StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty | ||
---|---|---|
Composer(s) Derek Duke | Glenn Stafford Russell Brower Neal Acree | |
Series | StarCraft | |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows[4] macOS[5] | |
Release | July 27, 2010[1][2][3] | |
Genre(s) | Real-time strategy | |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is a
Like its predecessor, the game revolves around three species: the Terrans (humans), the
The game was met with critical acclaim, receiving an aggregated score of 93% from Metacritic, and it has been cited as one of the greatest video games ever made. Similar to its predecessor, StarCraft II was praised for its engaging gameplay, as well as its introduction of new features and improved storytelling. The game was criticized for lacking features that existed in the original StarCraft game including LAN play and the ability to switch between multiplayer regions. At the time of its release, StarCraft II became the fastest-selling real-time strategy game, with over three million copies sold worldwide in the first month.
Gameplay
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty features the return of the three species from the original game:
Wings of Liberty has 29 playable campaign missions; 26 are playable in a single playthrough, three missions are choice-related alternates, and one hidden secret mission.[10][11]
The Wings of Liberty campaign contains several missions with unique features, such as lava that floods the battlefield every five minutes, forcing the player to move their units to high ground before they are destroyed. In another mission, enemy units attack the player only at night, forcing the player into a form of siege warfare. In one mission, the player must use a single unit to influence the tide of an AI-controlled battle. Between missions, players can choose units, buildings, and upgrades that are not available in the multiplayer missions.[12]
Wings of Liberty features approximately the same number of units as the original StarCraft.[13] Some units from the original game have returned, some featuring new upgrades and abilities. For example, the Protoss Zealot, a melee unit from the original game, has the researchable ability to dash forward and quickly reach nearby enemies as a refinement of its speed upgrade from the original. Other units have been replaced or removed.[14][15] Other changes to unit design have been inspired by story events in StarCraft and its expansion StarCraft: Brood War, replacing old units with new or renamed versions which sport different attributes and abilities.[14] Units in StarCraft II have new abilities, compared to the original, that encourage more complex interaction with the game environment. Among these are the inclusion of units that can traverse varying levels of terrain,[16] or have the ability to teleport short distances.[14] Some Protoss units can be warped into pylon-powered areas using the Warp Gate, a slight modification of an existing building called the Gateway.[14][17] StarCraft II's campaign has units that are only playable in the campaign and not in the regular multiplayer mode, though they are available for custom maps. These mostly consist of units that have been scrapped from development such as the Terran Diamondback as well as various returning units from the original StarCraft such as the Terran Wraith and Goliath. The campaign features hirable mercenaries, modified versions of certain units with enhanced attributes such as health or damage that become available for hire once the standard unit is unlocked.[18]
Editor
The StarCraft II Editor is a campaign, map, and mod editor. It is the first editor by Blizzard to feature built-in
The editor was available for the first time during the phase 1 beta testing of StarCraft II, when it came with a patch. With the start of phase 2, the editor was updated. There is a map-making community using the editor, creating first-person shooter games, role-playing video games, tower defense, and multiplayer online battle arena-type games. The map database is updated as more map makers create mods for the community. The editor changes the way maps are distributed: rather than hosting games using local map files, users create and join games using maps that have been published to Battle.net. Map or mod uploads are limited to a total of 50 MB of storage, divided between ten files at most, with no file being larger than 10 MB. Although the StarCraft II Editor offers more features than the original StarCraft Editor in terms of game customization, there are concerns that the publishing limitations of Battle.net will not allow for large-scale custom maps or extensive map availability unless there is an external map publishing tool.[22][23]
The StarCraft II Arcade is a major addition to the map-making community,[24] where high quality maps may be sold for a small fee as "premium maps" over Battle.net. As a part of the arcade feature, a custom map called "Blizzard DOTA", which eventually became a standalone game named Heroes of the Storm, was announced alongside several other mods of Blizzard Entertainment at BlizzCon 2010.[25] At that time, the map was developed to showcase the modding abilities that were to be added to StarCraft II.[26]
LAN play
StarCraft II does not offer the ability to play directly over a local area network (LAN), as is possible with StarCraft; all network games are routed through the Internet via Blizzard's gaming servers.[27] The latency delay between commands issued and game response when played online is greatly reduced when playing over a LAN and this allows for much finer control over in-game units;[28] there were concerns that a professional scene would not develop as a result.[29] Over 250,000 fans signed a petition asking Blizzard to add LAN play to StarCraft II, before the game's release.[30] Currently, Blizzard has no plans to support LAN play.[31] Although it does not change the routing of the game through Blizzard's servers, a 'Players Near You' feature was added in StarCraft II patch 2.0.4, to help with organizing games with other players on the same local network.[32]
Synopsis
Background
The campaign storyline of StarCraft II takes place four years after
At the conclusion of Brood War, Kerrigan and her Zerg forces became the dominant faction in the Koprulu Sector, having annihilated the
Arcturus Mengsk has been left to rebuild the Dominion, and is consolidating his power while fending off harassment from rival Terran groups. Mengsk has become power-hungry, declaring Jim Raynor an outlaw and showing little desire to protect or aid the colonies under his jurisdiction.
