Dear Blizzard/Vendini, we want some ******* Linux ports.

Stop WINEing and actually tell them we want ports.

... Another call for signing the petition and proving Bizzard that the Linux installers ARE needed!

[source: Ubuntu Gamers Arena]

We all know the old story: Blizzard releases game, game runs on ***dows (and mac), Linux gamer complains. Nothing happens, Linux gamer uses WINE to run game in OpenGL mode, Blizzard wins either way. Well speaking from personal experience, it's getting a bit tiring. The Linux community is tired of being largely ignored by the gaming industry taking a big old crap on us, and with the upcoming release of Starcraft 2 some of us are attempting to do something about it. *INCOMING JOKE* Kidnapping CEOs, burning their dogs, and selling their houses on Ebay. *END JOKE* But seriously a petition has been started, and at the moment of writing this it's up to 3741 signatures. It may not help, or it may tip the scales, who the hell knows. But trying to do something is a whole lot better than just complaining.
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Truth be told an online petition does not amount to alot anymore, but it's a start. Just seeing over 3000 signatures might just be the confidence boost some of you out there need to do something more. The best idea is to send a physical letter to Vendini or Blizzard on this subject (addresses for both here) being polite and to the point, listing the games you've purchased from them in the past and letting them know you are tired of having to dual boot or use API emulation to play the games you love. Like has been said on the Ubuntu forums, real letters get real responses, and I'd imagine getting several thousand actual letters from their customers could possibly make an impact. Think it over, sign the petition, and if you're up to it buy a stamp and pour your heart out.

Read full article: Dear Blizzard/Vendini, we want some ******* Linux ports.

No to a DotA-like mod/map for StarCraft II

Here's another petition... This time not for Linux installers, but for banning DotA in SC2 =)

I can't see why would someone mind StarCraft 2 DotA, but here's the quote anyway:

[source: gopetition.com]

Description/History:

Mods/maps are good, they help introduce more new blood to the gamer gene pool. There is Counter-Strike a mod for Half-Life; Counter-Strike: Source a mod for Half-Life 2; there is Defense of the Ancients or DotA as commonly known, a mod-map for WarCraft III RoC/TFT.

These mods served its purpose, there are countless new gamers today, and still even added everyday. But it has reached the point where it must sleep for now. As too much of it only kills a game it was based on, and the genre it belongs to.

Look at how Counter-Strike killed "real" FPS and the game Half-Life. The same thing was repeated again with DotA, killing WarCraft III and the "real" RTS world.

These mods are good, yes, no question about that, but these "type" of mods have a purpose and they did their job well. Let us put it to sleep until we need it again when the time comes.

Petition:

We, the undersigned, call on Blizzard, Inc. and the mod/map makers to not provide tools and/or maps that will enable the creation of another CS/DotA-type modification and/or maps.

We are not against any of those type of modifications/maps but rather, we all want to keep the spirit, the essence, and the very aspect that makes StarCraft "the god of the RTS" genre intact.

We ask that we keep StarCraft II a true RTS game where RTS and non-RTS players can learn to be a better "real" RTS gamer, and have fun together, using our brains and creating "Real-Time Strategies".

We believe that an RTS should be fun, educational, and healthy. Giving the gamers a chance to develop new skills and to enhance their existing skills. Which a "Real-Time Strategy" game like StarCraft II can provide, and a CS/DotA-type mod lessens.

Thank you very much and we want to reiterate that we are not against the creators of CS and DotA, or even to the mods itself. Let's just put some limits to these type of mods, and choose which games to implement it.

Definitely it is not StarCraft II.

Read full article: No to a DotA-like mod/map for StarCraft II

Top 10 Reasons to Play Starcraft 2

If the massive success of Starcraft is anything to go by, and Blizzard has indeed spent the last four years making sure they don’t mess with success, then Starcraft 2 is going to be an overload of fun. Below are the top ten reasons why Starcraft 2 has all the potential to be the best game to play for the next ten years.

[source: gamereplays.org]

10.) Historical Event
Missing out on something everyone is talking about is never fun. You feel like an outsider and you’re not able to easily relate to what other people are discussing. The release of Starcraft 2 will be an epic moment in the history of the RTS timeline of events. No RTS title has been as anticipated (or expected) as the second coming of Starcraft. While you can always get into Starcraft 2 at any time, there’s nothing like playing a new game from the start. Starcraft 2 might very well be your only chance to play a new Starcraft game at release for quite some time.

