It is about time folks! Long waited fans will see a worldwide release of Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty on July 27, 2010. Make sure to mark this date and take this day off. I am sure Gamestop will have a midnight launch so be sure to check gamestop.com for more information. For those who are interested pre ordering starcraft 2 then head over to this page.
According to kotaku.com,
StarCraft II is possibly the most eagerly anticipated real-time strategy game in the history of the genre, and now that anticipation has a white-hot target - July 27, 2010. That's when the game will start hitting retail stores around the world, including the United States, Canada, Europe, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Mexico, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.
"We've been looking forward to revisiting the StarCraft universe for many years, and we're excited that the time for that is almost here," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "Thanks to our beta testers, we're making great progress on the final stages of development, and we'll be ready to welcome players all over the world to StarCraft II and the new Battle.net in just a few months."
The day is coming and it's coming fast and furiously! Rejoice and get ready.
When you pre order Starcraft 2 from Amazon, you will receive a beta key to Starcraft 2. Once you pre order either the regular or collectible version, you will receive the key via e-mail.
Here is an e-mail from Amazon:
Dear Amazon.com Customer,
The Amazon Video Games team thanks you for your pre-order of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. Now it's time to get you your pre-order bonus code to participate in the Starcraft II beta.
Here is your bonus code: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
This code will give you access to the StarCraft II beta. This beta will be available through May 17th.
In order to participate in the beta test, you must have an active Battle.net account. If you don't have a Battle.net account, visit www.battle.net to create one.
How to Use Your Code:
Step 1: Log in to your Battle.net account. Under "Manage My Games" click "Add or Upgrade a Game". Enter your beta key in the "Enter Game Key" field and select "Add Game".
Step 2: Get the Installer - In your list of games, click the Manage Game button under the StarCraft II beta image to download the installer.
Step 3: Install the StarCraft II beta - Once you've downloaded the installer, run it and follow the directions to install the beta client on your machine. Note that your participation in the StarCraft II beta test is governed by a Beta Test Agreement that you are required to accept before you can install the beta client.
Step 4: Run the Game & Log in to Battle.net - After the game installs, the launcher interface should automatically appear on your screen. Log in with your Battle.net account and you'll be able to begin playing. You can launch the client at any time by clicking the desktop shortcut or by going to the Windows Start Menu.Thank you for your continued support of Amazon.com/games.
~Amazon.com Video Games Editors
Also, each claim code is unique and can't be shared.
Hurry while the supplies last!!
Blizzard has been one of few supporter of Mac platform their franchise games. Few big developers support Mac platform. However, Blizzard has always ported their popular games from PC to Mac on timely fashion. And, this was before the popularity of iPhone and Ipod products by Apple. Even with the popularity, Mac has seen little games developed or ported for their platform. It shouldn’t surprise anyone to see Starcraft 2 beta released for the Mac. While little late, Mac users can now enjoy the Starcraft 2 beta if you pre-order it via Amazon.com or Gamestop retailers. This quick release should be an encouraging sign for simultaneous release of Starcraft 2 for PC and Mac. Usually, Mac users had to wait some time before the release of Mac versions.
This is on the heel of news that Valve will be launching Steam client for Mac users. While the complete lists of compatible games are unknown, it is widely reported that most of the multiplayer games will be available for Mac. Better yet, PC users and Mac users will be able to play against each other over Steam. This should be a great year for Mac users.
Blizzard Entertainment’s StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty became the number one selling game at the E-tailer GameStop.com. By Friday April 30th, the sequel to the massively popular RTS game StarCraft reached the number #1 with relative ease. Blizzard announced two different versions of the game, the standard version and the Collector’s version. The collector’s Edition will include 176-page art book, 2GB USB flash drive with replica of Raynor’s dog tag, behind the scenes DVD, the OST, Comic book, World of Warcraft in-game pet, and DLC contents from Battle.net. This is not surprising as StarCraft 2 has been in development for long time with massive fan base. Rumor has it hitting the street around June.
