Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm Preorder $39.99 ($20 less than elsewhere)

[quote name='Lemarfanz']that's an absurd price for an expansion[/QUOTE]

It is, but as far as I know, all blizzard expansions have carried this price point. I.e. cataclysm for WOW.

Thanks OP in for one
 
[quote name='Lemarfanz']that's an absurd price for an expansion[/QUOTE]

Is it an expansion? I thought it was more of a sub-sequel. More like Mass Effect 2 to Mass Effect 1 (a continuance of the same story but a complete package otherwise). It's going to be a full package by itself, no?

Also worthless to the idiot (like myself) who only buys Blizzard CEs cause they are awesome (albeit overpriced).
 
[quote name='Lemarfanz']that's an absurd price for an expansion[/QUOTE]

Anyone crazy enough to pay $60 for an expansion is probably crazy enough to get 10+ years of gameplay out of it like they did with Brood War.
 
[quote name='Thrinn']Anyone crazy enough to pay $60 for an expansion is probably crazy enough to get 10+ years of gameplay out of it like they did with Brood War.[/QUOTE]

Haha! Excellent point. Though I would hope that StarCraft III won't take another 10 years to release. Then again We don't have a date for this and there is still part 3 to be made...
 
[quote name='astr0boy']It is, but as far as I know, all blizzard expansions have carried this price point. I.e. cataclysm for WOW.

Thanks OP in for one[/QUOTE]

Blizzards expansions are usually $40, all the WoW ones were.

I'm not sure how Blizz is doing SC2 though, since I don't think you need the original sc2 in order to play heart of the swarm? (as least multiplayer wise). So I'm not sure if they're really pricing it as an expansion or stand alone game.

Edit: "We typically don’t provide details about pricing until the game is closer to release. We do view Heart of the Swarm as an expansion set, so for the regions that have a standard box business model such as North America and Europe, we will price accordingly. For other regions that have alternative business models, we’ll provide details at a later date."

Knowing this, I assume $40 will be the actual retail price of the game. Amazon just priced it at $60 as a filler before knowing the real retail price.
Either way, I believe it's a stand a lone game so you don't need the other to play it.
http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/game/heart-of-the-swarm-preview/faq#q7
 
[quote name='Lemarfanz']that's an absurd price for an expansion[/QUOTE]

I'm going to assume anyone who says this has probably never played starcraft 2.
 
This is a standalone game focusing on a Zerg campaign. The multiplayer is different then SC2 to an extent. New units added, others removed. This is more of a stand-alone expansion. Think Dragon Age Origins Awakening, RDR Undead Nightmare, and the GTA4 items. The DLC versions required the full game, but the retail release of all of those games were stand-alone.
 
I'm sure its going to be $40 as Blizzard said they are going to make the price as the same as a expansion.

Then again, they did merge with Activision...
 
I see nothing absurd about the pricing here.

People pay $15 for CoD maps, and that's something a 14 year old could create himself in a matter of hours.
 
Should I get this? I constantly get owned on SC2, which made me quit playing eventually and just watch HD and Husky while eating.
 
No, it isn't an expansion. It utilizes the same engine sure. If that is your definition of an expansion, then sure. But that's stupid. It has a full game's worth of content. Quit trolling.
 
[quote name='iNFiNiTE HORiZON']if it weren't an expansion... it wouldn't be called Starcraft 2... it'd be Starcraft 3?[/QUOTE]

Yes, just like Fallout New Vegas was a Fallout 3 expansion and Rayman Origins a Rayman 3 expansion and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas a GTA 3 expansion, etc.

It is an expansion though but a standalone one. It's much more than an add-on. Even so, I do think they're charging more than they would've if they were still independent.
 
Good lord. Really..? Why are people debating about whether this is an "expansion"? Anyone who is has NEVER played or beaten Starcraft II WOL

It's the sequel to Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty.
 
[quote name='Splines']Lol, I didn't realize so many Blizzard employees were on CAG.[/QUOTE]

Right, because people who enjoy one of the biggest games in the world and probably the biggest competitive game the world over who provide facts for misinformation about said game must work for Blizzard.

Hell, I wish I worked for Blizzard, so thanks for the compliment.
 
Can't we all just get along - for those of you saying it's an expansion - it's an "expansion" in the sense that it adds to the storyline of Wings of Liberty...but it's not a typical "expansion" in terms of the length of the game. It's supposed to have just as many missions as Wings of Liberty (and so will Legacy of the Void).

Thus the $60 is giving you the same amount of bang for your buck as WoL from a single player perspective - multiplayer...well, if you played Brood War, enough said.

So...they will 'expand' on the story, but you will be given the same amount of mileage on your dollar. The previous comparison to the Mass Effect trilogy is spot on.
 
[quote name='Saix_XIII']Right, because people who enjoy one of the biggest games in the world and probably the biggest competitive game the world over who provide facts for misinformation about said game must work for Blizzard.

Hell, I wish I worked for Blizzard, so thanks for the compliment.[/QUOTE]

I'm pretty sure people are debating whether this is an expansion or not. Not whether they like or dislike this game.
 