Following the fall of Aiur and the death of the Dark Templar matriarch
Plot
Four years after the Brood War, the Dominion is once again the dominant Terran power in the Koprulu sector. News reports reveal that in the four years since the end of the Brood Wars, the standing Dominion military forces have been reduced and defense budget has instead been diverted to hunting down rebel forces that operate against the Dominion. For reasons unknown,
With Tychus acting as the middleman, the Raiders embark on a series of missions to find the remaining pieces of the Xel'Naga artifact, which they sell to the enigmatic Moebius Foundation in order to fund their revolution. Along the way, they meet with Gabriel Tosh, a rogue Dominion psychic assassin known as a Spectre, and Ariel Hanson, a researcher on the Zerg and leader of a small farming colony. The Raiders perform missions to help Tosh procure the raw materials to train new Spectres as well as to aid Hanson as she attempts to secure her colonists who are caught between the Zerg infesting their planets and the Protoss attempting to eradicate the infestation. Horner also arranges a series of missions to undermine Mengsk, recovering intelligence information about his war crimes and broadcasting them across the Dominion. Finally,
After collecting more artifact pieces, Raynor's forces encounter Dominion battleships at the pre-agreed Moebius Foundation rendezvous point. The Moebius Foundation is revealed to be under the control of Valerian Mengsk, Arcturus' son. Valerian, intending to show himself as a worthy successor to his father, asks Raynor to help him invade Char and use the artifact to restore Kerrigan's humanity, thus weakening the Zerg. To the initial dismay of the crew, Raynor agrees. With Valerian's aid, Raynor recovers the final artifact piece, and the Raiders and Dominion invade Char. The Dominion fleet is devastated by the heavy Zerg defenses, but Raynor secures a foothold on Char and rendezvouses with Dominion forces led by Horace Warfield, a decorated Dominion general. Warfield is later injured and appoints Raynor commander of surviving Dominion forces as well. The combined forces of the Raiders and Dominion military push towards the main Hive Cluster of the planet, protecting the artifact as it charges to full power, and the artifact eventually destroys all Zerg within its blast radius. Raynor's team finds Kerrigan restored to human form; however, Tychus reveals that he made a deal with Arcturus Mengsk, trading Kerrigan's life for his own freedom. Raynor defends Kerrigan from Tychus' attempt to kill her, fatally shooting Tychus with a bullet he intended to kill Mengsk with. The closing scene shows Raynor carrying Sarah Kerrigan out of the main hive in his arms.[35]
Cast
The
Development
The development of StarCraft II was announced on May 19, 2007, at the
At the June 2008 Blizzard Worldwide Invitational, Blizzard Executive Vice President Rob Pardo announced that development of the single-player campaign was approximately one-third complete,[43] as well as that Wings of Liberty would be followed up by two expansion packs – StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, which would focus around the Zerg and StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void, which would focus around the Protoss.[7] On February 25, 2009, Blizzard announced the Blizzard Theme Park Contest, where prizes would include two beta keys for StarCraft II.[44] The updated news and updates page of Battle.net for Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne stated that the top 20 players from each realm was to be given a StarCraft II beta key.[45]
Blizzard posted a release date for the game's first
In an interview held in June 2009, Rob Pardo indicated that
Mike Morhaime, president of Blizzard, announced during the opening ceremony of Blizzcon 2009 that StarCraft II and the new Battle.net platform would both be released in 2010, with an approximately one-month gap between releases.[64] As of March 2010, Blizzard had stated that the new platform was being tested outside the beta and was planned for release in early July 2010,[65] for both StarCraft II and World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, with a later upgrade for Diablo III. On May 5, 2010, it was revealed that StarCraft II and Battle.net 2.0 would be integrated with social networking site Facebook, "linking the world's premier online gaming platform with the world's most popular social platform"—a move that allowed gamers to search among their Facebook friends for StarCraft II opponents. Wired magazine, in its annual Vaporware Award, ranked StarCraft II first among the delayed technology products of 2009.