Tag Archives: Starcraft II

World of StarCraft’ mod popularity means StarCraft MMO “likely”

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StarCraft 2 Train2Game blog image

Earlier this year, the Train2Game blog reported that a budding game developer had caught the eye of studios with a ‘World of StarCraft’ MMO mod for StarCraft II.

Then as also seen on the Train2Game blog, modder Ryan Winzen was invited to Blizzard to discuss potential employment. While there hasn’t been any news of Winzen in a job, rumours of a Starcraft MMO have surfaced.

That’s according to a report by GameFront which suggests Blizzard are “committed to enhancing shareholder value through residual monthly fees,” with StarCraft

“Given the popularity of the StarCraft universe, the immediate reaction to the World of StarCraft mod, and factoring in an aging World of Warcraft, Blizzard has been put into a position where an SC MMO would be too financially lucrative to pass up.” The report states, with an update adding “Our source asserted that there will be a StarCraft MMO.”

While there isn’t a guarantee anything from the independent ‘World of StarCraft’ mod will be in any new MMO, it’s still a good reminder to Train2Game students about the impact modding can have.

For a reminder of how beneficial modding can be, see this Train2Game blog post from earlier in the year.

And it isn’t just the Train2Game blog that stresses the importance of modding to the game developers of the future. In a recent interview with the Train2Game blog, Red Faction: Armageddon Lead Level Designer Jameson Durall said modding is a great way for aspiring game developers to practice their skills.

“One thing I would say is for people who are even interested in it is to start modding. Find your favourite game, download their tools and start learning what it is to actually create content for this.

That gives you real practical knowledge of how making games works, even if it’s just in a small capacity.” he replied when asked what advice he’d give to those looking to be a Game Designer.

“Grab one of the LEGO games, like LEGO Indiana Jones, it has a full level building system built right into it. And LittleBigPlanet, those are things you can get in there, learn to play and just recreate something you experienced to see what goes into that” the Level Designer added.

He also recommended UDK as a great modding tool, and as reported by the Train2Game blog it recently passed 800,000 downloads.

It’s also worth adding that infamous 2 is released this week, and as previously mentioned by the Train2Game blog, it’ll feature a level creator with the best becoming easily accessible to every player.

So Train2Game, there’s not really any excuse not to start modding or at least building levels using in-game tools!

What are your thoughts on the prospects of a StarCraft MMO?  Would it be a successful MMO? Could the fact it exists be purely down to the mod before it?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: GameFront via VG247]

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm coming December 7th

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World of Warcraft: Cataclysm goblinsWorld of Warcraft: Cataclysm will be available from December 7th. The release date of the highly anticipated expansion to World of Warcraft was revealed by publisher Activision Blizzard.

The Cataclysm expansion pack will dramatically change the world of Azeroth, and allow World of Warcraft players to take part in new missions, level their World of Warcraft characters up to level 85 and play the worlds’ most successful MMO as two new races – worgen and goblins.

The official announcement about when World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is released comes after rumours on fan sites including MMO Champion and WoWHead. CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment, Mike Morhaime, says World of Wacraft: Cataclysm will be good for both old and new Wow players.

“Cataclysm includes the best content we’ve ever created for World of Warcraft. It’s not just an expansion, but a re-creation of much of the original Azeroth, complete with epic new high-level adventures for current players and a redesigned levelling experience for those just starting out.”

“With the help of our beta testers, we’re putting on the final polish, and we look forward to welcoming gamers around the world to enjoy it in just a couple of months.”

Activision Blizzard keenly point out in their press release that the first two World of Warcraft expansions, The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King, both broke PC game sales records upon their release. These PC game sales records were broken earlier this year by another Activision Blizzard title, Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty. The publisher must therefore be expecting another big payday when World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is released on December 7th!

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will be available on DVD-Rom and as a digital download at a ‘suggested retail price of $39.99’ If you’re so inclined you’ll also be able to pick up a World of Warcraft: Cataclysm ‘special Collector’s Edition packed with bonus items will be available exclusively in retail stores for a suggested retail price of $79.99’

The World of Warcraft: Cataclysm beta test is currently underway, and you can sign up for a chance to participate on the official Battle.net website.

So Train2Game, are you a World of Warcraft player? If so are you interested in World of Warcraft Cataclysm? Are you already tempted to attend a midnight launch? And could World of Warcraft Cataclysm replace Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty as the fastest selling PC title of all time?

