StarCraft II‘s next expansion doesn’t have an official release date yet, but its creators say it’s almost crossed the finish line.
Speaking to lead designer Dustin Browder in a phone interview this afternoon, I asked how close the team was to completing the game.
“We are 99 per cent done,” he told me, “but that last one per cent is a bitch.”
The missions are all playable and the units are all in place, Browder said. “There’s something in for everything — it’s whether we like it or not that’s an open question. It’s the tuning and polish that really takes us a long time, and that’s where we get into the unknowns.
“Like we could do a play-through next week that we’re like, ‘Wow this is really great.’ Or we could do a play-through and we still have 250 items we wanna fix. You know, historically speaking we’re doing pretty well. We’re getting there. But I don’t know for sure yet when we’ll be done.”
In other words, they’re still on Blizzard Time. But at least they’re almost done.
99% done! (Disclaimer: Last one percent may take same amount of time as previous 99% to complete.)
Yep thats how I read it too... if they were really that close we would know a release date already
Hell they haven't even released any details about HotS MP beta yet >.>
Are they going to bother with a MP beta? (Legit question since it seems that Wings of Liberty would surely give them similar data)
WoL games won't let them balance-test the new units.
Ahh, excellent point
The last 1% is trying to figure out how to implement real money transactions into StarCraft.
No the real money stuff is so they have implemented and tested middleware like realid blizzstore blizzard accounts battletags etc all working as intended for project titan. Valve does the same middleware testing with the hat store and trading. They won't have issues monetising HOTS as it's all pretty much done.
It's that focus on the last 1% that sets Blizzard apart from other developers. I wish other big studious such as Bethesda and Bioware would do the same.
No, it's the ability to turn out games that are window-dressed versions of their earlier titles and throw enough advertising dollars around to gain an unstoppable media and marketing tsunami of support that sets Blizzard apart from other developers. Their ability to manipulate the herd mentality is truly awesome.
You Mustn't have played a recent blizzard title and just hate success
+1
It sounds like the old school installers. They zoom up to 99% and then take hours to do that last 1%.
you mean pretty much any of the "windows" installers right? :P
Haha :) Played WoW for 4 months then I stopped. Next I played SC2 for over 200 1v1 games and felt kinda empty at the end of it. Like with so many players online, how could I feel so empty?! B.Net 2.0? Anyhow I haven't missed SC2 for a year or more now. Though I play SC1 now and then.
Used to buy every game from Blizzard since 1995, no exception. Didn't buy D3, and somehow I feel lucky. Like FINALLY I learnt how to dodge a train! I can see it coming!!
So yes, to sorta finish what you r saying... I won't buy HoTS. A little sad but true! Rather use the money for kickstarter. Get off my shopping trolley, BlizActiv!!
Ps. Housemate says that HoTS release in 2013 is a good thing to build up expectations as that's half the fun. Forget the SC2 & D3 disappointments.
is it jsut me or does that pic look aweful
warcraft 3 graphics