Blizzard Tells us to Wait for Starcraft 2

"Should've stuck to Starcraft." The announcement Blizzard promised us was Starcraft II.

The low-down:

• No Release Date.
• RTS (not MMO).
• For PC & Mac. No Console version.
• Same races. New Units.

Links:

• Game Site: Starcraft2.com
• Blizzard's Press Release
• Kotaku's Starcraft 2 Posts
• WoWInsider's Starcraft 2 Posts

Selected Quotes (From Press Release and Game FAQ):

• Designed to be the ultimate competitive real-time strategy game...
• StarCraft II will include a unique single-player campaign, as well as fast-paced online play through an upgraded version of Blizzard's renowned online gaming service, Battle.net®
• At this point, it's too early to provide an initial estimate on the release date. As with all Blizzard games, we will take as much time as needed to ensure the game is as fun, balanced, and polished as possible.

Blizzard to tell us what to Wait for Next

I'm going to go out on a limb. I'm going to make a crazy guess, er, "prediction." The Blizzard announcement will be Diablo-related.

(Stay tuned for my post tomorrow which is either going to be "OMG, I was right???" or, more likely, "Should've stuck with Starcraft." Followed immediately by a lament for whatever release year we're given for it ... 2008, 2009?)

Tomorrow, at their 2007 Worldwide Invitational in Seoul, South Korea, Blizzard will announce whatever their next project is.

Their website is counting down as a big event and hints that it's either a continuation of an existing franchise or the launch of a brand new one:




All roads point to Starcraft:

• The announcement is being made now (May) in South Korea (where Starcraft enjoys perpetual popularity) rather than at Blizzcon which is just a few months later (August).
• We've seen more Starcraft hints than Diablo Hints.
• We already know there was a desire to expand the Starcraft universe with the started but cancelled console game Starcraft: Ghost.
• Even the folks at Diabloii.net:
  

  ...have been tipped off by numerous connected people it will be StarCraft 2. We had another tip-off yesterday from a source close to Vivendi, who wishes to remain anonymous, that Diablo III is still in development.

• I would also like to point out WoWInsider's research into some of Blizzards URL's which indicated Blizzard has owned Starcraft2.com for several years. Other people snapped up the urls for other potential franchise sequels.

However, there is one thing that keeps me from 100% expecting Starcraft. My belief that Blizzard has been working on Diablo 3 longer than Starcraft 2 (for PC).

Early in 2006, there were several jobs posted at Blizzard to work with "The team behind Diablo I and II" ... "to work on an unannounced PC Project." (Note, look for a future Hellgate: London post for more on this.)

Gaming Steve's article on this "intentional leak" has kept the pilot light on for me in the hopes I'd see a Diablo III sometime soon. He even gave rather specific information on what to expect.

Maybe all those Starcraft Ghost console developers were reassigned to a PC project. But even if they were, I think the Diablo jobs came first.

I know my rationale is for crap, but where's the fun in predicting safe, right?

Oh, hmmm, that Starcraft2 url... if wowinsider is right, then Blizzard owned it for 6 years before those Diablo 3 jobs were ever posted. And in fact some dude in Virginia was allowed to pick up Diablo3.com as recently as 2001?

How, uh, ... how do I delete a post? Is it this button...