You can leave your thoughts on World of Wracraft: Cataclysm here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Halo: Reach finally released

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Halo ReachStores across the world opened at midnight last night to celebrate the launch of the much anticipated Halo: Reach. Here in the UK, hundreds of people queued up in the early hours to be some of the first to get there hands on Halo: Reach, the latest game in Bungie’s highly successful series.

Halo: Reach is the fourth instalment of the Xbox exclusive shooter, and comes three years after the release of Halo 3. However, Halo: Reach is not a sequel but rather prequel to the previous instalments of the Halo franchise.

Halo 3 was the biggest selling video game of all-time, a record now held by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Microsoft will be hoping that Halo: Reach can repeat the success of Halo 3, having invested an extra 60% in marketing spending according to Xbox 360 Director Stephen McGill. The entertainment and devices director told MCV:

“Halo: Reach is extremely important for us. Not just from a revenue and business perspective, but Halo is such an iconic franchise and one that has delivered huge innovation with every release.”

Meanwhile, Editor of GameSpot UK Guy Cocker told the BBC that Halo: Reach is “quite a big deal” and is by far the game that Xbox 360 owners are most excited about right now.

“We’re able to track activity and Halo: Reach is the most popular game on the site right now,”

“In comparison to Halo 3 though, I’m not sure how well it will go down.

“It’s had a good critical reception, but Microsoft are certainly spending a lot of money promoting the game.”

Halo: Reach certainly has had a great critical reception with its current score of 92% on Metacritic.

The Halo series games have sold over 34 million copies since the original was released on the Xbox, and analysts suggest that a Halo game could once again encourage people to invest in one of Microsofts consoles. Anita Frazier, an anal list at research firm NPD said:

“If hardware sales react in a similar fashion to what was experienced when Halo 3 was launched in September 2007, September could be a huge sales month for Xbox 360 hardware. We can expect big numbers to be reported with September results.”

Halo fans may have only been playing Halo: Reach for a matter of hours, but already Bungie have had reports of cheaters.  The developers say that they’re ready to ban any Halo: Reach players caught cheating.

“Our team is standing at the ready behind the sights of our fully operational Banhammer Battlestation. We take the Reach online experience VERY seriously.”

The Halo: Reach midnight launches echo similar events for the release of Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty earlier this year.

So have any Train2Game students got your hands on a copy of Halo: Reach yet? Perhaps you attended a Halo: Reach midnight launch event? If you don’t own an Xbox 360, do you think the release of Halo: Reach could encourage you to do so?

And have you spotted any cheaters yet?

You can leave your thoughts on Halo: Reach here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Blizzard release Starcraft II custom map ‘Burning Tide’

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Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty Burning TideBlizzard have released Burning Tide, the first custom map for their highly successful Real Time Strategy game Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty. The 3 vs 3 map was announced on the Starcraft II Battle.net blog. The Starcraft II blog says:

“We’re proud to announce the release of Blizzard Entertainment’s first new StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty custom map: Burning Tide!”

“Featuring timed lava surges and collectable mineral caches, Burning Tide is a 3v3 map that combines several thematic elements from the epic single-player campaign mission “The Devil’s Playground.”

“Like the campaign mission, the goal of this game is greed, and the first team to reach the specified resource total wins! Players hoping to achieve victory on this map will need to work together, carefully managing their team’s unit production and safeguarding their vulnerable workers as they defend against enemy forces.”

Starcraft II players can access Burning Tide in the custom games list in the game client. It’s likely that Burning Tide will be the first of many custom maps released by Blizzard for Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty. Any interested Train2Game students can get a taste of Burning Tide by looking at the screenshots on the Starcraft II Battle.net blog.

Activision Blizzard is extremely pleased with the success of Starcraft II, with Wings of Liberty being the fastest selling strategy game of all time, selling 1.5 million copies in the first 48 hours of release. Starcraft II then went on to sell three million copes in the month after its much anticipated release on July 27th.

So Train2Game, will you be playing Burning Tide? Or have you done so already? Are you pleased Blizzard are releasing more multiplayer challenges for Starcraft II?

You can leave your thoughts about Burning Tide and Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Starcraft II sells over three million in a month

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Starcraft IIStarcraft II: Wings of Liberty has sold over three million copies worldwide in just its first month on release according to publisher Activision Blizzard.

The long anticipated Starcraft II was released simultaneously worldwide on July 27th with many eager Starcraft fans attending midnight launches in order to be among the first to get their hands on the RTS sequel.

Starcraft II was a massive success, with 1.5 million copies Blizzard’s title being sold in the first 48 hours of release, making Starcraft II the fastest selling strategy game of all time.

