Starcraft 2 Part Eins, Zwei and Drei

Nobody is perfect. When it comes to creating an epic story arc, awesome pre-rendered movies and a fully fleshed campaign Blizzard has done well. Now, Blizzard speaks of Starcraft 2 and the world shuts their mouth and listens to each and every word. What’s the word?

A Trilogy.

We’re not talking about the Lord of The Rings style trilogy, but three games with full stories which all end with the gamer being satisfied at the closure, not cliffhangers.

The three standalone games will be (says GameStooge):

  • Terrans – Wings of Liberty
  • Zerg – Heart of the Swarm
  • Protoss – Legacy of the Void

Gamers are probably thinking, “so, I can play multiplayer with only one race?” No! The campaign is split into three separete games, not the races and multiplayer features. Although, each title is sure to introduce something new to the game engine, Blizzard has said:

“Nothing changes for multiplayer or skirmish mode. All three races are fully implemented from the get go. Each campaign will feel like an epic story – not a cliffhanger into the next one. They will each have separate arcs that have a clear start, middle, end – and you will feel like you’ve really finished *something* at the end of each game. More content than we’d previously planned – many more Movies, Missions, etc.” (games.on.net)

From our perspective, it seems Blizzard is itching to release the multiplayer system to the world sooner than later, considering some countries use Starcraft as a professional league, but they don’t want to rush out fast to market campaigns just to satisfy this multiplayer desire.

Instead, they’re going to take their time, in usual Blizzard style, by releasing the game as they finish it… per races story. This should give us a less watered down storyline or having one or two races with a piss poor storyline while another has a kick ass storyline because it was done first.

End result? Multiplayer gamers will be happy in the end while those that play Starcraft for the story will need to wait for each game to be completed. We know Blizzards release schedule is “when it’s ready” so we can only imagine how long it will take to reach that third game in the trilogy.

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Blizzard’s Next MMO, In DevelopmentBlizzard’s Next MMO, In Development

In yet another “no kidding” news item, Blizzard is working on some new MMO says Paul Sams, Blizzard COO, in an interview with videogaming247. This new MMO is going to be “cool, new, different,” he says but doesn’t give any details into it except that it’s not going to be easy.

With Lich King arriving, gamers should be looking forward to a few more strong years with World of Warcraft. Considering Blizzard’s ability to kick out a new expansion every year or so, we’ll know the new MMO will be launching because their expansion road map will go dry.

Much like Apple “dries the channel” when a new device is arriving, allowing stores to post their “sold out” signs, Blizzard will probably invest heavily in their new MMO and allow WoW to die down when they’re ready to make a transition. Or, will they?

Is there any advantage in leaving World of Warcraft as the clear contender if Blizzard is to hype a new MMO style game? Perhaps, if the game is in a completely different genre it might be possible, but some folks will no doubt cancel their Warcraft subscriptions to try out Blizzards next big thing. They’ve said nothing as to the property they’d be driving their next MMO to market with… will it be Diablo or perhaps a Starcraft MMO or something truly “new” and something really “different.”

If anyone in the market today is to begin development of a new MMO, it would seem Blizzard is going to be the most suited to developing another successful venture into this space. They have learned a lot over the years and can apply that knowledge to their next “different” online gaming franchise.

Watch out startups, Blizzard may be working on something even better than World of Warcraft.

Episode 441: No IntroEpisode 441: No Intro

No, that’s not a clever pun. For whatever reason, the opening intro is missing from the file. It’s just not there – perhaps the recording software was late in starting.

Regardless, the crew discuss the Palmer Luckey scandal before moving head with a new segment, just to discuss random stuff they’ve seen that isn’t on the news docket.

Speaking of which, the news includes:

  • Beyond Good and Evil 2 is happening, original game free on PC next week
  • The Witcher 3 success “marred my books,” claims author
  • October has arrived, and the Nintendo NX has not
  • Fallout 4/Skyrim mods are back on for PlayStation 4, with one big caveat

All this and Listener Feedback!

Sony, Next Big Software Company?Sony, Next Big Software Company?

Every day we’re hearing of a company running through a round of layoffs or going out of business, it’s really not a happy time. Sony is not immune to the economic troubles either. Sony is talking restructuring and that involves a potential head count reduction of 16,000 jobs due to plant closings.

floppyThis leaves Sony with some hard decisions. Restructuring can mean drastic changes that effect all their product lines. The PlayStation 3 isn’t currently a shining example of high profit margins. The console needs time to reduce its overall cost, chip sizes and bring profitability. Is it in danger?

“Sony’s not in a position to halt all domestic production but it has to do something that drastic,” said Mitsushige Akino, chief fund manager at Ichiyoshi Investment Management. “If it announces plans to move production overseas while keeping only planning and development functions in Japan, that would be a positive.” (gamestooge)

The yen is losing value in our global economy making it more difficult to export the product and build any type of profitability plan. “A source said this month the company will likely suffer an annual operating loss of about $1.1 billion, its first such loss in 14 years” (news.yahoo.com) All this noise is making CEO Howard Stringer contemplate Sony’s involvement as a “software only” company, making us recall the changes at SEGA to this same result.

The Financial Times reported Sony will unveil details of its restructuring steps on Wednesday or Thursday. It said Chief Executive Howard Stringer was meeting with resistance from some executives to shifting the company’s focus to software from hardware and cutting jobs in Japan. (news.yahoo.com)

Is this just a case of a fearful executive trying to lay plans for a more stable future? Software is easier to develop, pays for itself quickly and becomes pure profit as it ages. Hardware requires constant upkeep at manufacturing facilities, chip reductions and a boat load of quality planning for first shipment. Would Sony go full software?

Let’s face it, Sony isn’t SEGA, they’ve been developing hardware for consumers since anyone can remember and they’ve been doing it with quality and market penetration. It seems absurd to think they’d forgo hardware designs in replacement of a full software solution to the problem. In addition, Sony has already invested a large amount of cash into seeing PS3 through it’s 10-year plan and letting that die now is realizing a huge loss on investment.

If Sony pushes through the economic and maintenance course, the PS3 will become highly profitable, much like the PS2 last generation (with a slower ramp up for sales). Even if they break even after ten years it seems a lot better than throwing all the effort away.

Perhaps Howard Stringer is talking “software” for the next generation home console? You think Sony will create a PlayStation 4?