9.) Accessibility
The challenge of any RTS game should be in fighting against your opponent, not fighting against the gameplay mechanics. Starcraft 2 is not going to be an overly complicated game. While the legendary reputation of Starcraft’s best players can make the franchise seem like it’s overwhelmingly hard to play, it’s really not. There’s a difference between complexity and depth, and Starcraft 2’s mechanical simplicity, but strategic and tactical depth, will make it enjoyable at every skill level.

8.) Replayability
Starcraft is arguably the most played RTS game in history. The reason is simple: downright good gameplay, which is something Starcraft 2 will have plenty of. Combined with good support and a strong community, playing Starcraft 2 will never get old. Each game will offer something different, and even the most common strategies will still be fun to use and fun to try and overcome. If you want a game that will stick with you as much as you stick with it, Starcraft 2 is your best bet.

7.) Strong Competitive Environment
For those that play RTS games competitively, you can feel confident that Starcraft 2 will be very well received by every major competitive gaming establishment throughout dozens of countries. The original Starcraft created the most competitively saturated RTS environment ever. There will be an abundance of local, national, and international LANs and tournaments to play in. There will be online competitions and leagues offering prizes and rewards for being the best. Essentially, there won’t be a shortage of competition or ways you can earn a little something extra for doing what you love to do: play games.

6.) Unique Factions
As elementary as this sounds, it’s something a lot of games simply get wrong. Unique factions do two important things: they add depth, and they add replayability. Depth comes from the fact that the strategies you use to beat one faction will not be the strategies you use to beat another faction. It will require different build orders, different unit mixes, and different uses of those units from one faction to the next. It adds replayability because the strategies you’ve learned for one faction, will not be the same for the other factions. Essentially, once you’ve mastered one faction, you still have two other factions to master. In games where the factions are almost identical, once you’ve learned one, you’ve basically learned the whole game. Starcraft 2’s truly and fundamentally distinct factions will keep the game feeling fresh for a long time.

5.) Unit Abilities and Micromanagement
Part of what real time strategy is all about is being in control of your army. What’s important is for that control to have an impact on the outcome of a game. Otherwise you’re just wasting your time. Many of Starcraft 2’s units will have secondary abilities that allow them to be used in interesting and creative ways. Essentially, these abilities provide a player with the means to extend a unit’s effectiveness beyond its default behavior so that being out numbered doesn’t necessarily mean being beaten. Moreover, these specialized abilities will help to contribute to each faction’s unique identity and playstyle. It will simply feel fun and rewarding using your units as you try and use them to their greatest possible extent.

4.) Huge Community
A large community of players is arguably the most important part of a game, even for singleplayer. For starters, Starcraft 2’s community will more than likely have a very low depreciation rate, meaning it will stay strong for a long time. But even as it starts to decline, the player-base will be so large to start with, that by the time the next Starcraft comes out, you’ll still always be able to find a good game. There’s nothing more frustrating than waiting to find a match against someone who is worth playing against, only to wind up with an opponent or team that just ruins it for you. A shortage of players means a shortage of good games. Starcraft 2 just won’t have that problem. Outside of the game, a strong community means active forums, and more resources available, such as technical help, strategy help, mission help, maps, and replays.

3.) Balance and Polish
These two words are part of Blizzard’s namesake. The game will be polished quite well at the start, and there will be tons of little features that Blizzard thought of. Everything from the way the ladder works, to the communication system, to replays. Balance will of course, be continuously fine tuned as new balance problems emerge from the vast amount of strategic depth that Starcraft 2 will no doubt have. Excellent balance will minimize any frustration of losing due to factors outside of your control, and will put the responsibility to win squarely on your shoulders.

2.) Strategic and Tactical Depth
What is the purpose of real time strategy game if not to have amazing strategic and tactical depth? While all RTS games have their own flavor of strategic and tactical depth that sounded good on paper during development, Blizzard will have made it a point to make sure the implementation of gameplay elements works in practice. The strategy and tactical depth will feel real, and provide almost tangible results. The bottom line is that the game will be fun and rewarding to play. Everything will feel like it has a purpose and everything you do will feel like it matters.

