Starcraft 2 Beta

Starcraft 2 units have been expanded from the original Starcraft. A unit in Starcraft is each of the different fighting groups, under which individual characters are clustered. These units can be strategically moved in the game to attack, build and defend. As the plot of the game has progressed, some units have been phased out while others have been introduced. Some of the old stand-bys have been upgraded with new abilities. Blizzard plans to release even more units when the 2nd and 3rd expansions are released.

Starcraft 2 units differ by race, the Protoss have the following three categories: ground units, robotic units and aerial units. Zerg have four unit categories: hatchery, lair, hive and infestation. Terran has four unit categories: command center, barracks, factory and starport. Many consider the carefully balanced interactions between the different units one of the primary factors that make Starcraft such a high quality RPG.

Some of the newer features in Starcraft 2 units are ones that can transverse multiple terrains or ones that can teleport. If you play the single player campaign, you will run into a few additional units that did not make the final cut for the multi-player mode.

The release of Starcraft 2 is less than a week away. The Starcraft 2 beta ended on July 19th and now players must patiently await the Tuesday July 27th release. Starcraft 2 has been very highly anticipated and the long beta period has resulted in a very solid game according to critics and those who participated in the beta. Without a doubt, next Tuesday at midnight stores will be bombarded with highly caffeinated gamers ready to pick up their pre-ordered games or hoping to get their hands on a copy.

Blizzard has finally made their specifications to play the game known right before the release. Starcraft 2 will require Windows XP or later, (also works on a Mac). You will need 12 GB available on your hard drive, a 2.6 GHz Pentium IV or AMD Athlon processor and at least a graphics card meeting the specs for a NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT or ATI Radeon 9800.

Those who want to be one of the first ones to play the game on July 27th can buy the game now online and download the file, you just won’t be able to play until the stroke of midnight on the 27th. The release of Starcraft 2 will no doubt break records and be a big news story of the day next Tuesday.

Starcraft 2 system requirements have yet to be officially released by Blizzard. Their official website currently states that they will release the requirements as the July 27th launch date nears. What is known is that a PC and Mac version of the game will be available with no console versions, just the same as with the original Starcraft. Back in February of 2010, the company did release the minimum requirements to play the Beta of the game and many are using this as a good measure of what will be needed to play the official release.

Minimum PC Requirements for Starcraft 2 Beta:

• Windows XP SP3/Vista SP1/Windows 7
• 2.2 Ghz Pentium IV or equivalent AMD Athlon processor
• 1 GB system RAM/1.5 GB for Vista and Windows 7
• 1024×768 minimum display resolution
• 128 MB NVidia GeForce 6600 GT/ATI Radeon 9800 PRO video card
• 4 GB free hard space (Beta)
• Broadband connection

While providing well thought-out and immersive game play, Blizzard’s games are not known for cutting edge graphics that require the best graphics card or fastest processor. Hopefully the company will be releasing these machine requirements soon since the launch of this highly anticipated game is just days away.

The latest Starcraft 2 report is that the release is still set for July 27th while no firm confirmation has been made for another round of the beta. Rumors were swirling around in late June, following the E3 conference, that the beta might open up again for the Fourth of July weekend. So far this rumor has proven to be false and Blizzard has been quiet on the topic.

The most recent Starcraft 2 report is that the long requested private chat channel will be implemented in one of the very first patches of the game, though this will not be available immediately in the off-the-shelf product. Unfortunately, LAN play capabilities will probably not be a full fledged feature for the general public.

The International Starcraft 2 report is that South Koreans have recently been offered a very sweet deal, that is, if they have a World of Warcraft account. Anyone in that country with a WOW account with be able to play Starcraft 2 for free. Many suspect this is a method to increase WOW accounts in a country with the highest percentage of Starcraft players. In the Southern Hemisphere, Australians are angered to find out that Blizzard has firmly decided that Australians will only get to share servers with other South Asian countries.

With the late July release of Starcraft 2, BlizzCon 2010 will have a very strong Starcraft theme to it this year. Each year, game publisher Blizzard puts on a conference to celebrate its games like Starcraft, World of Warcraft, Warcraft and Diablo. This year’s BlizzCon is being held at the convention center in Anaheim California on October 22nd and 23rd. Tournaments will be player for each of their games, with arena matches for World of Warcraft players.

Tournament play has been pivotal in Starcraft’s massive worldwide popularity and the game naturally lends itself to this type of game play. Starcraft 2 BlizzCon tournaments are expected to be a main attraction with professional gamers from around the world competing. The main events at BlizzCon will be streamed both online and will be available through DirecTV.

Tickets for the 2010 BlizzCon sold out quickly on the 2nd and 5th of June. Tickets cost $150 each. For those who got tickets and are fans of Starcraft 2, BlizzCon will offer plenty in terms of tournaments, sneak peaks at art for the expansions, costumes, contests and the opportunity to meet with the some of the makers and professional players of Starcraft 2.

