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#1 2009-06-18 3:46 pm
- Bat
- Flawless Cowboy
- Royal Wombat

- From: Björk, Björk
- Registered: 2001-05-14
- Posts: 28541
Blizzard Aims for SC2 Release in '09
Blizzard announces it will release StarCraft 2 when it is "ready"
In a video interview with Swedish game site Press2play.tv, lead producer Chris Sigaty and lead designer Dustin Browder discussed in depth the decisions and thinking that went in to the development of StarCraft 2. One of the key bits of information revealed was that Blizzard is aiming for a 2009 release as long as the game is “ready”. Sigaty stated, “Blizzard is going to try to get the game out this year. However, we're not going to ship the game if it's not ready. Blizzard is working hard to get the game out the door, but won't put out an unfinished title.” The interview itself revolved extensively around Blizzard’s decision to release the game as a trilogy and what this decision meant for gamers.
When quizzed why it took six years since the release of the Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne for StarCraft 2 to be ready, Sigaty explained one of the reasons was they had decided to develop a completely new graphics engine and to not use any Warcraft 3 technology. Another factor that extended development time was the need to development a graphics engine that could accommodate the real-time strategy multi-player part of the game and also support the extensive single player story telling aspect of the game.
The discussion about the single player aspect of the game lead to a question about why StarCraft 2 is going to be split into three separate releases with each release focusing on the story of one race. Browder reiterated the company line this was a “creative” decision that was needed due to the fact the single player focused story telling aspect had grown so large it could not possibly fit in to a single game.
Not for $
$?
I've a hunch it'll be 'ready' by Xmas. http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=15463
ed url
Last edited by Bat (2009-06-18 3:46 pm)
If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion - George Bernard Shaw
"Fire up a colortini, sit back, relax, and watch the pictures, now, as they fly through the air."
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#2 2009-06-18 4:04 pm
- Bat
- Flawless Cowboy
- Royal Wombat

- From: Björk, Björk
- Registered: 2001-05-14
- Posts: 28541
Re: Blizzard Aims for SC2 Release in '09
Later that same article...
The interviewers then came straight to the point asking if the second and third installments of StarCraft 2 would include new units and other new content which would provide a powerful incentive for players to purchase the rest of the trilogy. Browder completely dodged this question claiming he could not answer because the game was not finished and not all the decision had been made.
Dingdingding! We have a winner! 
If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion - George Bernard Shaw
"Fire up a colortini, sit back, relax, and watch the pictures, now, as they fly through the air."
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#3 2009-06-19 12:15 am
- Bat
- Flawless Cowboy
- Royal Wombat

- From: Björk, Björk
- Registered: 2001-05-14
- Posts: 28541
Re: Blizzard Aims for SC2 Release in '09
I have a suggestion: judge readiness by how soon the first patch is out. If there's a Day One patch, prepped between ship date & release day, it'll deal with issues known but ignored to make said date[s].
If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion - George Bernard Shaw
"Fire up a colortini, sit back, relax, and watch the pictures, now, as they fly through the air."
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#4 2009-06-19 2:49 am
Re: Blizzard Aims for SC2 Release in '09
I commend Blizzard for waiting until it's ready. It's something a lot more companies need to follow.
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#5 2009-06-19 3:17 am
- Bat
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- From: Björk, Björk
- Registered: 2001-05-14
- Posts: 28541
Re: Blizzard Aims for SC2 Release in '09
akb825 wrote:
I commend Blizzard for waiting until it's ready. It's something a lot more companies need to follow.
Sure. And there is a trend towards spreading out major releases during the year, to avoid the Xmas glut. You can only buy so much, esp. during a recession.
Problem is, everyone says this. The issue becomes, "Do they really mean it?"
1st patch 2-4 weeks, say, or an early January release point to yes. A mid-November release might mean anything, and only the state of the shipping game will tell. SC2, they know, will be so big it'll be on everyone's buy list who has an interest, and most things will be pushed aside in favor of it. They don't have to wait, and for that matter, if they louse up, have two more installments to win folks back- tho they risk losing a few, especially burnt-out WoWers who might say "Eff Blizz" and forswear anything by them...
...for awhile.
If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion - George Bernard Shaw
"Fire up a colortini, sit back, relax, and watch the pictures, now, as they fly through the air."
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#6 2009-06-19 12:49 pm
- Some1
- The flying moleman.

- From: Montral
- Registered: 2003-05-17
- Posts: 2677
Re: Blizzard Aims for SC2 Release in '09
I really hope they're not making the subsequent installments full-priced games.
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#7 2009-06-20 1:06 am
Re: Blizzard Aims for SC2 Release in '09
Some1 wrote:
I really hope they're not making the subsequent installments full-priced games.
From the statements I've read, I believe they're releasing them as expansions.
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#8 2009-06-20 10:23 am
- nayrk
- User Error

- From: Outland
- Registered: 2004-05-01
- Posts: 769
Re: Blizzard Aims for SC2 Release in '09
At least we get all 3 races with the game for multiplayer.
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