1.) Blizzard and Battle.net
It would literally be enough to say "‘nuff said". However, this is the number one reason because it’s the only reason why the other nine reasons are reasons at all. Blizzard commands the same sort of market reaction to its products that Apple does. The driving force behind this is simply Blizzard’s commitment to quality and support. Blizzard is the reason why Starcraft 2 will have phenomenal gameplay. Battle.net is the reason why Starcraft 2’s multiplayer is going to be so substantially better than virtually every other RTS game. If Blizzard settled for being average, this list would be pointless.

Moreover, Blizzard will take the time to deal with cheaters and disconnectors. The amount of money and effort Blizzard puts into this goes above and beyond what’s expected of a gaming company. At a minimum, people just want some form of passive anti-cheat capability built into the game or server system. Blizzard recognizes that this isn’t good enough, and takes an active role in fighting cheaters.

It’s also a company with a sense of humor and personality. The idea of World of Starcraft was a classic. It made some people laugh, it made some people cry. In the past, Blizzard has released bogus (but temporary) patches or patch notes on April Fools, just to mess with people. You just don’t really see that in other development companies. Blizzard is simply a company for gamers. They just get it.

Read full article: Top 10 Reasons to Play Starcraft 2

StarCraft II: The Response

Dan, Steve, and Charles chat it up about the recent StarCraft II announcement. Straight from the mailbox to the website.

[source: ign.com]

So obviously the StarCraft II announcement was a big deal judging by the ridiculously huge amount of reader traffic that tried desperately to break the site. Unfortunately for Steve and Dan, the announcement was made in Korea so they missed out on the pomp and circumstance. Luckily, Blizzard was kind enough to provide Charles with a good amount of information that he was able to turn into a live update, art preview, gameplay preview, and unit overview based on what was shown. Blizzard also provided plenty of screens and a bunch of videos to get everyone excited, and I think for the most part that it worked. We're officially excited. Shortly after Dan returned from vacation and email thread started between all three of the IGN PC editors about StarCraft II spurred on by the simple question "What'd you think of SC2?" While there's a lot of things we ended up talking about like the new Protoss units, what we think the campaign might be like, where the story is going, the art and engine, and any speculation on the new Terran and Zerg units, we started with Blizzard's decision to stick to the tried and true that they've been perfecting for so long.
...

Read full article at pc.ign.com

Read full article: StarCraft II: The Response

StarCraft 2 Domain Names Getting Popular

A keyword domain can be very expensive. To be able to make it in the domaining business, online entrepreneurs take a look at at popular trends and invest in keywords related to upcoming movies, tv shows, or even games. Just take a look at one entrepreneur did - he bought some new starcraft2 domains. Tyler indicates:

…I’ve already received a bid close to 5-figures for SC2.net and Starcraft2.net from a known contact. I haven’t even put it up for sale and already there is demand for it :) However, I’m not selling it, at least not yet. I really am going to develop it, so I’d want an “offer I can’t refuse” if I were to sell them.

Read full article: StarCraft 2 Domain Names Getting Popular

Online Petition - Linux Installers for Blizzard Products

Feel free to sign the petition yourself. As a Linux user, I'd be very happy to see SC2 natively running on my Linux box, just like on Windows or Mac... And, as I can see, I'm not the only one :)))

The open source community voice:

To: Blizzard Inc.

We the undersigned would like to see native Linux installers for the products of Blizzard Inc. It is only fair that Blizzard's products designed for both Windows and Mac should be made compatible with Linux as well, especially due to the popularity of Blizzard's released products (StarCraft, WarCraft, WoW, etc.) and their upcoming releases (StarCraft 2).
The computer world is about choices now. Not everyone wants to be stuck with a Windows or a Mac. Some people use Linux, BSD, and other OS types.
It is also suggested that perhaps the installers be released with open-source code, to adjust the installers to other various systems (BSD, Solaris, other distributions of Linux)
The installer should be in a .run file, and require the user to have already bought the product (hence a CD detection)
Blizzard's games are hailed as some of the most influential games around, and it is about time that companies start adopting the business practices of id Software.

Sincerely,
The Undersigned

[source: linuX-gamers.net]

The game will be developed for Mac and PC, but unfortunately there is no PC version announced for Linux so far. Therefor an online petition has been started to convince Blizzard to release a native Linux installer and maybe even make it open source, so it can be ported to other platforms. LinuX-gamers.net recommends to sign this petition and hopes for a positive feedback from Blizzard.

Read full article: Online Petition - Linux Installers for Blizzard Products

Dota abilities already in SC2

Some guys from DotA Allstars community simply can't explain themselves that their favorite Wacraft III map is not the center of the world...

