[PC] StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm out!

[CeeKay]

courtesy of Blues News, here's a post with a bunch of articles due to part of the NDA expiring today.  no co-op campaign, but I don't think the original had that anyways.

[Blackjack]

True campaign play (rather than just ability to play individual campaign maps against AI with other folks) is a more recent thing, I think the most recent C&C: Red Alert game (which I have but haven't opened) ballyhooed.

I did like playing individual campaign maps in SC with other players, and I hope that much is available.

[Lordnine]

Gameplay trailer looks extremely polished as always but watching it I can’t shake the feeling that the DoWII campaign has already surpassed it in every way. 

[jersoc]

I'm so glad Blizzard is beefing up their graphics now. The game looks amazing. We all know it's going to play well, so no worries there. I'm excited, but it's not Diablo 3 excitement

I also got a very DoW2 feeling from it. Glad I wasn't alone. But blizzard can tell a story and I'm enjoying DoW2.

[Blackjack]

I can only speak to stuff like Company of Heroes and the Homeworld games (bought the original Dawn of War and really enjoyed the DoWII demo) but it always frustrated me that Relic's stuff never has sold in the volumes that Blizzard's, Westwood's or say, the late Ensemble Studios' RTS stuff did.

[EddieA]

This single-player portion is the only thing I'm interested in, and it's looking really good.  The cinematics look amazing as expected, and I like the idea of dynamic maps.

[ScubaV]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joNPrnY4K_4

Showing off the abilities of their editor.

[leo8877]

Man I can't wait for this goodness!!!!

[CeeKay]

Six will be Kerrigan.

so, the whole thing is in Raynors head.

[Turtle]

There is only one true Hivemind.

[CeeKay]

There is only one true Hivemind.

and they have a plan.

[CeeKay]

45 minutes of cinematics?  they should flesh them out and make a whole movie.

[CeeKay]

word has it the beta is delayed until 2010.

[Blackjack]

Six will be Kerrigan.

so, the whole thing is in Raynors head.

Not only that, Raynor thinks that Warcraft Adventures and Starcraft: Ghost were actually released! 

[kronovan]

I can only speak to stuff like Company of Heroes and the Homeworld games (bought the original Dawn of War and really enjoyed the DoWII demo) but it always frustrated me that Relic's stuff never has sold in the volumes that Blizzard's, Westwood's or say, the late Ensemble Studios' RTS stuff did.

You have to remember that one of the reasons Publishers and their current owners have come to Relic is because they're development costs -being in Vancouver Canada- are far lower. I doubt any of their Publishers have had anywhere near the marketing budgets that Blizzard, Westwoods or Ensemble had for their RTS's. Then factor in that their games have mostly been marketed by Sierra and THQ - not exactly publishing power houses anymore. Despite the AAA quality of their titles, money and lower costs are more the deciding/compelling factor for their publishers. If Relic could be truly independent things might be different, but I can assure you that finding the capital to do that in Western Canada is about as easy as pinning down an exact release date for SC2.  

Anyhoo...glad to see this is really progressing and finally about to happen. I've never been that much of an RTS player, but Star Craft was one the games I had lots of fun playing over LANs back in the day.

[Blackjack]

Did I really cite Westwood and Ensemble Studios (both now long defunct/absorbed/assimilated/pick your term) as something for Relic to aspire to?  I'd prefer to see Relic scrape beneath the cushions and continue to find a way to stay in business. I'd also prefer they not segue into consoles and falsely (as Ensemble found out, its Halo RTS being its swan song) think it represents a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

At one point in 2007 my favorite games were THQ releases (Titan Quest and its expansion, Company of Heroes). I think they've supported some pretty fine games, ones that were apparently very expensive to develop, that just don't sell as anticipated.

[CeeKay]

they've pulled out another butt to empty!

[Blackjack]

I just want to know what Sarah Palin is doing in a Starcraft game!   Clearly there's a cross-promotional opportunity for her book. Maybe there's a "Rogue" character...
http://ve3d.ign.com/images/58510/PC/StarCraft-II-Terrans-Wings-of-Liberty/Screenshots/November-20th-Screenshot

[CeeKay]

a protoss mini campaign will be included.

[leo8877]

a protoss mini campaign will be included.

I assumed that each of these releases would give you opportunities to play as the other 2 races.

[Turtle]

So far, you're only getting the main Terran campaign and the Protoss mini-campaign.  The Zerg are playable in multiplayer only.

[CeeKay]

Zergtastic!

[Ridah]

There should be a mini-campaign for each of the non-primary races in each subsequent release...

[CeeKay]

the Protoss Mothership.

[CeeKay]

Battlenet 2.0.   I thought they already did a 2.0 version as part of a revamp awhile back, guess not though.

[CeeKay]

I doubt anyone is interested at this point, but the beta begins this month.

[CeeKay]

beta forum is live.

[jersoc]

beta is live. no invite. why do you hate me so, blizzard?

come on, i beta'd all your games so far.

[leo8877]

Emails just started going out, you'll probably still get in.

[CeeKay]

and there is no more Confidentiality agreement.....

also, system requirements.

[Knightshade Dragon]

Auuughhh.....I *want* a key!!!!   This is one of my most hotly anticipated titles....

[Vidiot]

Nothing here, oh well.

[leo8877]

Did anyone get in?  No email for me yet.

[Eseell]

Ron, I just got my beta invite. You are free to be jealous.

[leo8877]

Scratch that I JUST got my beta invite at 7:33 PST.  WOOOOOT!!!

[Knightshade Dragon]

Ron, I just got my beta invite. You are free to be jealous.

I guess I'll just cry like a little girl now.  Awesome. 

[jersoc]

giant bomb played against 1up and streamed. was hilarious.

game looks really fun though.

[leo8877]

Huzzah!

[leo8877]

FYI there's no beta keys anymore, the game is just listed in your stored games on your battle.net account.  I guess they got tired of people selling their beta keys on eBay.

[jersoc]

damn, nothing today. hopefully the next wave.