One of the reasons Starcraft is still such a big hit at LAN parties is that, like most “older” PC titles, it supports multiplayer over a local network. Starcraft II will do no such thing. More »
Blizzard’s Starcraft was released in 1998. It’s sequel, Starcraft II, won’t be out until at least 2009. Why the hold-up? Blame World of Warcraft. More »
Have you heard? The economy is cratering! Imploding! Total meltdown! And World of Warcraft developer Blizzard Entertainment is impervious. As Blizzard exec Rob Pardo explains, the game industry isn’t historically affected by economic troubles like other industries. Here’s Pardo’s full quote:
Historically for us, the game industry hasn’t been affected by recessions like a lot of other businesses. I think the reason for that is [that]games really offer some of the best entertainment value on the market. People might not want to go out to the movies and spend $100 for a couple of hours and then go to a restaurant. You can go home and pay $15 a month for 100 hours of entertainment if you’re staying at home more — and I think that’s one of the reasons why you don’t see games really go in the same recession as the rest of the economy a lot of times.
What about you? Will the economic pinch curb your game spending?
Blizzard: Economic Downturn Won’t Hurt ‘World of Warcraft’ [Multiplayer]
Rob Pardo, executive vice president of game design at Blizzard says that the company has “no particular plans” to institute software verification checks for Diablo III to prevent piracy. Pardo tells Wired’s Game|Life blog that its solution is “more similar to Steam than EA,” good news for Diablo fans who don’t want a steaming pile of anti-piracy debacle a la Mass Effect on their hands.
Now that Blizzard has Activision, undisputed masters of *ahem* “getting the most out of a franchise”, looking over their shoulders, would a console port of Diablo III really surprise you, were it to happen? OK, no, look. Calm down. I said were it to happen. Because while it’s not confirmed, or even strongly hinted at, it may happen. May. Because Blizzard’s Rob Pardo has said that it’s a “theoretical possibility”, and that “of our major franchises, [it's]the one that’s most console friendly, for sure”. Pretty sure he’s talking about the 360 and PS3, there. Can’t see Mii support and friend codes really fitting with the whole gates to hell thing.
Console Diablo “theoretically possible” [Eurogamer]
Yeah, all fanbases have their eccentricities. Halo fans can be…boisterous. Metal Gear fans can have…interesting ideas on what merits good story-telling. Smash Bros fans can be…well, again, boisterous. But as passionate as those groups are, they haven’t got shit on Blizzard fans. Those guys are crazy. And Blizzard knows it. Rob Pardo:
I love our Blizzard fans, they’re the best in the world. But they can get pretty angry…I’ve gotten sixteen-page diatribes.
Completely understandable. We can totally see how the same kind of energy they display scouring the source code of a splash marketing page can be misdirected as pure, white-hot nerd rage.
Blizzard: “Our Fans Can Get Pretty Angry” [Next-Gen]
This weekend the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational is being held in Paris. There will probably be some big announcements. But what could they be? At GDC Paris, Blizzard’s Rob Pardo was asked about the “the new game” to which he replied:
So you want me to announce the game before our announcement? No offence, but I think there’s like 300 people here, and I’ll be ripped apart by 8000 people there [at the Invitational]if I pre-announce it — but it’s going to be really exciting. I think everybody here will be really excited about the announcement.
Sounds really exciting, and yes, we’re really excited.
Blizzard to unveil new title at Worldwide Invitational? [Games Industry][Pic]
