A few days ago Blizzard announced their next big project: Starcraft 2. I prefer turn-based strategy games over the real-time variety. My brain has trouble tracking all the proverbial “irons in the fire” and those times when my brain is fast enough my fingers often are not. Still, it is a smart move for Blizzard. Ten years after the original release Asia hosts televised Starcraft tournaments–and the popularity on this side of the globe isn’t shabby either. I know I am a bit late for predictions, but I saw this one coming. World of Warcraft if their current cash cow. I expect Blizzard to invest in new content for another 3 years. A “click-n-kill” Diablo game would probably take more subscriptions than an RTS title.
I count the company among the top software developers in the world (gaming or otherwise). Let me quickly review why I feel so strongly about the company. They are committed to releasing and supporting stable code. A small patch for the original Starcraft was released the same week the sequel was announced–10 years after the original release. The patches mostly offer very minor balancing issues, new hardware and some small new features. That is to say, the code is better than 99% of the market, yet Bilizzard doesn’t rest. Contrast this with Ubisoft’s Pools of Radiance which would delete system files when uninstalled without a patch or Bioware’s Neverwinter Nights which included a small portion of the DM features they boasted during production. All through development the developers were trying to pull the DM features into the limelight to avoid comparisons to Baldur’s Gate and Dungeon siege, both of which supported better stories, gameplay and graphics. And yes, I hear all citizens of Azeroth bemoaning the missing hero classes that were “promised” (rather “mentioned”) early in development during World of Warcraft. Clearly these players never had to wade through the unbroken promises of Lionhead’s Peter Molyneux, creator of Fable and Black & White.
Will Wright and Mr. Miyamoto are out to be innovative. Blizzard is just out to be the coolest kid on the block. They have never created a new genre. They simply perfect an existing one: Diablo, Warcraft, and World of Warcraft are prime examples. They emphasize balance more than any other developer I know. They understand graphics are important, but not more important than running smoothly on a normal machine. They do this despite the fact they are often critisized for graphics that don’t squeeze a few extra polygons from the priciest gaming rigs. Best of all, they don’t release crappy games. They pulled the plug on titles like Starcraft: Ghost and Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans. Although I’d like to see what Blizzard would do to the stealth and adventure genres the trust their brand name carries is important. I’d recommend anything they release.