Starcraft - Heart of the Swarm Announced!

[Chiefcrowe]

In case anyone missed the release date announcement, I thought it would be worthy of it's own thread.

It is coming on March 12, 2013 !

http://us.battle.net/en/int?r=blizzard

 

[KaOTiK]

lol nearly 3 years for this expansion.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

I don't even know why Blizzard tries anymore.

They take their most beloved franchises and turns them into games forgotten after a year.

Starcraft II died so fast, I'm pretty sure at this point SC1 has more players.
Diablo III interest died fast, while DII still has a loyal following
MoP in WoW doesn't seem to be keeping anyones attention.

What happened to this once great developer?

 

[KaOTiK]

What happened to this once great developer?

Activision

 

[Glitchny]

I don't even know why Blizzard tries anymore.

They take their most beloved franchises and turns them into games forgotten after a year.

Starcraft II died so fast, I'm pretty sure at this point SC1 has more players.
Diablo III interest died fast, while DII still has a loyal following
MoP in WoW doesn't seem to be keeping anyones attention.

What happened to this once great developer?

I know, they should just stop making money from making good games. They should also stop running SC2 as an e-sport because its so unpopular

 

[thespyder]

I don't even know why Blizzard tries anymore.

They take their most beloved franchises and turns them into games forgotten after a year.

Starcraft II died so fast, I'm pretty sure at this point SC1 has more players.
Diablo III interest died fast, while DII still has a loyal following
MoP in WoW doesn't seem to be keeping anyones attention.

What happened to this once great developer?

I can't speak for WoW, because I never played it. I will say that I am excited about HoS.

But the reason that D3 died so fast was because it was an obvious and blatant money grab and nothing more. D2 was a vastly superior game in terms of depth, content and overall just plain fun.

As for the actual published release date? It's Blizzard. I will believe it when I see the actual Disks on the store shelf. And not a moment before. Diablo 1 published a release date as well. It missed it. I think there were several release dates published for Diablo 2 and they were all missed. It will come out when it comes out. Not when some marketing exec decides to promote that it will come out.

 

[Red Storm]

Too little too late. I lost interest in SC2 a long time ago, and I just don't see myself going back.

 

[JTsyo]

...
I think there were several release dates published for Diablo 2 and they were all missed.
...

Surely they made the last release date for D2

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Yes! So excited

 

[Barfo]

lol, digital deluxe edition? so you get some crappy skins and portraits for an extra $20? you gotta be kidding me.

With the Zerg being my favorite race, I was planning on getting the deluxe edition for a cool zerg goodie, turns out it's a lousy mousepad, so no deluxe edition for me.

And finally, $40 just for a new SP campaign (I'm done with SC2 multiplayer)?

I'll wait until it's down to $20, thank you.

 

[Schfifty Five]

lol nearly 3 years for this expansion.

Wow you're right!

I can't believe SC2: WOL was released about 2.5 years ago (July 2010 I believe). I had just built a brand new rig for this game too...that means my rig is 2.5 years old as well rofl. No upgrades since, but no biggie since it runs SC2/Diablo3 with no problems.

My how time flies.

 

[Schfifty Five]

lol, digital deluxe edition? so you get some crappy skins and portraits for an extra $20? you gotta be kidding me.

With the Zerg being my favorite race, I was planning on getting the deluxe edition for a cool zerg goodie, turns out it's a lousy mousepad, so no deluxe edition for me.

And finally, $40 just for a new SP campaign (I'm done with SC2 multiplayer)?

I'll wait until it's down to $20, thank you.

Yeah, if you have no intention of playing MP, then I'd agree with waiting till this thing drops in price. $40 for just playing SP probably isn't worth it.

I'm big on the MP so $40 seems fair to me. But as with most blizzard items, I'm always leaning towards their Collector's editions (different than just deluxe digital edition).

http://www.amazon.com/Starcraft-II-C...or%27s+edition

 

[Schfifty Five]

I don't even know why Blizzard tries anymore.

They take their most beloved franchises and turns them into games forgotten after a year.

Starcraft II died so fast, I'm pretty sure at this point SC1 has more players.
Diablo III interest died fast, while DII still has a loyal following
MoP in WoW doesn't seem to be keeping anyones attention.

What happened to this once great developer?

With regards to SC2 and D3, I doubt there are more players playing the older versions of the series.

With MoP, you may be correct. While WoW still has 10's of millions of players, I don't think it is as hot as it was with like BC or WOTLK. I stopped before Cata came out so I don't really know anymore.

 

[magomago]

I don't even know why Blizzard tries anymore.

They take their most beloved franchises and turns them into games forgotten after a year.

Starcraft II died so fast, I'm pretty sure at this point SC1 has more players.
Diablo III interest died fast, while DII still has a loyal following
MoP in WoW doesn't seem to be keeping anyones attention.

What happened to this once great developer?

Haters gonna hate.

SC2 was awesome, much fun, and vastly superior to SC1 in almost every way. Improved path finding, extremely well balanced play tactics, and better graphics. They literally created a superior version of SC1, especially with regard to graphics, because they knew they had a good formula. Even with that they introduced new units, and new play dynamics that enhanced the overall meta-game. The only reason to play SCBW is if you simply prefer the slightly different gameplay style.