[66] StarCraft II was finally released on July 27, 2010,[67] with launch parties in selected cities of countries around the world. Customers and reviewers who received the installation DVD before the July 27 release were greeted with an error screen, telling them to wait until the release date.[68] There was no known workaround and some reviewers had praised the action for limiting journalists to playing and reviewing the game with the rest of the public.[69][70]
Compared to the original StarCraft, StarCraft II was designed to focus more heavily on the
During
Expansions
During the development of StarCraft II, it was announced that the game and its expansions would form a trilogy; each chapter would feature one of the three playable races. The first expansion focuses on the Zerg race;
Soundtracks
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Soundtrack | |
---|---|
Soundtrack album by Russell Brower, Glenn Stafford, Derek Duke, Neal Acree, Sascha Dikiciyan & Cris Velasco | |
Released | July 27, 2010 |
Genre | Video game soundtrack |
Length | 67:12 |
Label | Azeroth Music |
Two soundtracks were released for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. The original score, composed by Derek Duke, Glenn Stafford, Neal Acree, Russell Brower, Sascha Dikiciyan and Cris Velasco was released on CD as well as on the iTunes Store. Both versions contain 14 tracks and the iTunes version contains additional digital extras.[citation needed] A second soundtrack, Revolution Overdrive: Songs of Liberty, was released on CD, vinyl and iTunes.[77] This soundtrack features the original and cover songs heard in JoeyRay's bar during the video game.
Release
Versions
On April 8, 2010, Blizzard announced that the game would be available in a standard and collector's edition. The game was made available for digital download from Blizzard on the release date; pre-loading began on July 15.[78] The collector's edition comes with an artbook, 2 GB flash drive modeled after Jim Raynor's dog tag with the original StarCraft and Brood War expansion preloaded, behind-the-scenes DVD, soundtrack, comic book, unique avatar portraits, a unique model for the in-game Thor unit in multiplayer, and a World of Warcraft pet.[79]
On June 24, 2010, at a press-only Korean event, Blizzard announced that Korean players would be able to play StarCraft II for free with an active World of Warcraft subscription. In
On August 3, 2011, Blizzard replaced the previously available StarCraft II demo with the new StarCraft II: Starter Edition. It allows anyone to play part of the game for free and it comes as a 7 GB package downloaded using the Blizzard Downloader client. The Starter Edition is available for Mac and Windows, and requires a Battle.net account and an Internet connection to play.[82]
Technical difficulties
Several gaming and technology sites reported an "overheating bug" with StarCraft II that in some cases resulted in permanent damage to
Professional competition
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty was played professionally throughout the world, though much like its predecessor
In 2012, the StarCraft II World Championship Series (WCS) was created as Blizzard's primary sanctioned StarCraft II tournament circuit.[92]
Reception
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
X-Play | [107] |
NZGamer.com | 9.8/10[108] |
Softpedia | 9/10[109] |
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty has been met with critical acclaim since its release. It received an aggregated score of 92.39% at
Ars Technica gave the overall game a verdict of "buy" and especially praised the single-player campaign as "fun as hell". They were also very impressed with the game modding tools that allow users to create their own content and distribute it to other fans. The two "ugly" issues they identified with the game were lack of LAN play and the decision to split up the regions. They suggested that these decisions were influenced by Activision rather than by the game designers at Blizzard, and felt that this would turn many people off of the game and make things difficult for people who have international friends.[112] In a separate article, Ars Technica vigorously supported StarCraft II against a series of 1-star ratings given to the game on Amazon.com in protest against the lack of LAN play.[113] They argued in Blizzard's defense against complaints that it was not a full game because only the Terran campaign was released, but did suggest that the customers' complaints about the lack of LAN and cross-region play were legitimate.[114]
