic tools of the trade.
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]]>game-designjoystiqfeaturesoff-the-gridoffthegrid2008-06-26T16:55:00+00:00Starcraft II WWI '08 panel part 4: Q&Ahttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/starcraft-ii-wwi-08-panel-part-4/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/starcraft-ii-wwi-08-panel-part-4/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/starcraft-ii-wwi-08-panel-part-4/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Q&A with Rob Pardo
Q: How will the planet systems be used?
A: The star map in the story campaigns is you mission selector. You will explore the story and have a lot of different paths to follow. You can choose from 2-7 missions depending on where you are in the story. There is a starmap in all three campaigns. but different for each race. For example, in the Terran campaign you will take a lot of mercenary missions for money to pay for technology.

Q: What role will hero and multiclass players play?
A: We are de-emphasizing heroes in Starcraft2. That's what Warcraft 3 is for. There will be some missions where you play named characters like Raynor, but not much. Mostly dialogue and story characters, not much as gameplay chars.

Q: Is the Zerg building infestation ability working on Protoss?
A: Yes.

Q: Will there be an Apple and PV version release at same time?
A: Yes, all of our PC games will also be available on Macs.

Q: Is there a Terran version of Queen/Mothership
A: No. Mothership not as unique as Queen and players can build multiple Motherships.

Q: What role is the roach unit supposed to have?
A: It doesn't have much health, but it does have very high regeneration. Its good to go up against enemy units with low damage output like marines, zealots, etc.

Q: Is the black hole still planned for the Protoss?
A: It used to be on the Mothership, but was taken away when the Mothership became a defense unit in the development of the game. It may come back later in a different way in the development process but no promises.

Q: What lies ahead in the evolution of units?
A: The Terran Thor unit is hard to find a role for. Right now it is much like the sieg tank/battle cruiser. It could get more abilities to differentiate it.

Q: The Merc Haven can't train reavers, just enables you to build them. Why?
A: The Merc Haven has gone through five or six designs, but we never fell in love with one. It needs more tinkering.

Q: What kind of units will come out from Protoss infested buildings?
A: I misspoke earlier. They [the Zerg] cannot infest Protoss buildings, but we're still deciding for sure.

Q: Will the Ghost unit get telekenisis or telepathic abilties like in the books and manga?
A: There is much experimentation right now with the unit and it's centered around the lore. There is a good chance, yes.

Q: Is it possible to play the story line in co-op mode?
A: No. It's been discussed, but it's too difficult to have two players both be the main character.

That's all from Paris. We'll have some hands-on write ups with the new Zerg demo they have set up. Check back soon.
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]]>blizzardrob-pardostarcraft-2starcraft-iistarcraft2worldwide-invitationalwwi082008-06-26T15:25:00+00:00Law of the Game on Joystiq: No Freedom of Trash Talkhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/law-of-the-game-on-joystiq-no-freedom-of-trash-talk/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/law-of-the-game-on-joystiq-no-freedom-of-trash-talk/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/law-of-the-game-on-joystiq-no-freedom-of-trash-talk/#commentsFiled under:

Each week Mark Methenitis contributes Law of the Game on Joystiq, a column on legal issues as they relate to video games:

In a recent Sessler's Soapbox, Adam took the opportunity to comment on some of the trash talking on Xbox Live. During the course of that diatribe, he mentioned that he thought the First Amendment argument was a "crock of s***" with respect to trash talking. Well, as the resident lawyer here on Joystiq, I'd like to take this opportunity to explain the First Amendment argument is just flat out wrong. In fact, it's one of my greatest pet peeves that the First Amendment gets thrown about as an excuse for most everything that is said in the realms of gamer culture, from trash talking in online matches, to posts on forums, to comments on gaming blogs.

In case you're one of the thirty-four people worldwide who has never experienced the phenomenon in question, this is essentially what's being talked about: Typically, someone will do something offensive online, be that posting something in a forum or saying something on Xbox Live. Then, someone in power will either reprimand that user, often through censoring, or banning for the behavior. This is typically either followed by that user or some other user decrying this exercise of authority as a violation of their 'rights.' The responses do vary, but as a moderator of one of the biggest forums on the internet, I've seen everything from 'OMG U R VIOL8ING MY FURST AMNDMT RYTES!!!11!' to some very lengthy and polished answers. The only commonality between these varying levels of responses is that they are all wrong.

