South Koreans Aren't Playing StarCraft II

[Bravo315]

Ah but you all got to remember, most games (especially PC) are never appreciated in their own time. Just wait until Starcraft 3 comes out - SC2 will be a classic gem to everyone while they're moaning about the latest release

 

[Excludos]

If these numbers are accurate, I am really surprised. Seeing as the tournament scene in korea has already switched over a lot to sc2 (with big help from superstars like SlayerSBoxer, who just placed third in the recent GSL..which again has a price pool of over $170.000).

Most other big stars has already states that they are going to switch to sc2 as soon as their contracts end.

This is an interview of Jaedong a month back:
How do you see the future of StarCraft: BroodWar and will you change to StarCraft 2?
- I will definitely change to StarCraft II as I feel that StarCraft 2 is having a higher status then StarCraft: Broodwar. We will see more international tournaments in SC2 compared to StarCraft: Broodwar and this will make the change natural for me. I want to build my reputation abroad and reach out to the international audience but when I decide to change game I can not say, it can be today, it can be tomorrow it can be in a couple of years.

So with this information, like I said, those numbers surprise me.

EDIT: I guess, like most people have said: The lack of lan and crossrealm play really was blizzard shooting themself in the leg, feeling good about it, and then shooting the other.

At least they have promised us to fix it..but meanwhile, some people will stick to BW I guess.

EDIT2: At least blizzard will earn a lot of money by suing OGN and Kespa..

 

[Twilight_guy]

So Blizzard is making no money because Korean's don't want to pay for the game? (Correct me if I'm wrong, here).

 

[greenflash]

So Blizzard is making no money because Korean's don't want to pay for the game? (Correct me if I'm wrong, here).

they do not like battle net 0.2 is why.

 

[beema]

Ha! Eat it Blizzard. Go Korea

 

[Exort]

Mmm. I read about this a while ago.

Those stubborn Koreans!

Off topic real quick: I tried going back to Brood Wars and holy crap did that age poorly, lol.

Well it wasn't the most graphic advanced even when it came out.

 

[Exort]

It's actually slowly moving in Blizzard's favor; the major networks - and some of the superstars - are starting to switch over.

It's probably not nearly as quickly as big blue would have liked.

I hope it never gets big. Blizzard needs to be taught a lesson about making a choice between more money or intense international recognition. Honestly, there's something wrong when the sequel to the game that has been the staple of LAN parties everywhere now slaps you in the face with a mandatory internet matchmaking service.

Quite frankly, I don't blame them for switching over at all. I *like* a lot of things about the new Battle.net. There are some things I don't like, too, but I don't blame them for trying. If someone else is getting rich off of something *you* created, it's hardly unfair for wanting to get in on the action.

I can see the new battle.net be popular among more causal player. For example, my freinds think the battle.net 2.0 is great. That is due the the fact custom game list got completely remade, it is way easier to search for a certian map now.

However they reinvented too much in term of interface, for example I have a hard time with the Custom Game rooms, those options seems confusing. Couple that with the fact Blizzard didn't tell you what do they mean. For example, in Melee game mode the host don't get to kick people, yet in custom mode you can. This create a lot of confusion around whether the host can kick or not. Not explaining the difference of the option is bad design on Blizzard's part.

And then there is the confusion around Single player can't play skirmish with A.I. because people didn't realize it is not under Multiplayer tab, but under single player tab "Versus A.I." option.

Overall, Blizzard did a very bad job on informing people how to use the Battle.net.
My only problem now (that is after learning the interface) with the new Battle.net is the lack of LAN which to be fair I never used it before... but I do know some people use it, and it seem quite important to them.

Personally, I never got why not including LAN for normal player is such a big deal, nothing stop you from connecting two close by computer over battle.net, expect when the server is down, and how often do you plan LAN party right when server is down. You might say when there is no internet, 10 year ago that would be a reasonable answer, but it is 2010 people.
Unless you live in some region where internet is not popular yet.

