So, Starcraft 2.

When the announcement came late late Friday (or I guess it was very early Saturday), I was honestly… well, not overwhelmed. I think it has to do with the fact that we’ve known about it for weeks. We knew Blizzard was planning a “huge announcement” at their Korean WorldWide Invitational this past weekend. Anyone with a brain could figure out that a “huge announcement” hype probably wouldn’t involve a new franchise, and of the existing franchises, the most anticipated and long overdue would be Starcraft. And what better place to announce a new Starcraft game than in Korea? So then it just came down to “Is it Starcraft 2, or is it a Starcraft MMO?”

So the announcement hit, and I was happy, but not overwhelmed. And then the screenshots and gameplay videos started rolling in, and I think that’s what did it for me. I think that is what finally sank it in. Finally gave me a due measure of excitement.

Part of me had been hoping for a Starcraft MMO, but I also realize that would have been a blessing and a curse. First I think Blizzard would make far more money with a Starcraft MMO (but then it probably takes more to produce), and I think they’d do it well. They have the existing experience and capital. On the other hand, if Blizzard announced a Starcraft MMO, I imagine every other developer on the planet would just quit on the spot. World of Warcraft is already tough enough to compete with for gamer’s free time.

Anyway, it’s Starcraft 2. And that’s outstanding. While a part of me wonders “What can they really do? What can they bring to an RTS that’s new?” and from the screenshots it looks pretty much like the same old thing. I then realize that it’s Starcraft. And the original game is still highly enjoyable 10 years later, because it was so well designed. So how do you improve on (near) perfection? Right. So even if they take the exact same game, and slap a sexy 3D cover on it… hell yeah. I’ll take it.

So now I’m excited. I know the game is a ways off, but now we know it’s coming (just like Starcraft Ghost… oooh, burn) and that’s a nice feeling. I’m excited, but I imagine my excitement level is a drop in the bucket compared to that of nearly any Korean. Our excitement level has nothing on these people. Starcraft is better than sex for Koreans. Starcraft cures cancer, paves roads, delivers babies and then proceeds to raise the babies to be upstanding Starcraft-playing citizens of Korea. Who are then treated like movie stars ust for being good at Starcraft, I kid you not. For Koreans, a Starcraft tournament is like the Super Bowl.

I’ll bet at least one person’s head exploded Saturday after the announcement. And how much would it suck to be the guy standing next to the guy whose head exploded?