Despite ongoing efforts with StarCraft II, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King and Diablo III, PC developer Blizzard has confirmed that it has another MMO in the works.

"There is still one unknown project," Blizzard executive VP Rob Pardo revealed to OnlineWelten during the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational. "We have another development team."

Pardo affirmed that Blizzard's recent job listings for an "unannounced next-gen MMO" were not related to Diablo III. The company had previously stated that the project was not a World of Warcraft expansion either.

Fans have long speculated that Blizzard may follow the ultra-successful World of Warcraft with a World of StarCraft MMO. The three-faction scenario and multi-world setting would seem to lend itself well to the MMO format.

Others believe that the project could be a new franchise, as Blizzard has not created a new property since StarCraft's release in 1998.

"The idea of a new franchise is very intriguing to employees of the company," said Blizzard chief operating officer Paul Sams to Gamasutra in a recent interview. "Are we ever going to release a new one? I would absolutely say we will at some point. I just don't know when that day will be quite yet."

And as for a release date on any of the three known titles? "We ship the games when they're ready," Pardo commented. "You guys know this."

Blizzard's anticipated sci-fi PC RTS sequel StarCraft 2 will not hit this year, according to an extremely sparse report from Internode Games Network.

The studio is only "about a third of the way" done with the game's campaign mode and is currently focusing on story and cinematics, executive VP Rob Pardo revealed during a talk at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational.

Pardo further noted that the company hopes to have something impressive to show by the year's end, causing the site to conclude that the title will not hit stores in 2008.

Blizzard has yet to make any official statement regarding the release of StarCraft 2. Prior to the Worldwide Invitational, several retailers began listing an unconfirmed December 3rd release, fueling speculation that a date would be announced at the event.

Updated retailer listings for Blizzard Entertainment's StarCraft II (PC) suggest that the long-awaited RTS sequel may be slated for a December 3 release, according to a Joystiq report.

Though developer Blizzard has not yet formally announced a release date for the game, listings on electronics retailers Best Buy, Circuit City and GameStop's websites all pin StarCraft II's street date as December 3.

Game retailers often assign release dates for anticipated upcoming titles in the absence of official information—for example, GameStop slates the recently delayed Final Fantasy Versus XIII (PS3) for a December 13 release.

However, it is unlikely that three retailers would coincidentally select the same placeholder date the week before Blizzard's 2008 Worldwide Invitational, where the company is expected to announce more details about the game.

The event is scheduled to take place in Paris, France on June 28 and June 29.

The official StarCraft II website has been updated with a single screenshot and new artwork from the anticipated RTS sequel, detailing the Zerg's primary hive planet Char.

Developer Blizzard Entertainment has not yet hinted at any possible release date, though some speculate that more information will arise at Blizzard's 2008 Worldwide Invitational, where the company is strongly rumored to debut a new title.

A lone screenshot and eight pieces of artwork represent the latest StarCraft II media to emerge from reclusive developer Blizzard Entertainment. The company has yet to even tease a release date for the anticipated sci-fi RTS sequel.

Blizzard has released a handful of new StarCraft II screenshots, showing off all sorts of color, robots and floating alien brain things from its upcoming PC RTS sequel.

The company has yet to even hint at a release date for the anticipated title, though more information is likely to emerge from this summer's Blizzard Worldwide Invitational and Blizzcon 2008 events.

Blizzard today released another StarCraft II screenshot, showing off a larger, slower version of the new Zerg Baneling unit.

The Baneling (bottom right in image) is an evolved Zergling, which rolls along the ground until it arrives at a target. It specializes in attacking buildings en masse, a kind of land-based version of the flying Scourge.

Click on through for the new Baneling unit details. ... Read more

In celebration of April Fools' Day, esteemed developer Blizzard Entertainment has posted a number of well-intentioned pranks on its official website.

Chief among today's jokes was word that the company's highly successful PC MMO World of Warcraft will hit Atari 2600 in the form of World of Warcraft: The Molten Core. The collector's edition is said to pack tinted cellophane TV overlays, among other extras.

Another post teased the addition of Warcraft's Tauren race to the upcoming sci-fi RTS sequel StarCraft II, complete with screenshots and artwork.

Blizzard then jested it would be adding a Guitar Hero-esque Bard Hero class to the forthcoming World of Warcraft expansion Wrath of the Lich King, before rounding out the festivities with its plans to sell a child-endangering Diablo-branded loot pinata.

Tickets for Blizzard Entertainment's 2008 Worldwide Invitational will go on sale March 20, the company announced today. Priced at 70 euros / £55 (roughly $110), the two-day tickets will be available from the event's official site.

Taking place in Paris, France on June 28 and 29, the event will feature invite-only tournaments for StarCraft, Warcraft III and World of Warcraft, along with panel discussions of various Blizzard products and the latest playable versions of StarCraft II and World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King.

Though the company unveiled StarCraft II at last year's Worldwide Invitational in Seoul, South Korea, that news marked the only major announcement to come out of the event's three-year history. The studio is known to have at least one unannounced title in development.