Naturally, Starcraft II had no trouble topping the UK Charts in its first week on release, an impressive achievement given that downloaded copies of Wings of Liberty weren’t counted in the chart at the time.

These strong sales have given Starcraft II the momentum required to push past the three million copies sold mark, further cementing Wings of Liberty’s position as the most successful PC game of 2010 so far. With three million copies sold, it seems unlikely that anything will be removing Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty from its position of most successful PC game of the year.

Activision Blizzard will no doubt be well on the way to recouping the supposed $100 million Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty cost to produce.

Naturally, CEO of Blizzard Entertainment Mike Morhaime is pleased with the success of Starcraft II.

“We appreciate all the enthusiasm that players around the world have shown for StarCraft II.”

“It was important to us to deliver an overall gameplay experience that was accessible, balanced, and fun, and it’s been gratifying to see how strongly the global community has already embraced the game.”

With Starcraft II being divided into three instalments, it’s likely that Activision Blizzard will have more success with the franchise in future. However, there’s no word yet on when the second part of Starcraft II will be released.

So Train2Game, have you picked up a copy of Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty in the month it’s been on sale? If so, is it really that amazing?  How much are you looking forward to the next instalment of the Starcraft II franchise? And will anything else released this year topple Starcraft II from its position of most successful PC game of 2010?

You can leave your thoughts on Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty, or the Starcraft franchise in general, here on the Train2Game blog or on the Train2Game forum.

UK Charts: Toy Story 3 stays Number One

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Toy Story 3

The toys are still in town

Toy Story 3 is once again top of the UK All Formats chart. It’s the third week at number one for the movie tie in, which is more than any other previous Disney game. Toy Story 3 is one of only four titles that have been number one this year with Red Dead Redemption, 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa and Just Dance being the others.

In fact, Rockstars hugely successful western Red Dead Redemption got close to claiming the number one spot once more after rising from fifth to second, while Dance on Broadway is still going strong in third.

Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 shows it still has some magic left with its rise from fourth to eighth. The biggest riser of the week is Nintendo DS game Art Academy which jumps twenty three places from twenty eighth to fifth place in its second week in the charts.

Just Dance still remains in the top 10 and holds onto sixth place this week while Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels Starry Skies is also a non-mover in seventh.  Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 hasn’t quite become the UK’s best ever selling game just yet after a drop in sales sees it move down to eighth from last weeks second.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 remains in ninth place while there’s just one new entry into the top ten this week with Madden NFL 11 sneaking into tenth in its first week.

Meanwhile, Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty has crashed out of the top ten from fourth place last week to twelfth this time around. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has also slipped out of the top ten, dropping one place to eleventh. By far the biggest loser in the top forty is Crackdown 2 which drops fifteen places from twenty fifth to fortieth. Crackdown 2 held the top spot for two weeks as recently as one month ago!

The full ELSPA GfK Chart-Track All Formats top then is as follows:

1. Toy Story 3 (Disney Interactive)
2. Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar)
3. Dance on Broadway (Ubisoft)
4. LEGO Harry Potter Years 1-4 (Warner Interactive)
5. Art Academy (Nintendo)
6. Just Dance (Ubisoft)
7. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision)
9. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo)
10. Madden NFL 11 (EA)

So Train2Game, how long will Toy Story 3 remain top of the pile? What game to you think will knock it off top spot?

Has Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty dropped out of the top ten for good, or will it return? Will Modern Warfare 2 finally become the UK’s best selling game of all-time next week? And why has Crackdown 2 suffered such a fall from grace?

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.

UK charts: Toy Story 3 reclaims Number 1

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Toy Story 3 has reclaimed top spot in the GFK Chart Track All formats chart in its forth week of release. It’s the second time the Disney title has been number one, dislodging last week’s top title Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty which drops down to forth following a very successful release.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 makes a surprising jump from eighth to second place to achieve its highest chart position since January. The FPS looks set to replace DS title ‘Dr Kawashima’ as the UK’s biggest seller and this could happen next week.

Ubisoft’s Dance on Broadway raises one place to third while Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption drops to fifth – its lowest ever position after 12 weeks in the all-formats chart.

Just Dance and Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels Starry Skies are both non-movers holding onto sixth and seventh spots respectively.

Meanwhile the magic of Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 seems to be wearing off with the Warner Brothers title dropping three places from fifth to eighth position. Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 round out the top ten in the same positions they occupied last week.

