MSNBC interviewed Rob Pardo – Blizzard vice-president of Game Design – to ask Starcraft 2 questions. They fill in some blanks fans wanted to know. Starcraft 2 is not shipping before Christmas. The Starcraft 2 Team is composed of 40 developers. Blizzard is building it to be the best competitive RTS on the market when it comes to Multiplayer, while being more innovative in the Single-player mode than in the classic Starcraft and Brood War expansion.
Additionally, Rob Pardo said Starcraft 2 will have a Online Matchmaking System, more enhanced than that on Warcraft 3. A system that is missing in the classic Starcraft.
This is a key interview that I recommend reading. There seems to be plans for e-sports and matches with observers, or at least it is hinted. Better integration of SCUMS and Mods. When MSNBC asked if Starcraft 2 would use the MMO-subscription model, Rob Pardo said it would be decided down the line, as development of Starcraft 2 nears release. Usually, fans would expect a straight no with a question such as this one. We will have to wait and see.
Read the full interview.
What took so long? The first “StarCraft” shipped nine years ago. Why has it taken so long to circle back to this franchise?
Rob Pardo: Mainly because we make our decisions on what game we’re going to work on from a creative standpoint. The team that worked on the original “StarCraft” wanted to revisit the “Warcraft” universe, and they went on to work on “Warcraft 3.” When that game finished up [in 2002,] they were excited to go back and work on the “StarCraft” universe.
We did break ground on “StarCraft 2” in 2003, but wasn’t in full production for another year or so.
What do you mean by full production?
Rob Pardo: That’s when you have a significant team size with a full complement of programmers, artists and designers that are working 40 hours a week or more on the game.
In the very early stages of any game development project, you tend to see a more skeleton crew because you’re still deciding what the game is. The first thing you have to develop is technology. The artists can’t put anything into the game until the programmers get some technology for them.
Thanks to Cisco for the heads up.
