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Starcraft 2 Trilogy - Yearly Expansions
14th Oct 2008 12:19 AM GMT | Medievaldragon | 9 comments
Blizzcon 2008 Coverage >> Starcraft 2 Trilogy - Yearly Expansions
MTV interviewed Starcraft II lead designer Chris Sigaty who confirms the plan is to release one episode of the trilogy each year. At this point what may limit that release date window is the production of cinematics - which is a long process. Starcraft II will ship the Terran Campaign: Terrans: Wings of Liberty first on (let's speculate) 2009. Followed by the Zerg: Heart of the Swarm (2010) and Protoss: Legacy of the Void (2011) ... at least that is the plan.
I think the proper wording for this particular marketing model would be yearly episodes. Sounds more fitting since the campaigns are split into full-scale games of up to 30 missions.
Tags: blizzcon 2008, starcraft ii
Comments
86 days ago
Epic fail on the wording. They should've just said "2 expansions" and not the "split the main game into 3 separate titles" part. What is their PR doing?
86 days ago
Yea, it has impacted the fanbase greatly. It will be a nightmare to make sure all fans dig this new concept. New in the sense it is the first time Blizzard introduces this kind of marketing model.
86 days ago
They should have looked at Valve's example with Half-Life 2. If they had planned for episodic content from as early as possible and let fans know earlier I don't think it would seem like such a slap in the face.
Edit: It might be possible to mitigate some of the fan whiplash if they promise that the episodes will be priced appropriately (like half the price of the initial game, for example).
Edit: It might be possible to mitigate some of the fan whiplash if they promise that the episodes will be priced appropriately (like half the price of the initial game, for example).
86 days ago
No kidding. To make this look good they will have to ensure all editions feel like either a full game or a worthy add-on. Still, I know that they did not (at least not to my knowledge) release any information on things like pricing. This move is either going to work out really well or the exact opposite. All in all a risky move from Blizzard.
The thing I am very happy about is that I get MORE of that what I love: singleplayer and storyline!
The thing I am very happy about is that I get MORE of that what I love: singleplayer and storyline!
85 days ago
I agree, I am perfectly happy with this. What might not come through properly is the fact that it's all about their pre-planned expansions get the original story line instead of crammed original and two semi-good expansions.
85 days ago
I'm not liking this at all...
85 days ago
If it's going to be released this way, we will get our multiplayer gaming sooner without having to wait on the campaign. And also the campaign will be much more worth it in the end.. I was pretty disappointed by SC1's campaign as far as the interactivity.
If it's going to be released 1 per year, then you have downtime. Way better than shelling out all the money at once. And SSH83, what does wording matter? It is what it is, Blizzard fans aren't stupid.
If it's going to be released 1 per year, then you have downtime. Way better than shelling out all the money at once. And SSH83, what does wording matter? It is what it is, Blizzard fans aren't stupid.
85 days ago
I honestly don't believe the "downtime" you speak of Sato, will be hardly noticeable due to the fact that the Starcraft II World Editor will come with the game, thus giving the people more content and more entertainment until the next expansion/story comes out.
Look at Warcraft III and how the mapping community literally exploded with maps/mods/campaigns/games/minigames etc. It's been several years since Warcraft III came out and the game is still popular for the mapping aspect. Starcraft II will most likely be the same way, whereas people will be too busy mapping and playing other peoples maps to realize how time has flown by and when they finally realize it, the first expansion will have come out.
Look at Warcraft III and how the mapping community literally exploded with maps/mods/campaigns/games/minigames etc. It's been several years since Warcraft III came out and the game is still popular for the mapping aspect. Starcraft II will most likely be the same way, whereas people will be too busy mapping and playing other peoples maps to realize how time has flown by and when they finally realize it, the first expansion will have come out.
85 days ago
I didn't mean downtime like "a period of boredom and wait", but more like "a period to get over spending some $50".. assuming that's the pricetag for part 1. I'm more excited about the customization possibilities than anything, but the campaign is looking very promising.
