‘StarCraft’ facelift drives old gamers’ nostalgia
BUSAN — An audience of more than 10,000 who gathered at this beach cheered after e-sports hypeman Jeon Yong-jun’s thundering announcement, “Let the game begin.”
Among the cheering spectators were middle-aged game fans, hand in hand with their children, visiting the launch ceremony of “StarCraft: Remastered” to watch the game’s rebirth after two decades. Some of them even shed tears, lost in memories of playing the game in their younger days.
Blizzard Entertainment said the launch event had more than 500,000 viewers watching it live from around the globe through TV broadcasts and streaming services such as Twitch.
The game company released the ultra high-definition (UHD) facelift of “StarCraft” exclusively at PC rooms in Korea after Sunday’s competition.
Users in Korea will be able to play the game for two weeks before its official global launch on Aug. 15.
Not just the graphics upgrade to UHD resolutions, “StarCraft: Remastered” will support 15 languages including Korean.
It will also support upgraded multiplayer features including a matchmaking system that allows users to compete with opponents who have similar gaming skills and rankings.
But other than that, the developers kept the game as it has been, according to Blizzard Entertainment.
“Our top priority was not to change the game but keep it exactly as it always has been,” said Grant Davies, a senior software engineer of Blizzard Entertainment’s classic games unit, during a press conference in Busan, Sunday.
“This came as a technological challenge to us. We applied modern architecture to the game which was developed more than 20 years ago.”
The developers also pledged to continue providing technical support for “StarCraft” to make it playable for generations.
“Many developers at Blizzard Entertainment are working for the game and the executives also plan to maintain it as a classic game,” said Pete Stilwell, a senior producer at Blizzard Entertainment’s classic games unit.
“We will heed what users say about the game on online communities and will update it accordingly.”
Launched in 1998, “StarCraft” has changed not just Korea’s game industry but also public perceptions of gaming.
Thanks to Blizzard Entertainment’s unique multiplayer gaming system, dubbed “Battle.net,” the computer strategy game ignited a nationwide craze and led to explosive expansion of PC rooms here.
“StarCraft” also contributed to the beginning of the e-sports industry and made gaming a new kind of profession.
For Blizzard Entertainment, Korea has become one of the most importance markets with 4.5 million copies of “StarCraft” sold here as of 2007.
This was nearly half of the 9.5 million total global sales.
Gwangalli Beach also left its name in the history of the global e-sports industry in 2004 when the professional “StarCraft” league finals here drew an estimated 100,000 spectators.
However, the popularity of “StarCraft” lost its steam since the late 2000s amid match-fixing scandals, the launch of “StarCraft 2” and the rise of “League of Legends” as its biggest rival on the global e-sports scene.
Many professional “StarCraft” leagues and tournaments ceased to exist.
“StarCraft was a blessing in my life,” Jeon said.
With his unique shouting style, he has established a reputation as one of the world’s most renowned shoutcasters.
“I have been an e-sports shoutcaster for about 20 years. Without StarCraft, I couldn’t have reached the place where I am now.”
Professional gamers also welcomed the launch of “StarCraft: Remastered.”
“I started to play this game in my late teens and retired as a professional StarCraft gamer in my early 30s. I spent all my youth for it,” said Lim Yo-hwan, a legendary former professional gamer who was also been known by his game ID, SlayerS—”Boxer.”
Lee Young-ho, who currently is considered one of world’s best “StarCraft” professional players, said, “I am 26 now and have lived half of my life playing StarCraft. It is like a close friend to me that I cannot leave.”
Joining Lim and Lee, retired and current professional gamers including Kook Ki-bong, Guillaume Patry, Hong Jin-ho, Park Jung-suk, Lee Yun-yeol, Kim Taek-yong and Lee Jae-dong had special matches during Sunday’s event.
Blizzard Entertainment’s recent first-person shooter game “Overwatch” has also gained popularity from gamers here, becoming the third-most-played computer online game Wednesday, the day after its release.
According to data from Korean gaming market researcher Gametrics, “Overwatch” had an 11.7 percent market share, surpassing Nexon’s “FIFA Online 3” at 5.9 percent.