Coverage: WWI 2007 >> Blizzard's Big Fat Nuclear Game Announcement



Blizzard's Big Fat Nuclear Game Announcement

Ok, kiddies, we're now at the show. We are scratching out this part of our report about two hours before Blizzard announces their new game. The final portion of the report will be typed up the moment we hear what the new game is going to be.


Blizzard's WWI tournament is far, far bigger than we imagined it to be – it's positively huge. There's a hot air balloon here, emblazoned with a World of Warcraft blood elf hottie. Stadium-sized rooms are filled with Blizzard paraphernalia. The entire convention center grounds are covered with arches, banners, and other whatnot that gives the area a medieval feel. I know these are all just props and whatnot, but this is freakin' impressive whatnot, to be sure.


Blizz has kept a very tight lid on what the new game will be. There is absolutely no scuttlebutt – none – among our fellow press types. Nobody knows for sure. I've heard the following speculations, any of which may be valid:

• World of Warcraft for the Xbox 360
• StarCraft: Ghost, somehow reborn
• World of Starcraft (i.e., some type of starcraft MMO)
• StarCraft II
• A World of Warcraft expansion

And a few holdouts keep pulling for Diablo III.


Again, at this juncture we don't know anything. Blizz is leaking absolutely nothing. However, allow us lend you a couple of insights. These are things we'd never have learned if we hadn't come to Seoul ourselves.



The South Korean Gaming Culture

First of all, gaming is huuuuuge here. It's like nothing I've seen in the U.S. , or in Europe . Gaming is a hobby in the U.S. Here, it's sport.


Professional gamers earn big money. I've heard it's six figures or better, and they get endorsements. At the WWI, they are treated like professional athletes – there is play-by-play and color commentary, close ups of their faces as they play, etc. E-gaming is big, in a way I'd never before imagined.


PC bangs – “bang” is just a term for a cyber café – are the nicest, most plush cyber café's I've ever seen. They are set up for gaming with plush chairs, big monitors, and nice peripherals. People are in them 24/7, playing a variety of different games. There are refreshments, and the attendants are more than anxious to make sure you are having a good time there. Oh, and there's a bang on every block. Actually, that's not true. There are often multiple bangs on every block.


Blizzard posters and paraphernalia are everywhere at the bangs. While many games are played at the bangs, it seems that Blizzard titles are favorites. The South Koreans love themselves some Starcraft and WoW, that is for sure. Oddly absent are any references to Warcraft III, but we're not sure if that means anything.


We saw a TV show last night on gaming. It was comparing and contrasting two games, both of which seemed to be some sort of RTS games with RPG elements. Or maybe they were RPG games with RTS elements. And they each had an online component. So, in modern gaming jargon (where everyone constantly makes up new acronyms) these were RTSRPGOs. Oh, never mind. Anyway, this stuck us as unusual in that these were prime time TV shows, and that the show wasn't some sort of criticism or commentary or review of the games. The show was showing the actual gameplay, ad nauseum. It seems that if you're not gaming in SoKor, you're watching TV where other people are gaming.


The EU press (our group) covering the WWI numbered about 30 people, maybe a little more. The US press seemed to be about the same number. The South Korean press line – yes, they waited in a line to get into the WWI – wound around the building . It's kind of hard to give this enough emphasis. There are so many SoKor press people here we originally thought they were fans waiting to get in. That's how big e-gaming is here.


The tournament itself – competitive match-ups of players competing while playing Starcraft or Warcraft III – is held in a stadium . People come here to watch other people play computer games. It's like watching a soccer match, except all the action takes place on gigantic computer screens.


Does this lend any light on what will be announced? It's possible. The love of Starcraft, and the love of RTS gaming, is at the core of the South Korean gaming culture. Sure, they'll respond well to any Blizz game – they love WoW, and they play shooters and other games – but a Starcraft RTS will send these folks just through the roof.


That's all the insight we can offer right now; we'll take our leave until the announcement itself. The anticipation for this is actually quite palpable; people are excited. Our fellow pundits are engaged in all manner of nervous activity.



The Announcement

Ok, we're back. A couple hours have passed, and we're waiting for the announcement. There's been a number of announcements about the tournament, and they are really dragging out the announcement of the new game.


Finally, Blizzard President and overall High Warlord Mike Morhaime has just taken the podium, and people are cheering him like he's a rock star. He's saying a few introductory words. He's dropping lots of hints about how important RTS gaming is to Blizzard, and how he loves Korean enthusiasm for RTS games. And….he's announcing Blizzard's next new game, which will be: Starcraft II.


Yep, there it is. I suppose it really shouldn't be any big surprise. Ever since we set foot on the ground here, I must say that SCII was the odds-on favorite. It just seems so natural that Blizz would announce that title, here, where both the RTS genre, and that particular game, are so beloved, and such an inherent part of the culture.


The details are what you'd expect – it's going to be a next gen RTS, the graphics are enhanced, there are new abilities – it doesn't sound like it's a hugely innovative title, but instead an evolutionary one. That's to be expected, and is what Blizzard excels at doing.



Some quick notes on StarCraft II:

New units:

• The Protoss Colossus, which is like a walker from War of the Worlds, as well as the Protoss Mothership, which can slow time and assault ground units with a massive lightning attack. It also has an impressive Black Hole ability. It can distort, suck in, and swallow enemy units. It was probably the most impressive part of the demo.
• There are also Protoss Immortals, which have a powerful shield ability.
• A new ability called “Phase Prisms” were used by the Protoss. (Can you tell that the Protoss were the primary race used in the demo?).
• The flying Phoenix fighter has a new overload ability, to wipe out numerous enemies quickly, but leaving it very vulnerable afterwards.
• A number of new units have enhanced abilities: charging, teleporting, walking up cliffs. Movement is clearly being heavily emphasized.
• The 3D graphics are quite nice. The textures are impressive, and the units are more three dimensional, with shadow effects.
• The essential game play of StarCraft is unchanged. It's still an RTS.
• The units still have a rock-paper-scissors quality to them. Unit 1 beats Unit 2, but Unit 3 beats unit 1.
• We'll have more details in a little while, including more pics. Stay tuned, kids!

Written by Jeff "Pig" Hollis from WanderingGoblin.com for StarcraftWire.net


Continue reading about StarCraft 2 in the preview article: StarCraft II - How it Plays. You can also find the pictures from the event in the WWI 2007 picture gallery

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