Is Blizzard just cashing in with Starcraft II?

Starcraft II is just around the corner, waiting to be released to anxious gamers, waiting for this sequel since the first game. With the announcement that SCII will be split up into three games, is Blizzard just trying to cash in, or is this move a legitimate one.

[jazzking2001]

what do you mean by "cashing in" ?
if you mean make a TON OF MONEY
then yes
but i do not think that they just make a crappy sequel to sell it
anyone can tell from the released cutscenes and gameplay that a TON of work has gone into making SC2

[badz149]

THAT doesn't make it right for them to separate the game into 3 retail games now does it? what's SC without all 3 clans available, right? so, in order to have the full experience of SCII like how it should be, I will need to buy 3 games instead of just 1! that's not just cashing in! it's trying to rip-off fans! I despise them for doing this and I think Kotick hand them the idea of this!

[moe84]

Sure it does. If there is enough content on each installment. Then by all means break SC2 into 3 games. There aren't many RTS games of this caliber that have any where near 30 missions.

[Twilightx7]

All 3 "clans" are completely available for multiplayer, and seeing as how Starcraft 1 shipped with full mp and 30 missions, and this has full mp and 26-30 missions (anyone have the confirmed final number?), you're getting what would be considered a "full game" by content standards.

Additionally, the two expansions that add the other campaign missions will be priced as expansions and not full games, so really, if you expect to pay $50-60 for what could amount to 90 missions plus mp, I think YOU'D be the greedy one here.

[Darkstorn]

Blizzard has the quality reputation to prevent them from ever being seen as a truly money-grubbing corporation unless they really screw up.

I do, however, lament the lack of LAN play.

[GrilledCheeseBook]

has the same amount of missions as the first with full mp
plus didn't they announce that before the merger and i would believe the other games to function as expansions

[Kerrby]

Is Blizzard just cashing in with Starcraft II?

Yeah, they're just cashing in even though they just spend $100million on the game.

Stupid article.

[kevnb]

go buy all your rehashed sequels year after year. Of course they arent just cashing in, what is the point of this article? Is every sequel guaranteed to sell just cashing in?

[Perjoss]

when people heard it was being made into a trilogy they somehow thought this would mean 3 smaller games at a full price each. If I know Blizzard you will get more than your moneys worth with each game and then some. And thats before you even boot up multiplayer.

[JsonHenry]

Played in the last two beta phases. This game is AWESOME in beta form.

[RedDragan]

And what about Steam?

No word on that. Are the "expansions" going to be discounted as well on that platform or will the many thousands of people who choose digital download get screwed?

[GrilledCheeseBook]

they don't use steam
they have their own DD platform Batlle.net

[Jerk120]

After WoW happened Blizzard became a greed machine, and this is without taking into account the merger with Activision.

[HydraxFFx]

BULL-SHIT, Blizzard is one of the few companies who still care about the consumers.

[Pennywise]

They care a little too much with the way they dumbed WoW down. I just got back into it and I miss the skill required. Everything seems so easy now.

[captain-obvious]

@ HydraxFFx
is that why they split the game in to 3 games ??

dude get real
im with Sleipnir on this one

and yah the next Starcraft could be an MMO just like what happen to warcraft

[Legosz]

Easy, right pennywise. Try 25 maning icecrown stage 3 and then you can tell me it is easy. I want video proof.

EDIT: Disagree with me all you want you know you no skill douchebags can't do it.

[Pennywise]

Wow, Legosz .... You need to calm the **** down.

I just started back after two years quit. I used to down anything important with my guild and I know the work it took for end game. I am not talking about end game. I am talking about leveling up and getting quests done.

I used to spend hours getting quest drops... not it is almost 100%. Elite mobs leveling up are not elite anymore. You don't need the hammer to bang the gong in ZF... Running instances (LEVELING UP) is easy as pie... just gather a bunch and move at a lightning pace. They dumbed it down.

I also know it is easy to get epics on your chars now... I don't know about you, but I used to play way back in the day. Vanilla WoW as some may call it... the game isn't the same as it used to be.

Having said that, you are a jerk... no need to be so hostile. Typical WoW elitist response from you though. Go take a shower and throw away your poop sock.

EDIT: Thank you, Raf1k1 - I was in those guilds farming BWL and MC back when... also AQ and NAXX. These new players have no idea what skill is.

[Raf1k1]

He's comparing it to the way it used to be since vanilla WoW was harder. Back then it was eaxtremely difficult to complete the top end raids as only the most hardcore guilds could do AQ and Naxx. These days there a many more players able to do ICC 25 man raids.

Theres also a huge difference in time required to skill up professions ans XP required to level to 70 has been reduced a lot.

edit: NVM, he's said it just before I did.

