While Blizzard is very much focussed on its big money-makers like its various Warcraft games, from WoW to Hearthstone to Warcraft Rumble, as well as Diablo and the much-maligned Overwatch 2, he’s still open to StarCraft making a comeback. That said, RTS fans shouldn’t get their hopes up. While the series might return, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be an RTS, and whatever shape it takes will depend on the person or team who goes to bat for it.
“It’s not me saying, ‘Go make a StarCraft game,’” Ybarra told Bloomberg. “I need to have someone who has the vision and passion that comes with the idea, and I’ll bet on that team.”
A vision and passion he - according to his own words - clearly does not have. 😑
The good days of Blizzard are over, I’m not getting my hopes up for anything the produce nowadays.
I’ll keep an ear to the ground.
But I don’t like that $90 preorder logic at all, it’s almost weird it exists.
I try to imagine going to a gamestop and a gaming associate was like, buy that game 3 days later and I’ll give you $20.
Skip the in game pet and mount, that most people forget exists after the expansion, and I’ll make that $40
But then… why does this system exist?!
Early access is the new fad, because it costs nothing and has value to some players. The increasing drive for more monetization is Activision’s influence, Blizzard was really lazy about it before being bought.
At least early access makes a little sense in an mmo. The new areas are super crowded on launch, so letting some get through early does help.
But then… why does this system exist?!
Because it works and makes them money! You can bet that other publishers will take notice and you’ll see such money grabbing schemes becoming more and more common.
Not to mention that, to some, seeing you ride that mount or that pet following you tells them that you’re a sucker who pre-ordered the game.
When I was playing through the campaign of the last SC2 expansion I couldn’t help seeing the story/dialogue through the lens of, Artanis = how Blizzard executives think of themselves. Was really bad IMO
that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be an RTS, and whatever shape it takes will depend on the person or team who goes to bat for it.
So… it’s not Starcraft, then. It’s just another game.
You know how in Starcraft, Infestors could take over a unit and parade it around to do its bidding?
It sounds kind of like that, but with the Starcraft brand.
So… it’s not Starcraft, then.
I think Starcraft has enough story and character development by now that its identity is more than just the mechanics that it started with.
It’s just another game.
It would still be a Starcraft game. If we were to ignore the lore and only consider the RTS format, then even the first Starcraft was “just another game”. Those mechanics weren’t unique or new.
Similarly, World of Warcraft is still a Warcraft game, even though it’s hung on a different framework from the original.
I think Starcraft has enough story and character development by now that its identity is more than just the mechanics that it started with.
I can imagine that, but I don’t think anyone but RTS fans know that.
I feel like, if they want to ‘bring it back’ as a brand, they would need to do an RTS game with all the marketing and such, to please the fans and bring it back into the public’s memory, and then they could follow it up with a non-RTS spinoff.If they don’t do it like this, they’ll likely have another debacle like with Diablo Immortals, where fans are waiting for a full-fledged title in that series and they’re announcing something that’s just not that.
I mean Warcraft was originally an RTS. No one thinks about that now.
A StarCraft game in the vein of Mass Effect would be dope.
The name is moneygrab
StarCraft extraction shooter confirmed.
StarCraft Pinball! I can’t wait.
Fans of Starcraft Mahjong unite!
Would you claim if Starcrft ghost had not been canceled, it would not be a starcrft game?
StarCraft Ghost is making an appearance.
StarCraft doesn’t have to be at RTS, you know.
RTS is a dead genre, but that doesn’t mean the SC universe has to die with it.
WTF does “dead genre” mean? There are still people that love it and play it and want more.
The people shouting at blizzcon aren’t yelling because they need a new model and voice lines for protoss units, they are doing it because they want another RTS
StarCraft hasn’t seen any significant development since 2015. There aren’t many other competitors in the RTS space since about that time, as well.
C&C hasn’t had anything since 2010. AoE’s last major entry was in 2021 and had a pretty weak reception. I can’t think of the last RTS that actually sold well and has large adoption besides SC2.
It’s a very niche genre these days, and few developers are willing to make them in today’s climate of looters, extractions, and battle royales. RTS games just simply aren’t making the waves they used to anymore.
