StarCraft 2 Digital Download Coming to Battle.net

February 10, 2010 1:41 PM

Blizzard's anticipated strategy sequel StarCraft II will be available as a digital download through the redesigned Battle.net platform upon its release later this year, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick confirmed today during an investors conference call.

The digital release will come in addition to the boxed retail edition slated to hit stores.

Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime affirmed later in the call that StarCraft II is planned for release in mid-2010, adding "we are slated to begin closed beta testing this month."

Chris Faylor

Chris Faylor was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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abrasion

 reply
February 10, 2010 1:47 PM

Chris are you tuned in to the conference call?
I think being a D/Download was always going to happen after the Battle.net revamp and our old games now being downloadable.
- Chris Faylor
  
   reply
  February 10, 2010 1:49 PM
  
  re: call, yes.
  
  as for download, no, it's not a surprise, but nice to have confirmation.
  - Serpico74
    
     reply
    February 10, 2010 1:58 PM
    
    Absolutely. Unless there is some uber-box with some really cool stuff then its DD all the way, and even then I still want to be able to download using the key in the retail version.
    - veras
      
       reply
      February 10, 2010 2:04 PM
      
      Based on how their existing games work, I'm taking it for granted that retail keys will 'activate' on battle.net, Valve style. Not to mention the 'always on' battle.net functionality pretty much means they will for sure.
      
      As for physical swag, Blizzard essentially makes the best CEs in the industry so I'm pretty sure I'll still be grabbing physical Starcraft 2 CE(s) (one for each of the three factional releases? uh oh!), even though I generally have a policy against buying non-DD (really, non-Steam) PC games.
      - Serpico74
        
         reply
        February 10, 2010 2:53 PM
        
        Yeah, I figured.
        
        Anyway, if the uber box is amazing then it will be the first retail copy I've bought four years. We'll see.
  - abrasion
    
     reply
    February 10, 2010 2:04 PM
    
    You hoping to get a beta news article out of this? Is it pre-typed? :)