SC2 still has plenty of people playing, but after 3 years, its largely going to be the core crowd that care about this game...ie: the "loyal following".
Where is your proof to contrary?

For HOTS I just hope Metzen's reach was limited (ie: because as fun as D3 was, the story was garbage) because he can't write a story worth a damn; Diablo 3 should have revealed that quickly.

D2's "loyal following" is the exact same as what you attack SC2 for having - why cast the game is a positive light? Its simply a double standard you setup! Rosy glasses at all? The only reason i don't comment about any 'depth' in D2 vs D3' is because I never gave a damn about Diablo 2.

edit:

I'm sure that if this version came any SOONER than 3 years, people would be screaming "ZOMGG IN ONE YEAR THEY WANT ANOTHER SIXTY DOLLARS!"

 

[cl-scott]

SC2 was a good game, but it really just came way too long after SC1, and then what was delivered was rather underwhelming. I'll still probably buy HotS when it comes out, and enjoy playing it, but I probably would have ended up enjoying it a lot more if Blizzard had followed up on SC years ago. If the little SC nod at the end of WC3 had actually been the precursor to a game they had been secretly working on, that would have been great. But what they ended up delivering at like a decade later, was really just underwhelming in the extreme to me.

 

[Chiefcrowe]

Just curious, why did you think it was underwhelming?

I really enjoyed SC2, but then again it had been forever since i played the first one.
The story probably was better in the first game I'd say...

But, i think 40 is a decent price, depending on how many missions there are. I'm definitely looking forward to it. I do agree that the collector's edition isn't worth it, IMO.

SC2 was a good game, but it really just came way too long after SC1, and then what was delivered was rather underwhelming. I'll still probably buy HotS when it comes out, and enjoy playing it, but I probably would have ended up enjoying it a lot more if Blizzard had followed up on SC years ago. If the little SC nod at the end of WC3 had actually been the precursor to a game they had been secretly working on, that would have been great. But what they ended up delivering at like a decade later, was really just underwhelming in the extreme to me.

 

[lupi]

HoS was announced a good while ago.

 

[thespyder]

Surely they made the last release date for D2

Actually, I think they stopped publishing release dates. So, no. they didn't make the last release date.

I'm sure that if this version came any SOONER than 3 years, people would be screaming "ZOMGG IN ONE YEAR THEY WANT ANOTHER SIXTY DOLLARS!"

Haters gonna hate.

True. Apparently.

 

[Maximilian]

I don't even know why Blizzard tries anymore.

They take their most beloved franchises and turns them into games forgotten after a year.

Starcraft II died so fast, I'm pretty sure at this point SC1 has more players.
Diablo III interest died fast, while DII still has a loyal following
MoP in WoW doesn't seem to be keeping anyones attention.

What happened to this once great developer?

Really?

I had such high hopes for SC2, but bnet 2.0 was crap and the customs suck compared to SC1. Havent played it for a loooong time.

 

[JTsyo]

Amazon is offering beta access for pre-orders.

 

[Tweak155]

I'm totally down. I loved SC2 campaign. $40 is easy come easy go, no problems with paying it.

 

[Schfifty Five]

HoS was announced a good while ago.

Yeah, but this is the official release date announcement.

 

[shortylickens]

I don't even know why Blizzard tries anymore.

They take their most beloved franchises and turns them into games forgotten after a year.

Starcraft II died so fast, I'm pretty sure at this point SC1 has more players.
Diablo III interest died fast, while DII still has a loyal following
MoP in WoW doesn't seem to be keeping anyones attention.

What happened to this once great developer?

Umm, people are playing SC2 like crazy. Are you not at all aware of whats going on?

 

[cl-scott]

Just curious, why did you think it was underwhelming?

I really enjoyed SC2, but then again it had been forever since i played the first one.
The story probably was better in the first game I'd say...

But, i think 40 is a decent price, depending on how many missions there are. I'm definitely looking forward to it. I do agree that the collector's edition isn't worth it, IMO.

If I had to try and crystallize it, I'd say it's because SC set such a high bar, it was likely going to be impossible to do something equally impressive in a followup. SC2 seemed like it was largely a warmed over SC, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but after a decade I would have expected something a little bit more impressive. If SC2 had come out more or less immediately after WC3, it'd probably be easier to overlook some of these things.

So I'd say it was the combination of SC setting a very high bar, the protracted period of time between SC and SC2, and finally the fact that SC2 didn't really add much beyond modestly improved graphics.

 

[shortylickens]

If I had to try and crystallize it, I'd say it's because SC set such a high bar, it was likely going to be impossible to do something equally impressive in a followup. SC2 seemed like it was largely a warmed over SC, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but after a decade I would have expected something a little bit more impressive. If SC2 had come out more or less immediately after WC3, it'd probably be easier to overlook some of these things.

So I'd say it was the combination of SC setting a very high bar, the protracted period of time between SC and SC2, and finally the fact that SC2 didn't really add much beyond modestly improved graphics.

I agree but I still enjoyed myself.

I dont think the campaign was worth fifty bucks though, and getting called a lovely human 40 times in 20 minutes kinda turned me off the MP.