Continue reading Law of the Game on Joystiq: No Freedom of Trash Talk

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]]>columnsfirst-amendmentfreedom-of-speechlawlaw-of-the-gamexbox-live2008-06-25T17:45:00+00:00Scared stiff: Why should we care about Silent Hill: Homecoming?http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/scared-stiff-why-should-we-care-about-silent-hill-homecoming/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/scared-stiff-why-should-we-care-about-silent-hill-homecoming/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/scared-stiff-why-should-we-care-about-silent-hill-homecoming/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Konami's Silent Hill franchise has forgotten more about keeping us hiding beneath our covers than most games will ever know. Even EA's own Glen Schofield tips his hat to the series, telling us earlier this week that he considers the 1999 PlayStation original to be among his favorite survival horror games ever. But after nearly a decade of stumbling through the fog, it's easy to feel that the dilapidated burg of Silent Hill has gotten a bit too long in the tooth.

For the series' sixth installment, Konami has handed the blood-soaked baton over to external developer Double Helix Games, a recent mash-up of The Collective and Shiny Entertainment. The result is this fall's upcoming release, Silent Hill: Homecoming, and we recently puzzled our way out of mist long enough to ask the game's lead designer, Jason Allen, just why we should care about this latest return trip to Silent Hill.

Gallery: Silent Hill: Homecoming

Continue reading Scared stiff: Why should we care about Silent Hill: Homecoming?

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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>double-helixdoublehelixjoystiqfeatureskonamiscared-stiffsilent-hillsilent-hill-homecomingsilenthillsilenthillhomecoming2008-06-25T16:15:00+00:00Starcraft II WWI '08 panel part 3: Terranhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/starcraft-ii-wwi-08-panel-part-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/starcraft-ii-wwi-08-panel-part-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/starcraft-ii-wwi-08-panel-part-3/#commentsFiled under: , ,


The Terrans and their BFG's
Pardo then moved on to the final Starcraft race, the Terrans. The theme here they wanted to push was guns, guns and more guns. No Queen or Mothership here, just lots of units with lots of firepower.

The first unit Pardo talked about was the Jackal. It's a fast, mobile firebat that spits out fire lots of splash damage. With its speed and mobility it has the potential to take a big chunk out of your opponent's forces.

The next unit was The Thor. It's a large ground assault unit with two abilities. In addition to its anti-air flak cannons, it can self-repair. And if it is destroyed, its wreckage stays on the battlefield and can rebuild itself.

No Hero for you!
Finally, Pardo talked about some larger issues about the game they were working with. They didn't want the game to too heavily emphasize micromanaging units. They want players to have time to deal with the macro issues of resources, expansion and strategy. So they designed most units to be simple movers and shooters, not like the more complex units of Warcraft 3.

They also de-emphasized Hero classes for the same reason. Hero characters will mostly be met in the single player story mode and even then, as characters to talk to instead of taking control of them in battles.

In terms of development, the team is focusing currently on spell casters and special abilities that come later in the game as well as upgrades for base units. The story campaign is about one-third done.

The last point Pardo wanted to make before the panel was open to questions was about the evolution of Battle.net. With the release of SC2, Battle.net will be transformed to become what they hope is the premiere gaming platform for PC online play.
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]]>battle-netblizzardhero-classesrob-pardostarcarft2starcraft-2starcraft-iiterrans2008-06-25T15:24:00+00:00Starcraft II WWI '08 panel part 2: Protosshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/starcraft-ii-wwi-08-panel-part-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/starcraft-ii-wwi-08-panel-part-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/starcraft-ii-wwi-08-panel-part-2/#commentsFiled under: , ,


The Protoss are a force to be reckoned with
Pardo moved on to talk a bit about how the Protoss are progressing in the development of the game. Their psionics are the key theme to their race and Blizzard pushed that further, but also pulled back on the emphasis on spellcasting.

First he showed an example of their new force field ability used to control the battlefield. A video showed a swarm of zerglings rushing a Protoss base, but the Protoss force threw up a series of connected force fields that formed a funnel forcing the zergs into a choke point where they were easily destroyed.

While high damage Protoss spells like Psi Storm are returning, Blizzard also wanted to introduce some early game casters. Nullifiers were mentioned. And Stalkers were given a teleport ability that had interesting strategic potential. In another video of game play, force fields were raised forcing an attacking army to go around it. The Stalkers then teleported themselves to the other side of the force fields, behind the attacking army, and took them out from behind.

The return of the Mothership
The Protoss Mothership also makes an appearance. While not as powerful as the Zerg Queen, it has been given powerful support abilities. It is now a mobile battlefield teleporter, able to zap in troops to wherever it is at. It is also heavily armored and has an emergency ability called Time Bomb which renders it immune from damage for a short period of time. Since it isn't as versatile as the Zerg Queen, Protoss players will be able to have more than one Mothership in play at once.
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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>blizzardprotossprotoss-mothershiprob-pardostarcraft-2starcraft-iistarcraft2starcraftiiworldwide-invitationalwwi082008-06-25T15:23:00+00:00