During the
In August 2016, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty placed 26th on Time's The 50 Best Video Games of All Time list.[116]
Sales
Blizzard entered into a co-marketing agreement with Korean Air that lasted for six months, in which two of the airline's airplanes on both domestic and international routes prominently displayed StarCraft II advertising featuring Jim Raynor on the fuselage.[117] On August 3, 2010, Blizzard announced that StarCraft II sold more than one million units worldwide within one day of its release. After two days, when Blizzard began selling the game as a digital download on its website, approximately 500,000 additional units of the game were sold, bringing the total up to 1.5 million worldwide and making it the fastest-selling strategy game of all time.[118] In its first month on sale, StarCraft II sold a total of three million copies worldwide.[119] As of December 2010, the game has sold nearly 4.5 million units.[120] The game was also heavily pirated, reportedly being downloaded over 2.3 million times, and setting a record for most data transferred by a single torrent in only three months.[121]
References
- ^ "StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty in stores starting July 27, 2010". Blizzard Entertainment. 2010-05-03. Archived from the original on 2020-11-09. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
- ^ "Starcraft II launches July 27" Archived 2012-01-07 at the Wayback Machine. GameSpot. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
- ^ "On Kotaku". Kotaku.com. 2010-05-03. Archived from the original on 2010-07-09. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
- ^ a b c d e "FAQ for StarCraft II". Blizzard Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2012-02-25. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
- ^ "StarCraft II unveiled". IGN. 2007-05-19. Archived from the original on 2009-01-06. Retrieved 2009-01-06.
- ^ "Release Summary". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2011-09-03. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ a b "StarCraft II split into trilogy". GameSpot. 2008-10-10. Archived from the original on 2019-09-29. Retrieved 2008-10-10.
- ^ "Zerg". Blizzard Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2019-02-16. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ a b Pardo, Rob (3 August 2007). StarCraft II Under Construction (Development commentary). Blizzcon: GameSpot. Retrieved 2007-08-04.
- ^ Watts, Steve (2008-10-20). "StarCraft 2 Trilogy: Everything You Need to Know". 1UP News. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
- ^ Nguyen, Thierry (2008-12-30). "StarCraft 2 Wings of Liberty for the PC from 1UP.com". 1UP News. Archived from the original on 2012-07-16. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
- ^ Breckon, Nick (2009-07-01). "StarCraft 2 Interview: Reaction and Reflection". Shacknews. p. 3. Archived from the original on 2009-07-05. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
- ^ Park, Andrew (2007-05-20). "StarCraft II Preview – What We Know So Far". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2009-02-04. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
- ^ a b c d "StarCraft II: The Protoss". Blizzard Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2007-05-21. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
- ^ Mielke, James (2007-07-06). "Preview – Will work for Vespene Gas". Games for Windows. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
- ^ a b "Videos: StarCraft II". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 2007-06-30. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
- ^ "StarCraft II preview in PC Gamer Magazine". PC Gamer. August 2007.
- ^ Added by Brad Shoemaker on Oct. 17, 2008 (2008-10-18). "Q&A: The Starcraft II Brain Trust". Giantbomb.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-24. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Shoemaker, Brad (2007-08-03). "BlizzCon 07: Pardo demos StarCraft II campaign". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2009-01-25. Retrieved 2007-09-26.
