Download the StarCraft II Client Right This Instant

[John Funk]

Download the StarCraft II Client Right This Instant

If you're planning on picking up a digitally distributed copy of StarCraft II, you can download the game's client right now - you just can't play it.

Hey, in case you hadn't heard, there's a little game called StarCraft II coming out in just under two weeks. I'm pretty psyched for it. But if you're super-duper-ultra psyched, and can't stand to have the game not on your hard drive for even one minute longer, then Blizzard has you covered. You can now download the SC2 client in preparation ... but that's all you can do with it.

See, the game isn't actually out until the 27th, and the client will remain encrypted and (theoretically) impossible to install until then. As soon as the clock hits 10AM CEST (8AM GMT, 3AM EST) on July 27th, you can officially buy and install the game and start killing Zerglings to your heart's content.

To get it, just Buy StarCraft II digitally [http://beta-eu.battle.net/en/]."

Of course, this only applies if you were planning on buying the game digitally from Blizzard rather than getting a boxed, physical copy. For instance, if you've got the Collector's Edition reserved at your local GameStop (like some people *ahem*), this won't do you any good.

This is an interesting reversal from Blizzard, which had previously said [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/100420-StarCraft-II-Has-a-Release-Date-At-Last-July-27th] that it would wait a short while before selling the game online, giving brick-and-mortar retailers a small window of exclusivity. I guess they just changed their minds.

Of course, considering how Blizzard is still patching the beta, you'll probably have to patch the game up once it goes live regardless of where you purchased it.

(VG247 [http://starcraft.incgamers.com/blog/comments/starcraft-ii-available-to-download/])

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[Kiithid]

Wow, that was actually lightning fast from the time I heard about it until it popped up here.

You must really be enjoying SC2 Mr. Funk.

Now the question is to cancel my preorder or not.

I'd say cancel it and stick with the original.

Buying this only forwards Bobby K's plans of shafting the industry. But if this game is really THAT good....

From the beta it is THAT good and some more (according to my beta experience), well if you take into account your loyalness to the previous entry.

Looking foward to it greatly, it'll be the lonely purchase in this time of ancient doom aimed at my wallet.

 

[Sevre]

Must....click....links...faster....

 

[Rathy]

I don't see this as too big of a change from Blizzard. I just always figured that they had that wait to be released policy for WoW, and that it wouldn't apply to all their games. I still didn't expect this long to preload.

Not that it matters. I would cancel and do so, but my Collector's Edition preorder says otherwise.

 

[Danpascooch]

See, the game isn't actually out until the 27th, and the client will remain encrypted and (theoretically) impossible to install until then.

This is awesome, it's like an official challenge to all the worlds best game crackers.

Blizzard: Can you crack our client in under two weeks? BRING IT ON!!!

Of course if they do crack it, it's only going to allow them to play a little bit earlier, it won't have any real effect on anything (assuming that once the game comes out, it'll be cracked anyway).

I wait eagerly for the results of the contest, it would be kind of cool if someone managed to break it.

 

[Keava]

Well they left a little window for shops! At least for EU versions it will be available for play at 10:00 AM CEST, back when D2 came out i had my copy at 8:00 AM when the local games shop opened. It's like whole 2 hours, and if you count in midnight releases at some places it's whole 10 hours!

But oh well, at least it gives me chance to buy the game in English rather than localized version. They refuse to sell non translated here in Poland after putting money into localization.

 

[Caliostro]

It's called a pre-load, a concept only about as old as digital distribution itself... Steam does it almost weekly. Does it really merit a news post?

We're all glad you're enjoying SC2, really, but seriously...

 

[solidstatemind]

Download the StarCraft II Client Right This Instant

Of course, considering how Blizzard is still patching the beta, you'll probably have to patch the game up once it goes live regardless of where you purchased it.

(VG247 [http://starcraft.incgamers.com/blog/comments/starcraft-ii-available-to-download/])

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Actually, I believe that the client will auto-update itself from time to time if you log into Battle.net a few times between when you purchase the client and it going live-- my understanding is that they want to treat digital distribution much like Steam does. So basically, you're saving a bit of time on downloading updates by going digital as well.

Oh, and just an FYI:

Wow, that was actually lightning fast from the time I heard about it until it popped up here.

You must really be enjoying SC2 Mr. Funk.

Now the question is to cancel my preorder or not.

I'd say cancel it and stick with the original.

Buying this only forwards Bobby K's plans of shafting the industry. But if this game is really THAT good....

Reminder: Bobby K doesn't have anything to do with managing Blizzard. In the press release for the merger, it was clearly stated that Blizzard was the only division of Vivendi to maintain its autonomy along with all of its corporate leadership and control of all current and future IPs. If you want to accuse somebody of having an agenda here, it probably should be Michael Morhaime, Blizz's President and CEO.

Blizzard-Activision is a financial holding company, not a developer or a publisher. Blizzard and Activision are two seperate entities.

EDIT:

In re cracking the encryption, I thought you were going to have to connect to Battle.net even if you wanted to play the single player campaign; did that change?

 

[Canid117]

See, the game isn't actually out until the 27th, and the client will remain encrypted and (theoretically) impossible to install until then.

This is awesome, it's like an official challenge to all the worlds best game crackers.

Blizzard: Can you crack our client in under two weeks? BRING IT ON!!!

Of course if they do crack it, it's only going to allow them to play a little bit earlier, it won't have any real effect on anything (assuming that once the game comes out, it'll be cracked anyway).

I wait eagerly for the results of the contest, it would be kind of cool if someone managed to break it.

I am guessing that Blizzard has a system to detect whoever is using the encrypted files before they are unlocked and god help you if you are dumb enough to jump on to Battle.Net with a cracked version of SCII a week before it is released. Either Blizzard will ban you or they just lock the game down again. Or a key piece of code is missing that the game wont play without that has to be downloaded on release day. There are numerous ways to prevent a crack for the 12 days to release.

 

[John Funk]

It's called a pre-load, a concept only about as old as digital distribution itself... Steam does it almost weekly. Does it really merit a news post?

We're all glad you're enjoying SC2, really, but seriously...

Uh, considering it's a very hotly anticipated game people have been waiting for for about 12 years, almost certainly? We're not the only ones to cover it, you know. Perfectly newsworthy.

We'd do the same for a game like, I dunno, Portal 2.

 

[solidstatemind]

I personally think that e-sports in the West can only help stimulate the gaming community. Plus, gaming competitions are sweet to watch.

You know, I didn't used to think that (probably since I come from the snobby physical sports background ), but then I watched the Arena tournaments at BlizzCon last year, and they were freaking awesome!