Topic: Starcraft: Ghost on GameCube Cancelled

[Karl Castaneda #2]

Unfortunately, you'll have to buy the Xbox or PS2 version to play it.

Nintendo fans hoping to get their hands on the upcoming Starcraft: Ghost were met with disappointing news today when a Blizzard employee confessed the following on the Battle.NET message board:    

" Unfortunately the GameCube version of the game was decided to be dropped. In order to provide the game envisioned by the console team a set and readily available online solution was needed. Unfortunately the GameCube has no online service and since so much work is going in to the online portion, it would be additional work to release only part of the intended game. Nintendo systems certainly aren't something that we are against supporting. Blizzard in its entirety is based upon earlier games for Nintendo systems. The GameCube and Revolution will still be cosidered for future products, unfortunately Ghost will only be made available on the Xbox and PS2 at this time."    

When posters inquired further, citing the GameCube's Broadband Adapter, the same employee had the following to say:    

" In any case there are many reasons why the GameCube version was cut, but it all boils down to being able to provide the best game experience possible to our fans."    

As a consolation, however, he did also say that support for the GameCube has not been cut off, nor has any other Nintendo console (i.e. Revolution) been given the axe as far as future support.

[Karl Castaneda #2]

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that the following happened:

Blizzard wanted to get the game out soon (it has been in development forever, after all) and wanted to optomize profit. And so, in the same fashion that's been exploited so many times before, the GameCube version was given the axe. The statement about online doesn't hold much weight - the PS2 version will be played on Battle.NET and there's no reason why the GameCube version wouldn't be able to do the same. However, as #3 in marketshare, Nintendo and its fans are once again given the shaft.  

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

I have a bunch of unfinished games.  I'm good for a while.

[nitsu niflheim]

I wanted this game too.  Emphasis on wanted.  I am nto going to get it now.  Sure I could get it on either Ps2, or even Xbox, God knows my Xbox is nothing but a dust collector.  But I'm not going to bother, I know my little protest won't make a difference.  But I decided long ago to not support multiplatform games that were orginally scheduled for all three consoles and the GCN version in the end got cancelled.

[Sarail]

nitsu, I'm right along with you in that protest, too.  I've told myself from the very beginning that I wouldn't buy games that were made for multiplatform - with Beyond Good & Evil being the only exception.  That game is pure heaven.

And yes, it is absolutely ridiculous that the GameCube and Nintendo fans are getting treated this way.  Hello?  Sony doesn't have a "set-in-stone" online plan for their PS2 either.  Geez, Blizzard... grow some balls, will ya?  I know of a lot of GameCube owners who were extremely excited about this game.  But Blizzard decides to give us the shaft instead.  I won't be purchasing StarCraft: Ghost for either of the competing systems.  Thanks Blizzard.  Thanks a lot.  You WOULD have had a sell by me for this game...  too bad on your part, though.

[JonLeung]

Kind of interesting that they emphasized that they weren't ruling out Nintendo consoles.

I think the DS would be perfect for RTSes of the StarCraft variety, what with the touch-screen and all.  I never played StarCraft 64 and think the original StarCraft is overrated, but I think it could actually work on the DS.

[Arrow]

Quote
Originally posted by: Rachtman
Hello?  Sony doesn't have a "set-in-stone" online plan for their PS2 either.

No, but their online network still has a much larger user base than Nintendo's. The Blizzard employee's original comment about Nintendo having no online service, while false, is not that far from the truth. If the game's online components are a large part of the overall package, I think Blizzard didn't have much of a choice in this matter.

[ThePerm]

"best game experience possible to our fans."...what  about your gamecube owning  fans

[Grant10k]

Screw 'em, this game has been in development for long enough that I lost interest eons ago.  

[Nemo]

Realisticly, it's a good decision for Blizzard.  Not many people own the BBA for GameCube.  So if they included the online portion into the game, not many would be able to play that part.  Furthermore, for those who don't have the BBA, that's an added expense.  The XBox was always online-ready.  Some PS2s came with the modem (like mine) and at the very least, you could fairly easily find a PS2 modem if you don't have one.  Most likely, you'd have to order the broadband adapter online from Nintendo to play an online game. Mmmm. Not very  a very convenient experience for  the buyer.  It's pretty much Nintendo's fault for not having any first-party support for games and weak first-party support for online hardware. Hopefully, it shouldn't be an issue for the Revolution, since it'll be online-ready from the get-go.

[Shin Gallon]

Great...so the one part of the game I'll never touch is why they cancelled the GC version, the stupid online portion. Looks like I'll have to suffer playing it with the X-Box pad...

[Kairon]

Realistically, me, the biggest Blizzard Fanboy in the world...I didn't know this game was coming out on the GC at all!