- ^ "StarCraft II Terrans: Wings of Liberty PC Games Interview". IGN. Retrieved 2011-01-29.[dead link]
- ^ "BlizzCon 2009: Battle.net 2.0 and the Galaxy Editor's Hour". Sc2blog.com. 2009-08-24. Archived from the original on 2010-02-28. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
- ^ "Battle.net 2.0 Concerns". StarCraft Legacy. Archived from the original on 2016-04-12. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ "StarCraft II Map Publishing Intro". Inc Gamers. Archived from the original on 2012-03-31. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ Hiller, Brenna (2011-10-24). "Blizzard Arcade to replace Marketplace, monetise mods". VG247. Archived from the original on 2018-07-25. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
- ^ Funk, John (October 22, 2010). "BlizzCon 2010: Hands-On Blizzard DotA, Left 2 Die, Starjeweled". The Escapist Magazine. Archived from the original on October 26, 2010.
- ^ "Blizzard DotA - BlizzCon 2010 - Matt Gotcher, StarCraft II Level Designer". YouTube.com. October 23, 2010. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
- ^ Senior, Tom (2012-08-21). "StarCraft 2 : Heart of the Swarm designer says lack of LAN is "just about our philosophy"". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 2014-08-24. Retrieved 2013-05-28.
- ^ Miller, Patrick. "eSports Update, 11/8/2010: MLG Dallas Recap". PC World. Archived from the original on 2011-01-14. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ Kuchera, Ben (30 July 2010). "Why lack of StarCraft II LAN play still matters". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2010.
- ^ Argueta, Dany (2010-07-31). "Petition for StarCraft II LAN reaches 250,000 signatures". Neoseeker. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2010-05-28.
- ^ Petzall, Gunnar (29 June 2009). "StarCraft II Developers Talk". Inc Gamers. Archived from the original on 10 August 2010. Retrieved 7 August 2010.
- ^ "StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Patch 2.0.4". Blizzard Entertainment. 2013-02-19. Archived from the original on 2018-11-16. Retrieved 2013-05-28.
- ^ Park, Andrew (2007-05-20). "Blizzard outlines StarCraft II gameplay". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2008-07-06. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
- ^ a b c Metzen, Chris & Chambers, Andy (2007-07-08). "Starcraft Panel Discussion: Lore". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2010-04-08. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
- ^ "Plot Summary". IMDB. Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ Magrino, Tom (2009-08-23). "Tricia Helfer starring in Starcraft II". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2009-10-05. Retrieved 2009-08-24.
- ^ "StarCraft II Q&A Batch 53". StarCraft Legacy. Archived from the original on 2016-01-24. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
- ^ a b Onyett, Charles (2007-05-18). "Blizzard's Worldwide Invitational – The StarCraft 2 Announcement". IGN. Archived from the original on May 20, 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
- ^ Horton, Samuel (2009-06-30). "WoW delayed StarCraft2 for a year". SK Gaming. Archived from the original on 2020-08-07. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
- ^ Onyett, Charles (2007-05-19). "StarCraft 2 Panel Discussions". IGN. Archived from the original on May 22, 2007. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
- ^ "Blizzard Entertainment Licenses Havok Physics Technology". Havok. 2006-09-14. Archived from the original on 2007-05-01. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
- ^ "Havok-Powered Titles". Havok. 2014. Archived from the original on 2015-02-12. Retrieved 2015-02-05.
- ^ "StarCraft II – Not happening in 2008". Games On Net. 2008-06-29. Archived from the original on 2009-09-21. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
- ^ "Blizzard Theme Park Contest". Blizzard Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2017-08-05. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ "StarCraft II Beta Keys to best 20 in realm". Blizzard Entertainment. 2009-03-17. Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ StarCraft Community Manager Karune (2009-05-28). "Blizzard's Battle.net Forum". Blizzard Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2009-06-15. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
- ^ Justin Mann (6 May 2009). "StarCraft 2 beta signup opens today". Techspot.com. Archived from the original on 2020-08-15. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ Blizzard. "Starcraft II FAQ". Blizzard Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2012-02-25. Retrieved 2009-09-23.
- ^ Sinclair, Brendan (2009-05-31). "Starcraft II by end of 2009, Call of Duty expanding to new genres". Gamespot. Archived from the original on 2009-06-02. Retrieved 2008-05-03.