Starcraft 2 3, also known as the Starcraft 2 trilogy, will be the three different releases that Blizzard will make for the Starcraft 2 game. Each release will be centered around one of the three warring races in the game. The first release, Wings of Liberty, will come out on July 27^th and will focus on the Terran faction.

Subsequent releases will be Heart of the Swarm, which will focus on the Zerg, followed by Legacy of the Void which will be the Protoss campaign. At this time, the two expansions are not actively in development as the final touches are being put on the first release. The Starcraft 2 3 will each include additional cinematics, missions and new characters. New units and abilities are expected for the multi player mode.

Each of the Starcraft 2 3 will be considered its own stand alone story with each one occurring in chronological order and each one supplying its own ending. No set dates of release have been made for the expansions and it is expected to take at least a year before the next release. Each expansion is expected to cost $60 each, meaning players will have to spend $180 to get the full Starcraft 2 experience.

Starcraft 2 is free for those who have gotten their hands on a beta key. Although the beta ended on June 7th, it will reopen a few weeks before the late July release date. Once the game does come out, those who have built up their rank in the beta will have to start over in building up wins to get a higher rank again.

Currently, Starcraft 1 can be played for free online. Although many speculated about the final price for Starcraft 2, free was not assumed by anyone. The game will cost $60 in the U.S. with prices varying in other countries. In emerging countries Blizzard will be selling the game for $25-$30, this will include the full single player version and 6 months of the multiplayer version after which time a gamer will need to pay a monthly subscription.

In order to play the multiplayer option, users will need to have a Battle.net account. This has led to much concern about if there will be a monthly fee to play online as opposed to playing Starcraft 2 free once a gamer has purchased the game at the one-time retail cost. As of now, Blizzard has stated that a Battle.net account will be free though there are rumors swirling that premium accounts may be offered which would provide added features, but at a monthly cost.

The game Starcraft 2 is the long awaited sequel to the original game released back in 1998. Since then, only the expansion Broodwar, also released in 1998, has come out. A failed attempt at a console version of the game was finally put on permanent hold back in 2006. The game will be available for purchase on July 27th.

The game Starcraft 2 can be played in its multiplayer format without purchasing the game. An online download will be necessary, but after that internet access is not necessary if connected to a LAN. The retail version will allow for both multiplayer match mode and for the individual gameplay mode. The single player version allows players to go at their own pace to solve levels and unravel the story behind Starcraft 2. The multiplayer mode pitches players against each other in real time strategy battles.

The game Starcraft 2 will be split into three separate releases, each one focusing on one of the different races in the game. Each new release will come with more campaigns for single player mode and addition maps and expanded fighting options for those who play multiplayer mode. There are no set dates on the release of the two expansions, though expectations are that it will be over a year before the first expansion is released.

Starcraft 2 vs the original Starcraft is becoming a topic of discussion for some fans. With over ten years between the releases of the two games, Starcraft 1 has had a vast amount of time to grow a huge following complete with professional gamers and stadiums built for the game. This has made the expectations for the second release exceedingly demanding as many consider Starcraft 1 the best real time strategy game of all time.

In addition to an improvement in graphics, the game engine used to develop the game has caused a number of subtle changes in gameplay which will be heavily noticed by hardcore players of the original. There is some concern that two factions of fans may form, Starcraft 2 vs Starcraft 1 where professionals and diehard fans will stick with the original while those newer to the game or ready to take on the high learning curve to adapt to a new game will favor Starcraft 2.

Though this highly anticipated release is expected to be wildly popular and well received, there is no doubt that there are concerns among the Starcraft community and Blizzard, the maker of the game. With over ten years since the last release, Starcraft 2 is well overdue but the possible issue of Starcraft 2 vs Starcraft 1 is being followed closely by many. Thankfully, thus far many professional players have been given beta access and are adapting to the new gameplay while hyping the game to others.

A Starcraft 2 preorder has allowed many fans to get their hands on a beta key. Gamestop was the first to offer this deal in late April 2010. If you pre-ordered your copy of Starcraft 2, either online or at a store, you received a code that gained you access to the beta. Amazon.com quickly followed Gamestop and offered the same deal about a week later. The deal was available on both the $60 standard edition and the $100 collector’s edition.

Starcraft 2 preorders made online will be shipped in a timely manner so that fans receive their game on July 27th, the same day the game hits stores. The free beta key that came with a preorder from Amazon ended on May 13th due to limited supply and the fact that the Starcraft 2 beta ended on June 7th, approximately seven weeks before the official release.

Many other sites are offering the option to preorder the game including Best Buy and Walmart. At this point, with the beta having ended, most fans are getting a Starcraft 2 preorder to ensure they get a copy and to avoid standing in lines at stores on the release date. Along with those who like to preorder are the fans who insist on buying their copy in person at a store on the day of release to get the satisfaction of buying the product live and enjoying the experience with other fans.