 

[Parnage]

Bnet 2.0 is pretty terrible in the sense of no LAN. MLG Dallas kinda showed that to quite a few people and hopefully Blizzard sees just exactly how big an issue like this can be. Along with anumber of other issues. However, plenty of people seem to be watching SC2 and plenty of Brood War players are switching.

Hell players like NaDa and SlayerSBoxeR doing so well can only encourage more of them to come and give tournaments a try if only for the big prize pools.

I'll be the first to tell you the reason it's not doing as well is because of Blizzard's lawsuits against OGN and MBCgame. Toss in with Kespa's anti Blizzard campaigns(They've had media calling NaDa a traitor..) South Korea's a rough market due to both Blizzards own problems and some heavy handed internal policies of Korea's game association.

 

[FortheLegion]

Yea the no lan thing made me sad
I like lan.. alot
its more fun than online play

 

[ultrachicken]

They managed to sue a woman for more money than she would ever see in four generations, just because she made a private server. I prefer to think of this as a sort of payback.

 

[deth2munkies]

*sigh* Links to GSL that's going on RIGHT NOW (Go FoXeR).

 

[Squilookle]

This is probably the only time we'll ever see a bunch of gamers all band together and actually boycott a game for a combined reason. Serves Blizzard right for trying to gain too much control for itself, I suppose.

 

[SonofSeth]

Unbiased and well researched story is.

 

[smithy_2045]

This isn't a new phenomenon, just look at Counter Strike.

 

[darkdots]

I hear they wanted to make people pay to be on BattleNet after they lock them into the game. Bummer. StarCraft wasn't that good. The AI knew where your base was before the game even started. They'd head right for you, and you'd have to explore the map to find them. Also, there was no difficulty settings. You had to go buy WarCraftIII for that and the game doesn't work on Windows7 because the AI is too intense. If you put AI in matches people ignore you because it crashes.

I'm sorry to hear about Korea. You know that's really sad they messed up on their biggest fans. Oh well, maybe they'll get StarCraftIII right. /sigh

 

[Reaper69lol]

Ouch, who would have thought?

 

[Wes1180]

No LAN still equals no sale for me. I'm all old and don't even have gaming friends, it is just the principle of it. And SC1 was and the expansion were day 1 buys.

And if D3 requires an online connection or activation to play single player that will also be a lost sale. I bought 3 copies of d2 and 2 of the expansion.

Anyone old enough to remember spawn copies? You now how blizzard actually encouraged people who didn't own the game to play it?

Or how about the d2 demo containing den of evil and blood raven?

I'm probably not old enough but I do remember the spawn copy on diablo 1, I loved that game when I was a kid, used to play multiplayer with my dad, we had like 3,4 copies

Oh and that probably wouldn't be too hard to see.

 

[olicon]

HA HA!


I knew something like this would happen. LAN MADE Starcraft. The ability to play it on any computer, spawn a copy to any friend, and get a group of people to play without Battle-Net Bullshit smoothed the path to popularity.

Also, it's not the full game/story.

I feel like the story is long enough.
The problem with LAN popularity as a business model is..ActiBliz sees none of the dough anyway.
This way in the long run, when the entire country switches over, they will get money. If it was the same as before? Sure, the entire continent could be playing the game, but they wouldn't make a dime from it. That's just bad business.

 

[Asehujiko]

What a way to shoot yourself in the foot; everyone knows why it's popular there, so why restrict it?

It starts with "A" and ends with "ctivision"

Their "focus group" didn't give a shit about how terribad bnet currently is, they're representative of the entire gaming world and there's a defamation lawsuit waiting for you if you dare to suggest that's incredibly stupid.

 

[Airhead]

Why did Blizzard become such greedy bastards after WoW? Mandatory BattleNet? No LAN? One campaign per game? Seriously people, you made truckloads of money with WoW just because you made a GOOD GAME. Try sticking to this instead of pissing off your customers with asshole policies.