- ^ "No StarCraft II beta In 2009". Dailygamesnews.com. 2009-11-09. Archived from the original on 2010-01-21. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
- ^ Magrino, Tom (2010-02-10). "Starcraft II closed beta begins this month". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2016-01-24. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ "Closed Beta Begins". CNET. Archived from the original on 2013-10-17. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
- ^ Glasser, AJ (2010-02-20). "StarCraft 2 beta keys for sale on eBay". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2010-08-04. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ "Patch Notes – Beta Patch 9". Blizzard Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2010-07-26. Retrieved 2010-04-24.
- ^ "BlizzCast Episode 13". Blizzard Entertainment. February 25, 2010. Archived from the original on September 10, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2010.
- ^ Blizzard. "Starcraft II Latest News (Forum)". Blizzard Entertainment. Archived from the original on 18 July 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
- ^ Blizzard. "StarCraft II Beta Test Schedule Update". Blizzard Entertainment. Archived from the original on 22 July 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
- ^ Blizzard. "StarCraft II Beta Phase Two Begins". Blizzard Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
- ^ "StarCraft II Developers Talk". Inc Gamers. Archived from the original on 2009-08-05. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
- ^ "No LAN for StarCraft II". IGN. Archived from the original on July 2, 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
- ^ "New details gameplay elements of StarCraft 2 revealed". Ars Technica. 29 June 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-12-17. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
- ^ Magrino, Tom (2009-06-30). "Starcraft 2 No LAN will be featured". Gamespot. Archived from the original on 2011-12-24. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
- ^ "Patch 1.1.0 Now Live". Blizzard Entertainment Inc. 2010-09-23. Archived from the original on 2012-03-13. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
- ^ "Starcraft 2 release date and World of Warcraft: Cataclysm". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
- ^ "Detailed Battle.net Preview Unveils New Features". Archived from the original on 2020-10-29. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
- ^ Calore, Michael. "Vaporware 2009". Wired. Archived from the original on 2012-04-29. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
- ^ "Blizzard press release". Blizzard Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2020-11-09. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
- ^ "No StarCraft II Reviews Before Launch". N4G. Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
- ^ Kuchera, Ben (26 July 2010). "No early StarCraft 2 reviews; we'll be playing with you". Arstechnica.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-19. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
- ^ "Don't Bother Looking for Early StarCraft II Reviews". Gamercrave.com. Archived from the original on 2010-10-06. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
- ^ "Karune Q&A Batch Archive". World of Raids. Archived from the original on 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ "Insider Interview: "The Making of the StarCraft II Cinematic Teaser"". Blizzard Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2007-06-06. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
- ^ Haywald, Justin (2017-11-04). "Starcraft 2 Dev On The Effects Of Going Free-To-Play". Gamespot. Archived from the original on 2017-11-05. Retrieved 2017-11-04.
- ^ "StarCraft II Update - October 15, 2020". news.blizzard.com. Archived from the original on 2022-03-17. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
- ^ Haas, Pete (13 November 2012). "StarCraft 2 Heart Of The Swarm Release Date Announced, Collector's And Digital Deluxe Editions Offered". Gaming Blend. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
- ^ Hillier, Brenna (13 September 2015). "StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void "expected to be released" this year". IGN. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
- ^ Bradford, Matt (September 15, 2011). "Blizzard teams with Apple to launch Blizzard Music online store". gamesradar.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ Leahy, Brian (15 July 2010). "Shacknews.com". Shacknews.com. Archived from the original on 2010-11-24. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
- ^ "StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Collector's Edition Announced". Blizzard Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2016-04-12. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ "Korean Event Aftermaths, Beta Phase 2 and LAN play". Inc Gamers. Archived from the original on 2010-09-28. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ "Blizzard: StarCraft II tournaments are copyright infringement". Public Knowledge. Archived from the original on 2011-02-04. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ "StarCraft II: Starter Edition". Game World. 2011-08-19. Archived from the original on 2015-07-03. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
- ^ "StarCraft II menu screens are overheating PCs". Geek. Archived from the original on 2012-03-30. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ "Blizzard's StarCraft 2 'melting graphics cards' fix". Computer and Video Games. Archived from the original on August 5, 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ "Blizzard Confirms StarCraft II Overheating Bug". Game Informer. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ a b "Starcraft II Fried My Video Card: Here's A Quick Fix". Techland. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ "Is StarCraft II Killing Video Cards, Or Is It Merely A Harbinger Of Bigger Problems?". CrunchGear. Archived from the original on 2011-02-13. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ "Blizzard codes Starcraft 2 overheating fix". TG Daily. Archived from the original on 2018-11-16. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ a b "Known Issues – Technical Support related". Blizzard Entertainment. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
