Gamers can now find Sacred Gold on Valve’s Steam service. As the preparations for the coming of Sacred 2 accelerate, some gamers may want to take a shot at the first game to get to know the setting or revisit an old favorite. The Sacred Gold digital download contains the original award winning game as well as Sacred Plus and Sacred Underworld.

It seems that gamers are waiting breathlessly on several games based on old favorites these days. Between Starcraft 2, Diablo 3, Fallout 3 and Sacred 2, players seem happy to over look the absence of new titles out there. I know that if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it; but that will only please the masses for so long.

via Steam

Apparently Blizzard has another unannounced game in the making according to a recent session during last weekend’s Blizzard Invitational.

According to the video posted above, Rob Pardo not only talks a bit about Diablo III, but also mentions a separate development team working on an as of yet unannounced project and that the recent job listing for a next-gen MMO had nothing to do with WoW.

The speculation that this could be the much rumored StarCraft MMO is sure to get more heated with arcane comments such as these, but then again it could be a completely new franchise which would be interesting as well.

“The idea of a new franchise is very intriguing to employees of the company,” explains Blizzard COO Paul Sams [Actiontrip]. “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.”

The video posted above, has English subtitles for a reason according to the email sent to us from Onlinewleten, it was so loud in the background. Enjoy the trailer.

Thanks: Onlinewelen

Fans of Blizzard’s popular RTS, Starcraft, have been waiting eagerly to get their hands on the highly-anticipated sequel almost since the first game came out. Well, if the internet rumblings are to be believed, they may not have to wait much longer. Right now, it looks like a handful of retail stores’ websites (specifically, Best Buy, Circuit City, and GameStop) are all showing a release date of December 3rd for Starcraft II. Granted, a retail chain pinning a release date on a game happens all the time, and is frequently proven wrong; but three chains with the same specific date at once? I guess a couple of them could be getting their information from one of them, but this is still a pretty unusual occurrence. This kind of bumps up the possibility of a 2008 release from “maybe, but don’t hold your breath” to “about 50-50,” in my book.

Via Joystiq

Blizzard usually produces games that can run on the majority of machines out there, but when you see footage from the upcoming Starcraft II, you have to wonder just what sort of machine you’ll need to run it. Well it seems the Spanish magazine, Micromania, recently took a trip to Blizzard’s offices and managed to unearth the system requirements for the game. Bear in mind though, that these are not the official specs for the game, as Blizzard has not verified any of them:

Minumum Requirements
GFX: GeForce 7/8 Series or Radeon 1000/2000 with 256 MB RAM
CPU: Pentium 4
RAM: 1 GB
Internet: ADSL 1 Mbit

Recommended Requirements
GFX: GeForce 8000 or Radeon 2000 series with 512 MB RAM
CPU: Core 2 Duo or Athlon X2.
RAM: 2 GB
Internet: ADSL 3 Mbit

Optimal Requirements
GFX: Geforce 9000er or Radeon 3000er Series
CPU: Core 2 Duo 3 GHz or Athlon X2
RAM: 2GB with DualChannel mode

Those are some fairly steep requirements for a Blizzard title, if these do turn out to be the final specs. Of course, by the time the game actually reaches store shelves, maybe they’ll be much closer to the norm.

Via Unofficial Starcraft 2 Forums

Blizzard has announced the next BlizzCon will be held this October in Anaheim, California. This will mark the third such convention, which has now expanded to two convention halls in order to accommodate more attendees. As usual, the whole event will celebrate all things Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo-related:

“Whenever we’ve been able to meet and interact with Blizzard gamers from around the world, it’s been a great experience for us,” stated Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re looking forward to seeing even more of our players at this year’s BlizzCon and delivering another entertaining and informative event for them.”

The event will rake place in the Anaheim Convention Center from Oct. 10-11.Tickets are expected to go on sale for $100 each in the next few weeks through www.blizzcon.com. Last year’s BlizzCon sold out quick, so if you’re planning to go, you’ll want to snag your tickets soon. And since Activision pulled out of E3, this will probably be the place where we can finally sit down and play Starcraft II (or possibly Diablo 3, if the signs are to be believed).

Via Press Release

The good folks over at Blizzard have launched their revamped online store complete with digital downloads, a beta lottery and CD key registrations.For the moment, the only games you can download digitally are the StarCraft Anthology, Warcraft III, and the WarCraft III Frozen Throne expansion, this is the first time any Blizzard game has been made available via digitally distributed releases – sans WoW of course. Plus, owners of Blizzard games can register their CD keys on the site which adds titles to their Blizzard account, and download them for free. Diablo II downloads are not currently ready, so you may want to check the site often.

Also, Blizzard is holding a beta lottery which will allow registered users to be entered into a drawing for beta access. This is so that users whose account is drawn will get the first shot at being part of the next beta they launch, which will most likely be their currently unannounced “Next-Gen MMO”.

Here is a list of PC titles that can be registered and downloaded from the Blizzard Store:

• Diablo II (coming soon)
• Diablo II: Lord of Destruction (coming soon)
• Diablo II Battlechest (coming soon)
• StarCraft
• StarCraft Battlechest
• StarCraft Anthology
• Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
• Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne Expansion Pack

For more information on the Blizzard Store and the beta lottery, check out the official site.

Thanks: Shacknews

Cracked has compiled a list of video games that would have been awesome if they could just get off the ground. For the most part, I have to agree with their picks and comments on why they would rock and why they will most likely never see the light of day. I won’t ruin the fun for you by exposing all the titles. Beside some of those pics and videos are really great.

