Blizzard drops $100 Million on StarCraft 2

[Jason]

[ Update ]

Mismanagement or money well spent? You Decide!

According to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required), Activision Blizzard has spent over $100 million on the three-part sequel to the science-fiction real-time strategy game, which kicks off with Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty on July 27.

The report stated the $100 million was purely development price and made no mention of marketing expenditures. That lofty figure well exceeds Gran Turismo 5's $60 million development cost, one of the most expensive video games to date.

As to whether or not you'll be able to play it, check the recently released final system specs.

Spotted @ Blues News

[entertainer]

i will laugh at that fact when torrenting it
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[likaq]

[Alexandros]

They will get back their money within a couple of days, and then they will amass immense amounts of cash. Laugh at that.
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[racofer]

[Angthoron]

Did they have their computer cases made of platinum or what? How the hell? The mind boggles.
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[Grunker]

[Raghar]

[Sovard]

So, just got the beta invite today.

What a boring fucking game. It's actually pretty surprising to me how $100 million can be put into something without any obvious advancement to the genre. I don't remember "old-school" RTS games being so stale and unrewarding, but I guess my tastes have matured while Starcraft hasn't.

Naturally, in before butthurt asians and eurofags say how Starcraft is the pinnacle of strategic gaming.

P.S. Thinking about it now $100 mil is a drop in the bucket; it's way less than a fiscal year of profits, and probably closer to a few months of MMO revenue.

[MetalCraze]

[Konjad]

AM I the only one who see improvements? And who thinks that making similar game with same title is okay instead of making another game with same title?
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[ScottishMartialArts]

[ScottishMartialArts]

[MetalCraze]

Oh please. "Failout 3 situation" is just a huge strawman here.

Better look at Age of Wonders 1/2 situation.
Both are very good games, yet also very different.
It's been 12 years and Blizzard can't stop using the same formula.
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卐 THIS IS THE NEW SHIT 卐:

[Alexandros]

[ScottishMartialArts]

Single-player is supposed to be pretty inventive I hear, but we'll have to wait another week to find out for sure.

Let me ask you this, Skyway: do you like Starcraft 1, either now or when it was released? If not then you weren't the target audience. Most avid RTS players have kept SC1 installed on their PCs, because there really isn't anything better for that style of RTS. Other games have done new things with the genre like Relic with Dawn of War and Company of Heroes, but again if you like the core RTS gameplay, then SC1 is your standby. SC2 is the new standby in that respect, which is precisely what the fans wanted.

Starcraft 2 certainly follows the same gameplay formula as the original, but the game has been tightened up quite a bit and it has all new content, kinda like the difference between Age of Empires I and II. When making the follow up to a wildly successful game whose fans consider virtually flawless, I think the approach Blizzard took is far preferable to redoing the gameplay simply for the sake of being different form the original.
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I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast for I intend to go in harm's way.

[MetalCraze]

I like StarCraft. I liked when it was released and still play it once in a while. It's just that 12 years later there should be something more than a graphics and interface update. Over all these years we had all too many RTS'es like that.
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卐 THIS IS THE NEW SHIT 卐:

[ScottishMartialArts]

I understand where you're coming from. I just find the new content sufficient to reinvigorate the untouched classic gameplay. Plus, I'm looking forward to the single player campaign and picking up on a story that I've had percolating in my brain, awaiting a conclusion, since December of 1998.
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I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast for I intend to go in harm's way.

[Angthoron]

I'm actually also in the "Hey, good thing they kept things like they were" boat. There's been too many recent "recreations" and "new takes" on old games. Granted, Blizzard, being the original developer, would likely be the last company to rape their own game, but seeing how they've treated WoW setting and gameplay-wise, I have my doubts.

So I rather have an updated game that plays exactly like Starcraft than an unworthy sequel that plays exactly like shit.
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[MetalCraze]

[ScottishMartialArts]

[AndhairaX]

How do they plan to recoup their investment? WIll they require a subscription for online gaming, or will online gaming be free?

[Twinkle]

[Darth Roxor]

Fuck your Starcraft, the 'pinnacle of RTSes', I'd rather replay Red Alert 2 for the gazillionth time.
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From the wake of Magellan to Magellan's wake.

[relootz]

RA2 is a fine game but it is not Starcraft.

You just gave me a good idea to play it again though Darth Cockzor.

I never even finished it i think