[source: forums.dota-allstars.com]

If you downloaded the gameplay video of Starcraft 2, you may have noticed.

At 14:45 the Protoss Mothership activates an ability called Time Bomb, which is very similar to Darkterror's Cronosphere, except that it stops projectiles too. It's also a big blue ball, with better graphics, of course.

At 16:45, this same Protoss unit creates a Black Hole, sucking air units inside it. Enigma FTW?

That means at least two things.

1. Blizzard never supported DotA (other than mentioning it as one between thousands of custom maps on their mods site), BUT they kept an eye close and now are using its ideas on their new project.


2. We gonna have a lot of pre-made DotA abilities on SC2, making it easier to migrate, if at some point the crew decides to.

Now, don't be surprised if you see a new robot called Pud-G hooking... I mean... pulling units with a laser beam and dismembering them with his mechanic arms.

Read full article: Dota abilities already in SC2

Starcraft 2 Must Be Perfect

[source: Heartless Gamer]

Blizzard's big announcement was not the shocker everyone had anticipated. It was simply Starcraft 2, as predicted just about everywhere. Starcraft 2 will be an RTS; not an MMO.

I will start this out by saying I was wrong. I didn't make any big prediction posts. Everyone else took care of the predictions just fine, but I did open my mouth in a few places and bet against the odds on favorites. Knowing Blizzard and their un-innovative history, Starcraft 2 or Diablo 3 were very probable. Blizzard does not step outside of familiarity. Factor in that this event was held in Korea and you could of easily bet money on Starcraft 2.

So, I was wrong, and the streets of Korea did not erupt into a fiery cataclysmic pool of rioters. However, I don't really believe any of the hardcore Korean Starcraft fauthful are won over by this announcement. To please them, and the majority of Starcraft faithful, Starcraft 2 will need to be perfect. Perfect is not something that exists in the gaming market, and Starcraft 2 won't be the first.

Don't get me wrong. Starcraft 2 will sell well and knowing Blizzard's approach to game design, Starcraft 2 will be a solid, polished, and complete game. However, it will not be a giant leap in RTS gaming. There is already so much that Starcraft 2 has to deliver, that there is literally no wiggle room. Blizzard has to get it right, or face a very, very angry Starcraft community.

On the other hand, World of Warcraft wasn't a giant leap forward for MMORPGs, but it is now the king of the MMO jungle. Can this happen with Starcraft 2? With the same "easy to learn, hard to master" approach, it could be possible. Sadly, Starcraft 2 comes with strikes against it.

First, it is in a Sci-fi setting. Sci-fi has never been as popular as swords and sorcery fantasy.

Secondly, the original Starcraft is still extremely popular. How many of the current diehards will be willing to move to the new game? How many gaming leagues and professionals Starcraft players will be willing to move? How will the fans of these leagues feel about the new game?

Finally, the original Starcraft developers are no longer with the company. Blizzard has a great group of developers, but how good are they compared to the fathers of Starcraft? Starcraft has existed for a long time, and benefited from tons of updates, in order to become the game it is today. Starcraft 2 has to come out of the box nearly perfect or we'll just be back playing the original.

In conclusion, Starcraft 2 must be perfect. Good luck Blizzard, you'll need it.

Read full article: Starcraft 2 Must Be Perfect

Starcraft II Boy, epic

Asian Boy's Mind is Blown by Starcraft 2 =)
link: starcraft2boy.ytmnd.com

Read full article: Starcraft II Boy, epic

Pre-Release Ships 10/1/08?

I've just bumped on a sc2armory forum thread where a guy accidentally came across Starcraft II already selling at the ebgames.com store!
That wouldn't be so strange if they haven't set the release date (Pre-Release Ships 10/1/08)...

Of course, the quote above the item description says it's not the official information. But where did they dug the date from?

Official pricing and release dates have not been announced by Blizzard. Price and release date listed are estimates only and subject to change. Worry Free Guarantee - if the price decreases between the time you place your preorder and the release date, you’ll receive the lower of the two.

[source: sc2armory forum thread]

Kind of interesting, I was checking out Ebgames store and came across Starcraft II. Im assuming you can back order, and Pre-Release Ships 10/1/08. So a good year from now, generally speaking, Starcraft II will be shipped out.

You can view the store information here:
http://www.ebgames.com/product.asp?product_id=647051

Not sure if this is an exact date or a guesstimate.

Read full article: Pre-Release Ships 10/1/08?