[HydraxFFx]

Name any other developer that puts as much effort and time into their games as Blizzard; SC2, D3 and War4, that frequently talk with the community through the forums and even arrange dates to play with fans, that has there own convention for fans to join up and enjoy. They STILL update Diablo 2 and Starcraft along with the regular WoW patches every few months. Starcraft being split into three games is for each race to get it's own full story and the others are not even full price games but expansion packs. http://www.shacknews.com/on...
You need to get real, Blizzard has ONLY released quality products for their fans.

[ALFAxD_CENTAURO]

Blizzard care about their Consumers.

Just look the great deals of Starcraft 2 in other Countries, like Mexico.

http://www.kotaku.com.au/20...

[Baka-akaB]

"the without taking in account the merger" part is quite the BULL-SHIT .

From the moment wow was released it always had patches with far more content than any other concurrent .

And if someone else had a hold of each of their expansion , they'd have cut it down at least in half and sold it twice .

After the merger now , while still a quality oriented company , they've made some dubious choices (hence my refusal to buy starcraft 2 with regional restrictions and till a bundle of all three campaigns appears) , wich can maybe be blamed on activision , but that's it .

[f789790]

They spent way too much on this game to be a greed machine. Granted it's nothing compared to their income but they definitely wanted it to be good.

[badz149]

but selling the full experience of 1 game at the price of 3 is a sign of greed no matter what you wanna say! don't say it like other companies don't spend just as much resources on their games but Blizzard is the only 1 doing this! I don't see EA sells their RTS games separated! right....because SC is like the most popular RTS on earth and will sell millions for sure, they wanna triple their income it by ripping-off fans!

[Baka-akaB]

you are the one spinning and scrapping the barrel here .

Starcraft is easily bigger than COD , and blizzard decided instead to turn Warcraft into a big thing ... while they could have easily milk starcraft .

With anyone else's standard we'd be at starcraft 6 by now and easily 50+ million games sold.

[olit123]

I don't think they are greedy. Now that they have tons of money coming in they can afford to put a lot of time into there games to make it perfect. Many games that are released these days don't reach their full potential because of publishers trying to hurry the game out or they don't have much of a budget.

As long as blizzard have the amount of money coming in that WoW is providing them with currently, they have all the time in the world to develop it and can put the game out when it's ready. Also, I remember hearing in an interview that each campaign for SC:II are very long.

[kevnb]

some illogical cost argument.

[Caspel]

I cannot stand when publishers release all-CG trailers and commercials with no gameplay footage.

[Seijoru]

Yeah that's what pissed me off about the Old Republic trailers.

[GrilledCheeseBook]

RTS gameplay don't make for good cinematic trailers
the beta showed the multiplayer and they already showed off a few missions

[Onsyman]

I really think that at the stage that Blizzard has reached they can do whatever they want and we will still pay them, they control us.

[badz149]

I'm a huge fan of SC but Blizzard is now asking me to pay triple the price for the sequel which so far looks like the original with upgraded graphics (like it should, it's been 10 years) and just some added units! will I be paying just because Blizzard is oh-so-almighty and I'm a huge fan? there's a fine line between a fan and a sheep and I know I'm not a sheep! will you be one? your choice

[DarkBlade4658]

Finding out about SC2 splitting into 3 games, I was a little disapointed with them. I however don't doubt that the games will still be phenomenal.

[Rambaldi47]

Games company cashing in?

Surely not?

[Gut]

I wanted this game long ago but have moved on and away from PC gaming. @gutster

[jeannine]

I don't do PC gaming. I just never got into it. Console games on the ohter hand...

[narmonteto]

Nahh I don't think so. They would have released this game like a few years ago and it wouldn't have been a PC exclusive if they wanted to do that

[HumanStark]

What topical commentary for a year ago.

[pbkup]

Okay I want to cash in big time

[totoguy]

I still don't see why they had to split it up to 3 games...

[Caspel]

I agree with you. Unless the entry point is cheap, it stinks that I have to buy it three games in order to get the full effect.

[a08andan]

Well I think it might be because if they were to release all 3 parts at the same time, it would take to long to develop. As far as I've heard its a massive game already and I think its a smart way for Blizzard to be able to give us Starcraft 2 and a great campaign and still have more to give!

And again, I think it would take to long to develop and release all 3 parts at once. This way the game will probably end up as the biggest RTS of all tme. :)

[alee]

We'll just have to wait and see what we actually get in each of the three parts. GZ

[MMFGaming]

If you played the beta you would know this is FAR from cashing in.

[Tikicobra]

Yes, Blizzard has spent 7 years and 100 million dollars on a cash-in.

[MajestieBeast]

-Splitting 1 game in 3.
-A over priced collectors edition.

Yeah i can see some influence of activision here. This has nothing to do with the quality of the game but still i noticed it.

[Apollyn]

Blizzard collector editions are usually 60/70 quid so that's no change from the norm. As for splitting into 3 lets hope the campaigns are Choc a block

[iceman2885]

Did you say that Valve is cashing in when they decided they were gonna release Half Life 2 as 3 episodes?

