StarCraft 2 Beta bumped to 2010

According to a post at MTV Multiplayer, the beta test for StarCraft 2 has been pushed to early 2010. The first chapter of the game, dubbed Wings of Liberty, will not be released until sometime in Spring 2010 as well. Sad news for fans of Blizzard Entertainment’s popular sci-fi themed real-time strategy game for the PC. But this comes as no surprise given that so many publishers have simply given up on 2009 and have moved many of their high profile games in 2010. Perhaps they know something about 2010 that we do not.

When the beta does finally happen it will introduce the new Battle.net, Blizzard’s popular online matchmaking service for its games, popularized by Diablo, Diablo II, the Warcraft series and StarCraft. Blizzard is working hard on a new Cloud based system for handling multiplayer, which some describe as offering Xbox Live-like features. Sounds interesting.

Source: MTV Multiplayer

StarCraft II delayed until early 2010

Today Blizzard Entertainment confirmed what had been rumored for several months: that StarCraft II would not be released in 2009. The game is now scheduled for a release sometime in early 2010. Citing the new Battle.net as the major focus of the delay, Blizzard said in a statement to the public that, because Battle.net is such an essential part of StarCraft II, it need to take some more time to refine it and polish it. The extra time with Battle.net will also extend to extra polish and refinement time with StarCraft II. The full statement from Blizzard:

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty will not be ready for release by the end of 2009. Over the past couple of weeks, it has become clear that it will take longer than expected to prepare the new Battle.net for the launch of the game. The upgraded Battle.net is an integral part of the StarCraft II experience and will be an essential part of all of our games moving forward. This extra development time will be critical to help us realize our vision for the service.

Our mission is to develop games that deliver an epic entertainment experience. As part of that commitment, we will always take as much time as needed to ensure that our games and services meet the expectations of our players and the standard for quality that we set for ourselves as developers. As we work to make Battle.net the premier online gaming destination, we’ll also continue to polish and refine StarCraft II, and we look forward to delivering a real-time strategy gaming experience worthy of the series’ legacy in the first half of 2010.

We will share more details about the beta, Battle.net, and StarCraft II’s launch in the future. Keep an eye on the official website at www.starcraft2.com for updates, and as always, thank you for your continued enthusiasm and support for StarCraft II and all of Blizzard Entertainment’s games.

SteelSeries does StarCraft II

Today SteelSeries revealed a new line of gaming surfaces featuring art from Blizzard Entertainment’s StarCraft II. The QcK Limited Edition Terran Marine and Kerrigan vs. Zeratul editions are designed with a non-slip rubber base which prevents the pads from sliding, no matter what surface the mousepad is placed on, according to SteelSeries.

The gaming surfaces will be available in July 2009 and will be sold for $14.99 from GameStop and Amazon. A photo of one of the pads can be found below - click on it for an enlightened view.

BlizzCon Tickets on sale May 16

Tickets for Blizzard Entertainment’s fourth BlizzCon convention will go on sale May 16. Live coverage of the event will be available as a DIRECTVR Pay Per View event (just like last year’s event) and as a live Internet stream. BlizzCon takes place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on August 21 and 22.

In addition to serving as a gathering place for the different Blizzard Entertainment gaming communities, BlizzCon offers an number of activities, including discussion panels, hands-on playtime with upcoming
games, tournaments, contests, and more.

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Blizzard: No StarCraft II Beta Sign-Up Yet

Blizzard Entertainment contacted us this evening to shoot down (part of) a story we ran earlier today about Battle.net, Warcraft 3 updates and StarCraft II beta test sign-up invitations. You can probably guess which one of those items wasn’t true by the headline.

The StarCraft II beta test signup rumor, fueled by the launch of the new and improved Battle.net service (which happened in the quiet, early hours of Friday morning) and multiple unconfirmed reports that emails about it were rolling out to random Blizzard fans, is not true says Blizzard Entertainment.

“I can confirm that no invites have been sent yet for StarCraft II beta, and we’ve not yet begun signups for StarCraft II beta,” said Blizzard Entertainment Public Relations Manager Bob Colayco. “The opt-in box that new Battle.net account users can check off will simply allow them to receive information WHEN we begin StarCraft II beta signups.”

You can read the original story here.

New Battle.net, StarCraft II Beta Rumors

Update: Blizzard has shot down the rumor about the StarCraft II beta test. Read about it here.

While you were sleeping last night, all snug in your bed, with visions of Diablo III and StarCraft II dancing in your heads, Blizzard Entertainment flipped the new Battle.net service switch to the “on” position. With the launch of this beefed up multiplayer matchmaker service comes easier access to all of Blizzard’s games using a single login and password - starting with World of Warcraft - along with some subtle fixes, graphical improvements and the groundwork needed to support the launch of StarCraft II.

Along with a brand new Battle.net comes a fresh patches for Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos (version 1.23a) and Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne (version 1.23a). The changes include a fix for the altered custom map exploit, a fix for patch problems with the Mac versions of the games, and the addition of the new banner ad system.

But the icing on the cake may just be a rumor: word on the street is that Blizzard has begun sending invites to the StarCraft II beta test. Of course, no comment from Blizzard yet on the validity of these claims, but it is not all that far-fetched now that a fresh new version of Battle.net is alive and kicking.

StarCraft II Playable at CeBit

According to the decidedly fan-tastic StarCraftWire, StarCraft II will be playable at CeBit in Hanover, Germany March 3 - 8. The news is based on a highlights press release from Intel, which pegs StarCraft II as playable in Intel Hall 22. Intel will also be hosting the

On a side note, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Intel Chairman Craig R. Barrett and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will open this year’s CeBit. I bet you’re excited now!

Intel will also host the finals of the Intel Extreme Masters a worldwide gaming competition - sponsored by Dell and Alienware (with prizes totaling USD $750,000).