There were no new entries into the top ten this week with only two new releases – Art Academy and Hidden Mysteries: Titanic – entering the top 40 in 28th and 32nd. The full top 10 is below:

1. Toy Story 3 (Disney)
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision)
3. Dance on Broadway (Ubisoft)
4. Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty (Blizzard)
5. Red Dead Redemption (Take Two)
6. Just Dance (Ubisoft)
7. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Sky (Square Enix)
8. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 104 (Warner Bros)
9. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo)
10. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (EA)

So Train2Game, what do you think about the latest charts? Why do you think Modern Warfare 2 still remains so popular? Will Starcraft II suffer a drop like Crackdown 2 (Now in 25th) has previously? Or do you think Red Dead Redemption will be the next to fall?

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.

Starcraft II ‘the fasting selling strategy game of all time’

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Blizzard has revealed that Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty sold over a million copies worldwide in just its first day on sale.

That already made it the best selling PC game of the year so far, while selling a total of 1.5 million copies in its first 48 hours cemented Starcraft II as the fastest selling strategy game of all time.

More than 8,000 stores throughout the world opened their doors at midnight to celebrate the release of the much anticipated sci-fi sequel, including Game on London’s Oxford Street.

The store saw hundreds of fans queuing up to be among the first to play Starcraft II, 12 years after the original hit the PC in 1998. CEO and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment, Mike Morhaime, is happy with the title’s initial sales.

“We launched Starcraft II in 11 different languages and on 5 different continents because we wanted to make sure as many players as possible were able to log on and play on day one.”

“We’re pleased that so many people around the world have already picked up a copy of the game, and we look forward to welcoming even more players to Battle.net in the weeks and months ahead.”

Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty topped the UK charts this week, and retailer GameStop has confirmed it’s the fastest selling PC title since the release of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King – also published by Blizzard – in 2008.

So, Train2Game are you surprised by that Starcraft II sold a million copies in just 24 hours, or was it to be expected? Have you played it yet? And finally, is any other PC or strategy title going to beat it in the near future?

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.

Starcraft II claims Number 1

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Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty has launched to top spot of the UK software charts in its debut week. Blizzard’s sequel has been one of the most anticipated PC releases of the year, with hundreds of fans queuing up to be among the first to play the RTS on the early hours of Tuesday morning. Starcraft II has topped the charts through boxed releases alone, and while the long awaited Sci-fi sequel is likely to also have successfully sold in digital form, these downloads are not tracked by Chart-Track.

The Blizzard RTS has bumps Toy Story 3 down to second place, with Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption still strongly rounding up sales despite dropping to third.  Dance on Broadway and Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 move down one place each to forth and fifth.

Just Dance climbs two places from eighth to sixth, while Nintendo DS RPG Dragon Quest IX:  Sentinels Starry Skies also moves up two spots from ninth to seventh in its second week of sales.

FPS rivals Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 both re-enter the top ten, climbing from eleventh to eight and twelfth to tenth respectively. Meanwhile Super Mario Galaxy two remains in the top ten, but has dropped from sixth to ninth.

Crackdown 2 has crashed out of the top ten, dropping from tenth to eighteenth, despite holding first place as recently as two weeks ago.

The full top ten for the week ending July 31st is as follows:

1. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (Blizzard)
2. Toy Story 3 (Disney)
3. Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar)
4. Dance on Broadway (Ubisoft)
5. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (Warner Bros)
6. Just Dance (Ubisoft)
7. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Sky (Square Enix)
8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision Blizzard)
9. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo)
10. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (EA)

So, Train2Game students, will Starcraft II hold onto first place?  Why does Modern Warfare 2 continue to be so popular? And why do you think Crackdown 2 has seen such an undignified drop?

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.

Starcraft II finally launches

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It has been one of the most anticipated PC games in years, but finally, Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty has launched worldwide – and only 12 years after the original Sci-Fi RTS was released!

Here in the UK, a midnight launch took place at Game on central London’s Oxford Street, with hundreds of fans queuing up in order to be among the first to get their hands on a boxed copy of the game.

Of course, Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty is also available as a digital download, but many still see the advantages of buying PC games on a disc.

It’s widely predicted that Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty – the first instalment of a three part sequel – will sell exceptionally well for a PC title. Unfortunately, we may not know exactly how well the Sci-Fi RPG sells, because digital downloads are not tracked in the UK by Chart-Track.

Analysts suggest that Starcraft II could sell 7 million units and generate $350 million in sales which would nicely make up the reported $100 million the game cost to produce.

So, Train2Game students, have any of you already got your hands on Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty? If so what do you think?  Would you prefer it in a box or as a download? And what would you give to someday work on a massive title like Starcraft II?

As usual, leave your thoughts either here or on the Train2Game forum.