Blizzard Update

Good news all around for Blizzard fans. The StarCraft 2 beta is open, and the development of Battle.net 2 is going as excpected. Seeing how it is mid-May, I would safely anticipate that Blizzard is ahead of the game for once. Beta testing usually goes between one and two months, given no huge problems occur. There has been no news of trouble for Starcraft 2 yet, so project testing to finish up around July. A July beta completion would put the release date somewhere between August and September, which will include the release of Battle.net 2.

Some of the features going into Battle.net 2 include:

- Advanced connection capabilites

- In Game Chat

- Ladders and Rankings

- Extended stats
- Avatars, Images and Icons

- Diablo III Hardcore Mode

- Friends Lists with advanced management

- Clan Support

- Automated Tournaments

Wait one second... Diablo III Harcore Mode??? Ok, it is time to get really excited for this game. Make sure you finish up whatever game you are currently undertaking, because if Diablo III makes a 2009 release, you will want to be ready. You know how I feel about this game from previous posts, so even the mention of Hardcore Mode means that Blizzard intends to make Diablo III epic. The fact that Battle.net 2 has confirmed this feature will be available means that game difficulty has been addressed, which was one of my biggest concerns.

Back to Starcraft 2, I would like to mention that Blizzard has been very good at keeping the features of this game a secret. It would be smart to expect this game to be very similar to the original, and to Warcraft: Frozen Throne. I am sure that the story mode will be a complete surprise, because most Starcraft fans play for the multiplayer. It would be sneaky to introduce a complex single player story mode that mimics a Diablo-type adventure. Maybe even include hero evolution and talents like WoW. Since there has been no mention of this, it is a complete hope. A single player mode with that potential, combined with the strategic multiplayer option, would make Starcraft 2 a complete sleeper for Game of the Year. The fact that it will open with Battle.net 2 gives it an advantage that most games will not have, so dont be surprised if this game is better than you thought it would be.

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If anyone has news on StarCraft 2 beta, or Battle.net 2, please comment. Let us join forces and spread the news. A successful and dominant release of this twin headed dragon will only speed the progression of Diablo III. All considered, it looks like Blizzard is on the ball with this years projects. 2009 might be a year that pushes them above all competition in the PC gaming market.