- ^ "'StarCraft II': How Blizzard Brought the King of Esports Back from the Dead". 13 July 2018. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
- ^ "The StarCraft II World Championship Series". StarCraft II. Archived from the original on 2018-09-08. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
- ^ a b "Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty (PC)". GameRankings. Archived from the original on 2013-05-01. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
- ^ a b "StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty for PC - Reviews at Metacritic". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 2010-07-21. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
- ^ Wooden, Andrew (2010-07-30). "Review: StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty Review". Computer and Video Games. Archived from the original on 2010-08-18. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
- ^ a b Welsh, Oli (2010-08-03). "StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty PC Review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 2021-02-27. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
- ^ Beissener, Adam. "StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Review". Game Informer. GameStop Corporation. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ a b Hunt, Geoff (2010-08-02). "StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Review for PC". Game Revolution. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
- ^ a b VanOrd, Kevin (2010-08-02). "StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Review for PC". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2011-10-08. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
- ^ a b Neigher, Eric (2010-08-04). "GameSpy: StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Review – Page 1". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 2021-02-24. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
- ^ a b Tyler Nagata (2010-07-30). "StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty super review, StarCraft II Review, PC Reviews". Games Radar.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
- ^ a b "StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Video Game | Reviews, Trailers & Interviews". GameTrailers.com. Archived from the original on 2012-06-05. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
- ^ a b "StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty". Giant Bomb. 31 July 2010. Archived from the original on 2013-01-04. Retrieved 2011-01-31.
- ^ a b Onyett, Charles (2010-08-03). "StarCraft II Wings of Liberty Review". IGN. Archived from the original on August 1, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
- ^ a b "Review: StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty". Joystiq. Archived from the original on 2011-01-30. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ Gaston, Martin (2010-07-30). "Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty Review for PC". Videogamer.com. Archived from the original on 2016-09-27. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
- ^ Webb, Morgan (2010-07-29). "X-Play Review". X-Play. Archived from the original on 2011-10-20. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
- ^ a b "StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty". NZ Gamer. Archived from the original on 2010-08-11. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ Andrei Dumitrescu (2010-07-30). "Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty Review". Softpedia. Archived from the original on 2018-11-16. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
- ^ Meyer, John Mix (2010-07-27). "StarCraft II Shows Decade of Polish in Slick New Presentation". Wired. Retrieved 2010-07-27.
- ^ Peckham, Matt (2010-07-27). "Amazon Gamers Slam StarCraft II in User Reviews". PC World. Archived from the original on 2012-07-28. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
- ^ "A decade to separate us: Ars reviews StarCraft 2". Ars Technica. 2 August 2010. Archived from the original on 2012-05-09. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ "Amazon Gamers Slam StarCraft II in User Reviews". PC World. Archived from the original on 2012-07-28. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ Kuchera, Ben (2010-07-30). "StarCraft 2 is a full game, no matter what whiners say". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 2012-04-20. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
- ^ "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ "The 50 Best Video Games of All Time". Time. Time Inc. August 23, 2016. Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- ^ "Blizzard Announces Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty Co-Marketing Campaign with Korean Air" Archived 2019-12-14 at the Wayback Machine. IGN. Retrieved July 6, 2010.
- ^ "StarCraft II: Biggest PC Game Launch of 2010!". Blizzard Entertainment. 3 August 2010. Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
- ^ Purchese, Robert (2010-09-01). "StarCraft II sells 3 million in a month". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 2020-11-14. Retrieved 2010-09-01.
- ^ "Fourth Quarter and CY 2010 Results". Activision. 2011-02-09. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-03-08. Retrieved 2011-02-10.
- ^ "5 Torrent Files That Broke Mind Boggling Records". Archived from the original on 2020-11-09. Retrieved 2011-01-31.
External links
- StarCraft II at Blizzard Entertainment
- StarCraft II at Battle.net