Um I know what they are trying to correct people. Hence why I said "provide facts for misinformation about said game".

People are saying because it still has a 2 in the title that it is an expansion and is not worth the $60 MSRP. Which is 100% incorrect.

To call it an expansion would be to call ANY game with a sequel that uses the same engine an expansion. Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed, Gears of War, Halo, etc etc etc. They expand on the story/gameplay, that is true. But expansion means it requires the base game to function properly. This game does not. The WoW stuff are expansions, Brood War is an expansion.
 
Huh.. I always consider something an "expansion" if it requires the original game to install/play. And by my standards, "Heart of the Swarm" is an expansion since it requires the installation of "Wings of Liberty" (SC Wikia (under "Development"); SC2 FAQ).

But in terms of length, it's about the same as the "Wings of Liberty." However, multiplayer-wise, it seems like they're splitting the game into two: people who only have WOL and people who have HotS (SC Wikia; under "multiplayer"). So it seems like SC1, where they split up the players who only own the original and people who own the expansion "Brood War."

But to each his own definition. :booty: I'll wait until it's around $20-30 (yes, I'm well aware that it may take a while), as I am mostly interested only in the story.
 
http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/game/heart-of-the-swarm-preview/faq#q6

Will Heart of the Swarm require ownership of Wings of Liberty?

For the regions that have a standard box business model such as North America and Europe, yes, Wings of Liberty will be required in order to play Heart of the Swarm. For other regions that have alternative access models, we’ll provide details at a later date.


Looking forward to playing StarCraft 2: Episode 1.
 
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This game doesn't add anything to "sc2" other than few extra units and a single player script that nobody cares about. Games like Guild wars is much more debatable than sc2.
 
[quote name='lilseung']This game doesn't add anything to "sc2" other than few extra units and a single player script that nobody cares about. Games like Guild wars is much more debatable than sc2.[/QUOTE]

are you fucking kidding me?


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[quote name='lilseung']This game doesn't add anything to "sc2" other than few extra units and a single player script that nobody cares about. Games like Guild wars is much more debatable than sc2.[/QUOTE]

Guild Wars is for kids who's parents won't let them play real MMOs... and that's about it.
 
[quote name='lilseung']This game doesn't add anything to "sc2" other than few extra units and a single player script that nobody cares about. Games like Guild wars is much more debatable than sc2.[/QUOTE]
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[quote name='lilseung']This game doesn't add anything to "sc2" other than few extra units and a single player script that nobody cares about. Games like Guild wars is much more debatable than sc2.[/QUOTE]

What is this I don't even
 
still considered an expansion to me albeit a stand alone expansion technically u can't call it a sequel unless it's called Star Craft III Heart of the Swarm, if you want a successor to ur previous game than it should be probably titled that way
 
[quote name='plus1zero']I've never played SC2 before, my walmart has it on clearance for 35, is it worth that?[/QUOTE]

Do you like RTS games? Blizzard is known to make the best ones in the world. The other being the Warcraft series. So if RTS isn't your thing I wouldn't advise it, but if you enjoy it even a tiny bit I'd say it's easily worth it.
 
So tell me. What does HotS offer that is worth its original price? Right, a new campaign some extra units to each race. People who buy sc/sc2 for its single player campaign are doing it wrong. It sucks.

Edit: Okay, I'll take back the "suck" part. Lets just say its not worth it.
 
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[quote name='lilseung']So tell me. What does HotS offer that is worth its original price? Right, a new campaign some extra units to each race. People who buy sc/sc2 for its single player campaign are doing it wrong. It sucks.[/QUOTE]

It's not up to par with the originals story but it isn't bad.
 
[quote name='Saix_XIII']To call it an expansion would be to call ANY game with a sequel that uses the same engine an expansion. Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed, Gears of War, Halo, etc etc etc. They expand on the story/gameplay, that is true. But expansion means it requires the base game to function properly. This game does not. The WoW stuff are expansions, Brood War is an expansion.[/QUOTE]

Expansions don't always require the base games. "Stand alone expansions" have been around for well over a decade; Kohan Immortal Kings, Half-life Blue Shift, Dawn of War 2 Retribution, Supreme Commander Forged Alliance, Half-life 2 Episode 1/2, etc. Even then, Blizzard stated earlier that Heart of the Swarm would require Wings of Liberty to play anyway.

I don't see why this is such a big deal to people. It's an expansion by any definition (including Blizzard's), but that doesn't change anything about the game itself. It's good it's an expansion though, since that means it should be cheaper than a full sequel would be. I'm definitely hoping that $39.99 is the actual retail price, but considering that Blizzard's full games recently have been $10 more than their previous ones (Starcraft 2 Wings of Liberty and Diablo 3), I wouldn't have been surprised if they tried to get $49.99 for it.
 
Seems to be sold out. :(

For all the peeps asking, yes it's an absurd price for an expansion and COMPLETELY NOT WORTH IT! If you got in on the preorder, cancel it and wait for the inevitable $10 pricing.

(heh, that should work)
 
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