All of these games seemed like a really great idea at the time, but have been plagued with problems. For instance, the author strikes true on the subject of Duke Nukem Forever when he claims that “3D Realms seem to be stuck in some sort of time paradox where the more work they put into the game, the further it gets from being finished.” Some of the titles like Starcraft: Ghost have adapted to other media. Anabelle Terra aka Ghost agent Nova stars in her own manga series, “StarCraft: Ghost Academy”, based on the game concept. However there is at least one on the list that may yet see the light of day. Over on Diablo3.com and Blizzplanet there’s a countdown running; supposedly for a big announcement on Diablo 3 coming May 1st.

Check out “10 Highly Anticipated Video Games You’ll Never Get To Play” on Cracked.

StarCraft II continues the epic saga of the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg. These three distinct and powerful races will clash once again in the fast-paced real-time strategy sequel to the legendary original, StarCraft. Legions of veteran, upgraded, and brand-new unit types will do battle across the galaxy, as each faction struggles for survival.

Featuring a unique single-player campaign that picks up where StarCraft: Brood War left off, StarCraft II will present a cast of new heroes and familiar faces in an edgy sci-fi story filled with adventure and intrigue. In addition, Blizzard will again offer unparalleled online play through Battle.net, the company’s world-renowned gaming service, with several enhancements and new features to make StarCraft II the ultimate competitive real-time strategy game.

Features:

• Fast-paced, hard-hitting, tightly balanced competitive real-time strategy gameplay that recaptures and improves on the magic of the original game
• Three completely distinct races: Protoss, Terran, and Zerg New units and gameplay mechanics further distinguish each race
• Groundbreaking single-player “story-mode” campaign
• Vibrant new 3D-graphics engine with support for dazzling visual effects and massive unit and army sizes
• Full multiplayer support, with new competitive features and matchmaking utilities available through Battle.net
• Full map-making and scripting tools to give players incredible freedom in customizing and personalizing their gameplay experience

StarCraft II does not have an official release date for Mac or PC as of yet, so check back with us often.You can view more screens for the game here.

Tuesday was the day the internet went cuckoo. April 1st has always had a strange vibe to it. Some believe it is a day to kick back and have a few good laughs, but I see it as a day where you can’t trust anyone or anything. Nothing could have been more true of this past April Fools Day though, as it seemed the entire internet had come up with their own special practical joke. At first, it was pretty fun to come across some fake trailers and news bits poking fun at current events and the like. Unfortunately, it kind of began to wear thin as the day went on, and it seemed like every other website suddenly thought they were the cleverest bunch in the whole world. Still, some of them I have to admit were just classic. Thus, I’ve constructed this list of the Top Ten Online April Fools Jokes that I saw that day. Continue after the break for a glimpse into internet April Fools Day insanity.

Read the full article »

The folks over at Blizzard are very amusing and today they released a batch of funnies in honor of April Fool’s Day – so don’t be fooled by the following additions to your favorite games.

First off, we have the new hero class: The Bard who after “ages spent singing of the heroic exploits of others, the bards of Azeroth are finally stepping into the spotlight on their own terms, proving once and for all that while just about anyone can pick up a sword or cast a spell, only a true hero can vanquish evil with the power of ROCK! ”

Next up we have the Diablo Pinata. Instead of being stuffed with candy it is stuffed with “fully functional replicas of iconic Diablo items and artifacts. Parents will be delighted to know that instead of the empty calories and sugar rushes yielded by typical piñatas, their kids will be getting additional exercise while they re-enact their favorite Diablo moments, such as the burning of Tristram or the slaughter of the Zakarum priesthood, all while using authentic weaponry from the game”.

Then of course we have the new “playable” class for StarCraft II, the Tauren Marine from the obscure planet of Azeroth which was “Found to harbor a dizzying selection of humans, mutants, and aliens in a state of perpetual superstition and conflict. The most physically imposing of these warrior races were the so-called ‘tauren,’ an anthropomorphic bovine genotype with super-human stamina, overpowered racial combat abilities, and bizarrely well-developed horticultural skills.”

Finally, last but certainly not least Blizzard has given us the gem that is World of Warcraft: Molten Core – coming to a console near you. According to the press release for this “must have” game of the future:

World of Warcraft: The Molten Core will include both single-player and multiplayer versions, fully loaded with nine different shapes (and possibly colors) representing the current World of Warcraft character classes. A future expansion will introduce a tenth shape, representing the death knight hero class. Blizzard also plans to include a full-featured voice-chat system, as well as a fully customizable user interface that allows players to personalize their joystick button with several different functions. A free attunement cartridge rounds out the offering, providing instant access to the complete World of Warcraft: The Molten Core entertainment experience.

Blizzard’s World of Warcraft: The Molten Core Collector’s Edition, also announced today, will include tinted cellophane TV overlays, further increasing the array of colors available to players. Additional Collector’s Edition features, as well as details on the upcoming World of Warcraft: The Molten Core beta test, will be revealed closer to release. World of Warcraft: The Molten Core will initially be available for the Atari 2600 platform, with plans for additional console systems to be announced in the near future.

Complete with concept art to the “actual” 2-bit graphics this one is the funniest of them all – complete with trailer.

Be sure and look around the internet folks, because somewhere within its bowels, some poor sap of a gaming site is going to take at least one of these seriously.

To get the full nonsensical effect of the hilarity, click here. Be sure and watch all the trailers – they are totally worth it.