Ye, and Stormgate and Zero Space don’t exist, and people aren’t excited for either, am I rite?
This thread is literally the first time I’ve heard of either of those.
Then you don’t follow RTS news at all. Stormgate is made by ex blizzard employees that made Starcraft. Zero Space is made by Starcraft pros and modders. Zero Space got funded incredibly well through kickstarter. Both of these are a return to Warcraft 3 / Starcraft 2 type of gameplay and a lot of people are waiting for their release.
Crusader Kings, Europa Universalis, Civilization, Total War… Not all necessarily “real time”, but still very much in the grand strategy mold.
How about Pikmin 4?
Blizzard died a long time ago.
Yeah, let’s not forget that Blizzard was bought by Activision and Activision was just bought by Microsoft.
There is no “Blizzard”, just Microsoft.
I genuinely have more faith in Microsoft than Activision.
I don’t have any empirical evidence, but for some reason I do.
StarCraft Ghost back on the menu?
Yeah it’s been awhile, old penny arcade about it been almost 20 years. I remember hoping to see it at the time.
It’s going to be a mobile game.
What, you don’t have a phone?
Filled with micro transactions too. I’d be surprised if it isn’t P2W
Pay to win, actually
The next Starcraft game will be a MOBA BR because that’s the most soulless thing we could think of and it’s our best bet to boost shareholder confidence.
I hope StarCraft: Ghost finally gets made. IIRC, it was supposed to be a 3rd person shooter.
“The lights mean stealth!”
For N64 right?
I came in looking for this comment. Maybe they can redevelop it along with Robotech: Crystal Dreams
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My thought exactly!
Beat me to it. I’d put money on them completing this (or a bastardization of what it was supposed to be).
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Do we have StarCraft on mobile. Maybe StarCraft Immortal something?
Do you guys not have phones?
Mobile gacha / 10
Is there any point to StarCraft if it’s not an RTS?
Idk, I always thought Starcraft: Ghost sounded promising. Actually being able to participate in one of the battles seemed pretty cool to me. Of course, the devil is usually in the details.
Prior to this thread I had never even heard of the ghosts project. Definitely could be cool, but I’d guess that’s almost a completely separate market than the RTS fans
I would play the shit out of a combined rts/fps multiplayer like Savage
World of StarCraft? /s
Why do I feel like this is gonna just be M$/Activi$ion/Blizzard going, “Hey look at Starfield, we have a sci-fi thing, let’s copy Starfield with our sci-fi IP”.
And I mean, while I can’t see a Starfield-clone work in the Starcraft universe, I could see an adjacent spin-off game work really well like being a cargo-pilot having to drop stuff off on planets during active battles with fire all around you, or an exploration game where you explore galaxies and have to avoid being detected/caught by the zerg and/or protoss.
But I can’t see the modern Actiblizzking pull that off, even with MS throwing endless money at them.
let’s copy Starfield with our sci-fi IP”.
Maybe, but let’s remember that Blizzard has a track record of copying other game formats and expanding upon them brilliantly. Diablo and World of Warcraft are notable examples. If they did something similar with Starfield, I wouldn’t be surprised if it ended up great.
If it were twenty years ago, sure.
how about make a new fucking game?
Take that back, StarCraft deserves another installment
I’d love for Blizzard to pursue a genuine passion project. Ask the Microsoft overlords for a few years to put out something not beholden to sales expectations or profit. They can devote a small team to make something that they want to while the rest of the company continues on with its soulless corporate entertainment fabricator to fund the creative projects. You need creative projects to keep the workforce engaged.
If nothing else, Activision Blizzard was seen as a greedy, profit-driven machine which continually pushed out semi-entertaining products with en emphasis on FOMO micro-transactions and monetization schemes. Blizzard is a shell of what it once was.
Let them get back to their roots. Let them focus on engagement and fun.
I doubt they could at this point. With how much time has passed since Blizzard was any good, the people and culture that produced their best stuff are gone. It’s more like a company of theseus now, it’s name being the only vestige of what once was.
Some time back there was an April Fool’s Day release for World of Starcraft. I assume they didn’t make it because they had maxed out their bank accounts.
Imagine a sunset date on WoW and just leave up classic servers and start WoS