I'd always assumed it was just the XBox and PS2, *shrug*

Still, I think this game is very interesting because Blizzard is very used to working on a PC timescale. They take a long time to develop their games, and usually they don't push the technological envelope (Starcraft's and Diablo's Sprites, WoW vs. EQ2 graphics). It'll be very interesting to see how Blizzard fares in todays much more rapid, much more competitive console environment.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[ShyGuy]

Well that's a bummer, I'm sure Ian will have a field day with this.

Personally, I think online is just being used as an excuse. The real reason is to reduce the costs of porting to a 3rd system with potentialy the lowest sales in an effort to maximize profits on a much delayed game at the end of a generation's life cycle.

[IceCold]

Whoa, ShyGuy is ViewtifulGamer is Karl Castaneda in disguise...

[Infernal Monkey]

Why they didn't just make this for the bloody PC is a mystery. It went from some single player adventure game to something that now apparently can't be enjoyed without an internet connection.

[Kairon]

Yeah, Starcraft Ghost has been passed around between at least 3 different developers to work on, I think...

And this late in the game cycle, in a competitive console environment against next gen systems to boot and STILL without anything truly new (I mean, at first it was a First Person Shooter, now it's a Battlefield 1942 clone)... I don't blame them for dumping the GC, they're already taking a big risk with this game as is.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[Nephilim]

you gotta be kidding yourself if you didnt think this would flop, as bad as PSO3
esp since its mostly baised online

[couchmonkey]

Quote
Originally posted by: PGC NewsBot
<small>" In any case there are many reasons why the GameCube version was cut, but it all boils down to being able to provide the best game experience possible to our fans."</small>

Sounds like he's letting the lie out of the bag there...  Unless this game has changed completely (possible, I suppose) online is not really a requirement for it.  Just like online is not really that important to Burnout 3 - it's a nice bonus, but I've heard you can definitely play the game without it.

Quote
As a consolation, however, he did also say that support for the GameCube has not been cut off, nor has any other Nintendo console (i.e. Revolution) been given the axe as far as future support.

Yeah right.  They'll keep supporting the Cube with all 0 games they have announced for it.  Yippee!

What really gets me about all this is the online excuse.  Maybe they have changed the game to the point where it really needs to be online, and in that case I wouldn't blame them for dumping the Cube, but I think it's just a convenient way to cover up the real motivation: they wanted to save some money on development.

[KDR_11k]

May I take Blizzard's statement as "the game is worthless without online and if you don't plan on taking your console online don't bother buying it"? I mean, it's not like there's many people using the online mode of their consoles so if the online part is really that important that the game would need major rework without it the game isn't worth buying. I mean, my PS2 has a network adapter (it's a 70k so that was built in) and all that's stopping me from going online is that I forgot my login before the network disc arrived.

Meh, I talk like I had any interest in the game to begin with. Sorry but stealth games aren't my thing.

[Ian Sane]

"However, as #3 in marketshare, Nintendo and its fans are once again given the shaft."

The very reason why I'm always making such a big deal about marketshare.  As good as it is financially for Nintendo to consistently make a profit their marketshare is ultimately what affects us gamers.  This has become a chronic problem.  It's like now if a game is announced for all three consoles I almost assume the Cube version will be cancelled.  That's not the sort of thing to be associated with.  It's not good for Nintendo to be known as the console maker that has all their third party games cancelled.  They have to address this problem and show a serious effort to improve their marketshare.

As a fan why should I stay loyal to a company that doesn't show me that they care about issues like this?  What incentive is there to stay when things are always getting worse and the situation never improves or a least stays where it is?  Nintendo has to take these questions into account because I've never seen anything from them that suggests to me that they even care about this.  It often feels like they're taking our support and loyality for granted.

[Arrow]

Quote
Originally posted by: couchmonkey
Yeah right. They'll keep supporting the Cube with all 0 games they have announced for it. Yippee!

Blizzard typically is not a console company. SC: Ghost was somewhat of a rarity in that regard. Historically, Blizzard has released more games for Nintendo consoles than for any of their competitor's consoles (Lost Vikings, Blackthorne, Rock n Roll Racing, StarCraft 64). And aside from SC: Ghost, the only other console game Blizzard is rumored to be working on is World of Warcraft, and there is no chance that would be released on Gamecube. But aside from that (again, a rumor) there haven't been any games announced for any consoles, so Nintendo isn't exactly alone.  

[ShyGuy]

Quote
As a fan why should I stay loyal to a company that doesn't show me that they care about issues like this?

Ian, you ever think you might be happier if you didn't stay loyal? be a multiconsole owner, take up needlepoint instead, something.

[Sir_Stabbalot]

Quote
In order to provide the game envisioned by the console team a set and readily available online solution was needed.

I believe he meant the game's going to be nearly unplayable at launch from bugs and will need a patch.

[soracloudtidus]

Whatever...I'll keep playing WoW anyways....

[Smash_Brother]

I never planned on getting it. Besides, it's been in development hell for so long that I can't imagine it'll be good.

I seriously doubt we'll be missing much.

-SB