Yeah, nobody saw this coming (StarCraft Ghost indefinitely postponed)

[Brian Reed]

http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/blizzard/starcraft-ghost-indefinitely-postponed-162934.php

Ian, how many years has this game been kicking around?

Blizzard Entertainment(R) Focuses Console-Development Plans on Next-Gen Platforms
IRVINE, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—March 24, 2006—Blizzard Entertainment Inc. today announced plans to focus the company’s console-development efforts on the next generation of console platforms. As part of this shift in focus, Blizzard(R) will indefinitely postpone production on StarCraft: Ghost(TM) while evaluating opportunities for utilizing the additional power of the new and upcoming console systems.

“Like many in the industry, we’ve been impressed with the potential of the new consoles, and we’re looking forward to exploring that potential further,” stated Mike Morhaime, president and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “In addition to allowing us to determine the best course for StarCraft: Ghost, this review period will help us lay the groundwork for our future console games.”

In the months ahead, Blizzard will further evaluate the next-gen console technology and determine the best plan of action for offering a StarCraft(R) console-gaming experience that meets the company’s expectations and those of its players. Further specifics on plans for StarCraft: Ghost and Blizzard’s future console games, as well as platform and release information, will be revealed at a later date.

[ramtower]

"lay the groundwork for our future console games"...

Considering they seem to hate console development, shitcanning Ghost seems like pretty solid groundwork.

[dimeshop]

I'm pretty sure this made the cover of game informer when I still had a subscription, which was years ago.

[mewelke]

The fear that Blizzard would become the World of Warcraft Company was on my top five of the hundred reasons I quit. I had thought that buying a console division proved me wrong... on that one matter...now I wonder if I was right on that as well.

We'll see if they focus the console group then on one of my ideas...KartCraft: all the Blizzard Icons in a mariokart style game...I can still envision it now, Diablo with his wee silly horns all superdeformed atop a kart racer.

This sort of lunacy is one of many good reasons why I am not in charge of anything.

[St Omo]

So Blizzard is already showing reruns. This happened with Warcraft III, too. They spent a couple of years developing it, then scrapped everything and started over with the "new and improved" 3D engine.

I used to love Blizzard games. Now I'm not sure what to think. Except I think this indefinite hold on Starcraft: Ghost is not-so-secret code for let's figure out a way to bring WoW, or a game like it, to Next-Gen platforms.

I'm still holding out for another Diablo sequel. However, I have a sneaking suspicion it either won't happen or it will be in the form of mewelke's Kartcraft kartastrophe. :-?

[Brian Reed]

The fear that Blizzard would become the World of Warcraft Company was on my top five of the hundred reasons I quit. I had thought that buying a console division proved me wrong... on that one matter...now I wonder if I was right on that as well.

We'll see if they focus the console group then on one of my ideas...KartCraft: all the Blizzard Icons in a mariokart style game...I can still envision it now, Diablo with his wee silly horns all superdeformed atop a kart racer.

This sort of lunacy is one of many good reasons why I am not in charge of anything.

I remember talking to Alan Adham about if Blizzard would be doing console games. "There's too much money there for us not to," he said.

That was the spring of 1996.

[djordi]

Well, I think any console development at Blizzard is doomed unless one of the internal teams is the one doing it. And even then it's probably doomed. There's still a segment at the company who remembers the pre 1995 days when they were a console company. They feel like they should be the ones to bring the company back to the console. It's not intentional sabotage, but it might be unintentional sabotage.

Then, there's the company's whole history with 3rd party development. Which has not been the best experience ever. Mismanage and misdirect the 3rd party company, bitch about stuff sucking and then redo everything internally. Granted, a number of the 3rd parties Blizzard has worked with have been a little lackluster.

And, the whole "don't release until its done" has turned into "an excuse for not doing proper planning." Warcraft 2 took 11 months from start to end. Starcraft took just about two years. Warcraft 3 took 5 years. WoW took 6 years. If a game takes 6 years to make it'll miss a console cycle. You can plan for a two year game, add an entire year for polish and iteration and still have a AAA Blizzard quality game out in 3 years. It's possible, I just think a lot of people have forgotten...