I'm pretty sure that they have told us that each race has it's own game so that they can have a much more extensive story. To say that they are splitting one game into 3 is saying that the Zerg and Protoss campaign games and stories are already finished and they are just holding them back and waiting to release them (which I'm pretty sure they are not).

[LastDance]

"I'm pretty sure that they have told us that each race has it's own game so that they can have a much more extensive story"

Yes... That is exactly what they want you to think.

Guess the truth will be told in a few days time.

[BabyTownFrolics]

or do many of these gaming blogs try to generate fake controversy because they have no real news to write about. N4G reminds me of the 24 hour cable news channels, they need to fill time so they fill it with bullshit.

[Radigga]

activision at its best again.....these guy bleed greed

[Darkfiber]

By making you pay 3 times for the same game, plus battle.net monthly fees that we all know are coming? Nahhhh...

Not to mention the game is pretty much exactly the same as it was 12 years ago with slightly updated graphics and a couple new units. Honestly, this game should be a free update patch to the original, not a $180 + monthly fee game. Anyone who disagrees is just a blind Blizzard fanboy.

[HumanStark]

This is a grade A troll. Applause.

[iceman2885]

Starcraft, Warcraft 3 and Diablo 2 never had monthly fees for Battle.net access, so I don't think it's starting anytime soon.

And like I said in an above post, where's the outrage with Valve because they are making fans pay 3 times for the different episodes of Half Life 2?

Just keep hating.

[Motion]

Well, not to defend the OP, but they have started charging monthly fees for battle.net in some countries.

[Seferoth75]

In some countries Blizzard practically gives their games away due to piracy. They charge for battlenet to make up for that fact.
In countries where people actually pay for their games, battlenet is free and always will be unless you are playing an MMO like WoW.

[ic4ruz]

What I'm really concerned about is that they are charging 60$ for it but not the standard 50$ for PC games ):

[El_Colombiano]

ACTIVISION

[Saryk]

Who gives a shit how they done it. Wait for a month and let the reviews come in. If there is a good consensus on the reviews (like here http://www.vgreleases.com/p... then buy it. Just don’t get caught up in the hype to be the first.

Hell I might wait until the Star Craft 2 3-pack plus DLC Game of the Year edition comes out before I buy it. I’ll save a ton……………

[moe84]

So you're might wait a few years then? My guess, and that's if Blizzard sticks to their previously stated release schedule... a GoTY won't hit until 2015.

[Saryk]

You might be right, you can never tell with Blizzard. If their making money and every one is happy, it will be awhile before the price drops. But if they are money hungry then the price will drop pretty quickly. But I can wait for 2-3 years, hell I waited this long for it. Diablo 3 however will get me right square in the pocket book, still play Diablo 2 every once in awhile.

[El_Colombiano]

They still sell the Starcraft Battle Chest for $20. This game will not be getting bundled with the other two games for at least ten years. Consider the fact that the first of three games has yet to even release and you are saying you will wait for the bundle.

[tmj]

I think they have waited long enough and all the improvements on the game are going to revive it but hey that's just my two cents.

[Alos88]

They've spent years on this, a cash in would've been pumped out after six months of development with little thought or care for the finished product.

[moe84]

The biggest and only problem I've had with how Blizzard is doing SC2 is more along the lines of visuals and performance. Blizzard, along with damn near every other game developer won't overhaul or increase the visuals too much with expansions or "add-on packs". Meaning we maybe stuck with the same ol' DX9 game for 3-5 years while newer ones come out.

I'm hoping there is at least some DX10 support with the retail version. RTS games have never been top notch in visuals, and have always been behind in the DX market. But 3-5 years of the same visuals can turn people off waiting on a "new" game with the same "old" look.

[AEtherbane]

Will make literally metric tons worth of money on this game.
and they deserve it.
Starcraft II is by no mean a crappy sequel, if you've played the beta, its just pure 100% amazing quality.
The only problem i have with it, is that we have to wait to get the other two expansions >.<

[trig456]

i agree, let's wait till it's actually out to make a judgment

[Caspel]

only one week left! I cannot wait!

[jstefanovic]

me neither, lets go head to head!

[Enterprise-E]

Giving the fact that people including myself waited almost 12 years for a sequel that we just knew was going happen back in 1998. They had plenty of chances to milk StarCraft if they wanted to but they didn't. Sure I am not getting ALL 3 Campaigns out of the box but the trade off is a longer campaign which means it will much more focused than other RTS titles.

Lets see 20+ missions, 1 Main Story Campaign, and all 3 factions available for MP. Thats what 60 bucks gets you. I care more about the story than MP and by doing it this way I get a real campaign not a 7 or 8 mission filler.If you ask me thats a good deal.

Besides Blizzard has always stood for quality over quantity and so far its working for them and there fans. ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT!!! WAR IS COMING!!