"The previous Blizzard Worldwide Invitationals have provided great opportunities for us to meet with players and share some incredible gaming experiences with them," said Blizzard CEO and cofounder Mike Morhaime. "We're looking forward to bringing this event to Paris for the first time and offering an exciting show for everyone attending."

Blizzard has released a high resolution version of the StarCraft II Zerg trailer first shown off in South Korea this weekend.

Check it out in streaming HD below, or grab it from FileShack.

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We have no idea when StarCraft II is being released on PC, but we can hope this year, can't we?

Following the official reveal of the Zerg race in South Korea this weekend, Blizzard has spawned several high-resolution screenshots showing off the Kerrigan-lead brood in the company's upcoming RTS StarCraft II.

Hydralisks, Ultraslisks, Overlords and the ever-present creep all make a showing. Get a rush from the images below, and make ready your "K" and "E" keys.

A handful of new StarCraft II screenshots were today released by developer Blizzard.

In addition to showing off various chaotic attack scenarios, the images also provide evidence of a more gritty, refined artistic style than has been seen in previous builds of the game.

Check them out below, with commentary included from Blizzard community manager Karune.

Update: Blizzard has clarified that, as expected, only the Battle.net component of StarCraft II will contain advertising.

"We have no plans to have in-game advertising in StarCraft II," the company told Blizzplanet. "We believe Bobby was actually referring to Battle.net, which has always included ads."

Original Story: With the merger between publisher Activision and Blizzard parent Vivendi Games closing in, Activision CEO Robert Kotick has briefly mentioned his company's plans for maximizing profit from Blizzard's upcoming PC strategy sequel StarCraft II.

"On the Blizzard side, [we need to] really be figuring out things like the StarCraft business model for the future, with in-game advertising and sponsorship, [which have] really not been something that has moved the dial for anybody in the... Read more

There's a new StarCraft 2 fan Q&A on Blizzard's Battle.net forums, answering a couple of questions related to map making.

Zerg rush over to Computer & Video Games if you're in need of a new StarCraft 2 Q&A. Associate producer Tony Hsu is asked about StarCraft's massive success in Korea, making sure new people buy the sequel, and gameplay changes.

The final piece of the BlizzCon puzzle, I recount my experience of playing a few rounds of StarCraft II multiplayer action. New units and gameplay functions are detailed in this textual replay of a 1-1 scoresheet. Read on.

The first reference to an early version of chess was made in the 5th century AD. Thought to originate in India, the famous board game--then called shatranj, referring to the four divisions of the Persian military--took nearly a millennium to develop into the version we are familiar with today. In that time, kingdoms would rise and fall, and countless generations lived and died. Now chess is an institution, one of the world's best-known games, and a standard by which some of our greatest minds have been measured. In some ways, this reminds me of StarCraft II.

Crafting Starcraft II on GameInformer offers an interview with Chris Sigaty, lead producer on the highly anticipated sci-fi strategy game sequel. Sigaty is asked about improving on the first game, entertaining the thought of a new race, storyline, gameplay, and 3D challenges.

I'm on my way home from BlizzCon, but I just couldn't wait to share these shots of StarCraft II with you all. Admittedly I am no photographer, but I did my best to grab some unique images across a broad spectrum of interest.

Now I don't know about you guys, but my favorite method of testing new units is to mass them into ridiculously large hordes and go to town. Here is the result of an hour of concentrated unit massing, with hordes of Battlecruisers, Marines, Colossi, and Motherships wrecking havoc on helpless AI opponents. Check out the first and second parts of this massive gallery.

Next is a look at the game from a statistical standpoint. Want to see how the new waypoint building queues work? Curious to know how many hit points a nuke does to a Nexus? You'll find answers to these questions in gallery one and two.

Lastly, by semi-popular demand, I took a few shots of the upcoming StarCraft board game, as well as some Blizzard-themed action figures. Take a gander.

Also take a look at the HD StarCraft 2 trailer @ FileShack

During a demonstration of the StarCraft II single player campaign, several new features were shown that significantly increase the scope of the story and gameplay, including the ability to choose your own mission progression through a star map display.

Beginning with an in-engine cutscene, the camera pulled backward through space, pushing through the bridge of a Terran Battlecruiser. The BC was revealed to be the Hyperion, with a grizzled Jim Raynor standing around a briefing display, amongst others. The characters were very highly detailed, and a Blizzard representative noted that they had cooperated with the Blizzard cinematic department to achieve that level of effect.

In a surprising development, the demonstration took a turn for the adventurous--with a click of the mouse, a dialogue tree was opened between Raynor and the marine from the StarCraft II trailer, Tycus. The player can interact with characters in the briefing room as in an adventure game, with storyline advances and gameplay information both being provided as a... Read more

Shacknews editor and BlizzCon attendee Nick Breckon managed to stop playing StarCraft II for long enough to offer his impressions of Blizzard's tantilizing sequel. Suffice to say, I think he came away happy.

Perhaps the presiding theme of StarCraft II is transformation. In fact, the new Viking unit seems like a creation directly inspired by the recent Michael Bay movie. In one swift move, it smoothly transforms from a hulking mech unit to an airborne fighter. As is the case with the rest of the units, this animation is perfectly realized. Siege Tanks have never been more satisfying to employ.
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