On the heel of Starcraft match scandal, Blizzard and Korean e-Sports Association has severed its ties with Blizzard looking for new partner in Korea. The breaking point was not the cheating scandal but the overall strain developed between the two entities over the years. The latest blow came about because of Blizzard’s decision not to include LAN support for their upcoming Starcraft 2 game. In Korea, Starcraft rivals any national sports in terms of viewership and popularity. Blizzard’s decision to limit online play through their Battle.net might cause some problem with the local matches. Both sides are not budging on this topic. While Blizzard seems to be worried about piracy and share of E-sports profit, KeSPA is focusing on the eventual match and how to get around the lack of LAN support. More than likely, both sides will come to some term.
There was some rumor going around about original Starcraft appearing on iPad. The rumor picked up some steam with Blizzard announcing Mac version of Starcraft 2 beta launch. Even with the slow development cycle, the iPad owners had hoped to see the original hit on their device. Recently, Dustin Browder, the lead designer for Starcraft 2, shot down the rumor stating that they are not working on porting original Starcraft for iPad. He states that they are not actively developing for iPad.
The primary reason for the lack of iPad release seems to be control issue. Blizzard is primarily known for developing for PC community. Only time they strayed away from PC was the Starcraft version on N64. Even so, it wasn’t received all that well. The iPad’s main control of touch screen scheme isn’t suited well for Blizzards RTS games. Browder seems to think that they cannot accurately and faithfully replicate the overall control scheme of the Starcraft without the use of keyboard and mouse.
As with any online matches, FPS or RTS, cheating and hacking has been the biggest concern for the game companies. Seeking to protect the integrity of their games, Blizzard is set to launch the new version of their match making service, Battle.net. The recent lawsuit brought against a hacking group known as Starcrack is evidence of Blizzard actively cracking down on any assault on their intellectual property. Starcrack tried to release a single player campaign based on the Starcraft 2 beta client. The original Starcraft had its share of cheaters and hackers playing on the Battle.net. With the release of new Battle.net, Blizzard is hoping to stay one step ahead of the cheating on the Battle.net. This is especially important in Korea as match making might have to go through Battle.net if something can’t be worked out.
According to Yonhap news, Blizzard has ceased any further talks with KeSPA in continuing their relationship. The main problem is the intellectual property right about broadcasting Starcraft game. With the impending release of Starcraft 2, Blizzard is seeking bigger share of the broadcasting licensing fees. Currently, Blizzard is not compensated for the broadcasts. With KeSPA holding some of the biggest players and teams, this could result in some nasty fight between Blizzard and KeSPA.
In the past, Blizzard tried to circumvent KeSPA by sponsoring their own tournament via GOMTV. However, KeSPA blocked their members from participating in any Blizzard sanctioned tournaments. With talks going nowhere, Blizzard will be looking for new partner ahead of the Starcraft 2 launch. I’m not sure who will come out on top but, Korea is important market for Blizzard and they would like to see more profit from the tournaments.
Recently, Blizzard announced standard version and collector’s version for their upcoming Starcraft 2 release. Blizzard’s VP of creative development Chris Metzen has indicated that the expansions could see collector’s edition as well. As if splitting up three games to make more profit was not enough, Blizzard is looking to release higher priced version of the impending Zerg and Protoss expansions. This seems like another money grab by the publisher Activision who is embroiled in melting of Infinity Ward. We just hope that the expansions won’t be priced too high.
The upcoming Starcraft 2 release in Korea received +18 or Adults Only rating in South Korea. Without a doubt, South Korea is one of Blizzard’s most important market. So much so, Blizzard decided to announce the game in South Korea amidst massive media and fan attention. With +18 rating, the game will be restricted in terms of sales. According to the Games Rating Board, Starcraft 2 contained high level of violence, foul language and depiction of drug use. Blizzard will appeal the decision as well as put together a different version that might satisfy the board. The speculation behind +18 rating could be attributed to the ongoing dispute between Blizzard and KeSPA over intellectual property rights. Never the less, Starcraft 2 should be a big seller in Korea at any rating.